Digimon:Silver Star Story
by ray1
Summary: The Alliance has become host to a mysterous group of demons, as the Pharaoh and his group enter the very heart of the Shadow Realm. The next episode is up. Read Author's Note first.
1. Bio's

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

_Characters: This is a brief outlook of the main, supporting, and evil characters that will make an appearance in this fic. Updated for new characters._

**Lunar Main Characters**

**Alex:** Alex dreams of one day becoming a Dragonmaster like his hero, Dyne. But to fulfill his dream, he must leave behind all that he holds dear. Much more is in store for young Alex than he realizes. Hopefully, he'll live long enough to tell about it!

**Luna (human):** Alex's parents have taken care of Luna since she was a child. She is Alex's childhood sweetheart, though she'll never admit it. No one can match the power of her magical songs. Like most adolescents her age, she has many questions about herself. Unfortunately, they're about to be answered…

**Nall: **When Alex was a small child, a mysterious man gave his father this strange, winged, catlike creature that unfortunately grew up with an attitude. He tends to get Alex into a lot of trouble by smarting off at the wrong time. But he'll get what's coming to him, sooner or later!

**Nash:** This extremely overconfident magicians apprentice is an understudy of Ghaleon, the most powerful magician in Vane. If he isn't studying for his latest exam at the Magic Guild, he can be found trying to impress the woman of his dreams, Mia. Too bad Nash isn't as successful at trying to win Mia's heart as he is with magic.

**Mia:** Mia is the daughter of Lemia, one of the Four Heroes, and the leader of Vane. Lemia has protected Mia from the outside world for so long that she is oblivious to the joys and hardships found in the world below. Despite her mild nature, she is actually a very powerful magician. If she could learn one new magic trick, it would be making Nash disappear.

**Kyle:** After winning the approval of Master Mel of Meribia, Kyle was put in charge of protecting the Nanza barrier. Despite his youth, he is a master swordsman and well-respected by his loyal followers. He can't help but find himself attracted to Jessica, even though she can't stand his chauvinistic ways. He has only one flaw…his ego!

**Jessica:** Jessica is the daughter of Master Mel, one of the Four Heroes, and the governor of Meribia. As an apprentice priest of Althena's Shrine, she is a master of healing spells. Don't let the sweetness she displays around her father fool you; Jessica is a very brave and independent woman. She is constantly at odds with Kyle, hoping that one day he will treat all women as equals (yeah right).

**Sailor Moon Characters by the end of the 2nd season** _(Greg is included in it because he played an important role in the two episodes of Sailor Moon that he was on.)_

**Sailor Moon:** A junior high school student at Juban, Serena Tsukino is a friendly person who cares for everyone around her. The reincarnated princess of the moon, she is keeper of the Silver crystal, and leader of the Sailor Scouts. Her one real dream is to get married and have a family of her own. She is already aware of her future, and will make an extraordinary queen if and when she grows up. Her only flaws are her selfishness and flakiness, but these are compensated by her natural leadership skills, and her pure heart.

**Sailor Mercury:** The reincarnated princess of Mercury, Amy Mizuno is the resident genius of the Sailor Scouts. With the aid of a palm-sized super computer, she can analyze just about anything that is made in the 20th century. Lately, she has been having extremely unsettling dreams that have put her on edge. She has questions about this, but she's in for a rude awakening!

**Sailor Mars: **The resident psychic of the group, Rei Hino is the one the others turn to for guidance in anything out of the ordinary. She is the reincarnated princess of Mars, she is trained in telepathic combat. Her weakness is her red-hot temper, and her pride. She is constantly at odds with Serena, but it is a friendly rivalry, as the two are like sisters.

**Sailor Jupiter:** Lita Kino, the reincarnated princess of Jupiter, is the second most powerful member of the team, just after Sailor Moon. She is their martial arts master, capable of going head to toe with some of the most dangerous creatures alive, even when she isn't transformed. Her explosive temper and awe-inspiring strength give Lita a major advantage in combat. Her intelligence is limited, and she cannot create worthwhile strategies on her own, but her skills, and the other scouts, more than make up for that.

**Sailor Venus: **The reincarnated princess of Venus, Mina Aino was actually the first of the Scouts to be awakened. She has the most experience of them, and is a decent fighter. Her intelligence is limited, and she was never considered leadership material. She is a bit snobby, but a good friend too all those around her.

**Sailor Pluto:** The direct heir to the throne of Pluto, Trista Meioh is the sole survivor of the Silver Millennium. Her knowledge of time is unmatched in the cosmos, and her tactical know-how is parallel to Mercury. Her powers, as well as her duties as the guardian of time, make her one of the most powerful Scouts of all time. Her only flaw is that she cannot work well with others, due to her isolation in the gates of time. She is also known as the scout of dreams among her peers. Will she be able to figure out what Amy's dreams mean?

**Tuxedo Mask:** The reincarnated prince of Earth and protector of the moon princess, Darien Endyimon is an ally to the Sailor Scouts, and courting Princess Serena. He is a stabilizing force in Serena's life, and always gives good advice to others when he feels they need it. An orphan who doesn't remember his own parents, he feels that Serena is his family, and will do anything to protect her from harm.

**Luna (Feline) and Artemis:** Reincarnated by Queen Serenity to guide the Sailor Scouts to their rightful destiny, Luna and Artemis were the ones to reawaken the five Sailor Scouts. With the Negaverse and Negamoon family finally defeated, they continue to train the Scouts for the next evil that will attempt to attack Earth. Little to they expect that that training will come in handy, and sooner than they think!

**Rini:** Serena and Darien's child from the 30th century, Rini Endyimon is the direct heir to throne of Crystal Tokyo. She is a young, but extremely brave girl. Wielding unexplainable powers due to her exposure to the Silver Crystal, and an extremely short temper, she can do a great deal of damage to her enemies. With Serena's determination, and Darien's intelligence, Rini is the perfect balance of brains and brawn. Now if only she could learn to use both at the right time!

**Greg:** One of the Seven Rainbow Crystal carriers, and one of the former shadow warriors of the Negaverse, Greg has been a good friend to the Sailor Scouts for almost two years. His unique ability to foresee the future has helped in stopping one of Queen Beryl's greatest plans ever. Greg's feelings for Amy link him to her in a way that he is aware when she in some form of distress. He has lately been having dreams similar to the ones that Amy has been having. Greg is trying to uncover their origin, and whether or not they pose a threat to the Scouts.

**Digimon Characters of Season one**

**Tai and Agumon:** The leader of the Digi-Destined and older brother to Kari, Tai is keeper of the Crest of Courage. He is a natural leader, and has led the Digi-Destined to victory time and time again against overpowering foes. He may seem cold and impersonal in the heat of battle, but deep inside, he has a heart of gold.

His Digimon partner Agumon is the defacto leader of the Digimon portion of the team. He is also the strongest of the Digimon, capable of digi-volving to the Mega level.

**Matt and Gabumon:** Matt is the second member of the Digi-Destined, and holder of the Crest of Friendship. He is the one who always tries to remind Tai that a little humanity will go a long way. He can get extremely angry with Tai with over his conduct, but the two are like brothers. He once thought that his only mission was to protect his little brother, T.K., but after the battle with Apocalmon, he embraced a higher purpose.

Gabumon is the only other digimon on the team to hold the capability of digi-volving to Mega. He is the rational member of the group, acting like a confidant to the others. He knows everything there is to know about the Digital World, and will try to find out anything he doesn't. Maybe this crisis will broaden his horizons.

**Sora and Biyomon:** If there were two people so alike, Sora and Biyomon would be sisters. Both have the gentlest souls of the team, and can get overly emotional at times. Looking to Tai for guidance, Sora may have feelings for him that are more than friendship. She is keeper of the crest of Love, which enables Biyomon to digi-volving to the Ultimate level.

**Izzy** **and Tentomon:** As pertained by his Crest of Knowledge, Izzy Izumi is the resident genius of the group. He is totally level headed, and has used his intellect to uncover the mysteries of the Digital World. Like Mimi and Tai, he is Lunarian in origin, aging at an accelerated rate to a certain point.

Tentomon is also level headed, and tries to get Izzy to live in the world around him. His digivolution is up to the Ultimate level.

**Mimi and Palmon:** In her time on Lunar, Mimi has shed the persona she used to hide from her friends, instead revealing a different person all together. A half demon, she possesses the best of both worlds, including immense magical power, super human strength, and incredible durability. Recently, she and fellow Digi-Destined Izzy have taken the first tentative steps of forming a relationship. Only time will tell if that relationship will hold, especially if the powers of darkness decide to destroy it.

Palmon is Mimi's partner, and the one most in tune to Mother Nature. Capable of digi-volving to Ultimate, Palmon is the least powerful, but also the most maneuverable of the group. She trusts everyone around her, and will always try to protect a friend.

**Joe and Gomamon:** Joe is your basic paranoid kid who believes that everyone and everything is out to get him. His experiences in the Digital World have cured him of that somewhat, and he has become the most reliable member of the team. He is keeper of the Crest of Reliability, and is always there for the others.

If every power in the universe has an opposite, then Joe got the raw end of the deal. Gomamon is his opposite in every way possible. He is laid back most of the time, and always ready to crack a joke. He is the only Digimon in the team who can swim, and he has an Ultimate level Digivolution.

**T.K. and Angemon:** T.K. is the child of Hope, and keeper/protector of its crest. He is considered by the powers of darkness as one of the most dangerous of the children. Wielding the weapon previously held by Takeru, T.K. begins to uncover the past...

Angemon is the third strongest of the Digimon team, and one of the most powerful Digimon in history. He is skilled in hand-to-hand-combat, and can stand up to Ultimate and Mega level Digimon. Like T.K., he has been having dreams as well, but he has handled them better than any of the others, and feels that a dark future is approaching. If only he knew…

**Kari and Angewomon:** The child of Light and keeper of its crest, Kari is the most lovable and trustworthy of the Digi-Destined, as well as the most powerful. She possesses abilities so strong that the powers of darkness fear her. She is extremely strong willed, and will sacrifice herself to save others, and that's almost killed her twice in her life. Wielding the Scepter of Light, she commands power beyond imagination.

Angewomon is the digimon of light, and the only other Angelic Digimon on the team. She is shrouded in controversy due to her association with Myotismon, and has been horribly scarred both physically and mentally. She bears a great hatred to any creature, human or Digimon, who would hurt others to gain control over them. Angewomon has been hit almost as hard as Kari by the dreams, and might be able to help Angemon discern them. Whatever happens though, she will be a great ally in the upcoming battle.

**Lilika:** Lilika is Mimi's twin sister, born and raised on Lunar. Like her sister, she possesses superhuman strength, and the acute senses of the demons. Unlike her sister, she doesn't possess unlimited magical power, and is very shy and reserved around those she doesn't know. In times of great emotional stress, she is the Alliance's anchor, being their spiritual presence whenever they need it.

**Harry Potter Characters; (The majority of them making an impact won't appear until much later in the fic.)**

**Harry:** The only one to survive the Dark Lord Voldemort reign of terror, Harry Potter is famous throughout the Wizarding World as the boy who lived. He is also head of the newly formed Hogwarts Stargate Corp, which was created to battle Deadly Alliance member Outworld. Wielding a sword and now fluent in several different forms of martial arts, he has become a dangerous warrior.

**Hermione:** The smartest witch in Hogwarts, and one of the best friends of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger is a muggle born witch who is ridiculed by those who believe themselves to be better than her, and accepted by those who know her. In the aftermath of the battle of the Star Chamber, she has obtained a new edge to her personality, as well as new likes and dislikes. Harry's counterpart and equal, she is never far from his side.

**Ginny:** The youngest and only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ginevra Weasley's first year at Hogwarts almost saw the end of the school, and the rebirth of the Wizarding World's most powerful dark wizard. Now wielding a mystic blade of ancient origin, she has become part of a new generation of warriors, sworn to defend a land of dreams.

**Ron:** The second youngest of the family, Ron is Harry Potter's second best friend, having known him since his first year. He's one of the few who wants Harry to have a normal life, and try to have fun. However, as they sometimes say, playtime is over…

**Claire**: A student of Zion Academy for Guardians, Claire Damont is from Realm 7684, the realm of the Jedi order. She knows elemental spells that can do incomprehensible damage to her enemies, and is skilled in hand to hand combat. Her primary weapon of choice is a Jedi light saber.

**Snape:** Hogwarts Potions Professor, Severus Snape is considered the resident teacher to hate among the majority of students. Always after the position of the DADA teacher, he takes his frustration out on his students, mostly Harry and Hermione. Now though, he's going to have to shelve that animosity in the face of the Deadly Alliance.

**McGonagall:** The Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor, Minerva McGonagall is not a human on that Earth, but a fully trained mage from the Magic Guild of Vane on Lunar. She is an Animagi, meaning she can transform into an animal willingly. Now her experience working for the Magic Guild's Dimensional Stargate Corp is going to come in very handy for Hogwarts.

**Lupin:** The current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin is a werewolf, though no one except the teachers know this. He is the exact opposite of Professor Snape in terms of personality, and his equal in teaching ability. His experience in the first magical war against Voldemort also make him a formidable being in battle. And it's going to be needed soon.

**Disney characters**

**Peter Pan:** Like the Peter Pan currently helping the Planeteers, this Peter Pan is a boy who wanted to never grow up. He met his Wendy's twelve year old daughter during the tail end of World War II, when Captain Hook kidnapped her. He possesses no memories about his past, but he will soon remember...and the price that is paid will change his life forever.

**Jane:** Wendy Darling Barrington's eldest child, Jane was raised in World War II London, while her father fought to defend England. She met Peter Pan when Captain Hook forcibly took her to Neverland. There, she found her lost childhood, and developed a friendship with the young boy. Perhaps those feelings will become something more.

**Wendy: **Wendy Darling Barrington is mother of Jane and Daniel. Growing up with her belief in her friend Peter Pan intact, she passed on her belief to her children. Now living in a battle damaged London, she becomes a beacon of light for those less fortunate. But soon, something will happen that will bring her faith to its knees.

**Belle: **A village girl, Belle now lives in an enchanted castle full of talking household appliances, helping the Beast on his path to become human once again. Once, she had been kidnapped by a force known as the Heartless, before being set free by the Keybearer. Now darkness is coming for her again, and a secret from her past will begin to emerge. What is it?

**Yu-Gi-Oh Characters**

**Yami:** A five thousand year old spirit of ancient Egypt, Yami was once the Pharaoh of an empire. He was forced to fight to end the ancient Shadow Games, sealing the great evil away in the seven mystical Millennium Items. With the capture of Yugi's soul by the Orichalcos, he finds himself filled with despair, dealing with emotions of rage and grief.

**Tea**: Yugi's best friend since grade school, Tea Gardner has also been a good friend of Yami's since Duelist Kingdom. She has been both of their confidants, helping them refocus on who they were. However, with everything that has happened, she has been forced to reevaluate her feelings for the ancient spirit.

**Yugi:** Yami's 'better half,' so to speak, Yugi Motou has one goal in life, and one goal only; To be himself. Absolutely selfess, and willing to sacrifice himself for his friends, he becomes friends with almost everyone he meets. He recently freed himself, and warned his friends of the Deadly Alliance's plans. He wields the Eye of Tiamius, the strongest of the three Legendary Dragons.

**Joey:** The third greatest duelist in the world, Joey Wheeler is one of Yugi's friends, and Yami's partner in the battle against the forces of darkness. Commanding the power of the third guardian dragon Heramos, he is absolutely loyal to his friends, and will sacrifice himself to save them.

**Tristen:** Joey's best friend, Tristen is a decent duelist who will probably never make his name in Duel Monsters. He's the one they turn to if there is a situation that requires his forceful method of handling. And that method is going to be needed in the coming struggle.

**Seto:** The second greatest duelist in the world, Seto Kaiba is CEO of Kaiba Corp, a corporation that went from military to civilian service over the course of four years. As a businessman or duelist, Seto is absolutely ruthless, though he's not without compassion. With events going as they are, he'll need to call upon every ounce of his dueling experience and business cunning to battle this new enemy. Commanding the Fang of Kriddius, he has become more dangerous than ever.

**Serenity:** Joey's younger sister, Serenity Wheeler is one of the most joyful people a person could ever meet. Unwavering in her faith of her brother, she is the reason that Joey fights. She is also one of the few people Seto Kaiba can tolerate being around for more than a minute.

**Mokuba: **Seto's younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba is the exact opposite of his older brother. He is mellower than Seto, more able to make new friends. He also has an understanding of business that equals Seto's, though his dueling skills leave something to be desired..

**Rebecca: **Professor Hawkins granddaughter, Rebecca Hawkins is a gifted genius who follows her grandfather's research nearly religiously. Facing Yugi Moto once in a duel, she grew to respect the young boy, and even developed feelings for him. Now her knowledge will prove crucial in the coming battle.

**Mai:** A duelist who was once never beaten, Mai Valentine has been friends with Yugi and Joey since their days in Duelist Kingdom. After her defeat at the hands of Marik, she fell into the sway of the Orichalcos, hoping to never be helpless against the Shadow Realm. Now though, she must decide where her true loyalties lie.

**Dark Magician Girl:** One of Yugi Motou's Duel Monsters, Dark Magician Girl was the monster who was out when Yami played the Seal of Orichalcos. Because of this, she has been cut off from the monster world. Now it will take all of her power and knowledge to save her world and Earth, as well as find her way back home.

**Mahaddo:** One of seven Sacred Guardians in the Pharaoh's Court, Mahhado once commanded the power of the Millennium Ring, an item that can sense the darkness in others. He is also a sorcerer who trains others in unlocking their gifts, though many of them have difficulties in that. After the final battle with Zoorc, he sealed himself away, vowing to protect the Pharaoh's secrets. But no one knows where he is, now. And he is needed again.

**Mana:** Mahhado's top student, Mana is the Pharaoh's closest friend in ancient times. She is an aspiring magician who suffers from a lack of self esteem. Due to this, her spells are only effective half the time. She shall soon have a great deal old practice, that's for sure.

**Teen Titans Characters**

**Robin: **Leader of the Teen Titans, Dick Grayson was trained by none other than the Batman himself in the martial arts, as well as detective work. Moving to another city, he forged a team to fight crime known as the Teen Titans. However, now he must prepare to fight a war that will have far reaching consequences for him, and his friends…

**Starfire:** A Tamaranian who came to Earth, Starfire is the second oldest member of the Teen Titans. Strong, fast, and capable of firing energy blasts from her hands and eyes, she also possesses the unique ability of surviving in space without oxygen. She will have to call upon all of those abilities now.

**Cyborg:** As the name implies, Cyborg is a cybernetic human, with ninety percent of his body covered in electronic equipment and weapons. He is the techno master, with even more equipment then Robin, though at his heart, he is still a teenager.

**Raven:** The resident magic user of the group, Raven is a half demon, daughter of a powerful demon lord. Choosing to embrace her human side, she joined the Titans after learning to control her abilities. Requiring constant meditation to qualm the anger being inside of her, she has witnessed Luna's abduction at the hands of the Magic Emperor, and shall now prepare for something that she doesn't understand.

**Beast Boy**: A shape shifting meta human, Beast Boy is the jokester of the Titans, always ready for a good laugh, even if it's at his own expense. He is also the only one to really break through Raven's communication wall, and regards her as the sister he never had. Capable of changing into any creature that walked the Earth, he is very much the most dangerous of the Teen Titans.

**Terra:** Wielding command over the Earth itself, Terra is a meta human who once had trouble controlling her abilities. Due to a volcano that was forming and the subsequent use of her powers, she is now encased in stone. But with the Deadly Alliance now nipping at her friend's heels, she needs to be awakened. Perhaps the soul of a certain young duelist can help her accomplish that.

**Jinx:** A student of Brother Blood's school of villains, Jinx has battled the Teen Titans on several occasions. However, out of all of the villains, she seems to have the most compassion in her, as she only seems to want to have some fun. She is extremely loyal to her group, though that might change in the future.

**Azar**: The founder of Azarath, Raven's home, Azar is a being of great power. Having lived for five thousand years, she was Arella's teacher, and later, Raven's protector. Though dead, her legacy lives on through the people of her city. But none know how this came to be... except for a certain five thousand year old spirit...

**Justice League Unlimited Characters**

**Superman:** Born Kal-El of Krypton, Clark Kent was among the first super heroes to form the Justice League. As leader, he is responsible for the actions of the rest of the team. He is also the strongest being physically, capable of taking more punishment than anyone else, as well as various other abilities. With the Justice League now expanding rapidly into a true force for justice, he finds that being a hero and being a leader are two different things.

**Batman:** One of the few humans in the League without powers, Bruce Wayne is also their most experienced hero. Versed in several different martial arts styles, and trained in detective work, he serves as their resident crime solver. He is also the one who funds the Justice League and all of their equipment. And a good thing too!

**Green Lantern:** Only one of many to bear the ring of the Green Lantern Corp, John Stewart is responsible for the protection of Planet Earth. As his responsibilities in the Justice League usually coincide with his duties as a GL, this causes very few problems for his schedule. After the Thanagarian Invasion, he serves as a instructor of the newly added members of the League, most notably Supergirl. However, things are going to become a little more problematic.

**Shayera:** An exiled Thanagarian, Shayera Hol arrived on Earth on a mission for the Thanagarian Government. However, her conscience and feelings for humanity forced her to turn her back on them. Recently reinstated into the Justice League, she still wrestles with feelings of guilt and shame as she tries to find her place in the League. However, she's about to find out where she stands in Existence, and it will be surprising…

**Wonder Woman:** Exiled princess of Themyiscera, Diana was molded with the speed of Hermes, and strength nearly equal to Superman's. She is a warrior's warrior, though she was trained as a diplomat by her mother. And both will be needed, as she will have to help forge alliances to battle their newest enemy…as well as an ancient foe.

**J'onn:** The last Martian, J'onn J'onzz was the last of the seven heroes to form the Justice League. He is extremely strong, and possesses the ability to rearrange his own molecules. This gives him the ability to go through walls, become transparent, become any person he wants, and to make his body malleable. He also possesses telepathic abilities. Since the Thanagarian Invasion, he has served as a consultant for the younger members, rarely leaving the Watchtower. His services as a soldier will be required again soon, though.

**Flash:** Quite literally "The Fastest Man Alive," Wally West is hormone's personified. He is capable of reaching the speed of light, allowing him to run across water, up buildings, and break speed limits all around the world. Since the Justice League began recruiting new members, he has stayed in the background, lending a sympathetic ear to others, and acting as the League's conscience.

**Cardcaptor's** **Characters**

**Sakura:** The mighty Clow Mistress of the cards, Sakura Kiminoto has always been in the thick of the magical fight, first with capturing the Clow Cards, then changing them to Sakura Cards. However, regardless of the challenge thrown in her direction, she remains the same carefree girl who had, once upon a time, opened up the Book of Clow by accident. Now, as events start to take shape, she will have to call upon every card, and all of her friends for help.

**Lee:** Li Shoaran is a powerful sorcerer and fighter of the Shoaran Clan of Hong Kong. He aided Sakura during the two years that he attended her school, slowly cultivating a friendship that became more. However, the newest challenge for Sakura is fast approaching, that will require all of them to prepare…for war.

**Madison: **Sakura's best friend, and an aspiring clothes designer, Madison Tomoyo is Sakura's emotional anchor in times of trouble, though she possesses no magical powers of her own. Her 'battle costumes' are somewhat wacky sometimes, and she taped almost every single card capture. It looks like she'll have to have to buy a lot of video tapes. She's going to be taping a documentary, after all.

**Kero: **Guardian of the Clow Cards, Kero has two forms, a cute, teddy bear styled body, and a powerful lion like form. In this form, he is capable of shooting very powerful fire blasts from his mouth. As Sakura's guardian, he has helped her with advice and counsel.

**Yue: **The other guardian of the Clow Cards, Yue is a formidable warrior who draws his power from the moon. He can create energy weapons in his hands, and fire powerful blue crystals at his enemies. His other form, which is a good friend of Tori, is a very mild mannered boy who eats a great deal of food.

**Eli:** The reincarnated Clow Ree, Eli Moon was the one who pushed Sakura to the test with the Clow Cards. Commanding immense power, he is aided by Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun, who are similar to the keepers of the Clow Cards. But now all three will be needed once again.

**X-Men: Evolution characters**

**Rogue:** One of the more powerful members of the X-Men, Rogue's mutant ability allows her to drain the life force of a human, and in mutant's cases, temporarily take their abilities as her own. She has no memory of her first twelve years of life, though she now knows about her connection with Mystique. She'll be getting her memories back very soon, though, and find the family she lost...

**Professor Xavier:** Founder of Xavier's Institute for the gifted, Charles Xavier helps mutants understand and control their abilities, while also preparing them for the future. With the knowledge of mutants now an open secret, he finds himself at the forefront of that future, having seen the troubles that will befall both humans and mutants. Maybe the meta human population can help him stave it off.

**Wolverine:** Quite possible one of the oldest mutants of the present day, Logan is an enigma, even to himself. No one knows anything about him after World War II occurred, though he was part of the Weapon X project. It infused his body with adamantium, a virtually indestructible metal. He also possesses accelerated healing powers that allow him to survive potentially fatal wounds. In terms of combat, he is near Batman's level.

**Storm: **Another adult who works at the institute, Ororo Monroe's mutant ability is command over the elements. In a concentrated area, she can make it snow, rain, create tornadoes, or launch lightning bolts. As an instructor, she helps guide the new recruits to understanding their powers. As a fighter, she is one who few can stand against.

**Cyclops:** One of the first students of the Xavier Institute, Scott Summers possesses the mutant ability to fire optic blasts from his eyes. However, he can't control his powers, forcing him to wear a pair of ruby quartz sunglasses to contain the power. As leader of the X-Men, he is responsible for the conduct of every member of his group. But things are going to get much more difficult for him.

**Jean:** A telepathic/telekinetic mutant, Jean Grey was in fact the first person to go to Xavier's Institute. Her powers are constantly growing, sometimes leading to problems. She is Scott's love interest, one that's reciprocated by the boy in question. Maybe she'll be able act on those feelings…

**Shadowcat:** The perkiest member of the team, Kitty Pryde's mutant ability enables her to phase through solid matter, becoming as insubstantial as a ghost. She also is the groups emotional conscience, keeping them all on their feet. And out of all of them, she is the only one who Lance Alvers trusts.

**Nightcrawler:** Quite possibly the most unique member of the X-Men, Kurt Wagner possesses the ability to teleport. In terms of physical development, he has superior flexibility, though his strength isn't very spectacular. However, his mutation also includes blue fur, pointed ears, and a tail, giving him a demonic appearance. But that will work to his advantage in the future…

**Amanda: **Quite possibly the only person who would fight for mutant rights zealously, Amanda Sefton is the only one who accepts Kurt for who he is, and even likes it. A student of Bayville High, she first learned of the young X-Men's secret before the knowledge of mutants had been made public. Now she'll have to help Kurt become comfortable with who he really is.

**Avalanche:** Leader of the Brotherhood, Lance Alvers possesses the ability to generate seismic vibrations in his immediate vicinity. Having lived a harsh life, he has learned to trust, and has even shelved his rivalry with Cyclops for Kitty's sake.

**Star Wars Characters**

**Obi Wan:** A Jedi Knight, Obi Wan Kenobi is the instructor to Anakin Skywalker, as well as a general of the Galactic Republic. Wielding the traditional weapon of the Jedi Order, he will, in the future, be killed by his own disciple. However, events have been set in motion that will destroy that future.

**Anakin:** Quite possibly the most powerful Jedi, Anakin Skywalker is still very much a rookie, learning how to harness his powers correctly and wisely. Impatient and impulsive, he is capable of doing things that no Jedi can do. He is also an expert mechanic, having built a protocol droid. He is also a commander in the Galactic Republic Army. Now, he'll have a chance to become something other than a Sith, as destiny has set him out to be…

**Padme:** A senator of the Galactic Republic and wife of Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala was once the queen of Naboo before becoming the planet's representative. A decent marksman, she has helped in several engagements against the Trade Federation and it's allies, both times aiding in the Republic's victory. Her relationship with Anakin has evolved considerably, and she understands him better than even Obi Wan. In the coming struggle, she will help him find himself, and perhaps find true happiness at the same time.

**Static Shock Characters**

**Static Shock:** A meta human, Virgil Hawkins possesses the ability of magnetic electricity, allowing him to lift objects into the air, as well as shorting out any electrical appliances out there. Deciding to use his powers to protect the people of Dakota City from the other "Bang Babies," he began honing his control, becoming the hero Static Shock. Out of all the new heroes, he is the only one who is in constant contact with the Justice League.

**Gear: **Static's best friend and a fellow bang baby, Ritchie's ability is a hyper-accelerated intelligence, allowing him to build extremely advanced equipment, as well as a suit that gives him flight ability. His greatest achievement though, is the development of BACKPACK, a device that allows him to override almost any computer, or enhance said computer's computing capability. And it will prove very necessary in the future.

**Permafrost:** A homeless girl living in Dakota City, Maureen Conner possesses the power of cold, creating snow and ice with her will. She isn't evil, just a girl whose past life was filled with tragedy. However, she will soon find herself in the forefront of events, and every ounce of her power will be needed. May it be enough.

**Other characters**

**Kes:** An Occampan from the unexplored regions of the Delta Quadrant, Kes's life changed forever when she was rescued by the crew of the _Starship Voyager_. Joining them on their journey home, she began to explore her long suppressed telepathic powers. Near death, she decided to return home so she could die among her people. But, her life is going to make another drastic change.

**Idaris:** Jadzia Idaris is one of many dead Starfleet officers who has been resurrected by the Guardians to help with the defense of the Protectorate. Sought out by Alania herself, she accepted a position at Zion Academy teaching Time Science and History. Now, Alania has recommended her for the position of Science officer aboard the _Valkyrie_.

**Yar:** The first Tactical Officer of the _Enterprise-D_, Natasha Yar only held the post for eight months before being killed on Argus IV. Resurrected by the Guardians, she was made Chief of Security of Avalon. After almost ten years, she was reassigned to Zion, where she has now taken up the position of Security Chief aboard the _Valkyrie_.

**Boomer:** Lieutenant Sharon Valerii, known better as 'Boomer' among her friends, was only one of many humans killed when the Cylons launched a full scale attack on the twelve colonies. The Guardians resurrected her, and spent the last year training her for the position of Helm aboard their new flagship. Easygoing, thought serious to the extreme, she hopes to prove herself as a member of the crew. Her greatest dream is to see Earth. Hopefully, she will get that chance.

**Aeris:** A half cetra, Aeris Gainsborough was resurrected by Lily Potter before she disappeared, and accepted a position in Zion Medical, awaiting the completion of the _Valkyrie_. Emotionally stable, and immensely adept in healing magic, she has been considered the Doctor McCoy of the Protectorate, having published a medical book that is now considered a staple among the profession. Now she will have a chance to go into space, and improve upon her already considerable knowledge.

**Prue:** Quite possibly the only witch in Guardian Starfleet, Prue Halliwell was the originally the third Charmed One, a trio of sisters who possessed the strongest magic in her universe. Resurrected by the Guardians, she expressed a hidden interest in Engineering, and was trained in that. She was also the driving force behind the construction of the _Valkyrie_, being involved in every stage of her construction.

**Guest Characters**

**Ramus:** Ramus is the son of the village elder in Burg and Alex's best friend. He hopes that Alex will one day get over his fascination of Dragonmaster Dyne. His one ambition in life is to become filthy rich. He wants it all; fast horses, expensive food, and beautiful women. It's Ramus' craving for fame and fortune that starts Alex's adventure.

**Laike:** Laike is an extremely talented swordsman who lacks the ability to use magic. The very helpful and very friendly man usually appears out of nowhere and sticks around just long enough to impart advice before disappearing from the scene. Never content to stay in one place, Laike is constantly wandering around the world. Just wait until his past catches up to him!

**Mel:** As the leader of Meribia, Master Mel has the respect and loyalty of the townsfolk. He is known for his ferocious fighting style, which has earned him the nickname 'Hell Mel'. After life in the spotlight as one of the Four Heroes, Mel settled down and fathered a child named Jessica. She is Mel's pride and joy…his life.

**Lemia:** Lemia is the leader of Vane, and the founder of the Magic Guild, which instructs others on how to unlock their magical abilities. With Xenobia on the warpath, she races to heal her damaged body, and hold the Magic Guild together, as war threatens to engulf them once again...

**Dyne:** Dragonmaster Dyne had the ability to command and use the power of the Four Dragons in order to protect the Goddess Althena. Unfortunately, none of those powers could protect him from perishing under mysterious circumstances. With each passing year, the legend of Dyne continues to inspire both boys and girls alike.

**Tempest and Fresca:** Tempest leaves the village of Pao, in the Stadius Zone. With the recent epidemic that has broken out in the prairie, Tempest and Fresca are forced to leave their village in order to find a cure. Tempest is a strong fighter who doesn't back down from a fight. Hopefully, he's strong enough to face what lies ahead.

Fresca's hometown of Pao has recently been struck with an epidemic that is slowly killing all the inhabitants. With no known cure, Tempest and Fresca are faced with losing their entire village. With the village in such dire circumstances, she and Tempest decide to leave the village in order to find a cure before it's too late.

**Myght:** With a severe case of body odor, Myght stays hidden in his tower, away from the hare-brained of the outside world. From his secluded location, he spends his time creating one invention after another. However, it is rumored that he is working on an incredible flying machine. Even more incredible than his legendary B.O.

**Black: **An escaped convict from prison, Sirius Black was James Potter best friend during their time at Hogwarts. Alongside Remus, James, and Pettigrew, they formed a group known as the Marauder's. However, with James and Lily's death's, he was sentenced to the Wizarding World's prison of Azkaban, though Pettigrew was the one who betrayed them. Now he seeks to kill Pettigrew for his transgressions.

**Sere:** Owner of Sere's Shop, Sere is also a very powerful sorceress. She is also very knowledgeable on the Sailor Scouts and the Digi-Destined, helping them out every now and then in the shadows. The time's fast approaching when she'll have to reveal who she really is, though.

**Hro** **Talek: **Supreme commander of Thanagar's forces, Hro Talek was once Shayera Hol's betrothed. He was the one who sent her to Earth, on a mission that would save millions of Thanagarian lives if successful, though doom the planet Earth to death. Now, he's going to have to join forces with them to stop an enemy more dangerous than the Gordanians. An enemy, who will kill all who stand in their way…

**Akalon:** A powerful being in Existence, Timelord Akalon is charged with maintaining the balance of Existence by any means necessary. He was the one who originally trained the First Guardian herself, and helps to preserve the Protectorate whenever he has time to. Unfortunately, he's about to find out that he can no longer perform his duty to it's fullest extent. Because the threat to the balance, has an ally in the future…

**Daniel**: Wendy's younger son, Daniel Barrington is the personification of innocence, his belief in Peter Pan as unwavering as his mother's. He grew up listening to Peter Pan stories, and even saw him once. Now, he may be the only thing that will help his family stay together after a horrific event occurs.

**Chip:** Son of an English maid, Chip was transformed into a teacup when the Enchantress cursed the Beast. When Belle came, he became close friends with her, becoming something of a surrogate son for her. Now, events have been set in motion that will see him restored to human form…but at what cost?

**Prince Sol:** The son of another reality's Queen Serenity, William Tsukino lives on Earth with his father and stepmother. He commands the energies of the Pheonix, a mythical beast of infinite power and grace. Trained from a young age to harness this power, he will soon have to call upon all of it... with devastating consequences for his home.

**Prince Starr:** Head of the Jedi Order of Realm 323, Daniel Starr is allies with Akalon, Queen Serenity, and the Galactic Republic's Jedi. He trained Yoda in the advanced arts of Force meditation, and Akalon's wife in the holy arts. In combat, it is said that only Mary Sara is better, and his strength almost rivals Anakin's. The tides of war approach, and he knows what he must do.

**Enemy Characters (Updated to include the Uruk-Hai and Queen Beryl.)**

**Taben:** Taben is an evil inventor who has begun work on a mechanized castle. He has enslaved the people of Talon in order to mine for the minerals that he needs to complete what is known as the Grindery. With the Magic Emperor backing him, Taben's Grindery will be unstoppable. Can Taben be stopped before he makes the Grindery operational.

**Xenobia:** Xenobia is the leader of the Vile Tribe that inhabits the frontier. The Magic Emperor, with whom she has become infatuated, has given her extremely powerful magical spells. One of her favorite spells allows her to mimic the physical appearance of another person. This hotty's going to make Alex's life very difficult!

**Royce:** Royce is a constantly busy prognosticator of the future who runs a small shop on Black Rose Street and consults with Lemia Ausa. While she doesn't mind peering into the lives of others, she keeps her own life to herself. Strangely, she and Nash seem to have a special bond…

**Phacia:** Phacia is the head priestess of the Althena's Shrine, located at the foot of the Goddess Tower. Much like Althena, she has a friendly demeanor and a hypnotic beauty that dazzles everyone in her presence. In fact, many of the inhabitants are under the impression that she is the physical representation of Althena herself. Could this be true?

**Magic Emperor:** With the added talents of Xenobia and Taben, the Magic Emperor has set his plans in motion to rule the world of Lunar. As his power continues to grow, only a Dragonmaster will be capable of stopping him before he destroys all that Althena built. Will Alex become a Dragonmaster in time?

**Devimon:** This enemy from the Digi-Destined's past has managed to find his way from the Digital World and gain new life on Lunar. He has formed a devils deal with the Magic Emperor, and has grown more powerful than before. He bears a particularly strong hatred for T.K. and his Digimon partner, and that has only increased with time. Above all that, this nemesis has learned a devastating secret about Lunar. What is it?

**Queen Beryl:** The ruler of the Negaverse, and strongest disciple of the Negaforce, Beryl possesses great control over the powers of darkness. In fact, it was her that led the invasion against Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. Now, she has formed the same deal as the dark Digimon, all for revenge against Sailor Moon. However, she is seriously going to have some serious problems, especially in the form of a certain red hair witch.

**Racc:** The leader of the Uruk-Hai force, Racc is the deadliest fighter in the service of the Vile Tribe. Wielding a katana and possessing fire magic, he is Tai's equal in combat, as well as power. His obsession with Tai makes him a particularly dangerous opponent.

**Kirok:** The only member of the Uruk-Hai to possess a conscience, Kirok is the Uruk-Hai's resident sword duelist, wielding a saber. He commands the powers of ice, and is Matt's equal in battle. He also possesses a sense of honor, and a sense of ethics, which makes him open to ideas. Hopefully, Matt can reach him before they fight for the final time…

**Bara:** Adept at the martial arts, and also the only member of the Uruk-Hai to retain a human appearance, Bara is romantically attached to Racc. As Sora's opponent, she is extremely vicious, out to prove that she is the best. Sora is about to give her a run for her money.

**Shayre:** The Uruk-Hai's most powerful mage warrior, Shayre is Lilika's equal. As a mage, she possesses unspeakable control over the Earth itself, creating powerful earthquakes. She is Lilika's enemy and not Mimi's because of a instability in her powers, which means she must kill Lilika, or die alongside her…

**J'onro:** Expert archer and a decent swordsman, J'onro begins his clash with Izzy over a powerful prophecy, one that will spell the end of the Uruk-Hai's dominance over Lunarian battle. He has become particularly enamored with Mimi, which will only flare the personal war between the two lightning warriors.

**Parrt: **Joe's equal in everything but personality, Parrt is more vicious than the other Uruk-Hai, and not restrained by a Hippocratic Oath. He is easily the most sadistic of the group, willing to use torture and deadly force to achieve his ends. He uses an energy whip that allows him to utilize the powers of water. Joe is going to have his hands full dealing with him.

**Slade:** The Teen Titans deadliest enemy, Slade is much like the Joker, though he is not insane. Possessing similar skills to Robin, he has constantly pushed the Titans to the brink of collapse time and time again. Now, he's back with new allies, ready to do more than simply defeat them.

**Brother Blood: **Quite possibly the second most dangerous enemy of the Teen Titans, Brother Blood is a powerful magician and fighter. His knowledge of Cyborg is second only to the person in question himself. And that is going to make Cyborg's life very difficult.

**Darts: **Head of the force that serves the Oricalco's, Darts is apparently a very successful and rich man, having a collection of Duel Monsters cards that rivals that of Pegasus and Kaiba. His desire to destroy humanity with the power of the beast Leviathan make him a dangerous enemy for the Pharaoh and his allies.

**Raphael:** Dartz's right hand man, and now the only man who can truly say he defeated the Pharaoh, Raphael commands the powers of the three Guardian Cards, pure creatures who saved him when he was younger. Because of this, he possesses similar abilities and powers to the Millennium Puzzle. Knowing that he needs no help from the Oricalco's makes him a more dangerous opponent than even his master. And he proved it in the most devastating way possible.

**Allister:** A servant of Darts, Allister is easily the angriest of them, holding a particular hatred for Seto Kaiba and his family. His family had been destroyed due to weapons Seto's stepfather had given to the military, and now he craves revenge.

**Vallen:** The third member to Dartz trio of warriors, Vallen is a battle suit duelist, using their special abilities and combat skills to defeat his opponents. He has fallen in love with Mai Valentine, and will take out his perceived rival, Joey Wheeler to win her affections.

**Reiko:** Regent of Outworld, Reiko is Shao Kahn's greatest general, having served as his tactical strategist since before Kung Lao's day and age. Now, he is one of the most powerful members of the Deadly Alliance, charged with killing Harry Potter.

**Sidious: **Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious is Yoda's equal in power and knowledge. The master strategist that helped start the Clone Wars, his goal is to obtain Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice. And in every other reality, he succeeds. Will he here?

**Maul:**Darth Sidious's first apprentice, Maul was the defeater of Qui Gon Jinn, as well as Jedi Master Anoon Bondara and his apprentice Darsha Assant, before meeting his end at the hands of Obi Wan Kenobi. Now brought back in a similar manner as his fallen foe, he seeks to redeem himself, and become the ultimate Sith.

**Bakura:** The Pharoah's mortal enemy from ancient and modern times, Bakura is known as the Tomb Robber, who wishes to unleash Zoorc, the creator of the Shadow Games. But he knows that Zoorc is merely a servant himself to a far greater evil. Who is it?

**Akknadin:** The keeper of the Millennium Eye, Akknadin is also the oldest member of the Pharaoh's court. He is the one who created the seven Millennium Items, destroying the village Kel Ellna in the process. He will pay for this sin sooner or later. His greatest ambition is to replace Yami with his own son, High Priest Set.


	2. Episode One: The Beginning

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

_"I don't remember when it started exactly, but the dream of having a fantastic adventure and far off places, grabbed my heart early on and has yet to let go. You see, my hero is Dragonmaster Dyne. Outside my village, there's a monument made in his honor. His adventures were the most fantastic of all. Fighting evil, risking death, protecting the Goddess Althena. It all so…so…exciting! One day, I want to have adventures like that. But, adventure like that is a long way from Burg."_

_The opening speech was spoken by Alex, at the very beginning of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete_

**Episode One: The Beginning**

The city of Tokyo; a city that has seen much turmoil in its long life. It has seen peace and war during the last several years, assupernatural forces have mounted countless attacks, and have almost succeeded in destroying it, and the rest of the world

The key word there is almost. They have always failed.

For Tokyo is home to the Sailor Scouts, a team of heroes that fight to protect all that they hold dear. Wielding the powers of their respective planets, they are an unstoppable force that has been able defeat every evil being that have come their way.

But they are not alone.

Tokyo is also home to the Digi-Destined, the protectors of the Digital World. Their allies, creatures capable of Digi-volving into powerful beings, helped them as their friends and allies. They were the most powerful group in the Digital World, and friends to all.

Both groups are legends, and have earned the peace that they fought so hard to obtain. Both have tried to live normal lives as well, as they deserve to have.

The key word there is tried.

For strange things have always happened around those two groups.

They will happen again.

It is only inevitable.

_

* * *

A glimmer of light, and then the observers see a pair of hands, cupping as if to hold something small. The light starts to grow brighter, and then they see someone shouting into the distance. They can't make out the words though. Then they see where they are. They are on some type of structure, and they a person, shielding his eyes from a blazing glow in front of them. The observers do so as well._

_The light grows brighter, and more insistent, and then they see a man's face, a face that looks sad, but determined. Green eyes, the color of a forest, stares at something below him. The observers hold their breaths, knowing what will come next._

_Sure enough, as the light grows brighter, they see the clearest picture, a blue-haired baby, crying as she draws her first breaths of life._

_Then the light overpowers them…_

…and on two different worlds, six people woke up at the same time.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Kari Kamiya glanced wildly around, thinking all sorts of weird things, trying to get her bearings, until she took in her surroundings. '_Mine and Tai's bedroom,'_ she thought in relief. '_Just our bedroom.'_

Gripping her head painfully in her hands, she tried to regain her equilibrium without crying out. She didn't want to wake everyone up because of some stupid dream. They needed their sleep.

Grimacing as she felt a new wave of pain go through her head, she tried to breathe slowly as she was taught to do. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. She did this for several minutes until she had calmed down.

After she had her breathing under control, she sat there, unable to believe it. It had come to her…again! After everything she had tried, it still came. And it was stronger than before. '_Not that dream._ _Not that dream again. Just leave me alone!'_ But she knew that that wasn't going to happen.

Ever since returning to the real world, Kari had believed that it was over. The Digi-Destined could now live out their lives out in peace. They would never have to fight again. For that, Kari and the others were glad. After all, they all had lives they wanted to get back to.

Tai and Sora were the star soccer players in their respective leagues, unbeatable in the eyes of their peers. Theywere even partners in gym class during their soccer unit. Needless to say, they didn't even try their hardest there, just so they could give their fellow classmates a chance to win.

Matt continued to be interested in music, and even began to think about pursuing a career as a rock star. He had a group of friends who agreed with him, and had already started to make plans for high school. Their music teachers feared for that day, to say the least.

Mimi had changed through her experiences in the Digital World, as she put more time with her friends then with herself. She still shopped like mad at the local fashion stores, and had even managed to find another hat like the one she had lost in the Digital World, though she rarely wore it.

Joe spent all of his free time studying to become a doctor. He had calmed down considerably due to his adventures in the Digital World, but his drive to become a doctor had not been dampened, and had in fact increased. No one complained about this, as he was the only one who had any medical knowledge at all.

Izzy still spent most of his time on the computer, but not as much as he used to. He spent more time with his friends, as well as his adopted family, and had taken up archery as a hobby. Of all of them, he was the only one who was still in contact with Gennai and the Digimon. That fact made everyone happier, knowing that their digital buddies were just an e-mail away.

As for herself and T.K., they figured that they would talk to each other on the telephone, learn new things in school, and basically live like little kids. And for a few days, that's exactly what happened. Kari was almost beloved by to the other kids in her school. T.K. was considered a pleasure to be around, as he always had a smile on his face.

Then the dreams started to come to her; images that she had never seen before invading her mind. They were weak, and infrequent at first, but had grown stronger steadily, and more frequent with each passing month. Now she was having almost every night after she had had about three hours of sleep. Now she was forcing herself to be cheerful almost every day, and she rarely laughed as loud as she used to. That was the part that scared her the most.

As she thought about all of her misfortunes, she felt a sudden thirst come over her, and she got out of bed, almost, but not quite, grumbling to herself. Shuffling out of the bedroom, and padded down the hallway to the kitchen. She tiptoed by her parents bedroom door quietly, not wanting to wake them up.

Reaching her destination, she reached for the stepstool instinctively. Steadying it in front of the sink, she climbed, and reached for her glass. Sticking it under the tap, she turned the faucet on.

As the glass filled up with water, Kari's mind drifted back to her dream. The haunting images that were in it disturbed her to no end, and they coming in finer and finer detail. She could now remember her dream with frightening ease. And it almost seemed like she had been there before. Like it was something she had seen before.

'_What does this dream mean?' _she wondered_. 'Could it be some bad Digimon we missed…no it couldn't be. Gennai said that all the bad Digimon were sent back to the Digital World. What if a bad person is giving them to me? What if that person…no it can't be that either. Geez, I'm thirsty.'_

That thought snapped her out of her stupor, and she focused on her glass. She found to her amazement that it was overflowing, and had been doing so for quite a while. While it amazed her, it didn't surprise her in the least. It had happened almost every time she had the dream.

Shutting off the tap, she stared at the cup for a minute before drinking the water. After that, she stared at for a few moments more, still preoccupied with her dream, before she remembered to put it back where she had found it. Getting off the stepstool. She moved it back to where she had found it. She didn't want anyone to trip over it, or know that she had been in the kitchen. They would ask too many questions, and she didn't have any answers for them.

Walking quietly back to her bedroom, Kari fought the urge to try and wake Tai up. She didn't want to bug him with it.

Then she thought of something. '_Maybe I'll talk to T.K. tomorrow. After all, he and his mommy are coming over for dinner, and then T.K. is going to sleep over. Yeah, that's what I'll do.'_

Just the thought of her best friend gave Kari a feeling of peace, and as she climbed back into bed, she felt a flutter of genuine happiness come over her. With a smile on her face, she went back to sleep.

* * *

"Today's a beautiful day!" Sora Takanouchi stated, breathing the fresh air. "The sun's shining, the birds are singing. The temperature's just right-," She didn't get a chance to say anything else.

"And it's the perfect day to shop!" Mimi Tachekawa's mall rat mind was already figuring out what she would buy in terms of clothes.

Sora nearly face-faulted in surprise. "How did you know I was going to say that?"

"I didn't, but that's what I'd do on a day like this." The honey blond girl thought for a moment. "I also looove soaking in a nice bubble bath, and oh yeah," she said, with a indifferent wave in her wave, the tone with it, though the mirth seen in her eyes belayed it, "spending time with my friends."

Sora laughed, knowing Mimi loved being with her friends more than anything in the world. Ithad become a bit ofa joke between the two of them. It was a tradition of theirs, no one else's. She opened her mouth and was about to complete the joke, when they bumped into something.

Or rather, someone.

Startled, Sora and Mimi started to stutter apologies to the person they bumped into, but the person just chuckled and said, "Sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going. Then again, neither were you, so I can safely say we all have part of the blame."

Sora giggled, then she and Mimi looked at the person they had bumped into. Both went into shock when they saw him.

He was about their height, a few inches taller at least. He was wearing a blue sweater and a pair of black pants, and he was smiling. His hair was brown, and combed neatly. But his most interesting feature was his eyes. Azure colored eyes, making him look older than he actually was, and he looked like he had seen things that most people never want to see. '_He's so handsome,'_ Mimi thought dreamily.

"My name is Greg Urawa," the stranger said, stretching out his hand. "And you are-?"

Sora stood dumb for a second, then snapped out of it, "My name is Sora Takanouchi. And this is-."

"Mimi Tachekawa. Nice to meet you." Mimi quickly shook Greg's hand, then stepped back, blushing.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," he stated, "You know, I never really tested the theory of motion to such a startling degree, or without prior warning. It felt like I was getting hit by a bull, or a truck!" The merriment in his eyes belied his anguished face, though.

Sora laughed, and was about to tell him that even combined, they didn't weigh that much, when she checked her watch. "Oh no," she moaned. "We're going to be late Mimi! Let's getting going!"

With that, she grabbed Mimi's hand and started to run to Tai's apartment, dragging Mimi behind her. Before she was out of earshot, she looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Nice to have met you!"

Greg watching them go, smiling at their antics. When they were out of sight though, he let his smile fade, and he sagged wearily against a nearby lamppost, eyes closed. "I have gotten a lot better at hiding my feelings," he muttered to himself. "And those Digi-Destined have no idea what is going to happen. "He paused. "Then again, neither do I."

That was the part that scared him.

Greg's dreams were… haunting, to say the least. His ability to foresee the future had not dimmed in the least over the months, and had served him well. They were clear, and a great deal more accurate than regular divination. It was also a heck of a lot easier to hide.

But the dreams he was currently being assaulted with were unclear, hazy, and pretty much incomplete. The only thing he could see clearly was the image of a blue-haired baby, crying out. That was all he knew about it.

And he had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the only one having them. Every time he had the dream, he had always felt five other minds in there with him. In fact, one the minds felt familiar to him. It felt like Amy's.

'_That's it,' _he thought, inspiration striking him._ 'I'll go talk to Amy. She'll know what to do.'_ With that in mind, he went off in search for the one that he cared for most in the world.

He only prayed that it was the right decision.

* * *

As Sora and Mimi raced into Tai's apartment with seconds to spare on their self-imposed time, Amy Mizuno went through her afternoon ritual; check the answering machine for any messages, grab something to eat, then crack open a book and read. It was the same ritual she did every single day during vacation. And Amy enjoyed it, considerably.

However today, Amy found herself unable to concentrate on the book in front of her, her mind preoccupied with a strange feeling she had.

'_I'm beginning to understand why Serena doesn't want to be a Sailor Scout,' _she thought gloomily. '_After a while, your mind starts to go weird on you. You start to get paranoid on everybody, and then you start to have really weird-.'_

She halted that thought immediately, knowing that it was useless to think about it. '_Back to reading now, if I started to,' _she thought, returning her attention to her book. She opened the cover, and leafed to where she had left of the night before.

Before she could start though, the doorbell rang. "Of all the times-," she grumbled to herself. She treasured her reading time, as much as she treasured her friends, and a little bit more than her study time. But the last two weren't needed.

Getting up, she walked over to the door, and opening, got ready to tell the poor soul that she would rather like to be alone-

and stared, wide-eyed, at who she saw.

"Greg!" she finally said, after getting over the initial shock of seeing him at her doorway. She felt happy for the first time in months, and it was Greg, so she could bend her schedule a bit.

Greg smile warmly, if a little nervously. "Is it all right if I come in, or do I have to stand outside all night?"

"Oh, of course! Come in!" Amy stepped back so Greg could come in. When she had closed the door, she turned around and enveloped him in a bear hug. "Oh Greg, it's so good to see you." She looked at his sweater in nervousness. "How have you been? When did you get back in?"

"I got back in a couple of hours ago. I just finished seeing my aunt and uncle," he answered. "As for how I am, well, it's same old, same old."

"Well, what have you foreseen?" Amy asked, a small part of her illogically hoping that they were about her.

"Ummm… it's hard to explain, but I have been having these really strange dreams lately-."

Amy's head shot up like a cannon. "Strange dreams?" she asked. She was surprised that _Greg _of all people would be using the term strange. For others, strange was in the eye of the beholder. For him, it was normal.

Greg saw something close to comprehension in her eyes. "Yeah. It is very out of focus in terms of dreams. One thing that is always clear though, is a-,"

"-blue haired baby," Amy finished, an intense look in her eyes. She stared at Greg with all the concentration of a predator.

"Yeah." Greg was surprised that she had known. "How'd you know?" he asked.

"Because," a look of weariness suddenly seized her, "believe it or not, I have been having the exact same dream. And it started during last summer."

* * *

The deceptive peace of the Kamiya Residence was shattered by the ringing of the doorbell. "I'll get it!" Mrs. Kamiya said, walking to the door, looking around to see if the apartment was clean. '_Looks like I got everything.' _She thought happily. She opened the door.

"Come in, Janet!" she stated, ushering them in. "Hello, T.K."

"Hi, Mrs. Kamiya," T.K. replied, smiling at Tai's and Kari's mom. He honestly liked her, because she loved kids. Fungus cookies, liver shakes, and other foods and drinks, on the other hand, were something he didn't like, and couldn't understand.

Obviously, his mom thought the same way. "As we are guests, we have decided to exercise our right to bring dinner, Shuzika." She punctuated this remark by showing the boxes of pizza she had in her bags.

"Oh." Mrs. Kamiya looked disappointed at this. "Well-,"

"Hey," a voice said, "what smells so good?" A few seconds later, Tai, Sora, and Mimi came out to the kitchen, following their noses, as Toucan Sam would say. And like any person who loves pizza, all three kids pretty much started to grovel at Mrs. Takashi's feet.

"Thank you!" Tai said, a look of adoration on his face.

Sora added, a grin on her face, "If we had to eat that food again, we would've died from food poisoning!"

"All right, all right. I get the message!" Tai's mom said, exasperation in her voice.

T.K. laughed at the group's antics, while he looked around for one person to talk too. One person who he could understand better than the other kids. One person who-.

"Hey, T.K.!"

The voice in question cut through his thoughts. Looking for the source of the voice, he looked to the hallway. "Kari!"

Moving quickly, Kari went straight at T.K., tackling him with a hug. Laughing, the two kids fell to ground in each other's arms.

After a moment, T.K. helped Kari up. "It's great to see you, Kari," he said cheerfully. "How've you been?"

"Pretty good," she replied, but a distant look came into her eyes, and she seemed to be almost… weary. "Actually, I really need to talk to you about something." She paused for a moment. "In private."

T.K. looked a little surprised with that. '_Kari wants to talk in private. And without Tai. Must be important.' _Outwardly, he simply asked, "Is that all right Mom?"

"Sure," she answered, "But the two of you stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Okay," they replied in unison, then turned and went to the kid's bedroom.

* * *

The minute the door closed, Kari sagged, as if all the weariness had come back, and in force. She felt her body slip down the door, then T.K. catching her, and holding her up. She drew strength from his presence, and stood on her own. "Thanks, T.K.," she said quietly.

"Don't mention it, Kari." T.K. was understandably mystified at this. "Are you sick?"

"No, just tired," she replied, understanding why T.K. asked this. After that one time in the Digital World, Kari didn't want to be sick again either. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Really. What is it Kari? What's goin' on?"

At this, Kari hesitated, unsure that she had made the right choice. She didn't want anyone to think she was making it all up. And she didn't want to be called a scaredy cat either. Then she looked into T.K.'s eyes, and somehow, she knew that she had. "Well, I've been having strange dreams about a little baby, and they're starting to scare me."

T.K. was shocked. "You too?" he said in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. He wasn't the only one having them.

Kari saw comprehension dawn in his eyes. "You've been having them too?" she asked quietly. T.K. simply nodded in response. "When?"

"I started having them after we got back from the Digital World. Is that-."

"Yep, That's when I started to have them." Kari was relieved when she said that. She wasn't the only one who was having the dreams, and that someone could sympathize with her. She smiled at T.K., the first smile she had naturally in months.

Then her mood soured. "Why," she asked, finally giving voice to all the questions they had both wanted to ask for a long time. "Why us? And who's doing it?"

"I don't know," T.K. answered, "But I think we need to tell our brothers tomorrow. They'll know what to do."

"You know, I think your right," Kari said, happy that T.K. was her best friend. '_I knew that talking to T.K. was a good idea. He's such a good friend. And he's kinda cute…where did that come from?'_ She didn't deny it, though.

T.K. and Kari stared at each other for a moment. Both realized what they were doing and blushed crimson, but didn't stop. They didn't even know why they were doing it, it just felt, right. Slowly, their faces inched closer to each other, until they were only an inch apart, then half-an-inch, then-

"Kids, better come out and get some pizza before Tai eats it all," Mrs. Kamiya called through the door, and the two backed away from each other, relieved, and yet, oddly disappointed. "Lets go, Kari," T.K. said. Kari nodded, and they went to the door.

Before they opened it, T.K. simply said, "And don't worry Kari. I'll always protect you." Kari smiled.

Together, they went to the living room.

* * *

"…And that's all I remember," Patamon said, looking at the assembled group of Digimon. They were silent, mulling over what they had just heard from him, testing it. '_I just hope they don't think I'm crazy,'_ he thought.

After the final battle with Apoclamon, the Digimon who had partnered with the eight chosen children had dispersed all over the Digital World. Agumon and Tentomon had gone the continent of Server to help the Digimon there get used to not fearing for their lives against the likes of Myotismon and Etemon. They had done a fairly good job at it, and were considered to have a formidable one-two rookie punch.

Biyomon and Palmon had gone to Computer Island, the only part of the Digital World that resembled an earth city. They had opened up a Mother Nature flower shop in the heart of the city, giving the Guardromon and Mekanorimon something different. It was a huge success in their eyes.

Gabumon had gone to the factory where Andromon had been found. He helped him repair the old equipment so they could actually finish developing the stuff that was in the works. One of those, when Gabumon wrote to the others, was a D-terminal, for instant e-mail messages between two points. They had already made eight of them and had dispensed the majority of them to the other guys.

Gomamon had returned to the ocean, and made many new friends with the underwater Digimon. He had even made peace with Metalseadramon. He was presently making an underground network with the ultimate-level digimon that would inform Gennai and the others of a potential threat. So far, it was working rather well.

All the digimon got back together once a month, to tell each other what they were doing, what they had planned, and basically to reaffirm their friendship. Then they would say good-bye, and return to their individual lives… except for two.

Patamon and Gatomon stayed together, remaining on File Island, calling it their home. They lived in the Primary Village, helping Elecmon with the Digi-eggs, and helping the young through their childhood. It was something they loved doing, and something they felt they had to do. Gatomon felt that especially well, though they didn't have to worry, they were extremely loved by the Digimon around them. Elecmon had even taken it upon himself to be their trainer and mentor.

Then the dreams had come to both of them; images of people they had never even met before, a blue-haired baby that seemed hauntingly familiar, and a light that grew increasingly brighter. They grew so strong that at one point, Gatomon had digi-volved into Angewomon in her sleep! She didn't even get enough sleep anymore, and that was starting to make her cranky.

At the moment, she was taking a nap, and it was advantageous if she continued to sleep. Woe be it to the one who woke her up.

Patamon had handled the dreams better, and therefore was in far better spirits about it. When he figured that the dream was message of sorts, he had immediately gone to Gabumon, who had distributed the D-terminals around, and asked him to get the others to Primary Village. He would have done it himself, but between the Digi-eggs, the baby Digimon, and helping Gatomon, he had his hands full. When they had arrived, he told him what the dream was. Now he awaited their theories.

"Well," Gabumon said, "the dream could mean anything. It could be a message for you two. It could be a vision, or it could just be something in the air that the two of you affected by."

"Oh yeah, before I forget. Can I see what types of food you eat? Maybe I can have strange dreams too," It was obvious to all that Gomamon was joking.

"Now's not the time for levity Gomamon," Agumon said.

"Yeah," Palmon agreed. "This is serious."

Tentomon buzzed around their heads "I could've told you that. Izzy and the others could be in danger!"

"And we're here, unable to help them!" Biyomon wailed, concern for Sora plain on her face. As they were all worried about their individual partners.

"Don't worry. They'll be okay. Those Sailor Scout people that they told us about can protect them. Ad if we're needed, Gennai can find a way to get to the real world." Patamon turned. "And I don't think we're in that much trouble yet."

Agumon stood up, already falling into 'leader mode', as the kids would call it. "Regardless, let's all stay together until their dreams blow over, or something happens." He looked around. "Let's also fortify Primary Villages defenses."

"Right."

The rest of the group replied, separating to various parts. Agumon, Gabumon and Tentomon went to where Elecmon was to discuss the fortification of the Village. Biyomon and Palmon went to where the young were currently playing a very stimulating game of hide-and seek. Gomamon went to get lunch for everybody, seeing as how it was near noon.

Patamon just stayed where he was, stewing. He was trying to remain optimistic for their sakes, but he knew better, somehow. He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be enough.

"You didn't tell them everything, did you?" a sleepy voice said behind him. He recognized it as Gatomon's. "You didn't tell them your suspicions."

Patamon didn't turn around. "If only they knew what we knew, we wouldn't be here. We would be at Gennai's, trying to find a way to Earth."

"Hey, don't worry too much. We could just be chasing our tail around in circles on this one, like a bunch of scared kitties."

"Then again, we might not. Besides, I don't think that we are the only ones having these dreams."

Gatomon's eyes widened. "You mean, T.K. and Kari?"

Patamon just nodded. "If we learn anymore through our dreams, we'll tell the others. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"All right," Raye Hino said, looking at Amy through narrowed eyes. "Let me see if I got this right. You want me to probe your subconscious mind, try to find this elusive dream, and try and make sense of it, right?"

"That's right, Raye," Amy replied. "You have to understand, I haven't had a decent night's sleep since last summer. I'm desperate here. I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I can't live like this anymore! I have to know!"

"Calm down Amy," Luna said, scratching the underside of her head. "If you keep up the histrionics, you'll turn into Serena!"

"Yeah Ames…HEY!" Serena shrieked, "I'm not that bad!"  
"Oh I don't know about that," Rini spoke up. She looked at her mother from the future through red eyes. "Ya know meatball head, you could grow up just a little bit."

"Who asked you spore? Listen Amy, maybe it's just something you ate."

"Come on Serena," Greg replied. "Several months ago? I've been having them too remember? Is that coincidence?" He stared at her for a moment." I don't think so."

"Okay, let's say," Mina said, "that it is a dream about the past? It could just be Amy's birth you're both witnessing. They're aren't many blue haired girls around, even in one thousand years."

"And if it was someone who wanted to defeat the Sailor Scouts," Lita added, "don't you think that they would've hit Sailor Moon first, and then you? Take the leader out first, then the tactical genius?"

"All I know," Amy said, "is that I want to have a decent nights sleep for once, without dreaming the same thing over and over again. Is that too much to ask?"

"Okay, okay, Amy," Artemis called, noting how desperate Amy was feeling, "We get the point!" He turned to Raye. "Do you think it's a good idea, Raye?"

Raye was silent for a good while, thinking about it. The silence lengthened to an uncomfortable amount. Everyone was looking at her, even Serena, who had been looking for a new comic book. Amy was awaiting the answer more than any of the others.

Finally Raye looked up. "Yes, it's a good idea," she said. "We'll do it in one hour. Is that all right for the two of you?

"Yes, it is. Thank you, Raye," Greg replied.

* * *

For the past several minutes, T.K. and Kari told everyone present, with the exception of Izzy, who was on speaker phone, everything they knew about the dream. They had even called Matt and Joe, asking them to meet at Tai's residence for an impromptu meeting, telling them that it was urgent.

"Well," Izzy said, his voicing slightly filled with static from his end of the line, "my theory is that these are dreams specifically created to tell you two something. Perhaps it is a facsimile of someone being born in the past, and they are trying to call for help."

"That's what I thought," Matt said, "Maybe we're all thinking the same thing. But what if someone is calling for help?"

"Is it the Digital World?" Mimi asked. Matt heard the worry in her voice. It matched his in quantity.

Apparently, so was Tai's. "If it is," he said, "then Gennai will find a way to get us back into the Digi-World to help."

Joe asked a question that made them worry more. "But what if it isn't a threat to the Digital World? I mean, what if it's a parallel world? How are we going to help it if we can't reach it?"

Joe's got a good point," Sora stated. "If it is from a parallel world, then we're stuck. Even if we can get there, our Digimon won't with us."

"And that makes us defenseless! Rats!" Tai emphasized his last remark by kicking a nearby pillow. It flew through the air, only to be caught by Kari.

"Don't worry Tai," she said quietly, "The dreams aren't killing me, so what's to worry about? No one bad is coming. That much I know."

"How can you be sure, Kari?" Matt asked. "How can you be sure that a evil person isn't coming?"

"Because big bro," T.K. spoke up. Up until now, he had remained silent. "Neither myself or Kari got the impression that whatever's happening is dangerous. It's almost like…we're witnessing a change in something."

But you don't know that T.K.," Matt stated. "We have no idea-,"

"No, we don't," T.K. said calmly, "but I'd rather be optimistic about this. It'll save me some of my time. I'm the crest of Hope, remember?"

You're right, T.K.," Sora looked to everyone else. We've gotta hope that that is all it is."

"Right, Sora," Joe and Mimi said at once. They were relieved at the very least.

"Well," Tai said, without a trace of sarcasm in his voice, "you'll have to forgive Matt and myself if we remain a little pessimistic. I don't want any of us getting caught unprepared should anything happen." He looked at the others. "Is that all right with you guys?"

"Wouldn't expect any less from you two." Izzygrinned. "After all, you two are leader and second-in-command after all, as well as their elder siblings. If that is your decision, then we'll go with it."

"In the meantime," Matt said, "let's get something to eat. I'm starving!"

"So am I," Kari said. "My tummies making growling noises." As if to emphasize her point, her stomach made it's opinion known of how it liked being empty. Everyone laughed.

"Come on guys," Tai called, "Let's get lunch made before Mom does! Izzy, come on over. Plenty of baloney and Tofu to go around."

"Prodigious. I'll be there in ten minutes, seeing as how I'm in the park next to your apartment building. Bye!" Izzy shut off the cell phone, then practically sprinted to the building-

-until he collided with someone.

Izzy hit with such force that both he and the person he ran into fell on their butts. "Should've watched where I was going," he moaned, sitting up.

"Yes, you should've. But I won't call the police if you don't."

Izzy looked up, and his jaw dropped in amazement.

"Sorry about that Izzy,"Darien Endymonsaid, helping the kid up to his feet. "I wasn't watching where I was going either, so it's my fault as well."

"Don't worry about it Mr. Endymon," Izzy said. "I believe that Newton's theory of relativity has been proven."

"Yep, I think you're right," Darien said, laughing. "Well, I got to run. See you around."

"Good day," Izzy replied, and walked the rest of the way to the apartments.

Darien watched Izzy go, his smile widening by the minute. '_That kid has changed so much since last summer,'_ he thought to himself. '_He used to spend all his time on his computer. Now he has friends who he can be_ _with. Speaking of which, I better get to my group of friends before they sic Lita and Raye on me.'_

With that in mind, he continued to the Cherry Hill Temple, his thoughts already focused on the problem before him.

* * *

Darien had just made it to the entrance of Cherry Hill, when Sailor Pluto winked into existence two inches in front of him. He stepped back in surprise, then said, "You know, it's impolite to almost step on a person's foot."

Pluto bowed. "My apologies, Prince Darien. But I am here at Raye's request. Apparently, she wants my help for a matter of some importance."

"You too, huh? Small world," Darien replied. "I got the same message thirty minutes ago. Imagine that."

"It does seem strange. I assume that you were told what is going on." It wasn't a question.

"Yep. Well, let's go see if we can't figure out what their dreams are trying to tell them."

"Let's." The two of them walked into the shrine, ready for anything.

Pluto walked into the main room of the shrine; disturbed that one of the Scouts would be in the same predicament that Greg was in every day. She was even more disturbed that it would be Amy, _Amy_ of all people, who would be having them. Never a good sign.

The strangest thing about it was that Pluto herself hadn't sensed it, from either of one of them. It was almost as if, a power greater than her had a hand in their dreams. And that thought was what made her _afraid_.

She shook that last thought out. If there was a more powerful force in the time stream than her, she would have sensed it almost immediately. As it was, the thirtieth century had been quiet. Soon, it would even be time for Rini to return to Crystal Tokyo.

Before that could happen though, there was one thing to do. Pluto and Darien walked into the fire reading room in the back, only to see Greg, the Scouts, and their familiars having a serious conversation. Even Serena was in it, which dictated how serious it was to the Scouts. The minute they stepped through the door though, two detached from the others, and attaching themselves around Darien's torso and Pluto's neck. Both found their only method of getting oxygen cut for a few seconds. '_What is it with the Serenity line, and their ability to kill with friendship?'_ Pluto thought rhetorically.

Serena finally released Darien. "Thanks for coming. Amy's at her wits end about this."

"Don't worry about it, meatball head," Darien replied warmly. He stared over at the other male human occupant in the room. "Greg." Greg just nodded back, his eyes conveying his exhaustion.

"Luna P!" Rini's happy voice traveled throughout the shrine, making Serena look at her with pride. Despite all the bickering that the two had, theirs was strong relationship.

Raye spoke up. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Pluto. Are you ready?" Her eyes told that she had prepared herself for the attempt.

"Yes, I am Mars," Pluto replied. She stared at the two in question. "Are you two set for what will happen?"

"Yes," they both answered emphatically. Pluto nodded, then she and Raye moved in front of them. She noted wryly that Greg sat up a bit straighter, in respect of the one that his powers circumvented almost everyday. She gave a slight nod of respect in return.

When she was just in front of him, Pluto brought the Garnet orb down to the top of Greg's head, letting it touch his brow. She closed her eyes, and started to chant silently. Next to her, she felt Raye place her hands within a inch of Amy's head, then start forming a complex pattern, chanting an ancient Shinto chant in the process. Pluto returned to her chant, one so ancient that it predated the Silver Millennia.

As one, the two Scouts entered their respective targets minds, flowing through their pathways, avoiding the areas that contained personal memories. As they did this, they searched for the subconscious part of their minds, the part where all their dreams and instinctive drives were.

After what seemed like a lifetime, but was only a matter of minutes, Pluto reached the subconscious mind of Greg Urawa…and stared, amazed at what she saw.

Greg's subconscious mind was _pulsating_, with a power that she had never seen before. It radiated with as much, if not more, power then her. And her power was considerable.

PLUTO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? Raye's mind telepathically called out.

Pluto replied, YES, I CAN HEAR YOU, RAYE. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU SEE?

I'M SEEING SOMETHING HERE THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IS IT THE SAME IN GREG'S MIND?

Pluto simply nodded. YES. THE POWER I AM FEELING HERE IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. IT'S MORE POWERFUL THAN THE COMBINED MIGHT OF THE WHOLE SAILOR SCOUT TEAM COMBINED, INCLUDING ME!

Raye was silent for a moment. WE MUST TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS POWER IS, she stated. ARE YOU READY TO TRY AND MELD WITH IT?

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY, BUT BE CAREFUL. WE'RE TREADING ON VERY VOLITILE GROUND HERE.

As one they reached out mentally, gently touching the energy in front of them-

and with the mental equivalent of a nuclear explosion, Sailor Scouts Pluto and Mars were hurled back at hurricane force, slamming into the wall with enough force to make a dent in it.

"Raye! Pluto!" Everyone else shouted, running to them, as the two of them slowly got up, shaking their heads.

"What power! I don't think even the Dark Crystal had that much power!" Pluto said, almost in shock, as she looked at them. "In fact, I don't think _two_ Silver Crystals had the power even one of them has!"

Serena was about to inquire, but two shrieks caught their attention. They all turned back.

Amy and Greg were both holding their heads in agony, their bodies arching off the mats below them. They were in such pain, that Pluto was concerned that they would snap in half.

Suddenly, a bright white light came out of nowhere, bathing them with it's power. They only had enough time to shield their eyes… before vanishing into the ether of reality.

* * *

In the Digital World, the Digimon had just finished putting up the last of the defenses, and were discussing the next day's events, when a powerful white light came out of nowhere. It settled over the Digimon like a tarp, then grew brighter. Elecmon shielded his eyes from it, but still seared his retina.

Finally, it subsided, and the world reasserted itself. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, Elecmon stated, "Wow, what a weird light," as he turned around. What he saw though, was surprising in it's own way.

He was the only one there. The others were gone.

"Guys? Come on, this isn't funny." He looked around for a bit, thinking they were doing this just to try and frighten him. Well, it was succeeding. He was frightened. "Guys?"

There was no answer.

In Tokyo, the Cherry Hill Temple wasn't the only place to get hit by the white light. The Digi-Destined had decided to have a last minute ice-cream cone with their parents before separating again. But it never happened.

The light came over them, blinding them with its luminance. Kari managed to cry out, as their parents tried to get to them.

A second later, they were gone.


	3. Episode Two: Lunar

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Episode 2: Lunar**

In the realm of space, whole galaxies move past each other without ever touching. They each have their own planets, suns, and solar systems. And they are all filled with stars.

In one of these galaxies, a planet floated around its sun. It was truly magnificent, if one got over the fact that it was a barren, icy wasteland. It was completely blue, thought some of the blue was nearer to white because of blizzards that raged on through eternity. The darker blue represented the oceans, the only part of the planet that had not frozen. It was totally uninhabitable.

So it was surprising to see a small celestial body orbiting it. The small moon was green and blue, with wreathes of clouds constantly moving. It held a great ecosystem of plants and animals, living harmoniously with each other. To many, it might not seem like much, but to the inhabitants, it was home.

It had a name, a name that in another dimension would have meant moon. But on this small body, it meant Silver Star. It was called Lunar.

On Lunar, there were, like on Earth, towns and cities doting the rich planet. Its largest city was located near the ocean, and was the only port in the world. Its smallest town on the other hand, was isolated from the rest of civilization by a forest.

It is in this town that our story truly begins. For in this town, there are those who enjoy the peace and tranquility of their lives. Then there are those who, to put it bluntly, don't.

One of these people was thinking about something that had nothing to do with farming or chores. In fact, he was standing on a lonely hilltop on the outskirts of town, staring at something. His mind was elsewhere.

When females looked at him, they saw only his light brown hair, or his handsome features, or his deep green eyes. They didn't see the thoughts that went through his head every day of his life. He would always think at that spot, staring at something in the distance.

His reverie this morning however, was shattered by a high-pitched voice. "Aleeeex. Oh Alllleeeeex…Where are you?"

Alex turned around, green eyes twinkling. "Oh, hello, Nall."

Nall flew up to him, his feathered wings beating rapidly. He was an oddity, even in a world a magical creatures, with the body of a cat and the wings of a bird. He had been with Alex for as long as both could remember, and went with him everywhere. They were inseparable.

"Alex, couldn't you hear me?" he complained, his own red eyes showing his exhaustion. "I've been flying all over for the past half hour, calling for you." He looked at what Alex had been looking at. "But, I should've known you would be here."

"Oh Nall." Alex grinned as Nall landed on his shoulder. "Where else would I be?"

The very thing they were talking about was a monument. It was simply a bunch of rocks piled up into a fair approximation of a grave marker.

There were two differences, though. There was no body buried underneath it, for starters. And one of the rocks held a plaque on it, and a sword was wedged right above it. It wasn't much, but in Alex's mind, it was the greatest thing anyone could have done.

"In honor of the great Dragonmaster, Dyne," Nall read, the words already engraved in both of their minds. "I know that Dyne was probably the greatest of the Four Heroes Alex, but I'm amazed that you never get tired of coming to stare at his dull monument."

"It's because he's an inspiration," Alex replied, his eyes never leaving the monument. "I mean, he's from our village Nall, and it make's me think that I can do the same thing."

Nall was about to retaliate with the same debate, that he should get off his butt and do something about it, but then remembered something. "Oh shoot."

Alex finally tearing his gaze away to stare at him. "What is it, Nall?"

"I just remembered, we better go meet Luna to practice singing. If we're late, she'll be upset."

Alex shuddered, remembering the last time he and Nall had been late getting home. "Once is enough for me. How long did it take us to clean those sheets again?"

"Five hours, and that was by hand." Nall winced as he looked back on that day. "We better get moving. Luna's patience with us will only stretch so far. Let's not test the limit."

"You're right." Taking one last glance at the cairn of rocks, Alex and Nall went down the mountain path to the village.

Just as the reached it, the ground started to shake moderately.

"Whoa!" Nall was in the air in an instant. Alex quickly braced himself, feet planted firmly on the ground, spread out slightly as he rode it like the last one. Both stared at each other, tension thick in the air.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the tremors stopped. Alex and Nall both breathed a sigh of relief. "No different than the last one," Alex said.

"Another Earthquake…that's the third one this week!" Nall exclaimed, now genuinely irritated. Then his gaze became thoughtful. "But…what could be causing them?"

"I don't know Nall. It's a strange occurrence, to be sure." He turned back to the village. "Come on, we better get going."

Before they could get far, Alex saw someone running in their direction. He recognized who it was, and marveled at the speed he was capable of moving at, even though he weighted over two hundred pounds. "Hello, Ramus," he said in suspicion.

"Hey Alex," Ramus's massive girth trembled with barely contained excitement. "I figured you might be here. Now that the warm weather has melted the ice near the dragon's cave, there isn't any time to waste getting started on our big adventure." He spread his arms out wide, as if accepting something huge. "If we hurry, we may be able to sneak in without waking the dragon. Then we can get fantastically huge diamond worth thousands and thousands of silver, making us filthy stinking rich and very popular in the process!"

Alex stared at Ramus in delight. '_Finally, my dream is coming true. Ramus will finally get the Dragon Diamond he wants, and I'll finally get to meet the Dragon.'_ He almost started to tremble in excitement himself, but he reined it in.

Nall however, was not convinced. "The Dragon Diamond huh?" His voice practically dripped with skepticism.

"You heard right Nall," Ramus answered, oblivious to it. "C'mon Alex! You always dreamt about going on a big adventure. Let this be our first! And besides," he added, "I don't you want your plans to go to pot.

"I know, I know." The young man suddenly remembered a certain person's volatile temper. "Listen, Ramus, I have to get going. I'm late for practice with Luna. I want to be ready for the Goddess festival, and I really don't want to anger her so close to it. Could I think about it for a few minutes?"

"Well... while you're deciding, I'll stop by my house to grab some snacks for the trip. C'ya!" With that, he ran back to the village, making gestures in the air.

Nall pivoted in the air, turning to Alex. "Oh Alex," he gushed, "you know we _have_ to do this! It could be the adventure of a lifetime!" He paused for a second, as something came to mind. "I just hope that Ramus doesn't turn into a baby at the first sign of monsters!"

That's my hope too, Nall. I mean, how embarrassing would that be? He'd be clinging to my leg!"

"But, you know that Luna is going to be upset…she doesn't like you putting yourself in danger." Nall looked at him seriously. "How are you going to tell her?"

I don't know yet, Nall. I think that I'll wait until after practice to tell her. And I am _not_ going to spring it out on her, or blurt it out!" He emphasized that last point.

Nall understood what it meant. "I'll try to keep my mouth shut."

They went into the village in silence.

* * *

All around the village of Burg, people were preparing for the annual Goddess Festival. Already there were streamers, balloons, tables, kegs of drinks, alcoholic and otherwise, and a stage set up around the village statue in the middle of town. At the entrance of the village, there was a well worn, but still readable, banner saying, '**BURGS ANNUAL GODDESS FESTIVAL. COME JOIN THE CELEBRATION ONE AND ALL'.**

Every festival was done differently, with different events and different foods. There was one constant though; the best singer, and the best player in the village would perform at the end of the festival.

For the Goddess Festival was celebrated by drinking, singing, playing, and basically having fun. It was a time to set aside one's dull, dismal life, and let loose. And Alex and Luna were the stars of the show. They were considered the best duo the ever had, and both worked diligently at it.

Alex and Nall moved along, taking in their surroundings. Even though they had lived in Burg all their lives, they remained in awe at how the village always awoke to celebrate a holiday. And this one had special meaning to the villagers.

Those who had been born within the last fifteen years had heard stories of how the Goddess Althena herself had come to Burg to attend every Goddess Festival up until that time. She was not greeted with worship, as she was in every other town, but instead as one would greet an old friend, with open arms and hearts. She was considered a guest of honor, as this was the holiday that she herself was to be thanked. She and her Guardians, who had fought to protect the world from evil, showed everyone that they were grateful, and truly joyful of their hospitality. And Althena always had the best time. Alex heard that she had done certain tricks with the children, playing hide-and-seek, and that she always left with a smile on her face. Those stories were among Alex's favorites.

His thoughts were disrupted by a soft voice, melodic and beautiful. He recognized it immediately, smiling as he did so. And judging the look on Nall's face, he had heard it too. "Do you hear that Alex?" he asked. Alex nodded. "It sounds like…singing. Luna must already be waiting for us at the spring!" His face fell. "I bet she'll be singing a different tune when you show up late…_again_!"

"I know Nall," Alex said gloomily, "But never late than never…right?"

Nall simply snorted as they walked toward the spring.

Alex and Luna had claimed the spring as their practice ground several years ago, when they had signed up for the singing contest during their thirteenth year, and the bodies underwent the growth acceleration. It was the best place to practice because it was extremely quiet there, with no noise penetrating through the thick pine trees. It was also relatively isolated, as no one ever entered.

As they approached, the sound of Luna's singing grew steadily more pronounced. Nall finally said, "That's Luna alright! I bet you're in for it now Alex! She hates it when you're late."

"Will you stop reminding me already? I've heard the last hundred warnings!" Calming down, Alex pulled out his ocarina. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk in Luna's direction again.

Alex would never admit it to anyone, not even Nall, but he was madly in love with Luna. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, keep her safe, and to tell her how he felt. But, he didn't think that Luna felt the same, so he kept it to himself. He also was afraid, afraid to tell her. He didn't want to lose her friendship.

"Let's go," he whispered, and increased his pace.

* * *

Luna sat peacefully, her blue hair glinting in the sunshine. She sat on a stone chair that had been made about thirty years before she had been born, and it was truly a masterpiece... well, if you could call something that was just a glorified boulder a masterpiece. A tender smile graced her lips, making her seem…otherworldly. She sang a song that was an expression of her happiness. Letting her shoulders relax, she looked out to the water.

All around her, everything was peaceful. The birds were chirping around her feet, eating the birdseed that she had put there an hour ago. The dragon-shaped continued to pour fresh water into the spring, and the sun made a pattern through the trees that was simply beautiful.

In short, it was a wonderful day, and the conditions were perfect to for her to practice her singing. What would have made it even better was if Alex would show up on time. It wasn't that big of a deal, even though she did make them wonder what she was going to do to them, but it would have been nice if he would be on time for a change.

Just as she thought this, her musing was interrupted by a melody, played on a wind instrument. She recognized the tune, as well as the instrument. '_Speak of the devil, he's here,'_ she thought, giggling to herself. She never could stay mad at him for long, if ever, and he knew how to apologize. He had the cutest puppy eyes she had ever seen!

Getting to her feet and twirling around, she said, "Alex, you're late again silly. Were you whittling the day away at Dyne's monument again? Or were you planning more make-believe adventures with Ramus?"

Alex was amazed, but not as much as some people would think. Luna did know him so well. After all, he did do both activities every chance he got.

Apparently, Nall was impressed as well, and let Luna know it. "Hey, you're good! He was at Dyne's monument planning an adventure with Ramus. You're right on both accounts!" His smile grew even wider. "I can't wait to see the inside of the Dragon Cave!"

Luna's face went from a look of happiness to a look of surprise within a second. Alex went from relieved to annoyed in that same time span, and he turned to shoot a death glare at Nall.

Nall noticed this, and he flapped back from Alex reach. "Um…right…A-Alex?" he asked hesitatingly, knowing that he was in trouble.

"Shhh…Nall!" Alex hissed, but it was too late.

"The White Dragon Cave, Alex?" Luna asked, still surprised. Then her mood went into overdrive. "I knew there was something wrong with your playing! And I always know when you're keeping secrets from me!"

'_She's good,' _he thought. '_And now it's lecture time.' _He wasn't disappointed.

"Alex, why would you travel to such a dangerous place?" Her tone stated she wanted an answer, and had better like what she heard.

Alex started to answer, but a powerful roar stopped him before he had opened his mouth. It echoed all the way around the village, causing the water to vibrate. "Yikes," Nall shouted, already shooting into the air.

After a moment, the roar died down, being replaced with a strange calm. All of them sighed with relief and relaxed. Nall spoke for all of them all. "Man, that was loud!"

"It sounded like a …roar?" Luna asked, looking thoughtful. "But I've never heard a creature like that before." Her thoughts were troubled though. She felt like she had heard it before.

"Neither have I," Alex said soothingly, letting her know that she wasn't the only one who had a clue about the identity of the creature with whom that roar originated from. He had a pretty healthy guess who it was, though

"You know, I bet it was the White Dragon!" Nall's tone became as thoughtful as Luna's. "What Ramus said is true…"

"Gee, Nall," Alex said sarcastically, "thanks for pointing out the painfully obvious!" He was irritated that Nall had to tell them something they already suspected.

"Sorry, Alex."

Alex didn't reply, instead turning around and heading back to the village. However, Luna saw this, and called after him, "Alex! Where are you going?"

Nall answered, knowing that Alex was already going to turn him into a bath rug when this was over. "We're going to go explore the Dragon Cave along with Ramus! That was the great adventure that Alex and Ramus were talking about the monument!"

At the mention of this, Luna's mood soured once again. "Didn't you hear me? You could be hurt, or worse!"

"I'm very much aware of this," Alex replied, taking another slow step.

"And what about your parents? They'll be besides themselves with worry."

Alex was silent, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he was going to agree with her. '_She's trying to guilt-trip me, just like last time. Well, it's not going to work. I've waited years for this!'_

"I've never been able to stop you from doing what you wanted to do Alex," Luna continued, almost quietly, "And I know that your dream is to embark on great adventures, just like Dyne." She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "So, I suppose that all I can do is come along and keep you out of trouble." Her happiness started to reassert itself. "Perhaps this will even be fun!"

"Whaa?" Alex couldn't believe it. Luna _wanted _to go? '_Alright, who are you and where is Luna?'_

Luna's merriment at her friend shock grew. "And to think, you were going without me!" She almost laughed at the stupified look on Alex's face.

Alex was dumbfounded, to say the least. And that was an understatement. "But…erm…uh," he managed to stutter out.

"What are you waiting for, lets get going!" Luna said, completely cheerful, and looking at Alex with eyes as blue as the lake behind them.

"Erm…uh…" To say his vocal cords were frozen would have been an understatement. '_Real smooth Alex. Can't even put coherent sentences together.' _

Nall flew up to him. "Why do you even try saying 'NO' to Luna? She plays you like an ocarina!" He grinned at this. "So what are you waiting for? Let's get started on our big adventure!"

"Just a moment, Nall." Luna fell into 'big sister' mode, as everyone was keen on calling it. "I know you're excited and anxious to start the adventure, but we really need to tell Alex's parents where we are going. We can't let them worry about us. Besides, we might be able to find some things around the house to help us on the trip."

"You know," Nall said, admiration in his voice, "I like how you think," He settled on Alex's shoulder. "This is gonna be great Alex!"

"I know Nall," Alex stated, looking at Luna with a small smile on his own face. "We better get back to the house."

"Yeah! It's almost lunch time anyway. I want to eat!"

No sooner than Nall said this when all of a sudden-

"WHAAAAAA!"

"What the-?" was all Nall was able to get out before he was drenched with water from the spring. Alex and Luna managed to get out of the way, and thus were spared the same fate. Nall however, looked like a drowned, flying rat. And he was a little annoyed because of it.

When the water subsided, they all went over to the edge, and took a look.

Luna was amazed.

Alex was surprised.

Nall was upset.

* * *

All around them, there was a myriad of colors, blending into one another, always shifting. There was no noise, but the silence of it all deafened them. The light wasn't bright, but they were blinded.

Twenty-six beings, a combination of humans, digimon, and two felines hurled through the dimensional void, passing other times, other places, catching only glimpses of some of those times. In one realm, three men, two wearing wrap-around tunics and pants, the other wearing clothing so black he looked like a dark knight, clashed with energy swords, in a contest to prove their prowess. In another realm, a cube-shaped vessel destroys a fleet of ships, until a starship, fittingly named _Enterprise_ enters the fray. Then everything blurs again.

Unable to stop, unable to fight, the Digi-Destined and the Sailor Scouts, who were completely unaware of each other, fell through eternity, a fall even Sailor Pluto was powerless to stop.

Until they entered one backwater realm…

…and reappeared.

Sixteen of them were promptly drenched.

"WHAA!"

With a splash, Izzy fell into a pool of water that, up until that moment, had not existed. He was surprised, as he wasn't expecting to land into a lake.

And he reflected on how he shouldn't be surprised.

He managed to sit up, and shaking his head to clear it. After doing so, he looked around, taking in his immediate surroundings. "Hmmm… I appear to be in a reservoir of some sort," he muttered, his mind making a mental map of everything, "I am in a clearing, and the water is coming from a tap of some kind. Tentomon is sitting right in front of me, and there are everglades in a circular formation…TENTOMON?"

If Tentomon could blink, he would have done so. "Izzy… IZZY!" The two hugged as best they could. "I can't believe it! How've you been, Izzy?"

"I have been doing astronomically well. And how have you been doing, buddy?"

"Well, other than someone trying to hit me with bug spray, I'm fine. I'm assuming we're in the real world." It wasn't a question.

"Actually, I thought we were in the Digital World. I'm guessing that's not the case though."

"Nope," a voice said behind him. He turned to see the other Digi-Destined and their Digital partners having a happy reunion. After all, it had been almost a year since they had last seen each other. He turned to the one who had said it. '_Gomamon,' _he thought.

"Everyone's here," the little aquatic digimon said, currently trying to get out of Joe's hands. "And we thought this was Earth."

"Looks like we were all wrong," Joe piped. "I think my question was right on the bat. And your fear was ungrounded Sora. Now, can we please get out of this water? I don't want to catch a cold at the moment!"

"You get out if you want Joe. I'll stay in here."

Everyone laughed at those two bickering, something they had missed, until something made them stop.

"Excuse me," a curious voice inquired. The Digi-Destined turned, their surprise evident.

On the shoreline, or what passed as a shoreline, two people, a boy and a girl, stood on the bank, looking at them. With them was a cat-like creature that looked like it got drenched. '_Probably from all of us hitting the water,' _Izzy thought, when a realization struck him '_That was what I heard talking.'_

For a moment, the two groups stared at each other, each group trying to figure out each other, and whether or not they were friendly. Not one of them moved an inch for what seemed forever, until…

"Hi!" Kari said, her happiness completely genuine. "Nice to meet you." She wadded to shore, not a small feat for a little girl, and got out. She stuck her hand out to them. "My names Kari. This is Gatomon."

"Hello," Gatomon said, also cheerful. Say hello to two girls who liked to meet new people.

The blue-haired girl smiled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Kari, as well as you, Gatomon."

Emboldened, because they knew Kari would never say anything to anyone who wanted to hurt them, got out of the pool of water, with the exception of Gomamon. He just went to the edge. They all started to introduce themselves.

"My names Tai," the leader of the Digi-Destined said.

"And I'm Agumon."

"I'm Matt. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Gabumon."

"My name is Sora, and it is an honor to meet you." Sora shook the girls hand. "Nice dress," she observed

"Thank you. My name is Luna. Pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Biyomon. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Izzy. It's an utmost pleasure to meet you all." Izzy turned to the flying fur ball. "My apologies for soaking you. It was purely by accident."

"Don't worry. I've been drenched so many times, that it doesn't bother me anymore."

Oh…um…okay."

"I'm Tentomon. Nice to meet all of you. You don't use any bug spray around here, do you?

"What's bug spray?" Luna asked.

"I'm Mimi," Mimi said enthusiastically. "Can I get the maker of your dress?"

"Mimi!" Every one else groaned.

"I'm Palmon. You've got very fresh water." She looked at Mimi. "Why'd you ask that Mimi?"

"Can't blame a girl for trying," was the only reply Palmon got. She sighed. '_Mimi will never change,' _she thought.

Joe stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet all of you. I'm Joe. That's Gomamon."

"Hi. I'll agree with Palmon, but for different reasons. This water is fresh. Perfect for swimming."

T.K. shook hands with the boy. "Hi, my name is T.K."

"Hello there, T.K. My name is Alex, and this is Nall." Alex shook T.K.'s hand. "You're pretty mature for one of your age," he said.

"Thanks…I think. This is Patamon."

"Hi!" Nall said enthusiastically. Patamon nodded in return.

"Well," Alex began, "I don't know how you got here, but I'm sure you all need dry clothes, and some hot chocolate to warm up."

"Great idea!" Agumon turned to the others. "Come on guys, lets get going."

"Wait a minute!" Sora shouted. Everyone stopped moving. She turned to their three new friends. "I'm sorry but, can you tell us where we are?" she asked politely.

Luna looked at her in surprise. "You're in the village of Burg, at the center of Caldor Isle," she said. "You didn't know?"

Izzy figured it out at that moment. "Our position has definitely changed in the dimensional vortex. We appear to be in an alternate universe, where the laws of physics are about the same, but there are subtle differences."

"Um…" Alex, Luna, Nall, and the Digi-Destined and their Digimon looked at each other, then at Izzy, and finally back at each other. They came to a conclusion; none of them knew what Izzy had just said.

Except for Mimi apparently. "He means," she said, "that we're on another world. It isn't Earth, and it sure isn't the Digital World."  
Everyone stared at her in shock. "You…understood what Izzy was saying?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Didn't you? Hey, why are you all staring at me like that?"

The question snapped Tai out of his stupor. And turned his gaze back to Alex and his little group. "Do you know where we could dry ourselves off?"

"Oh! Yes, please follow me." With those words, Luna turned and walked down the forest path, Alex and Nall not far behind her. The Digi-Destined stared after them.

"Do you think we can trust them?" Gabumon asked

Matt shrugged. "We don't have a choice. After all, none of us know our way around this world, so we're going to need a guide. Besides, they seem trustworthy enough."

"Well," Joe stated, starting to walk in their direction, "I want to be dry at this particular moment. So let's just follow them."

They all agreed with Joe, and with reluctant Palmon and Gomamon, followed Luna into the village of Burg.

* * *

"…This place is called…Lunar," Izzy asked, drinking a cup of hot chocolate. "And a fundamental form of magic exists here? Truly bizarre."

"Not as bizarre as the story you told us," Nall shot back. "I mean, two worlds intertwined with one another, digital monsters. Come on."

"Well, we're living proof," Agumon stated. "And we are here."

"Good point."

"So," Alex's father, a man named Noah, asked. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Tai sighed, checking his goggles over. "Well, we don't know. I just remember a bright flash of light, then falling, and finally landing in water." He looked over at his clothes, which were drying over at the oven. "I really didn't need a bath." He paused after saying that. "And I think I fell on top of-," he cut himself off, blushing a little bit. Sora also blushed, turning her head around so no one could see it.

Alex's mom, whose name was Angelina, saw this though, and smiled. '_If they are from another dimension, then some things never change,' _she thought, smiling a bit. Out loud, she said, "Perhaps you were sent here by the Goddess."

Kari looked puzzled. "The Goddess?" she asked, a sense of déjà vu washing over her. _'Why does that sound familiar?'_

"The Goddess Althena," Luna explained. "She is the protector and creator of this world, and watches over all off us. She loves all, and holds no prejudice to an creature."

"Althena is also considered a living, breathing person, just like all of us." Noah shot Izzy a glance. He guessed that the young man was a scientist of some kind, and needed to see it to believe it. "She assumes human form every several years, to see if there is anything she can do to help us. She usually assumes a human though, for the Goddess Festival."

"Goddess festival? Is that like a carnival?" Palmon asked.

"It's something like that. We basically reaffirm our belief in Althena's teachings, and give our thanks." Angelina smiled. "We also have a more fun than usual."

T.K. spoke up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Goddess Festival is celebrated by drinking, playing games, and singing, right?"

"Yeah," Alex answered, amazed. "How did you…know?"

"I…don't…know." T.K. was surprised that even he knew that, like he had been to a Goddess Festival before. _'How'd I know that? I'm only eight years old, and I've never been here before. Wait a minute. Did I just act all grownup?'_

Unbeknownst to T.K., Patamon, Gatomon, and Kari were watching him discreetly. They had all been ready to say the same exact thing, but he had beaten them to it. "Told ya," Patamon whispered. Gatomon just nodded, as she had believed him from the start.

Matt was also watching his younger brother, only with concerned on his face. _'T.K.'s not acting like himself, and he knows things that he shouldn't. And what about everything that he told us before we were sent here? Is there a connection?'_

Noah stared at the young boy for a moment, a suspicious thought occurring to him. _'Could he be one of them?' _he thought, but then he shook it off. _'No, they would have been here as mortals. But still…'_

The moment was broken when Alex remembered something. "Oh yeah. Sorry if I sound impersonal guys, but it's kind of important."

"Sure. Mimi and I are just going to go get changed," Sora replied. She turned to Luna. "Is it all right if we use your room?" Luna nodded. "Thanks."

As soon as the two female Digi-Destined had closed the door, Alex said, "Dad, Luna, Luna, myself, and Nall are going to the White Dragon Cave."

"What?" Noah said, surprised. "You want to travel to the White Dragon's Cave by yourselves?"

Matt looked over at Gabumon. _White Dragon Cave? _He mouthed.

Gabumon shrugged. _No idea_.

"Well, not by ourselves. We'll be with Ramus. Is it all right with you?" Alex knew what he wanted to do, but if his dad thought it too dangerous, then Luna was right; it wasn't worth worrying them about.

Noah was silent for a couple of minutes, as he thought about it. "It's your time, isn't it?" he finally said, smiling. "Of course you can go, Alex."

'Yes!' Alex thought triumphantly.

"Here, take this," Noah continued, holding something up. Alex saw that it was a dagger, complete with sheathe. He took it wordlessly.

"And this might be easier for you to use, Luna," He handed her a sling and rock pouch. "We can't let the two of you go inside the cave without weapons."

"Good point, Dad." Alex couldn't believe that his dad was helping him. Wasn't it the parent's job to try and dissuade their children from doing potentially dangerous things?

"Oh, and I almost forgot!" Noah dug into his pocket, and pulled something out. "Take this ring." He tossed the item to Alex. "You never know when you might need it."

Thanks, Dad. I... I guess I owe you one." Alex turned to leave, when a discreet cough reminded them that they had guests. "Sorry about that guys."

"Don't worry. You're very excited about this." Kari looked back at the rest of her friends. "Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Sure. What is it?" Alex was intrigued.

"Can we…Can we…come with you guys?"

Everyone stared at her in amazement, except, once again, T.K., Patamon, and Gatomon. They had been ready to ask that question themselves.

"You're sure you want to?" Luna asked.

"Well, yeah." Initially caught off guard by Kari's question, Tai started grinning. "I mean it can't be anymore dangerous than the Digital World. And we need to find a way to get back to our world anyways. Count us in!"

Everyone nodded enthusiastically at this. Gatomon looked almost cheerful, and Patamon was about ready to make cartwheels in the air.

"You can count us in too," Sora said, coming out in the clothes that she had worn in the Digital World. Mimi, in her pink dress, her trademark hat in place on her head, was looking fresher than she did a few minutes before. "We may even be able to find a way back to our world as well."

"All right," Nall exclaimed. "Now I can learn more about you guys!" Turning back to Noah, he asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Anything else..." Noah pondered for a moment. "There are a few things in the basement chests you might need."

"Thanks again, Dad," Alex said. "Do you have any idea of where the Dragon Cave is?"

"It's about a two day journey. To reach the cave, you must travel north of Burg, then travel east around the mountain range."

"Thank you, sir," Biyomon and Sora said at once, Sora bowing to him.

"You're welcome. Promise me you'll be careful, all of you."

"We promise!" Eleven voices chorused.

* * *

"This is gonna be great!" Nall gushed, flying ahead of the others. His eyes held a twinkle that could only be described as merriment. After Alex had given the Digi-Destined a tour of their relatively small house, they had gotten what was in the chests, which was a herb, an angel tear, and what Noah called a dragonfly wings, which could teleport them to the entrance of any dungeon they were in. "It would prove extremely useful," he had said.

"So the herb is for healing bodily wounds," Tentomon recounted, "the Starlight is for refreshing ones magic power, and the Angel Tears is the extreme case that one of us knocked out. Does that sound about right?"

"You've got a good memory. On our way to the Dragon Cave, we'll tell you as much as we know about Lunar. You can tell us everything about your world."

"All right, you've got yourself a deal," Biyomon stated. "It will be a promising start for a friendship at least."

As they approached the entrance, several girls nearly swooned when Alex nodded to them, prompting the Digi-destined to laugh, the Digimon to be confused, and Luna to glare at the girls. Mimi saw this, and wondered.

When they reached the entrance, Patamon asked, "Is there anyone else coming with us?"

Luna frowned, looking around. "Well...there is one other person…"

"Hey Alex!"

"…and there he is," she finished lamely.

Ramus came running up to them, panting as if he had run a marathon. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" He finally caught his breath. "Everything's all set…so let's get going, Alex!"

"All right," Alex replied. "By the way, there are a few more people coming with us than originally assumed. Luna for instance."

"What? Luna is coming with us?" Ramus looked surprised at this, but than smiled. "Well, that's okay… I guess."

Luna looked at him pleadingly. "I want to see the white dragon, too! Please don't leave me out of this, Ramus!"

Ramus looked at Alex, his smile broadening. "If it's fine with Alex," he stated, "it's fine with me." He turned to the others. "And…you are…?"

Introductions were quickly made, as none of them wanted to wait any longer. Ramus punctuated it by saying, "I'll learn more about you guys on our way there. Meanwhile," and with that remark, he made a wide sweeping gesture with his hand, "let's go find the White Dragon!"

"Yeah!" Tai said, and together, they walked out of Burg.

If only they knew what was going to happen.


	4. Episode Three: The Cave

Digimon: Silver Star Story

**Episode Three: The Cave**

They had been walking for about two hours, chating about anything they could think of,before Ramus spoke. "So! You guys landed here in Burg, but you don't know how.Well, that happens sometimes. A person could accidentally step on a trap from some ancient war." He paused. "Though people landing here's a first for us."

"I'm guessing that's true," Tai said. "I mean, most people are in a state of shock or try to kill us before we can explain ourselves. These three," he pointed at Alex, Luna, and Nall, "just looked at us strangely, and asked who we were."

Nall grinned. "Actually, I was shocked, as I've never seen anything like that happen before. And you guys _did _pop out of nowhere."

Alex nodded with that admission. "We just didn't react to it, so you couldn't tell."

"And we do live near the Dragon Cave," Luna said, "so falling people sometimes have a relatively low priority to being a shock to a great number of us, as opposed to a very large flying beast."

"Yep. But I was shocked when I saw you coming up. I mean, I've never seen you before, so I was a little leery. So," Ramus asked, "where do you live? What town are you from?"

The Digi-Destined just stopped moving at that question, looking at one another for a few moments. "Does any of you want to tell him," Tai asked, "or should I?"

Mimi smiled mischeviously. "I'll do it. I need to do something to get my mind off my aching feet. And besides, I want to see his reaction."

Palmon sighed. _'Some things will never change. And I'm just as bad, and loving every minute of it!'_

"The eight of us are from the city of Tokyo." The mischief within the young girl seemed to grow. "We are from the planet Earth."

Gomamon barely stopped himself from laughing.

"And we," Palmon began, laughter dancing in her eyes, " are from the Digital World."

All the Digi-Destined stared at Ramus, expecting to see shock, or even amusement. Instead, what they saw was skepticism. And here's where things get ugly.

"Uh huh," Ramus stated plainly, showing the fact that he didn't believe them one bit. "And where, pray tell, is this Tokyo?"

"It's in another dimension," Mimi answered sweetly. "I think it's on a dimension called Earth."

"Oh, really. And you are from that other dimension."

"Am I to believe that you are a non-believer of alternate realms?" Palmon asked.

"What I believe is that you are crazy."

Alex, Luna, and Nall instantly knew that was the wrong thing for Ramus to have said at that moment. It was obvious because both Mimi and Palmon looked at Ramus with sudden anger in their eyes. The other kids started to edge their way to much safer standpoints.

"What…did…you… say?" Palmon clearly wanted to throttle Ramus at that moment.

Apparently, so did Mimi. "I don't particularly like being called crazy," she informed Ramus archly. The humor was now long gone from her face.

"Well, what did you expect?" Ramus shot back angrily. "Other worlds, other dimensions. That's all crazy talk!"

"It's true! Every last word of it!"

"And did I mention you are delusional? Because you're that, too!"

"Why you-!"

"HEY!" Izzy's voice cut through the air like a gunshot, taking everyone by surprise. "Mimi is many things, but one thing she is definitely not is a liar!" He paused for a second to catch his breath. "Which is more than I can say for you!"

"What?" Ramus couldn't believe it. "What would you know about me? You don't even know me that well! And what did you mean by that?"

"It means I know a con artist when I see one. You sir, are one!"

Alex and Nall Stared at Izzy in amazement. Luna was watching in amusement. As for the Digi-Destined, they were all surprised and proud of Izzy at that moment, if only for the reason that Izzy had never really raised his voice to actually yell at someone in manner other than disclosing information.

"I wonder when someone other than Agumon was going to figure it out," Matt whispered to Gabumon. Gabumon nodded.

Ramus was shocked, to say the least. "H-how'd y-you know t-that?" he managed to stutter out in his shock.

"Because," Izzy continued, his ire still in full force, "I have had to deal with people like you when I was in school, so I know what to look for. You're out to make a quick buck!"

He would have continued on, but Mimi put her hand on Izzy's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "It's all right Izzy. You can stop now. He didn't hurt me. And I thought about it. It does sound a little crazy if you're in his shoes. I wouldn't believe it either."

Izzy slowly calmed down, taking stock that Mimi was not going to yell at him and run away. For that, he was grateful. Then he noted that he was being watched, and not by just Mimi. He turned around.

Tentomon was beaming, if you could tell. The rest of the Digi-Destined were smiling proudly, as Izzy never really yelled at anyone before in such a matter. He had also very nearly gotten into someone else's face.

Apparently Izzy also figured it out as well, because he blushed slightly, not enough to be seen, as he turned to face Ramus again.

Ramus was at a loss of words for a few moments, but he regained his composure quickly, or what composure he had. "If that's all I wanted, then why am I here, going to a cave with a dragon in it?"

Izzy was ready for that one. If there was one thing he was prouder of than his computer, it was his sense of character. "Because you aren't a true con artist. You have the skills, but you have compassion, and do want friends. You also do have a sense of adventure, even if the end result is to make money." All this was said in a calm and precise manner that was usual of the Izzy they all know and love.

Alex and Luna were, for lack of a better term, were amazed. "Izzy sure knows what he's talking about," Alex whispered to Luna. She nodded in return.

Ramus just digested all this with a grain of salt. He was thinking about Izzy had said, and realized that he was right on the bat. He started to smile once again. "Then it appears that I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have called you crazy," he told Mimi. "And I shouldn't have insulted you. I just don't believe it."

"Well, it is true."

"Well, let me tell you what I think," Ramus began, much to the amusement of everyone else. Alex knew that Ramus could make even worthless arguments worthwhile, just as Tai knew that Izzy would rise to any challenge of knowledge.

Mimi simply whispered to Izzy, "Thank you Izzy for helping."

He whispered back, "You're welcome," before turning his full attention to battling Ramus's definition of 'wealth and fame.'

It kept the others entertained at the very least.

* * *

At the end of their first day of traveling, the group settled down at the base of the mountain range. It was colder here than at Burg, so they pulled out the blankets that Alex's parents had given them before they left. Then they went about building a fire. Or in certain digimon's cases, igniting them. 

"PEPPER BREATH!" Agumon launched a sphere of fire into a pile of wood that they collected on their way. The fire branches caught instantly, burning brightly in the twilight. Alex and the others who had never seen something like that before were understandably amazed.

"Well, that's done," Agumon said, moving to sit next to Tai. "Now I'm wishing I had brought marshmallows to toast."

"Well, if I had known we were gonna be transported to a parallel dimension, I would have brought some," Tai replied, his voice devoid of sarcasm.

"Hey, it's the thought that counted."

Gabumon snickered behind his furry paw at this.

Luna was watching them, as well as the fourteen other companions, all pleasantly happy and content. _'They're just like family,'_ she thought, with a bit of envy. She couldn't help but be jealous of them, as she had never had any biological family that she could contact.

Kari came over and sat down next to Luna, having seen her frown. "You okay?" she asked quietly, staring at Luna with concern. "Are you sad?"

Luna smiled a little. "A little," she replied. "Mostly for myself."

Kari was silent for a moment, looking very thoughtful. "Why? You're very lucky."

Luna sighed, but couldn't stop from answering the inquiry. "Because, I'm all alone in this world."

"No you're not. You've got friends, and a mommy and daddy-."

"They're not my real parents. I don't even know my parents. They died just after I was born. I never even got to meet them."

"Oh." Kari immediately looked over at Izzy, who was chatting to Tentomon. "I didn't know."

Luna gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I love my adoptive family. They're very considerate, and they really care about Alex's and my education."

"I noticed." Kari was smiling to, something Luna found hauntingly familiar. Suddenly, Kari asked, without any warning, "I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend. You're very pretty."  
At this, Luna blushed. It was something that was a tad bit uncomfortable to talk about. "Well, I just haven't found the right guy yet. That's all."

"What about Alex?" Sora asked, having come over after talking to Mimi about a certain matter. "Does he have anyone in his life yet?"

"No, he doesn't have a girlfriend. He does ogle every pretty girl in Burg," Luna said, a slightly jealous expressionon her face for a moment. She glanced over at where Alex was sitting with Ramus and Nall, getting a crash course in Digimon classes and 'digi-volutions' as Biyomon called them. Her gaze softened as she stared at the boy that she cared for most in the world. Sora noticed this, and grinned. _'I get to play matchmaker. Oh what fun!'_

* * *

"There are six levels of Digimon," Gabumon stated, his paws typing on the computer that he had borrowed from Izzy. "Baby, In-training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega." He hit a button on the computer. It brought up three pictures of Digimon. " In addition, there are three types of Digimon; Data Virus and Vaccine. They are the three primary types in the Digital World, although there are digimon that can have characteristics of all three at once. They are a minority however." 

Nall pointed at the screen. "What is the point of the Data Type?" he asked.

"They're neutral, in their association of choosing one of the two other classes," Gabumon replied. He switched it over to a picture of Tokomon. "All baby and in-training Digimon are of this category, for obvious reasons. Most rookie digimon also are data, although a few become virus types. When they reach champion, they have a choice to become vaccine or virus, or staying as data. Very few want to become vaccine, which in my opinion is very confusing, and about twenty- five percent will become virus." He returned to the previous screen. "Now, Devimon is a virus type Digimon. He was also the first real opponent we faced when our friends started to learn of their destiny." He pointed to the picture next to Devimon. "Lillymon is a data type Digimon, as well as Palmon's Ultimate level digi-volution."

"Cool," Nall said appreciatively. He pointed to the last picture. "And that Digimon is a vaccine type?" he asked.

"Yep," Patamon spoke up, landing next to Gabumon. "He's also my champion level form. He's called Angemon."

"Angemon." Alex tried it on his tongue, and found it remarkably easy to say. "How strong is Angemon anyways?" he asked, at the same time wondering why he was so interested.

If T.K. could sense his confusion, he didn't let it show. "He's powerful enough to defeat Ultimate level Digimon, and can hold his own against Digimon at the Mega level with success."

"Wow. It's just like different levels of magic," Alex said. His mind was spinning with what T.K. had just said.

Joe sat down net to Nall and Gomamon. "How powerful is magic, if you don't mind my asking?"

At that, Alex paused, thinking. "I honestly don't know," he finally said. "All I can use my magic for is to augment my fighting strength, or use my Sword Dance technique."  
"Sword Dance?" Patamon and Gabumon asked at once.

"It's when I release a series of sword swings at an opponent in lightning. I've been perfecting it for years."

"Oh."

Alex couldn't take it. "On the other hand," he said, catching Joe's attention, "Two of the Four Heroes are capable of performing very powerful magic."

"The Four Heroes?" Patamon asked, the name striking a chord in him. _'Why does that ring a bell?'_

"Oh! I forgot that you're new here." He took a breath. "The Four Heroes are the greatest fighting force on Lunar. They helped save the Goddess and our world from evil more times than anyone could count in a lifetime." He paused as he remembered something. "In fact, I think that three of the Four Heroes live on the main continent."

"Hey, that's great news! If they can speak to the Goddess, then maybe we can visit them," Gomamon said enthusiastically. "Where is the Fourth Hero? Maybe he can tell how we can get home."

At that, Alex was silent, hesitatingly wondering if he should tell them. Gabumon beat him to it though. "Dragonmaster Dyne?" he asked quietly.

Alex simply nodded, amazed at the intuition that the fur clad digimon had. _'Matt has a good partner,'_ he thought to himself.

Gabumon was silent for a moment, before finally asking, "How did he die?"

"No one knows," Alex replied, thinking about it. "But he probably died defending the Goddess Althena from evil. Of that, I'm positive."

"I have no doubt," T.K. stated. "As I have no doubt that he would continue to protect her even from beyond the grave if he could." With that, he got up and walked over to where the delectable smell of dinner was making itself known.

Alex and Nall watched him go. "Ya know," Nall said, breaking the silence, "I think he really meant that."

"Ya know, I think he's right."

They slept with lighter hearts, their respect for the young man confirmed.

* * *

Once again, Kari shot up, gasping for breath, surveying her surroundings. As she calmed down, the recognized the mountain that the group had stopped near before nightfall, the sound of her brothers snoring to her right, the smell of fresh air… fresh air? 

Immediately, her mind realized what was missing; the smell of smoke that she was accustomed to, the only thing that told her that she wasn't home, or even in the Digital World. Here, the air was as fresh as the water she had had at dinnertime. It helped her get her mind in perspective.

Next Kari looked up to the canopy of stars. Here, there were no cities like the ones back home, so the sky was in its full glory. She recognized several constellations, most notably, the Big Dipper, Orion the Hunter, and Taurus the Bull. Then she saw something that made her stare in awe.

The planet Earth, its colors of blue and white plainly visible in the night sky, stood out in the myriad of space. She stared at it, marveling at its beauty, and the fact that it was there at all. Then, it clicked in her mind exactly where they were.

_'The moon!'_ she thought in shock._ 'We're on the moon! Or at the very least, another version of the moon! Why are we on the moon? How is that-?'_

"Kari." She turned to see T.K. and their partner Digimon sitting next to her, their concern and worry or her. Kari stared back at him.

"You guys have the dream too?" Patamon asked quietly. The other three nodded as one. "Me too."

They had been sitting there for a while, each of them trying to get the courage to ask the first question, when Kari broke into tears silently, her hands coming up to cover her face. Her whole body shook with sobs. She didn't want to look weak, but she couldn't help it. She felt T.K. put his arm around her, but didn't feel any better.

T.K. and the Digimon tried their best to comfort her. "Don't cry, Kari" Gatomon said, after Kari had put her hands down. "If you do, you'll look like a divermon on an inhaler." She then made a pretty convincing face of what a divermon would look like. Kari giggled a little.

"Yeah," T.K. put in. "And I would have to go around looking like this." He went into a child's full pout mode, with the big puppy dog eyes. Kari started to giggle even more, before whispering in a stuttering tone, "I-it's just t-that I noticed t-that Earth I-is right a-above us." She looked like she was going to cry again, but T.K. was still making that expression, and she found herself giggling even more.

"We know," Patamon said, "but if we cried every time we figure out something out, we'd be waterlogged. In my opinion, that's too much work for us little people."

Kari was starting to giggle non-stop. She couldn't help it. Their antics were cheering her up. "You guys are funny." She managed to calm down, but her smile remained. "Thanks guys."

"Don't mention it Kari." T.K. blushed slightly. "You look a lot better when you're happy." He almost immediately wanted to bring those words back, but he didn't know why. He just acted like a kid.

But still…

"You…really think so?" Kari was surprised at what T.K. had said, even though she shouldn't have. After all, to little kids like her, that was a compliment that could be given to even an adult. For some reason though, she was oddly flattered.

T.K. snapped out of it after a moment, still confused about what he was feeling. He kept it from showing on his face. "Do you…want us to stay?"

Kari smiled. "Go right ahead," she replied. "Just get your own blanket and bring it over. This one is too small and it's very cold at the moment."

T.K. grinned as he did as she suggested. Finally, the four of them were snuggling next to each other, looking up at the sky.

"Do you miss your parents?" T.K. asked curiously.

Kari was silent for a second. "Yeah," she finally answered. She turned to look at T.K. "Do you miss your mommy?"

T.K. smiled a bit. "To quote you, 'yeah.'" Both of them laughed a bit. "Good night, Kari."

"Good night T.K." Kari whispered back.

In moments, they were both asleep, smiling.

* * *

Two hours after they had woken up, they group found themselves at the entrance of the White Dragon Cave, with the majority of them staring at it in awe. T.K., Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon however, were under the mistaken impression that they had been there before. None of them really knew why. 

Mimi broke the silence for them. "So this is the White Dragon Cave, huh? Is his door big enough?"

"We'll ask him when we find him," Nall replied sarcastically. "In the meantime, let's go in! I want to start this adventure already!"

"I'm with you there, Nall," Agumon said, as Gomamon replied at the same time, "We get the point."

Slowly, they entered the cave, wary that they could encounter the dragon, and at the same time, expecting to meet him. Then they hit their first roadblock.

Or, to state it more accurately, an ice block.

"There's just no way to get past this ice!" Nall stated dismally, after Alex and Matt had pushed to see if there was any give. It was solid, so Nall seemed to have a point.

"Oh, yeah? Well, we'll see about that!" Tai turned to his partner. "Agumon, you're up!"

"You got it Tai! PEPPER BREATH!" This time, Agumon hurled a much larger fireball than the one he had used last night. It was also much hotter than the one last night. It flew through the air to impact against the ice.

The ice melted a little, but held against Agumon's onslaught. Agumon hit it again, but it had melted as much as it was going to. "Drat," he muttered.

"You did your best buddy," Tai said, patting Agumon on the shoulder.

Everyone stood there for moment, deep in thought, trying to find a way to get past the ice without bringing the cave down on all of them.

Finally, Ramus asked, "What if you…digi-volved?"

Izzy snapped out of that, apparently annoyed that he hadn't thought of that, while at the same time, relieved that someone did think of that.

Tai looked over to him. "What do you think Izzy? Can we risk it?"

Izzy thought long and hard. "Well why not?" he asked. "Greymon is much stronger than Agumon. His Nova Blast should be enough to melt the barricade."

"Hey, it's worth a try. Go for it Agumon!"

"AGUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO… ummm, why am not I digi-volving?"

"Huh?" Everyone else was staring in shock at this. Sora even looked as pale as death itself. She shook it off though, and turned to Biyomon. "You try it, Biyomon," she called out.

"Okay Sora. BIYOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…it looks like I can't digi-volve either."

Izzy now understood why he hadn't thought of it, he had already had a theory about it in place. "It may be because we are in a totally different world that doesn't revolve fully around the familiar laws we know," he said. "It'll take time for your bodies to adapt enough to be able to digi-volve."

"Which means we lose our advantage for a time. This is just peachy!" Tai's frustration was equal to the others. He even showed by kicking the block of ice, which proved to be disastrous. Not for the ice. Tai however, stubbed his toe.

"Hey Tai, don't worry," Matt said calmly. "If we run into the White Dragon, we can still move much faster than it can. And we are kinda smaller than a dragon."

"Yeah, if we don't keep running into ice," Tentomon stated.

"Which brings us back to our immediate problem," Luna put in. "We need to get it out of our way. But how?"

Izzy thought long and hard. "Let's start by looking for a weakness in the ice block. Then we simply apply enough force to destroy it."

"It's as good idea as any. Let's give it a try," Matt replied, agreeing to the plan with only a little bit of doubt He didn't think that there was any other weakness.

For about ten minutes, they pushed on the ice block at various points get a sense of its give. They kept pushing at it for a while, but came up with nothing. For another minute, they stood there, looking very frustrated.

Finally though, Alex looked down…and saw the ring on his finger. He snapped his finger in realization. "I think I got it."

"You got…what?" Agumon asked irritably. His lack of success with melting the glorified ice cube had annoyed him to no end.

"I think I know how to melt this ice." Alex stepped up to the block, the ring pointing at it. Izzy noticed this and thought,_ 'He isn't going to a ring to melt the ice. That's impossible in any realm!'_

As he thought this, he heard Ramus say, "Give it a shot Alex!" It confirmed it. They were all crazy. They were in the presence of lunatics.

"All right, everyone back! I have no idea what is going to happen!" Alex shouted. Everybody heeded him, the majority of them harboring doubts, like Izzy, about the sanity of there new friends.

"Are they crazy?" Biyomon asked in disbelief to Gomamon. Gomamon just shrugged, his eyes on Alex.

When they were all at a same distance, Alex took a deep breath, then pointed the Fire Ring at the ice block, feeling like an idiot. He had no idea what was going to happen, but there was nothing they could do.

For a moment, nothing happened…then as if from a silent prayer, a jet of fire shot out from the ring, sailing through the air to strike the ice. For a second, the ice withstood it, before melting into a puddle of water.

The Digi-Destined stared in shock at the puddle of ice water on the floor, then at Alex, and finally at the ring on his finger. None of them uttered a word. Sora looked like she was going to pass out from it all.

Of all of them, Luna, Nall, and Ramus were the only ones who were not even surprised by that. "Yes!" Nall even stated in glee. "Now we can go through!"

"Yeah, great job!" Joe roared, being the first to recover. "Now let's going before I get frostbite!"

"Perfect!" Alex whispered, as Mimi and Gomamon tried to calm Joe down. "This ring sure did come in handy."

"But that's-no," Izzy just said. "I'm not even going to bother to say it."

"What's the matter?" Nall asked. "You've never seen a ring do that?"

* * *

They had not walked fifteen minutes before they encountered their first opposition. It kind of oozed its way over to them, to say the least. 

"Move back guys!" Gabumon shouted, the Digimon getting in front of them, along with Alex and Ramus, who was shaking in fear.

"What are they?" Luna slightly scared, used her sling to hurl a rock right at one of them. The creature was pushed back a few feet, making a slightly squishing sound at the impact. It recovered though, and continued to move forward slowly.

"Izzy!" Tai shouted, already in leader mode. "See if you can't find out what this thing is!" He watched the battle through keen eyes, trying to be his digimon's eyes as well as ears.

Izzy pulled his computer out of his backpack, turning it on and heading the digi-analyzer. He really didn't have much hope that it would even work. So when the monsters profile came up, he was extremely surprised.

**Slime: A weak, gelantinous mass, Slime has no useful abilities to speak of, and is unable to to move extremely fast.**

"Good. That means I won't miss it." Alex swung his short dagger at the one that Luna had hit, destroying it utterly. He felt a momentary heaviness in his money pouch, but ignored it. It would wait until later.

Suddenly, the cavern was filled with the sound of buzzing. They all looked around, trying to determine where it was. Then it came at them with blinding speed.

Tai felt something cut his cheek as he turned his head to the right, to fast to be seen. He glanced around wildly, trying to find it. The he saw another one coming from an entirely different direction aiming at… "Look out Sora!" he shouted, running in her direction. He noted that he was closer to her than the flying creature, but with its speed, it all came down to luck. In his case, luck was on his, and Sora's side.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon released a vortex of greenish energy, aiming it at the insect. It hit with force, slamming it into the wall, just as Tai got in front of Sora. "Quick Izzy, before it disintegrates! Get a scan of it!"

Izzy complied, moving his computer in front of the dead monster.

**Mutant Fly: a flying type monster that moves at nearly the speed of sound. It attacks quickly and always attacks in groups of four or six.**

"Well, then that settles it! Patamon Tentomon, and myself will deal with the mutant flies, unless they come right at you. Agumon, you and the other guy's deal with the slimes. I just hope their stench is contagious!"

"That's what I hope too," Gabumon said. "Agumon, cover me!"

"You got it! PEPPER BREATH!"

"BLUE BLASTER!" Gabumon shot a stream of ice out of his mouth, joining it with Agumons Pepper Breath Attack. They hit a small group of slimes, turning them into soup almost immediately. They turned to the next batch of slimes.

Alex, Ramus, Gatomon and Gomamon just went in swinging, hitting slimes left and right. They cut a swath through the ranks, causing the creatures to scatter.

Biyomon and Tentomon flew in a loose formation, Patamon flying behind them. They were flying what appeared to be a collision course with some of the flies. At the last moment though, they attacked.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

"SUPER SHOCKER!" Tentomon sent a spear of electricity at one of the flies, then he and Biyomon peeled off, letting Patamon have a say.

"BOOM BUBBLE!" Patamon unleashed a sphere of air, hitting the third fly in the group and smashing him into the cave wall with authority. Luna's sling hit the last one, tearing its wing off and making it easy pickings. A well-placed Blue Blaster put it out of its misery. "Well, that was easy."

"Hey, don't get too confident," Gatomon said, cutting a slime down easily. "Something tells me we haven't fought the pick of the liter yet. And we still haven't found the dragon's lair yet, so we better keep going."

"Good idea. Agumon, take point in front of us," Tai ordered. "Gabumon, you and Biyomon take up the rear. I don't want anything sneaking on us."

The two Digimon saluted, and took position..

"Lets get going now," Gatomon said. "And you guys stay in the middle from now on. You're just too tempting of targets to pass off."

On their way through the cave, they encountered yet another creature. This one proved a little bit more troublesome than the others.

"Synapse Guard. A crystalline monster that uses teleporting capabilities to strike at his enemies. I think this one going to be just a tad bit more difficult to defeat." Izzy rolled out of the way of the Synapses attack. It hit the ice and teleported out of range, leaving a jagged hole where it had struck.

"I got it!" Agumon shouted, hitting one of the flies with his claws, then hurled a Pepper Breath at the guard. It fell back several feet, smoking. Another Pepper Breath later, and the monster was turned into broken glass. "That takes care of that." He never had to fire to Pepper Breath attacks in sync before. "This what you meant by the pick of the liter, Gatomon?"

"That about sums it up." Gatomon replied. "How are you Izzy?"

Izzy checked himself over. "My shoulder is bleeding somewhat. It just nicked me. Other than that, I'm okay."

They continued to run into monster groups that were basically combinations of the three creatures they had faced before. All were defeated handily, but the group received numerous cuts, bruises, and lacerations because of it. Nothing a few herbs, from treasure chests they had found, (which confused Izzy to no end,) couldn't cure. After a breather, they pressed on.

Finally though, through hard work and determination, they reached a large opening. It looked suspiciously looked like the main entrance of the cave, and was just as large. Mimi collapsed in exhaustion. "Finally!" she breathed, trying to catch her breath. "We reached it."

"My roots are starting to freeze!" Palmon moaned, trying to shake some feeling into her muscles. "I wasn't made for this type of terrain! My vines are going blue!"

"Well," Matt said, "there's nothing we can do about it, so lets go in. I mean, what's the point of coming all this way if we don't explore?"

"All right, all right." The young girlstaggered to her feet. Palmon just tried to stick her vines up her armpits, with limited success. "I just hope this is worth it."

With that thought in their minds, they walked into the cave, wary of what they might find. They needn't have worried.

"What is this place?" Nall asked, taking in the slightly darker surroundings. "It's so cold, but so…beautiful."

"Yeah," Mimi murmured, the chill and fatigue forgotten. Palmon was completely silent, staring in awe at their surroundings.

It seemed the entire chamber was composed of crafted ice sculptures. In fact, it looked like the chamber _was_ an ice sculpture. It was large enough to house a soccer team.

T.K. looked around, in awe like everyone else, but at the same time…confused. "Am I the only one who thinks that I've been here before?" He whispered to Kari.

Kari shook her head. "I know that I should be scared but it's as familiar as home."

She would have said something else, but Alex was already moving forward. "Come on," he called back. "We need to see what's in here."

T.K. and Kari shrugged, and started to walk in the direction Alex was headed.

Slowly the group walked forward, looking around, trying to see if there was anything in the chamber. Kari and T.K. were curious as to what the White Dragon looked like. They wouldn't have much longer to think about it.

As they approached the far side of the chamber, a growl stopped them in their tracks. Luna, Sora, and Mimi screamed in fear, as the growl was right in front of them.

"What's happening?" Ramus cried out, just about ready to bolt.

"I don't know!" Alex shouted back. He was looking around him. Trying to see what it was. "Everybody back!"

Tentomon and the other Digimon got in front. They braced themselves, ready for anything, or as ready as they could be.

Nall flew up to Alex. "I've got a really bad feeling about this something's out there, guys! Something BIG!"

Matt nodded. "We got that feeling!"

Nervously, they looked into the darkness, and the platform in front of them. It said only one thing.

"Who has awakened me from my deep slumber?"

They had found the lair of the White Dragon. Why were they not happy?


	5. Episode Four: The Dragon Ring

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Four: The Dragon Ring

The Digi-Destined and their adventuring friends, most of them understandably quaking in their boots, watched with a mixed reaction of fear and astonishment as the White Dragon's head rose up towards the ceiling, his eyes glowing white for a few moments. His gargantuan foot came down, cracking the stone underneath him.

He truly was a magnificent beast. His body was not covered in scales, as most fairy tales and movies would have depicted him, but in what appeared to be some sort ofwhite fur. His wings were feathered, like a birds, and his ears were large and flappy-like. He had a sort of mystical quality that was different to what they had read about. He seemed to radiate…power. Power so strong, that they could feel it in the air.

Lifting his head to the heavens, the Dragon roared, his power creating light using the ice structures around them to gain luminence. Afterwards, a roll of thunder could be heard.

Everybody was ready to bolt, their adrenaline pumping…with the exception of four of them. Patamon, Gatomon, and T.K. were smiling broadly, not even the least bit afraid. Kari, smiling so widely you'd think her jaw was hinged, walked up and called out, "Hi!" to the Dragon.

When he heard the extremely cheerful greeting from one of the 'intruders', the dragon turned his head and looked down in confusion. _'Children,'_ he thought,each one of them in turn. _'Children managed to get through the monsters to my lair. It is…impressive. It reminds me ofthose who came here twenty years ago.'_

He also sensed power coming from several of them. Power as tangible as his, and even more so, familiar to him. But that was something he could think about later. He lowered his head to their level, and sniffed cautiously at them. Satisfied that they were okay, he spoke to them.

"My friends," he said, his voice a resonating throughout the chamber, "you are the first adventurers to visit me in a long time." He stared at them all. "I am Quark, tetrarch of the Dragon Tribe." He moved his gaze from child to child, then the creatures that had accompanied them. Creatures that he had never seen before. "You have journeyed far, and now you have arrived at my lair. It is a journey few have survived. Your mission must be urgent."

Everybody stared at him with hesitation clearly written on their faces, but slowly, it melted away, and some started to grin. Ramus, of course, was still cowering behind Joe, but that was Ramus for you.

"Hey guys, did you hear that?" Nall was flapping enthusiastically in the air. "He called us adventurers! This old Dragon is very wise!"

"And very big." Agumon was trying to see how long Quark's tail was. He wasn't succeeding.

Alex stepped forward, bowing slightly. "My name is Alex. I'm… honored to meet you."

"I'm Nall!" the little catlike creature said. "Nice to meet you!"

"I'm…I'm…I'm…uh…uh…Ramus," Ramus managed to stutter out. "Umm…mommy!" Tai chuckled.

Finally, Luna stepped forward. "My name is Luna." After the Digi-Destined and their Digimon introduced themselves as well, she added, "We came here from Burg to meet you."

Quark looked over at Luna. "And perhaps we were destined to meet. You appear somehow familiar to me."

Luna did a double take of that statement."Are…you speaking to me?"

"Yes child. I sense that our souls are intertwined in some ancient manner. Alas, it may only be only that age and isolation have taken their toll…but still, the feeling is so…"

Gabumon was confused, and turned to Matt. "I wonder what he means," he whispered.

Mattwas just as confused, if not more so, than Gabumon.

For a moment, silence reigned in the chamber, as Quark and Luna stared at each other, each trying to understand something about the other that neither could understand themselves.

It was shattered though, by an impatient Nall. Grant you, this was normal for him. "Yeah, yeah," he stated, "We'll walk down memory lane some other time. Right now, we need…"

Nall was silenced when Ramus, who was fast in a pudgy sort of way, clapped his hand around Nall's mouth. "What are you trying to do, get us killed?Be quietand leave the negotiating to me." He turned, cleared his throat, and swallowed. "All hail Quark, the mighty White Dragon!"

Kari noted that Quark seemed amused at this, and assumed that he had heard the same thing time and time again. Gatomon must have figured it out as well, because she had a wicked glint in her eyes. "I think I'm gonna enjoy this," she said.

Kari had guessed correctly. Quark_ was _amused by this, and it was all he could do to keep a straight face at the groveling. "For what purpose do you beseech me, little boy?" he roared, delighting in the way that the boy jumped up like a baboon, yelping as he did so. _'Now this reminds me of Noah.'_

Ramus visibly collected himself, andstraightenedup slightly."Oh mighty Quark. We are here to take…I mean…we are here to umm… find the legendary Dragon Diamond." After this statement, he seemed to shrink unto himself. "I mean…uh…could you please give us the Dragon Diamond?" Finally, his courage left him, and he ran behind Matt, using him to hide. "Wussy," Gabumon could be heard muttering to him.

Quark just stared at them in amazement. "You braved so dangerous a course to secure a Dragon Diamond?" he asked in disbelief.

"That's about it. And if you want to know who's idea it was…"Tai pointed in Ramus's direction, "just look at big, dumb, and scared."

"I'm beginning to regret that course myself. Ummm…please don't chomp us to bits!"

Quark almost, _almost,_ sighed with exasperation. "Why is it that you humans prize it so much? Don't you know that they're made from my sh…Oh what's the use?"

Tai and Matt mouthed the rest of the word silently, _Shit,_ but Sora caught them. "Taichi Kamiya, you know perfectly well I can read your lips!"

"Sorry," Tai said meekly, to the laughter of everyone else present. Even Luna managed a chuckle before bringing them all back to the problem at hand. "I think Ramus has the right idea Alex. We should go…" she said, but Quark was chuckling.

"If you want my Dragon Diamond so badly, children, you must but accomplish one task," he stated. "Retrieve the Dragon Ring found deep within this chamber." He looked at each and every one of them. "Return it to me, and I shall give you the Diamond."

Nall was surprised, to say the least. "Is that it? I'm surprised that you aren't handing out nuggets all day…"

"On the contrary," Quark interjected, "To obtain the ring, you must pass through the Dragon Trial." His eyes grew distant. "The last to succeed was a head strong youth named Dyne."

"Whoa, hold on a minute!" You're telling me that Dragonmaster Dyne had to go through a trial, just to get a ring?" Quark nodded. Gomamon was surprised, but then shrugged it off. "Makes things more interesting in my opinion."

Quark chuckled, then adopted a more serious voice. "Unless you use the strength of both your body and mind, as Dyne did, the Ring shall forever remain beyond your grasp."

Nall was confidant, maybe righteously so, that they could do it. "He's just trying to scare us guys," he said. "Let's pass his trial and get our Diamond."

"Yeah, lets go get that Diamond and get outta here before I turn into a Popsicle!" Palmon said.Everyone agreed whole headrtedily, and turned to leave.

"Wait children!" Quark called out, stopping them in their tracks. "Before you begin, I shall restore you to full strength…you'll need it."

Almost immediately, they all felt a breeze blow over them, suffused with a pale green glow. It ended, and they all were amazed.

"I feel like a million bucks!" Matt practically shouted.

"I just feel warmer," Joe said.

Gomamon stared at him in disbelief.

"You may begin children." Quark stretched his neck out to its fullest lengthl. "Your future now rests squarely in your own diminutive hands."

"Thank you!" Twenty voices said at once, as they turned and walked out.

Quark watched them go, then laid back down, pondering about what he had just seen. It really should have been no different with these children, but he had hadn't imagined it. The powers those five had, he did not just find familiar. He now knew those powers, as surely as he knew his own.

_'It appears that fate is not done with you, guardians of Hope and Light,'_ he thought, _'or you angelics. In fact, it appears that you are now needed, more than ever. And I never thought I would see one ofSheyra's daughters here.'_ He knew exactly what he had to do, but first, he waited for them to return.

After all, it is kind of difficult to follow when you were the size of a spire.

* * *

"Okay," Gabumon began, as they walked into an antechamber to the right of the Dragon's Lair, "we have to find this Dragon Ring in order to get our hands on a Dragon Diamond. In order to get the Ring though, we have to complete this Dragon Trial that Quark has prepared for every Dragonmaster wanna-be. That sound about right for the rest of you?" 

"I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by 'Dragon Trial,'" Tai replied. "Do we have to do something extremely dangerous, or is it completely harmless?"

"I guess we'll have to see for ourselves, so why worry about it?" Gomamon grinned. "After all, it can't be anymore difficult than having to deal with Etemon."

"And didn't you hear what Quark said?" Biyomon added. "'Mind and Body.' It probably means we'll have to be both strong and smart. A double trait that none of us have."

"Yeah, Izzy is the smart one, we only have the strong part down, and Mimi and Sora are the sensible ones." Tai grinned. "Joe has the paranoia down to a tee."

"Hey! At least I didn't almost get us all killed today!"

"Oh, Quark was just having some at Ramus's expense," Kari said, giggling. "I mean, he's in this cave all by himself, waiting for someone to come in and say 'hi' to him. It's pretty lonely in here after all."

"You're probably right." Matt quickly brought themall back to the topic at hand. "It'll definitely be behind some type of ice wall. We already know that Agumon can't melt any of the ice in this place, and the Fire Ring won't be ready for use againuntil tomorrow."

"It'll have to be brute strength then," Alex said. "Either that, or we throw Ramus at an ice pillar and see what happens."

"Ha,ha,ha," Ramus stated sarcastically.

"But do any of us have the power to do that?" Tai asked. "No we do not."

"So we go find Ed Asner," Gomamon simply stated.

There was dead silence from the rest of the group, as they stared at their only aquatic digimon. "And where," Matt finally asked, "are we going to get Ed Asner?"

Gomamon was about to reply, but grumbling sound interfered with their conversation. And there was something about it that would have gotten on their nerves, except for one detail. A minor detail to be sure, but a significant one.

The grumbling was getting closer, and it was accompanied by what sounded like something beating the icy floor. Then the creature itself appeared.

"You asked Matt, and you shall receive."

* * *

Charging at them, moving faster than a thing of that size had a right to, the creature rushed at the Adventurers, fists pummeling the ground in a drum beat roll. 

"Move!" Alex's shout reverberated throughout the chamber as he dodged. The Digi-Destined and their digimon partners acted the same way, jumping or basically moving in every which way. The creature rushed past, a blur of white.

"What the hell?" Tai shouted, surprise etched on his face. "What was that thing, Izzy?"

Izzy already had his computer out, and was busily scanning the monster. When its profile came up though, his face paled considerably. "Albino Snowman," he read shakily, "He is definitely a cousin to Bigfoot, and is just as strong. He primarily attacks with his fists, but he does have an attack called 'raging snowball'." He looked up. "And it looks like he's going touse it!"

His warning proved useful, as the snowman had finish making a snowball, and doing a pretty decent impression of a baseball player, wound up, and threw it at them at nearly the speed of sound. And it was aimed at…

"_Sora!_" Tai and Biyomon shouted, coming to her aid. Tai got in front of her, as Biyomon launched a Spiral Twister at it.

It hit the snowball dead on, slowing it down, but dissipating before it could destroy it outright. The snowball, slowed even after only a split second, continued on its course. And it hit Tai hard.

Real hard.

The Digi Destine leaderwasknocked backseveral feet, feeling like he had been suckered punched by a professional wrestler with the strength of Hulk Hogan. Hitting the ground, he clutched his chest in pain. _'Must've cracked a couple of my ribs,'_ he thought through the pain.

Sora went to get Tai, but Luna intercepted her, knocking her to the ground as another snowball whistled overhead. "What are you doing?" Sora cried out. "He needs our help!"

"You are no good to Tai dead! He's in no immediate danger, and we need to stop that Albino before he really kills someone!"

As if to punctuate that remark, the snowball threw a third snowball at Izzy. He barely managed to get out of the way in time, but the snowman wasn't interested. Without waiting for them to recover, the snowman took off, fists pummeling the ground. His target became apparent in about a second.

"Kari! Move!" Gatomon threw herself at the creature. "LIGHTNING CLAW!" she roared, swiping at the creature. She managed to get a glancing blow on the creature's shoulder.

It could make even an ultimate level digimon stop, even for a moment, in pain. As it was, it only succeeded in pissing the Albino Snowman off.

Gatomon was suddenly airborne. The creature had stopped, turned around, grabbed her, and tossed her, all in one continuous motion. _Geez, is he a monkey, or an Olympic discus thrower?'_ Gatomon asked herself as she flew through the air.

Before she could impact, Tentomon and Patamon managed to grab her by her feet, stopping her a scant few inches from the wall. "Thanks guys!" she sighed with relief.

"All in a days work," Patamon replied, smiling. Then he shouted, "Move Alex! Get out of the way T.K.!"

Alex and T.K. heeded the warning, barely getting out of the way in time. The creature just missed them by a hair. Alex roared, "Everyone, into the next chamber!"

Sora had finally managed to get to Tai's side, dragging Luna with her. "Ramus!" she yelled. "Give me a hand with Tai!" Wordlessly, Ramus complied, helping get the Digi-Destined leader into a standing position. "Guys, give us some cover fire!" Sora yelled to those remaining in the chamber.

"Right Sora! SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon released another attack, this time at the creature itself.

"PEPPER BREATH!"

"BOOM BUBBLE!" Patamon released a sphere of air at the same time Tentomon shouted "SUPER SHOCKER!"

The four attacks merged together and struck the snowman head on. It let out a final shriek as it disintegrated.

"Well that was easy," Tentomon stated sarcastically. "I think that is what is considered the pick of the litter, wouldn't you agree Gatomon?"

"Oh shut up," Gatomon growled, batting one of her ears. "I think it's academic."  
"Let's go, guys!" Agumonstarted running."Tento, you and I are taking point!"

They began heading for the entrance to the next chamber, but then they heard a shriek. "Kari!" Gatomon yelled in panic. "We gotta get to them guys!"  
"Move out!" Agumon shouted as he ran for the next chamber, the other three digimon hot on his heels. He wondered how the others were doing.

Alex and the others were not out of danger. When they had entered the next chamber, they had been immediately attacked by two more snowmen. For a time, the battle had been even, but the kids couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Gabumon!" Matt cried out, as Gabumon was thrown headfirst into a pillar of ice, cracking it. He slumped to the floor, senseless. One the snowman charged right at the fallen Digimon, ready to squash him.

Palmon shouted, "POISON IVY!" throwing her vines around the creature's legs, trying to stop him. It slowed him down, but he simply stopped on his own, then turned around and grabbed her vines, and pulled. Palmon went sailing through the air, right to it. She closed her eyes.

"SWORD DANCE!" Alex ran right toward it, his sword starting to tremble. He released a series of super fast cuts on the snowman, slicing through the skin like it was butter. It released Palmon and roared in agony.

"BLUE BLASTER!" Gabumon shouted, releasing a stream of ice at the monster. It was so cold that when it hit the beast, it actually shivered. Ramus hit it with his dagger in the side, knocking it to the ground, a lifeless heap. He looked extremely confident after that.

But there was one creature that wasn't dead yet. It turned in their direction, and exploded into a berserker rage.

"Uh…Oh…MOVE!" Mimi screamed, as the creature started moving at a speed that was blinding. Joe and Gomamon just got out of the way in time, as the snowman hurtled by, hitting a pillar of ice. It shattered completely under the impact, and the snowman teetered a little as it regained its bearings.

And just like that, Alex realized what he had to do. What Quark was talking aboutwas justbeginning to make sense.

Apparently, Tai figured it out too, because he got, ignoring the pain,and staggered to another ice pillar. His intent was clear.

Sora tried to stop him. "What are you doing, Tai?" she shouted. "You'll get yourself killed!"

Tai ignored her, and made it to his destination. Stopping, he shouted at the Albino Snowman, ignoring the pain in his chest, "Hey, Blubber butt! Over here!"

The monster turned, heard the insult, and possessed just enough intelligence to know that it had just been insulted. With a roar of rage, it charged Tai. It was going to run him over for that.

Tai side stepped, having anticipated what was going to happen. The snowman slammed headfirst into the pillar, destroying it in one shot.

Izzy blinked, comprehension dawning in his mind. "Oh, I get it, now! Tai goaded the Albino to charge him, then got out of the way, allowing it to destroy the ice pillar. Prodigious!"

Sora was watching with amazement. "Yeah…" she mumbled as she turned to Luna. "He did it. He actually did it."

Luna just smiled.

The Snowman was teetering, having just hit two pillars, but it still had enough strength for one last attack. Picking its target carefully, it charged.

"KARI!" Gatomon cried out, entering the chamber with the others in tow. She started to move forward, knowing that she wouldn't make it in time. She saw Agumon running next to her, and prayed that his attack could reach the snowman.

Kari had turned around, saw it coming at the last second, and reacted instinctively. Faster than she had time to think, her little fist swung up in an uppercut.

It was something that was doomed from the start.

So it was to the shock of everyone present, that when Kari's fist connected with the behemoth's chin, the creature's head snapped back with the ferocity of a cannon shot, snapping its neck instantly. The body flew the air to land in a heap at the other side of the room, with enough force to leave an indentation in its wake. It slid to the floor, and was still.

Everyone present, human, cat, and Digimon, stared at the crumbled heap on the floor, then at Kari, then at the each other. All of them were shocked at what had just happened. It even made Tai's pain more bearable for a moment.

The one most shocked about all was Kari herself. She stared at her fist in fear. _Did…I just do that?'_ she asked herself. She was also wondering _how_ she did that.

The moment was broken when Tai fell down, groaning in agony, bringing most of them back to reality. Sora, Agumon, and Luna ran over to him. "Tai, are you all right?" Agumon asked, concern etched on his face.

"I think blubber butt cracked a couple of my ribs," Tai gasped, clutching his chest in pain. He was just about to pass out from it.

Luna probed his chest gently for a moment, testing out his pain receptors. "It's definitely a cracked rib," she said. She looked at Tai sternly. "Hold still," she said, "and relax. It works much better when a person is relaxed."

It took some time, but slowly, Tai's muscles relaxed. He let his shoulders slump, and closed his eyes. He waited patiently, if still in pain.

Luna started to sing a short melody that sounded like it should have been sung in a concert hall than in an icy cave. Sora was about to comment on it, when she saw something that amazed her. Tai's breathing was slowing down, and the pain on his face was slowly leaving him. He appeared, for a moment anyway, in peace. "What is she doing?" she asked Alex in amazement. Alex simply smiled at what was happening.

Tai opened his eyes, then got up, amazed that he wasn't feeling any pain in his chest. He looked at Luna. "Thank you," he murmered.

Sora rushed over to him, and gave him such a bear hug, that Tai thought his ribs were going to crack again. "Ok Sora, you can let me go now."

Sora did that, blushing furiously, before turning to Luna. "How did you do that?" she asked.

Luna smiled. "I call it the healing song," she replied, then caught the questioning stare of Agumon. "And before you ask, I don't know how I do it. It's a mystery to me as well."

"As long as it works," Izzy stated, impressed. Even Magnangemon didn't have that type of healing power. He put that out of his mind though, and turned to the more immediate concern. "Kari, how did you augment your strength?"

Kari was still in a state of shock. "I…don't…know," she managed to say. She continued to stare at her fist, as if she had never seen it before, and the fact she had just killed something with it. That was the part that shocked her the most.

Izzy was about to inquire to Tai about Kari's silence, but a shout came out like the proverbial foghorn, shattering his concentration. He, and everyone else, turned.

Nall was pointing to a treasure chest that had been, until that moment, hidden behind the ice pillar. "I think it's in there," he said.

Alex walked up to the chest, and examined it closely. It was unadorned, with no markings on it to make it any different than the others they had seen so far. However, there was something about it that drew Alex's attention to it. Trying to figure out what it is, he opened it.

Inside the chest, nestled in what looked to be a plush pillow, lay a single ring, glinting in the refracted light. It had the emblazoned form of a dragon on it. To Alex and everyone else, it was pretty obvious what it was.

"Yes! It's the Dragon Ring!" Nall stated, exulted. "We've completed the trial!" He looked over to Alex. "C'mon Alex! Let's go back to Quark and hand it over!"

"You got it Nall!" Alexpicked up the ring,turning to the Digi-Destined. "Let's pursue Kari's powers later. Right now I want to get this toQuark, and then someplace warm!"

"Yeah!" was the resounding response.

* * *

"Ah, excellent!" Quark stated in admiration, laying his eyes on the Dragon Ring for the first time in fifteen years. "You have managed to complete the trial!" He turned his head to Ramus. "Here is your reward brave adventurer." He tossed something in his direction.

Ramus caught it, and looked at the object in his hand."Yeah, we did it!" He performed a pirouette in the air, to the laughter of Gomamon and Biyomon.

Nall on the other hand, was incensed. "Whaddya mean, 'we'?" he asked, with a slight sneer on his face. "All I remember you doing is searching our backpacks for cheese and crackers."

"Yeah," Mimi added, "and hiding behind Gomamon."

Gomamon just grimaced. "It was humiliating, him trying to hide behind me!"

Quark looked on with amusement for a moment, before clearing his throat. Everyone turned to look at him. "This is but the first small step of your adventure, young Alex."

Alex looked surprised at this statement. It wasn't something he expected to hear."The…first step?"

Quark nodded solemnly. "Ah yes. The time is upon us. And most importantly Alex…you have the green eyes."

Everyone stared at one another. "Since when did green eyes become so important?" Agumon whispered to Biyomon. The flying digimon just shrugged.

"The last time I gazed upon eyes like yours, it was the shining face of Dyne I beheld."

"The Dragonmaster,"Alex whispered in awe and surprise.

Quarkobserved the young man before, saw his soul, humble and strong. "Why do you act surprised?" he asked kindly. "Anyone who looks in your eyes can see it, Alex. The desire to become a Dragonmaster burns within your soul."

Alex was speechless. He couldn't believe that Quark had seen right through him so clearly.

"Crossover to the main land and seek out my brothers; Red, Blue, and Black. Overcome their trials and claim their rewards. " He reared back at this. "Return here when you earn the prize of manhood, and a new Dragonmaster will be born unto the world."

Nall was excited to say the least. "Wow Alex," he gushed, "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, Nall," Alex replied, a small grin starting to form on his face, "I did."

Luna looked at him. "Alex…" she murmered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Quark continued to stare at them, the amusement now long gone from his face. "Your success is not guaranteed," he warned, "so remain vigilant. I will pray for your return." He stopped for a second, as if remembering something. "But before you all return to Burg, I have one last duty to perform." He turned in the general direction of Kari. "Come forth, little one."

Suddenly nervous, Kari did just that. She was trying to figure out what Quark wanted with her.

"What is your name, young one?" he asked, his friendly visage gone.

"K-K-Kari Kami-y-ya," Kari stammered out, wondering why Quark was asking her what her name was, seeing as how he already knew.

"And your powers, they are the powers of Light?" he asked. Kari could only nod with fright. Quark finally smiled again. "Then I believe that this belongs to you," he said, grinning now from ear to ear. He closed his eyes, and held his palm right side up, in front of her. And began to concentrate.

And to Kari's amazement, a scepter appeared in a burst of light right in front of her, hovering in mid-air. "What's this?" she asked, looking back at the Dragon in curiosity.

Quark smile became gentle. "This is the scepter of the warrior of Light. It belongs to the guardian of that power, which is you."

Kari stared at the scepter in awe, having never seen an object so beautiful before in her life. _'And yet, __it looks so familiar. It's like I have seen it before, but I don't know from where.'_

Quark seemed to sense the hesitation in her. "Go on," he urged gently, "take it. It is yours by right."

Kari hesitantly put her hand on the handle, thinking that it was going to be heavy, as most scepters are. Therefore, she was surprised to find that it was light as a feather. She made a few swings with it, then looked back at Quark, smiling. "Thank you," she whispered, almost in reverence.

Quark only nodded, then addressed them all again. "Before your long journey, you should spend one last night with the ones you love." Once again, the pale green glow refreshed them considerably. "Return home children, for your time is precious."


	6. Episode Five: The Weird Woods, Part One

Digimon: Silver Star Story

**Episode Five: The Weird Woods, Part One**

They made it out of the cave in record time, and with no new injuries to boot. Using the knowledge they had obtained, they used the Albino Snowmen like bulls, getting out of their way so that they slammed headfirst into the ice pillars, thus cutting a shortcut for them through thecavern. It had become something of a game to them, trying to see how close the giant ape could get before they moved. Kari held the record on that, and none of them were going to complain.

Now though, they were happy to just be outside, out of the cold.

"Geez, I never thought I'd see the sun, or actual water again!" Palmon quickly ran over to the lake, absorbing water to regain some strength.

"I know what you mean." Sora stretched her arms out, working the kinks out of them.They made a series of cracking sounds, reminding them of how they had been put through the ringer. Granted, after what they all had seen in the cave, she could have cursed them all to hell and back, and they wouldn't have cared enough to comment on it. "Adventuring here on Lunar is definitely different than in the Digital World."

"And it looks like we've been in there for quite some time. The suns almost set," Joe observed, looking at the reddish sun in the sky. "But I think we can get a few miles in before we set up camp."

"Geez, Joe, you sound like you actually enjoy walking all over the place." Mimi let out a moan as she rubbed her back, finding kinks there that she had never known she could get. "Some of us are tired, you know."

"Well…" Alex looked over at Palmon, who was still drinking from the lake, then at Kari, who didn't look like she could withstand anymore today, then at the rest of them. _'Not exactly the most upbeat bunch,_ _but I don't feel pretty upbeat myself.'_ In fact, he felt like he was almost eighty years old. "We might as well walk for a couple of minutes, then set up camp. Is that alright with the rest of you?" A chorus of "Yeah!" answered that question. "Okay, it's settled. Let's get going."

Tai ended up having to carry Kari for about four minutes, her head lolling on his shoulder. Her new scepter was in the hands of Gatomon, who was examining it thoroughly. His own thoughts however, were on Kari._'How is it, that Kari, who is only nine years old, has supernatural strength, when the crest of light is supposed to give her nothing but magical power?'_ he asked himself._ 'And how did Quark know who the guardian of Light was? It could have been any of us!'_ He had many questions, and it was frustrating to not have any answers to them.

Unlike last time, dinner was a quiet affair, as everybody just wanted to go to sleep, Kari most of all. Nall and Ramus stared at the Diamond for about a second, before lying down and closing their eyes. Luna and Alex talked quietly to themselves for about a minute more before going to sleep. The Digi-Destined and their partners formed a little blanket city, and were out like lights before they even hit the blankets.

The guardians of Hope and Light slept a bit apart from the rest of them, almost as though they had begun distancing themselves from them. Kari, T.K., and Patamon, exhausted emotionally as well as physically, were asleepthe second before their heads touched the ground.

Gatomon stayed up for a second longer, just watching them all. Her champion level strength gave her more endurance than the rest of them, so she almost always took the first night shift. But she was also thinking about something else. Namely, them. _'They're so cute!'_ she thought. _'Just like a bunch of kittens. I hope none of them have the dream tonight. Hah! Like that'll ever happen!'_

To take her mind of the inevitabledream, she looked at the scepter again. As she had carried it, she had also examined it. It was about the size of Kari's leg, with rubies engraved in gold plating. It had jewels on encrusted on a crescent moon that had curved around what looked a giant ruby sphere. It's most telling feature though, was the crest of Light that stood in relief on the sphere, as well as the handle. For all intents and purposes, it was something that Gatomon had never seen before.

But whenever she looked at it, she was hit by a strong wave of déjà vu. It felt like she had seen it before from somewhere, but had forgotten where. She also knew that she had never been to Lunar before, so it made the feelings of déjà vu even more disquieting. _'And I have the feeling that they are only going to become more pronounced.'_

Looking over at the others, she observed them all, sleeping contently, sleeping in peace. Not like her, who still had nightmares about Myotismon, even though he had been defeated the previous year. _'They have it so lucky,'_ she thought to herself, a surge of envy going through her system,_ 'never having to worry about an evil warlord beating you every night, abusing you,just because you have eyes that he doesn't like.'_ They never had to go through what she had gone through. They never had the life she had, and she prayed that they never did. She would make sure it never happened. Even if she was deleted, she would continue to protect Kari, and all the others.

Her code of honor demanded no less.

* * *

After an early breakfast, something the Digi-Destined had much experience with, as well as some jokes at Tai's and Gabumon's eating habits, the group was now on their way back to Burg, their spirits considerably lighter than before. They had accomplished what they had set out to do; retrieve the Dragon Diamond from the White Dragon's lair. They just didn't get it the way they thought they would. 

They all laughed as Izzy and Ramus engaged in another argument, this time the subject was the importance of gaining money in society. Izzy's belief was that family and friends were more important than money. Ramus's of course, was that money was as important as family. If nothing else, it was the single best form of entertainment that they had. Then they listened to Matt and Alex, who had pulled their ocarina and harmonica, respectively, playing a tune that they had made up on the spot. The rest of course came up with a singular conclusion; that harmonicas and ocarinas could make beautiful music together if in the right hands.

Finally though, they saw the village of Burg in the distance. "We're almost home," Luna said.

"I'm thinking we're about twenty minutes from the village," Tentomon stated. "Thank god this road was up higher than Burg."

"I think you're right." Ramus grinned "How about we race the rest of the way?"

"How about we don't?" Alex replied. "I'm planning on practicing our song for the festival, and I can't do that while I'm panting. We're making good time as it is, so why hurry."

"And besides," Luna added, smiling, "how do you expect T.K. and Kari to keep up? We'd be leaving them alone. Then they would be upset, and we can't have that kind of mood so close to the Goddess Festival."

"You have a good point," Ramus conceded as they continued on their way. Luna then looked over the two in question.

Kari and T.K. were looking at the scepter in Kari's hands. "It looks so familiar," T.K. said. He was no longer surprised by how everything felt like home territory to him.

Apparently, so was Kari. "It feels familiar to me, like I've used it before." It feels…" she searched for a word. "Comfortable in my hands, like a piece of candy."

T.K. laughed, then looked at Gatomon. The cat-like digimon had been silent for the entire journey, a thoughtful expression on her face. _'I wonder what she's thinking about.'_

"I wonder what she's thinking about," Patamon whispered, voicing what T.K. had just thought. T.K. nodded in agreement.

Sora and Tai walked in silence, their Digimon partners chatting behind them. They were both thinking about something, but kept whatever it was to themselves. Finally though, Sora turned to Tai and looked at him. Tai of course, noticed this and asked, "Yeah, Sora?"

Sora didn't speak for a second. "Thank you Tai, for saving my life back there."

For a moment, Tai didn't speak either. When he did, it was with a tender smile on his face. "I told you in the Digital World that I would never let anything happen to you. And I meant it completely." He looked her in the eyes. "You are one of the four best things to happen to me in my life. I don't want to lose you, as a friend, or confidante."

Sora was deeply touched, and moved to tears. But she held back from crying. Instead, she simply said, "That means a lot to me." The two of them walked on for a few minutes more before Sora asked, "What were the other three things?" she asked, curious.

Tai grinned widely. "Having Kari as a sister, having Matt as a friend, and meeting the Digimon."

"Yeah, having Matt as a friend and the meeting the Digimon were among my favorite times, too."

"Is there anything else that you peg as a favorite?" Tai asked.

"That's something you are going to have to find out on your own, Tai."

"Rats…" Tai muttered, forcing Sora to stifle a giggle.

* * *

Ramus looked at the sack that carried the Dragon Diamond in glee as they walked into Burg. He was just about ready to salivate, with the thought of the millions they was going to make. "Alex, this Dragon Diamond is going to make us rich!" he gushed. "I can almost taste the money we're gonna get!" 

Joe turned to look at blandly. "And the fact we almost got killed means nothing to you."

"Oh come on Joe," Gomamon said, "we've faced death more than a hundred times in the Digital World."

"Yeah, and I don't ever want to face it again, thank you very much!"

Matt almost fell to the ground in disbelief.

While the two partners bickered, Nall landed on Alex's shoulder, panting slightly. "Alex, can we go to Althena's statue? All this adventuring really wore me out."

"I agree, Nall," Luna said, giving him a small scratch on his head. "The Diamond can wait a little while."

"Well, is there a medic there? Because I want to see if I have any more cracked body parts," Tai grumbled, still rubbing his chest.

"Oh, there's a medic there alright," Ramus replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes, though he was confused. _'What the heck is a medic?'_

"Well, lead the way then." Tai gestured in the direction of the Statue. He had noticed the glint in Ramus's eyes, and was worried about it. So it was with a sense of caution that he followed. The others followed him, wondering what was at the Statue.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the house?" Sora asked. "Why are we going to Althena's Statue?"

Luna just smiled mysteriously as they approached. When they all had reached the statue, she, Alex, Nall, and Ramus put their hands, or wings, on it. The Digi-Destined immediately saw them stand up straighter. Nall even looked more energized. "Ahhh! I feel like a million silver!" he said happily.

"Uhhhh…What just happened?" Agumon asked.

"I don't know, buddy," Tai answered in a strangled voice.

Alex looked at them. "Come on guys. It doesn't take a great deal of faith to use. You just put your hand on it and feel the results, for lack of a better description for you." His voice held no humor, just the usual friendliness that was always present.

Cautiously, they all reached out with various appendages, and touched the statue. "If this is some sort of plan to make us believe in divine-."

Izzy never finished that sentence.

A pale green glow, just like the glow in the Dragon Cave, flashed across their eyes, and they felt a surge of power go through their bodies. It helped lighten their moods considerably as well.

The glow dissipated, leaving the lot of them feeling refreshed and amazed, except for four of them (I think you can guess who I mean by now.) Matt saw the looks on his brother's face, but decided to inquire later. Instead he said, "To paraphrase Nall, I feel like a million bucks!"

"I bet that's how much we'll get for the diamond!"

"All right, all right, Ramus,we get the point!" Mimi and Palmon bellowed. Sora and Kari tried to stifle their giggles.

"The sooner we sell this baby, the sooner I'll shut up about it! Let's hurry to the shop!"

The others started for the shop.

"Hold on!" Sora called out, catching their attention. They halted, turning backin her direction."We can't all go intothe store. We'll give the poor shop clerk insidea heart attack. How about you, Alex, Tai and Agumon go in, and the rest of us wait out here? It'll be less intimidating."

"Ya know, I like how you think. Let's get this thing out of the sack and sell it!"

"ood idea. Where's the nearest shop?" Matt asked.

Ramus pointed in the direction of the item shop, as everyone in the village called it. "Right behind us."

"We'll wait right here. You just go in and get your business done," Biyomon called on the other side of the statue. She was extremely curious on how the statue worked. A local was trying to explain it to her, but it always brought up more questions. The local was at a loss on even how to answer it in a simple way.

"Be back in a few," Agumon called back over his shoulder.

Sora leaned against a sturdy tree near the store, looking rather smug about something. Luna noticed this. "They won't be able to sell the Diamond here, will they?" she asked knowingly.

Sora simply nodded, smirking.

* * *

The shop clerk did not look up at the sound of the door opening and closing, as she was trying to repair something one of the villagers had given. She kept her head down and finally managed to get one of the handgrips of the vase back into vase, then using her limited knowledge of magic to seal it. She heard four sets of footsteps approach the counter, and heard one of them say, "Jake broke his aunt's vase again, didn't he?" in good humor. 

"Hello, children!" she finally said, looking up and smiling. "You two are looking healthy!" The she got a good look at the other two. "And they are…?"

One of them was wearing what appeared to be a blue short-sleeved shirt with an orange star on it, and brown pants that looked too short on him. A pair of goggles were on his head, at least, she _thought _they were goggles. The other looked like a small lizard. It did looked intelligent, because it was looking around the shop, staring at everything curiously.

"They are Tai Kamiya and his 'pet,' Agumon," Ramus replied, shooting a sly glance at the lizard. "He can talk like Nall too, so don't be surprised."

"Well, welcome to Jolie's item shop. How can I be of service?" Jolie carefully put the vase underneath the counter.

"I'm here to discuss business."The rotund boy put a sack on the counter. He opened it, and pulled out what looked to be a glittering gem. "How much are you willing to give us for this Dragon Diamond?"

Jolie did a double take, unable to believe what she was seeing, and what she had just heard Ramus just asked. "Oh my gosh!"

"Yeah, it's amazing. How much can you pay for it?" Tai asked.

"I can't buy a Diamond like this! I don't have enough for even a slice of this rock!"

Ramus looked unfazed. "Oh, I see…you're trying to trick me. Very clever!" he said, looking impressed. "But seriously, how much?"

"I am serious! You'll have to travel to a big city like Meribia to unload this baby!"

"Meribia? The big harbor town on the mainland? But that's too far away from here!"

"Hey who said the best things in life are near?" Agumon asked. "How do we get to Meribia?"

Jolie was struck dumb for a second before remembering that Agumon could speak as well. "You'll have to go to the town of Saith, through the Weird Woods," she stated. She then gave them instructions on how to get to the woods.

"Thanks for the instructions, Miss Jolie." Tai shook her hand. "Come on guys. Let's get back to the others."

Jolie watched them leave, then took a deep breath. "How in Hell," she asked herself, "did they get their hands on a Dragon Diamond?" She suspected that she didn't want to know though.

* * *

"Too bad, Ramus," Luna said, after the four boys returned from their unsuccessful trip to the shop. They had told them everything, to the knowing glances of the rest of them. 

"You're telling me Luna," Ramus stated gloomily. "I thought I was to be rich. Instead, I have to go to Meribia to unload this. Sometimes trying to get rich sucks."

"Yes, well I am not the one trying to become rich, now am I?" She turned her attention to Alex. "Alex, let's get home before your mom gets worried."

"That's a good idea…because I'm starving!" Nall cried out. "Maybe we can sneak in and raid the pantry!"

"I like how YOU think," Patamon stated, some glee in his voice. "Lead the way, Mac duff."

"And besides Luna," Alex added, "Mom's worried about me twenty four-seven. I've gotten used to it."

"Apparently, it's a mother's instinct," Tai said. "I have never seen my mom look like she wasn't worried about me or Kari at some point." He shrugged. "I thinkit's a curse."

Alex chuckled a bit at that as they walked, feeling happier than before, concerning the circumstances. And like Tai, hefound himself thinkingabout Kari's new-found strength, and the scepter that Quark had entrusted to her. But he wasn't concerned. QuaThe White Dragon seemed to be a wise being, despite his age. He knew what he was doing.

As they walked to Alex's and Luna's home, everyone decided to figure out the new mysteries later. Even Kari was laughing at a joke that Nall had pitched in as an encore to a story he had regaled them about.

They hadjust reachedthe beginning of the bridge when Ramus suddenly stopped in his tracks. The others continued on for a few seconds before realizing that the largest of them had vanished, and turned around. "What's up, Ramus?" Nall asked. "You look so serious."

Ramus looked hesitant. "Well…"

Alex now looked at him. "What is it, Ramus?" he asked.

Ramus hesitated some more, then steeled himself. "I need to have a man-to man with Alex and the four older boys." He turned to Luna. "Ladies, T.K., can they meet you at home?" he asked.

Luna laughed, making them all feel like they were being made fun of. "Man-to-man talk?" Her eyes were twinkling in mischief. "Why of course, Ramus!" she stated mock-imperiously, grinning. "We don't mind at all." She looked at Alex. "I'll see you soon, Alex. Enjoy your 'talk.'"

It proved too much for the three Digi-Destined females and their partners. All of them exploded, clutching their sides in hilarity. They continued to laugh as they walked up the road to the house, with a confused T.K. and slightly put-off Patamon in tow.

The boys stared at the backs of the girls for several moments. "Ya know," Tai finally stated, sounding remarkably nonchalant for someone should, "I think I'm scared of them all now." Alex nodded to agree.

"I agree with you, Tai," Izzy vocalized. "That was…weird." He definitely looked spooked about it.

Ramus watched this for a second, than called out, "Gentlemen," to get them back on track. "You heard what Jolie said. The only place we can sell the diamond is in Meribia."

"We know that already. What's your point?" Gabumon asked impatiently.

"I…I think we should go."

Everyone stared at him in shock. Ramuscertainly didn't sound like himself."How far are you willing to go for money?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"It's not just money…I also want to prove my dad wrong!" Ramus's smile had a determination behind it that was incredible. He looked at Alex. "You've always talked about adventure…so come with me!"

Alex was stunned for a second, then shook it off. "Boys," he said, gesturing to him. "Let's discuss our options."

As one, the boys all formed a small circle, talking in hushed tones. Ramus saw them gesticulating venomously in every direction. He watched expectantly, his hands starting to tremble in anticipation.

Finally, after fiveminutes of discussionthe group dispersed and turned as one to him. "Of course we'll come with you!" Alex said, smiling. "After all, I have to explore the world, and pass the Dragon Trials."

"The same reason as Alex," Tentomon added, "as well as trying to find a way to get back home. Also, we want to see how long it takes for you to run back to the village."

"Excellent! Except for your second reason, Tentomon." Ramus looked definitely put off, but no less ecstatic. "Let's go…right this minute…before I change my mind…"

They hadn't even turned around when Nall brought up an interestingpoint. "Hold on, guys. What are we going to tell the girls and T.K.?"

"You can't tell them, guys!" Ramus cried out immediately. "I don't know about your friends, but you know Luna would never let you go!"

"And why not Ramus?" Alex asked, looking confused.

"You have to understand, Alex." The pudgy boy looked uncharacteristically grim, since he knew how. "Girls are supposed to prevent boys from having fun." He let his shoulders go in a shrugging motion. "It's just their nature."

"He's right, Alex," Nall put in. "We both know what Luna would say to you." With that, he did a perfectly good impression of Luna. "Absolutely not! Now make your bed and do the dishes before I tell your mother!" He gave Alex a critical glance. "Do you want that Alex? I don't think so."

"Our girls would react in the same way," Tai recalled, shivering. "I certainly don't want to find out what's in store for us if we so much as breathe of this in their presence.

"Me either," Ramus said.

"I second that," Matt added. There was a murmur of agreements from all of them. Gabumon even said, jokingly, "We will keep the secret to our graves."

Agumon turned to him. "That's a distinct possibility, considering that these are thegirls we are talking about. If they find out that we did this, our heads will most likely roll off our bodies."

"My god, Agumon. Thanks for the pretty picture. Lighten up!"

Ramusobserved them all."So we agree that we don't tell the girls?" Everybody nodded. "Then let's go!" And led the way to the exit of Burg, confident that they would have no problems.

Turns out, he was a tad optimistic.

* * *

As it turned out, the Weird Woods were only a half hour walk from the village. It made them all feel a little bit happier. "Well, that was easy," Tai said, looking around. 

"Let's not get cocky," Izzy stated. "After all, we don't know what to expect in these woods."

"Good point, Izzy." Alex looked into the forest as far as he could, which wasn't possible. "We better get in there, then."

With daggers in hand, Ramus and Alex led the group in, all of them prepared for anything that came their way-

except for what they encountered.

"I don't recall fog as part of the forecast," Alex grumbled, trying in vain to see anything through the fog. "This definitely qualifies as a crimp in our plans."

"Actually, I think this is just a far more permanent way to tell us to go home," Joe stated. "Because I'm feeling depressed."

"You always are, Joe," Izzy reminded him quietly. "It's in your nature."

"Hey, we can at least try to make it through."Nall started to fly slowly forward, his eyes darting every which way. The others followed, just as slow, just as carefully. They continuously scanned the fog, trying to see through it.

Ramus spoke after a few minutes of walking blind. "You know, guys…um…they say that the Weird Woods are…uh…haunted." Hewas starting to turnpale, but no one noticed.

Tentomon looked around nonchalantly. "You don't say."

They walked on in silence for several more minutes. Then Agumon stubbed his toe. "Damn it," he grumbled, massaging his clawed foot.

"Language, young mon," Tai stated teasingly.

Agumon just shot him a dark glare before turning his attention back to the fog. "Is it just me," he asked, "or is the fog getting thicker?"

"Yeah, it is getting thicker. Not a good sign."

Now Ramus was trembling. Not the bravest person in the best of times, his newfound courage was crumbling under thestrain."Guys, we can't see where we're going…and we can't see any of the monsters." He looked behind him. "Why don't we go back?"

Nall turned in mid-air. "If you're scared Ramus, just come out and say it."

"Yeah," Izzy added encouragingly. "None of will think any less of you any differently."

Ramus seemed to obtain some sort of reserve deep within him with those words. "I…I'm not scared. Not at all!" he proclaimed. His voice sounded stronger than before.

Izzy and Gomamonhad to admit that they hadn't expected Ramus to get even this far. He had expected the boy to already be back at Burg.

Less than thirty seconds after he figured that out, Ramus lost his nerve. "I'm sorry, guys, I can't go any further!" With a cry of fright, he turned tail, and bolted.

Alex and the others at his retreating backside. "The only other time," Nall commented, "I've ever seen Ramus move like that involved a chow bell ringing."

"So much for going to Meribia," Gomamon added, annoyed now.

"I know what you mean," Joe stated. "All that effort, for nothing!"

Before any of them could add their thoughts into it, Nall looked up into the sky. "The sun's going down," he said, "and the fog's thicker than ever…why don't we go home?"

* * *

They all stumbled out of the forest, nursing bruises from all the trees they had hit trying to get out of there in one piece. They were, to put it bluntly, not in the best of moods. And they weren't looking forward to going into the same house as the females.

Ramus was waiting for them at the entrance of the forest, looking very ashamed at himself. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, not looking at them. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea." He looked at them. "Let's go home for now."

"Good idea," Gabumon said, getting a leaf out of his fur.

* * *

The walk was silent, with even Gomamon being quiet. They all had one thing on their minds; that they hadn't prepared for this properly, and that they were all a little scared. It was not an encouraging thought. 

When they had reached Burg, they saw that torches had been lit all around the village, especially around the statue. Stumbling in that direction, with a few hellos to the people who were going by, as well as a quick healing trip, they walked over to the bridge near Alex's house.

It was there that Ramus spoke, full of sorrow. "My father's right about me, Alex. I'm all talk and no action."

Alex couldn't say anything to that statement, so he kept quiet. Nall on the other hand, did find a way to make him feel better. "Don't say that Ramus! With all that dense fog, we had to turn back. You were smart, not cowardly!"

"I agree with Nall. You are selling yourself short!" Tai added enthusiastically. "If you were all talk, you wouldn't have gone to the Dragon Cave with us, or even gone in as far as you did in the Woods. In my book, you're just as brave as any of us."

Ramus was silent for a few seconds, a look of surprise on his face. He had not expected them to say that to him. He expected them to agree with what his father called him. Slowly, a smile broke through, and he said, with a stronger and more assured voice, "I hope you're both right. Because I really needed to hear that." He turned to Alex. "I'm going home to rest up. Let's try again in the morning. I'll wait for all of you at the entrance. Okay?"

Alexgrinned, slapping him on the shoulder."Okay."

"Good idea," Tai put in.

"We're there," Agumon added. "And don't worry. It was the right idea to come back. We weren't ready."

Ramus started walking, then stopped, and turned around. "And guys, maybe you should tell the girls, and T.K., where we're going." With that last bit of advice, he turned and jogged away.

Every young man remaining there stared at each other for a very long moment. Tai was the one to finally break thesilence,asking the numero uno question on each of their minds.

"How the hell are we going to explain this the girls?"


	7. Episode Six: The Females Wrath's

Digimon: Silver Star Story

**Episode Six: The Female's Wrath**

The feamles and T.K. were, at that moment, waiting for the boys to get back, as dinner was almost done. Alex's mother, a kind woman named Angelina had taken it upon herself to make a very special dinner. Sora had asked to help, but the mother just told her to relax, and enjoy her stay here. She didn't need help to cook dinner.

So far, she had proved it. A heavenly smell was already making its presence known from the kitchen.

To fill in the time, as they couldn't keep just sniffing the air for a scent of the culinary delights in store for them, Luna had pulled out a photo album of the family. It reminded T.K. of the photo album that Kari had of their adventures in the Digital World during the Dark Masters war. The most prominent picture was the one that had all of then, as well as their digital friends, and a newly hatched digimon in Kari's hands. That was by far T.K.'s favorite.

As they looked at each photo, they also talked about the upcoming journey to Saith. Luna had been there once, when she was six years old. It was the only time she had been outside the village until recently.

At that moment, they were all laughing at a picture of Nall wearing a baby bib and a diaper, a look of outrage on his face. T.K. had found the camera, and marveled at the fact that for a place that had never heard of cars and planes had managed to develop something like a camera. And a handheld one at that! When he asked about that though, all Luna had said was that it had been in the family for years. And it still looked new! _'One of the advantages of having some magic!'_ he thought.

As they reached the end of the book, Sora found herself wondering where Tai and the others were. _'Now where did that line-up come from?' _she asked herself. _'Kind of strange of me to think of Tai before the others.'_ She couldn't stop thinking that way though.

Mimi was thinking along the lines of someone else, and was being honest with herself. _'I hope Izzy's okay.'_

Kari and T.K. were just wondering, _'Where in the Goddess's name are they?'_ Both of them weren't worried. They were however, greatly annoyed. And they had a feeling they knew why.

As if to punctuate that state of theirs, the door swung open, depositing the group of boys in the living room. "Hey Matt," T.K. called out.

"Hey, T.K. Hey, girls!" Matt called back, a bit too enthusiastically. T.K. immediately found his suspicions confirmed.

Angelina hollered from the kitchen, "Where have you boys been? Luna and the others were worried about you!" T.K. noted that she had a knowing tone in her voice. _'Same instinct.'_

At that, Tai and the others fidgeted a little, except for Nall, who just grinned a little. Luna, who had come to the doorway, saw this, and immediately had a bad feeling in her gut. Behind her, Biyomon and Palmon were watching from behind Sora and Mimi. Kari and Gatomon had just gotten off the bed and were walking towards them. All their expressions were, to put it bluntly, not exactly cheery. In fact, they were eyeing the boys suspiciously.

"Gentlemen…" Luna asked, her gaze piercing, "Did you travel somewhere with Ramus?"

"Nope," Nall answered cheerfully. "The fog was too dense, so we came back home."

For an extremely long moment, silence reigned. The kind that usually happened when a natural disaster was about to occur.

"Ummm…Nall," Alex began, sounding strangled. The Digimon hid behind their partners, looking even more scared than they had a right to be. Tai could even be heard muttering, "They say cyanide is a quick way to go."

Luna processed this in less than half a second. "The Weird Woods?" Sora, Mimi, and their Digimon snapped four glares that spoke of death and daggers at the boys. "You were planning to go to Meribia without us? Nall is only joking…isn't he?"

Alex absently made arrangements to have Nall turned into a throw rug as soon as possible. _'I knew this would happen, but nooooo, don't listen to gut instinct,'_ he thought scathingly.

"Well, you see…" Izzy began to say, but that was all the confirmation the girls, and T.K., needed.

"I can't believe you'd leave here without so much as a goodbye!" Luna exploded, trembling. She was irate, no, _furious _is a better word to describe her mental state at the moment.

"Well, there's a perfectly good explanation for this…"

"And you!" Sora roared, turning in his direction, coming within an inch of Tai's face. "Leaving without us! We're part of the team too. You know that!"

Tai had a rather insane urge to kiss Sora right then, but was at the moment too terrified to do anything. But one thing that Tai knew was that when he was scared, he got angry. And this time was no exception. If anything, it was worse.

"Well excussse me for making a mistake!" He shouted back, his own face darkening considerably. "And for your information, I wasn't the only one who went. So how about you face somewhere else so I can breathe!"

Everyone knew immediately that that was the wrong thing to say, as Sora's, and Biyomon's faces began to become a darker red. Agumon groaned in fear, knowing that Tai was in trouble again, and hid behind Alex.

As the three of them vented their anger at each other, Mimi took the role. "Why'd you leave us here?" she shouted. "I would think that you would have some common sense after everything that we went through in the Digital World!" She looked at Izzy. "And what was with you?" she continued. "You're the smartest of them! You should've told them to wait!"

"Well…ah…uh…" Izzy tried to speak, but he was paralyzed with fright. This was the same girl who would have destroyed his computer if he hadn't started paying attention to her. Now he was wishing he was still an addict to the Internet.

Gatomon and Palmon just glared at them all in silence, letting their gazes tell them off. Patamon spoke for all them by saying, "I think that I want to know whose idea this was, and who you all thought you were by listening to him." His voice was firm, albeit a little sad.

"I wanna know that too," T.K. added. He looked at Matt with a look of sadness and confusion.

"As would I!"

Luna and Palmon barely moved in time as Kari stormed out of the room, her face etched with fury. Everyone looked at her like she was a demon, and began to fear her too. In the case of Tai, his anger turned to shock as he looked over at her.

Kari rounded on him, her face hard as a diamond. "Did you think," she began, fury peaking, "that you were trying to protect us brother?" Did you think that we weren't ready for this?" Her voice grew stronger by the moment. "Let me remind you, Tai, that I was there when Myotismon tried to conquer our home last summer! I was there when the Dark Masters corrupted the Digital World! I helped defeat Apoclamon! I am not afraid of whatever's out there! Does that sound good enough for you?"

Tai almost had a heart attack right there and then. Kari had _never_ raised her voice at him, or anyone else before. It was scary, to say the least. "Kari…"

"I don't think we have anything left to talk about boys!" Luna interrupted, turning her back on them. "Let's go, ladies!" With a last glare at them, Sora and Mimi followed after Luna. The door slammed with a finality that was deafening.

"Come on, Luna," Alex said, the thought of apologizing on his mind.

"You don't want to talk to me, so why should I talk to you?"

The boys stared at one another for a moment, completely silent. The Digimon slowly came from behind their human counterparts and stared at the door in amazement. T.K. and Patamon on the other hand, were staring at them all with a look of annoyance on their faces.

Matt finally snarled, "I am going to _kill _Ramus!"

"And I am going to keep a promise I made to someone, that of turning a certain flying fur ball into a throw rug!" With that, Alex started towards Nall, his intent obvious. The other children also knew this, and moved.

Apparently, Nall realized it too, and hid behind Agumon. "I'm sorry, Alex," he cried out, terrfied. He realized thast Alex would really do it. "You know I can't keep quiet around Luna!"

"This is why I never tell you anything!"

Matt, Izzy, and T.K. had managed to get in front of Nall, and were busy restraining Alex before he could get his hands on the flying creature. "Come on, Alex!" Matt cried out, his grip firm, "He isn't worth it!"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Alex calmed down. After a while, he stopped struggling. "Okay guys," he said, "you can let me go now."

Cautiously, Izzy and Matt released their holds on Alex's arms. T.K. backed off, and then asked, "So what happened?"

After a minute of discussion, where they told T.K. everything, he just looked at them. "Don't ever leave us here again, okay?"

"Okay," Gabumon stated, knowing that that wasn't going to happen.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're going to Meribia…just like Dyne of course. I'm not surprised." Noah looked up from the book he was reading as he said this, looking Alex right in the eyes. His tone held a note of sadness, but also of acceptance. He had always known that this day would come.

Alex was surprised. "You're not?" he asked.

"No, I'm not. You're old enough to make your own decisions Alex. I would never stop you from pursuing your destiny." He paused, as if just thinking of something. "Just one word of advice," he added, taking on his most responsible voice, "talk to Luna about your plans. She cares about you. Let her know what's going on."

Alex looked at him pityingly. "Great idea, dad. Just one small problem. I don't think Luna, or any of the girls for that matter, are going to speak to me, or any of the boys for a while. I mean Tai and the others are trying to get them out so we can apologize, but they won't let us."

"And you deserve every last bit of it too," Angelina spoke up from the kitchen, having listened into the entire conversation. "You're going to Meribia? Are you sure you realize what a frightening and dangerous place it can be? You're just a child, Alex!"

"Mom, I'm fifteen!" Alex argued. "And no, I have no idea how dangerous it is, because I have never been there!" He was not surprised that his mother had brought up the old danger factor into the conversation. _'But then again, she is the mother.'_

Noah got out of his chair. "Angel," he said soothingly, "just calm down."

"No, you calm down, Noah!" She turned her attention back to Alex. "Please Alex," she begged, "don't make a huge mistake. Don't do this."

_'What is it with women and trying to guilt-trip me?'_ Alex asked himself rhetorically, though he already knew the answer. Out loud though, he said, "Mom, I have to. I need to get out of the village every once in a while. And I can't let the Digi-Destined down. I promised that I'd help them."

Angelina sighed, observing the determination on his face. "I know I can't stop you. All I ask is that you be careful, Alex." She turned around and picked up a money sack. "And that you spend this wisely," she added, tossing the bag to Alex.

Alex caught it, opened it, and stared at it in disbelief. "One thousand silver?" he whispered. "Mom, I can't take this."

"Take it, son," Noah said, having anticipated this sort of reaction. "You'll need it more than we do. And besides, I don't think you and your friends earned enough in the Dragon Cave."

"What do you-?" Alex started to ask, but suddenly realized the heaviness in his own money pouch. He opened it. "I was wondering why my money sack was heavier after a while."

"How'd ya think I managed to obtain enough money to hire John last month to fix that hole in the roof? The creatures have the money. Don't ask me how that's possible. Maybe a side effect of Althena's bringing life to this world. I also think your friends money bags will be filled up too."

As if to punctuate the point, Agumon's voice could be heard saying, "How did this money get into your pouch Tai?" followed by Gabumon saying, "Let me see that." Alex and Noah looked at each other and laughed.

"I think I'm going to apologize to Luna now," Alex finally managed to say. "Wish me luck dad."

"Good luck," Noah stated, as Alex began walking to Luna's bedroom door.

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At around the same time Alex and Noah had had their little chat, someone had decided to knock at the door.

"Boys," Luna began to say, but T.K.'s voice came through, saying, "May I come in?" She got up, and opened the door, letting T.K. and Patamon in. "What was that all about?" she asked, referring to the commotion that had occurred after they had left.

"Oh, just Alex trying to get his hands around Nall's neck, and my brother and Tai restraining him." T.K. sat down next to Biyomon and Kari. "I think they wanna hurt Ramus, too."

"Oh?" Mimi asked, intrigued. "And why is that? Because Ramus was the one who said that they should go without us? That we should stay behind to stay safe?"

"Actually, except for the last part, that IS what they said," Patamon mentioned, flying around the room for a few seconds before settling down near Gatomon. "And it looks like they're trying to apologize to you all," he added. "They didn't mean to do it like that."

"Well, they should've thought of that before they left!" Biyomon looked angry enough to spontaneously combust. "We're part of the team, damn it! Not a bunch of fragile-."

"They care," T.K. interrupted, "and they don't want to see you get hurt. They just acted like big kids do sometimes." He looked over to Luna. "Also, Nall apparently did a fairly decent impression of you, Luna. Said something about doing the dishes, I think."

Luna slowly began to understand why Alex and the others had done what they did. "That was what I would have said, before I had gone to the Dragon Cave." Comprehension began to grow in her features. "I wouldn't have let him go anywhere outside of Burg, so I can understand his reaction somewhat." She looked over at Sora and Mimi. "Maybe we should let them apologize." Sora nodded, already feeling guilty.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door, and Matt's voice asked, "Can we come in?"

"Sure." Luna went over to her dresser picking up her teddy bear. Alex had given it to her when she was six, after protecting her from some bullies. He had said that day that he would never do that to her. He would never lie, or hurt her in any way. Now that Luna thought about it, he hadn't broken his promise. He hadn't lied to her, or anything like that. He simply had done what any headstrong boy would have done. She could understand that, at least.

Moving like they were convicted criminals, Tai led the group into the room, immediately saying, "We are sorry that we didn't tell you where we were going. It's just that Ramus kinda hit the point when it came to how you would react."

"Oh?" Sora inquired, arching an eyebrow imperiously. Luna barely was able to stifle a laugh. "And why oh why, should we forgive you?" she asked.

T.K. had to turn around to hide his grin. _'Sora, you should've been an actress,'_ he thought. _'You play a very good queen.'_

"Well…" Tai stuttered for a second. "Because you are such kind and caring souls, and we are not worthy to be in your presence. So please, _please_ forgive us."

Sora, Mimi, and their Digimon partners just stared at them for a moment more. The boys were starting to wonder what they were going to say, and why was Luna biting her lower lip? Why were Kari and T.K. just sitting there with their backs turned? None of it made sense to them, and they were ready to go crazy.

Just as they were thinking about bolting, Sora simply sighed. "Very well. We forgive you." Then the girls and T.K. cracked up.

"Traitor," Matt muttered good-naturedly under his breath as he watched T.K. and Kari laugh at them. But even he had to admit it. They had that coming.

"That was…that was…soooooo funny!" Palmon exclaimed, clutching her sides in hilarity. "I mean…the looks on your faces…" she finally lost cohesive speech as she doubled over again.

"You almost gave me and Joe a heart attack!" Gomamon yelled, almost sounding like Joe for a second. He immediately blushed red. "Did I just say that?" he asked timidly.

Joe and the boys cracked up as well with that. "My god, Joe, you created a damn monster!" Agumon cried out, trying to calm down, and not particularly succeeding. All the other digimon had by that time were rolling on the ground, howling in laughter.

Gomamon started to chuckle as well. "I sounded like an ass, didn't I?" he asked.

"You still do. Language!" Sora shouted, still giggling madly.

"Sorry," was all the aquatic digimon could say. Everyone started laughing again, and they didn't stop for five minutes.

Afterward, Tai, Izzy, and Alex decided to talk to the three girls in front of them. Alex couldn't hear what the other four were talking about, but he knew what he wanted to say.

"Luna, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you where I was going."

Luna was silent for a few moments. "Alex, I'm sorry that I was upset with you. I forgive you…this time."

Alex let out a huge sigh of relief as she said this. He heard Tai and Izzy give out similar sighs, and decided that they had been apologizing to those two. He also had a very good idea that they cared for the girls. "Thank you," he said. _'For both the apology, and for giving me a clue into the mind of those two.'_

Then Luna blew it all out of the water when she stated, "But we are going with you and that's that!"

Alex and Nall were shocked, to say the least. Tai and Sora were openly smirking at this. Izzy and Mimi were smiling. T.K. and Kari looked on, laughing a bit more. Joe and Matt just looked on, confused.

"Okay, your girls, I understand completely," Nall stated, sounding nonchalant about it. "But Luna---What!"

Luna was adamant in this decision. "If you and Ramus went all by yourselves, you'd be in danger. Even with them helping you, you would get hurt-or worse! I have no choice!" She stared at Alex with steely determination in her eyes. "Don't even try to talk me out of this Alex!" she added, just as Alex was about to open his mouth.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Alex stated. "In all actuality, I was about to suggest it myself."

Nall looked at him in confusion. "You were?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah," Tai spoke up, walking to where the teddy bear had been. "We talked about it, when you were and Agumon were deciding who was going to hide behind who."

"Let's review the facts," Agumon began, ignoring his human partner totally. "None of us have any magical healing powers. Luna does. Also, Luna did Tai out of a jam back in the Dragon Cave. And she's definitely more sensible than Sora, and that's saying something!"

"Hey!" Sora laughed, chucking a pillow at the orange digimon. "No one can be more sensible than me! You know that!"

"Oh don't you mean on Earth?" Luna asked teasingly, before giving Alex a tender look, making his heart go pit-a-pat a little faster. "We should say good-bye to your parents Alex," she said.

"Yeah, and eat dinner too," Nall interjected. "I'm starving!"

"Me too," Gatomon added, her stomach grumbling rather loudly. "I think dinners done, and waiting like a school of fish."

Luna looked at her strangely. "Do you always make references to fish?" she asked. Gatomon merely nodded. "Oh, okay."

Just so long as she doesn't cook like our mom," Tai said, shuddering as he did so.

Luna now stared at him, then at Kari, then back at Tai. "Your mother can't be that bad," she stated.

"Oh, she's a good cook," Tai conceded, "if you like fungus cookies, liver sticks, or celery shakes, or LIVER shakes."

"Liver shakes? YECH?" Alex, Luna, and Nall, all shouted at once, shuddering as they did so.

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As it turned out, Angelina was not a good cook; as it turned out, she was the antithesis of Mrs. Kamiya. It was the Digi-Destines turn to be surprised.

"This is delicious!" Matt exclaimed, helping himself to seconds. "I don't think I have ever had such great cooking before in my life."

"I haven't either! Screw trying to get home!" he cried out, nearly crying in sheer happiness.

"Tai has as much control as Miko does when it comes to food," Kai mused, as Gatomon practically inhaled her dinner. " Then again, so do you," she added.

The Digimon had agreed with Matt and Tai, unless Angelina was willing to come with them. Angelina had simply blushed, and said modestly, "Well, I'm not that good."

Mimi looked at her in shock. "Are you kidding?" she exclaimed. "You're a better cook then me!"

Throughout the meal, the children told stories about their adventures in the Digital World, and about all the friends they had made. Sora told them of the time that she finally understood why her mother wanted her to help run the flower shop, and the underlying reason behind it. She had tears in her eyes when she finished, but she felt happier. _'I hope mom's okay,'_ she thought.

Tai told them of when he had tried to make Agumon digi-volve into his Ultimate form, only to have it go horribly wrong. His eyes crimped considerably as he did so. All Nall said though was, "You learned from it."

When Gatomon started telling them of when she joined the Digi-Destined and learned of her destiny, she refrained from telling the exact circumstances. No one pried, and the subject was dropped for less painful things to talk about.

Finally though, as everyone got some dessert and began to vacate to the living room, Alex asked his dad to stay behind for a moment. When everyone else had left. He began to tell Noah about what Luna had stated. Noah beat him to it.

"Luna is going with you then? I'm glad," he said, not looking the least bit surprised. He had known that this would have happened.

Alex just looked at him in bewilderment. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I'm your father. I know everything that goes on in your mind." Noah suddenly had a thought. "Also 'cause Dyne had had the same thought when he said he was going to leave Burg. It was just after Althena had come to the Goddess Festival about, thirty years ago."

"Oh." Alex was silent for a moment. "Will you and Mom be okay?"

"Don't worry about me or your mother Alex. We'll be fine." Noah studied Alex closely, seeing something akin to concern. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's just…" For a moment he couldn't articulate his answer. "What if something happened to you or Mom?" he finally asked. "I mean, I probably won't be returning to Burg for a few months, and anything could happen in that time period. I don't want to lose either of you."

"Like I said, don't worry about it. If something happens, something happens. Besides, you have other things to worry about, like helping them find a way back to their home."

"Yeah, you got a good point there." Alex looked over at the Digi-Destined group. "I just don't know what to think of them. They seem so like us, yet at the same time, they are completely different."

Noah simply nodded, then looked at the clock. "Its late," he said. "You all better get some sleep. Tomorrow is the big day son! Tomorrow you embark on the greatest adventure of your life. The adventure I always wanted, but was too afraid to pursue." At this admission, his eyes grew distant, as if he was remembering something very important to him. Alex was about to inquire when his dad snapped out of it. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten used to your zone-outs." Alex stared at Luna for a moment. "It's just…I don't know if Ramus and I can protect Luna. I'm a little bit scared about the prospects."

"So I've noticed," Noah stated with a knowing glance at Alex. "Don't be afraid, Alex. Don't give up. And don't come back until your destiny is fulfilled!"

"Yes sir!" Alex flashed a crisp salute.

Nall flew up to him and said, with enthusiasm, "Alex, your father is right! That was the best speech I've ever heard!"

Noah grinned. It felt good to deliver a rousing speech once in a great while. It felt even better that it was his son and adoptive child he was giving it to. "Nall! Boys and girls!" he announced, getting their collective attention. "You all go to bed, too! Adventurers need their rest! And I assume that the lot of you will need it in order to find a way back to your own home."

"Yes sir!" Nall exclaimed, now thoroughly excited. "Starting today, I am an adventurer."

"So are we," Gomamon added, then yawned. "Right after a dog nap."

"I'll go with that. Just don't snore, Tai." Joe gave Tai a very significant look. "Otherwise, you know what we'll have Sora do to you."

"I get the point, Joe. Geez." Tai looked around. "I'll just sleep on the couch," he said.

I got the floor next to the couch," Agumon stated.

"We'll take the chairs!" Matt and Gabumon exclaimed almost immediately.

Sora was confused. "What was Joe going to have me do?" she asked. Mimi whispered what she would have had to do in her ear. After she got the majority of it, she turned crimson. "Oh, that. Joe!"

Luna giggled at that. "Mimi!" she stated, sounding scandalized. "You are going to have to tell us what that was about!"

"Not in front of Kari, you're not!" Gatomon exclaimed.

Kari just looked at them all confused. "When can I find out?"

"When you grow up," Palmon replied. Biyomon giggled behind her wings.

"Well, good night, children. "Now go to bed. Boys, Alex's bedroom." Angelina moved them like a drill sergeant moved his cadets in training. "Girls, Luna's room. Tai, you and Agumon can have the couch. Matt, you and Gabumon _can't _have the chairs."

"Awww man," Matt groaned. He asked Alex, "Does Nall snore?"

"Like a dragon," Alex replied, shuddering. "I think the birds fly from their nests in terror when he starts."

"Definitely another sleepless night," Gabumon muttered to himself. "And I thought Tai was bad…"

"I heard that!" Tai called indignantly.

Angelina saw where this was heading, and called out loudly, "Good night!" so as to stop a potential fight before it began.

A chorus of "Good Nights!" followed that, and everyone went to their respective areas of rest.

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Noah watched them go to theirs beds, or couch, smiling to himself. _'I used to be like them,'_ he thought, _'so full of enthusiasm and wonder. Then I set foot in the Dragon Cave and realized that adventuring was not for me. So I stayed in burg, and let Dyne travel to become a Dragonmaster.'_ He paused, as a thought occurred to him. _'I wonder if his plan worked.'_

As he pondered this, Angelina came and sat down next to him. "What is it dear?" she asked quietly.

Noah smiled sadly. "Just thinking about the past. What my life would have been like if I hadn't made the choices I made. About lost chances."

His wife nodded, understanding. She picked up his hand, holding it. "And if you could do it all over again," she asked, "would you do it differently?"

Noah considered it, but shook his head. "No," he finally decided, "I wouldn't have done it any differently. Except tell Althena that joke that I promised I would…again!"

Angelina laughed softly. "Well, I for one am glad that you stayed."

Noah looked at her, a twinkle in his eye. "Oh?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her softly. "You are?"

Angelina looked at him with a twinkle in her own eye as she kissed him back. "Yes. Now let's go to bed."

"Yes ma'am." Noah got up, and walking hand in hand, went into their room.

And all was quiet.

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In the middle of the night, Luna woke up.

She woke slowly, coming out of her dream state with a groggy expression on her face. Her mind however, did not find peace in the world of the living.

"Not again…" she mumbled as she shook her head slightly, trying to clear it. She was really tired of getting up in the middle of the night. She got out of bed slowly, trying not to step on Gatomon's tail.

Looking around, she stared at her room, all the memories and vanities that she had. The teddy bear, that heartfelt present from Alex, the picture that Allison had drawn of her and Alex at last year's festival, and the good luck charm from two years past. A necklace, with a single pendant of silver, hung on a small rung near her mirror. She had bought it during a trip to Saith, from a woman who had been selling antiques. When she had asked about the stamp on it though, a crescent mark and a small sphere above it, she had simply said that it was the symbol of the Goddess. Luna had told her that it was illegal to sell anything that the Goddess blessed, but the woman had smiled warmly and told her that Althena had given her the necklace, and had told her to hold it until someone came along who was worthy to wear it. She had then given it o her as a gift. _"It the only one of it's kind,"_ she had said, smiling at her.

It turned out to be true. Everyone who looked at it had told her that they had never seen anything like that before. And no one had ever seen another one like it again.

"Tomorrow, I leave this village," she told herself, "The only home I have ever known." She tip toed out of her bedroom, careful not to wake anyone as she did so. She stepped in to the living room, noting that Tai was on his side, so as to keep the snores down to a minimal. She silently thanked the Goddess for that. The she listened to the sounds coming from Alex's door. _'Nall or one of the boys snoring,'_ she decided, although she was wondering how in the Silver Star Alex was able to stand that. _'Probably with ear plugs.'_

As she pondered this as only a sensible person can, a light melody reached her ears, a melody she knew rather well. "Alex?" she whispered. She listened. It wasn't coming from his room. Instead, she realized, it was being carried by the wind. "I know where you are Alex."

Smiling as she said this, Luna walked out of the house, and headed in the direction of Dyne's monument.

At that moment, the young man in question sat at the edge of the cliff, playing his ocarina, looking up to the Blue Star. His thoughts were somewhere else, as they always were when he was alone.

After the others had turned in, and he had been driven out of his own room by Gabumon's and Nall's combined snoring, he had left the house and made his way to the monument. It was his favorite place to go when he was thinking about something. Now he was sitting on the precipice of the cliff, playing the song he and Luna had worked on together for months. _'And we probably won't get to play it at the Festival,'_ he thought, the only bitter thing he could think of. He was leaving the village that he called home, and next to leaving his family, he felt like he was letting the people of Burg down by not being there for the festival. And he felt like he was forcing Luna to do this. _'Maybe I should try to talk her out of it.'_

As he was thinking this, the sound of footsteps, muffled by the grass, approaching him. He recognized them of course. After all, it was easy to recognize Luna's footsteps after living with her all his life. He turned around, a little surprised that she was here. "Luna…"

Luna smiled, a little bit embarrassed. "Hello Alex. I didn't mean to interrupt you," she replied, coming up, and sitting down next to Alex. "I heard your song on the breeze." She starred at the Blue Star as well. "It's beautiful tonight," she murmured.

"It's the time of the year when the Blue Star is not partially obscured by clouds. That pull I feel is definitely back in force now." Alex looked over at Luna. _'I wonder what she's thinking about.'_

Luna's thoughts were elsewhere as well. _'I wonder if Dyne couldn't sleep the night before he left.'_ She mentally slapped herself. _'How silly I am comparing Alex to the mighty Dragonmaster! I must still be groggy…'_ "What are you doing up, anyway?" she asked.

"I had a lot on my mind," Alex replied. "Also, Gabumon's and Nall's snoring was getting on my nerves. I swear that they could empty a barn with that in thirty seconds!" Both of them shared a laugh at that, knowing that it probably could happen, before quieting down.

For a time, they stared at the Blue Star in companionable silence, both of them thinking about the events that were going to happen tomorrow. Finally though, Luna broke the silence, unable to stay quiet for once.

"Adventure," she said, trying the word out, letting the full magnitude of it wash over her at long last. "We're going on a real adventure." Now she looked at Dyne's Monument in amazement. "I never paid much thought to the course our lives might take, Alex."

Alex looked at her. "Neither did I," he admitted. "I always thought I would go on an adventure with my friends. Instead, not only am I going on an adventure with my friends, I'm going on an adventure with a group of kids that I have never met before until several days ago. Talk about craziness with a person's plans." He paused. "What about you, Luna? How did you picture our lives to be? You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

Luna was silent for a moment, contemplating the question. Finally she said, "Well, I guess I always imagined the two of us would have a home of our own someday." She blushed as she said this. _'Oops. Slipped on that one.'_

"Just the two of us?" Alex asked mischievously.

"Oh all right…maybe Nall, too." The two of them laughed for a few seconds before Luna continued. "But I never imagined we'd be leaving Burg without knowing when we return." At this she began to falter. "I…I'm…"

Alex was concerned, as he had never seen Luna look so…_lost…_before in her life. "What's wrong Luna?" he asked.

For a moment, Luna looked like she was going to cry, but she steeled herself and pushed her fears and doubts away. "Nothing, Alex. I just had a bad dream is all." She giggled a little. "I'm silly aren't I? We're about to experience the greatest thrill of our lives…and I'm afraid of the fun and excitement I know we're going to have."

Alex suddenly found himself unable to say the words he had been ready to say for several minutes. Instead, he simply stared at the one person who he loved with all of his heart and soul. "Luna…"

"Tomorrow is the start of a great adventure Alex," Luna continued on, a look of growing excitement on her face. "A real adventure."

Alex now allowed the magnitude of tomorrows events to flow over him. "Yes…yes it is."

Luna was silent for a few seconds more. "I'm going home Alex. Don't stay out to late. We won't be able to journey far if you catch cold" She got up, and started to head back to the house. When she had taken a few steps though, she stopped and turned back around. "And brush your teeth before you go to bed silly!" she called out.

Alex recognized the tone she was using, and visibly relaxed. "Yes…yes I will," he called back.

"Dragonmaster Dyne had great teeth! You had better not aspire to any less!" Luna giggled at the mock confused look on Alex's face.

Alex was feeling very relaxed now, and decided to tease her about her last sentence. "So, you've actually _seen_ Dyne's teeth?" he asked. "Where?"

The two of them laughed for what seemed to be hours, before Luna, her voice softening, said, "Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Luna."

Alex watched as Luna return to the house, then turned his gaze to the monument. He felt a pang of nervousness, but he pushed it down. He was not going to have second thoughts about this. His friends, new and old, were counting on him. He wanted to be like Dyne, but at the same time, he wanted to be completely different. He didn't know what path he would take, but he knew that he would take the path that he thought was best.

Tearing his gaze away from the monument, he looked back up to the Blue Star for a moment, again marveling at the fact he felt drawn to it for some reason or other. He sent up a silent prayer. _'Goddess, please don't let me screw this up.'_

Getting up, he walked back to his home…for possibly the last time.

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Breakfast the next day was a hectic affair, as they scrambled around to get everything they together. Supplies, food, antidotes, herbs, as well as more powerful weapons and equipment were a part of that list. Alex and Luna were now armed with a short sword and poison darts, respectively. Ramus, they had learned, had already bought himself some new equipment and had another fight with his dad, basically along the lines that Ramus was a lazy pig who had no courage whatsoever, and should be trained to take his rightful place as the next mayor of Burg. All this was relayed by Tentomon, who had gone to see if Ramus was ready.

T.K. decided, as only a nine-year old would, to take the mayor aside and tell him of the wonders of elections.

The Digi-Destined realized that they would need weapons as well. The way the monsters had attacked them made it perfectly clear that they would need to be able to fight back. They couldn't depend on their Digimon to be able to help them. So Sora and Mimi had gone and acquired Poison Darts and Short Swords for themselves and the boys, as well as a couple of bracelets for themselves. "Could make a fashion statement," Mimi had stated as they walked out.

Finally though, it was time to leave, and they were as ready as they could possibly be. They gathered their bags and began filing out of the house in a single file line. Agumon and the other Digimon had the honor of carrying the food bags, on the grounds that they weren't allowed to touch that food until they stopped to have lunch. Gomamon looked heart broken, to say the least.

"Bye Dad! Bye Mom!" Nall shouted. "We'll bring you back a memento!"

"Goodbye! And thanks for the tips on throwing!" Patamon said.

Luna hugged them both farewell. "I'll miss you," she whispered, unshed tears brimming in her eyes. "And I love you. Don't worry about Alex. I'll take care of him."

"Yes, she will," replied Alex, rolling his eyes as he did so, before smiling. "Don't worry about us! We'll return soon! Perhaps with sixteen less people!" _'I hope for the first part to be true,'_ he added mentally to himself.

"Just for that," Agumon snarled good-naturedly, "I'm going to stay behind and make your life miserable!"

Tai just chuckled. "Keep up with that and I'll let you stay here," he stated, smirking.

While this was going on, Noah stepped up to Alex and put his hand on Alex's shoulder. His eyes shone with pride. "Alex…I'm looking forward to hearing of your many adventures. I know you'll make me proud son." He turned his gaze towards the Digi-Destined, all of them now carrying some sort of weapon. "I don't know if your story is really true or not," he said, "but I _do_ know that Alex is in good company." Finally, his gaze settled on his adoptive daughter. "Luna, take care of Alex. Make sure he doesn't get himself killed." Then, as an afterthought, "Nall, don't speak to anyone unless spoken to!"

"I tell you… no respect," Nall grumbled as the others laughed.

Sora finished tying her shoelace, then stood up. "By the way," she asked, "is there anything in the woods that we should be concerned about?"

Angelina thought long and hard. "I heard Goblins are among the most dangerous of the creatures," she reported from memory. "There are also the Gorgons."

Alex thought about it. "Was that the creature that almost killed Dad?" he asked.

Noah answered it this time. "Yes it was. You'll know what it looks like, by the tentacles on it's head, and a strange looking mouth that looks like an eye."

"An eye, acting like a mouth? Truly bizarre," Izzy noted.

"Yeah, we thought that way too. _After _I had healed," Noah stated. "It's extremely powerful, and can poison you rather quickly."

"But that's why you have the antidote herbs," Angelina put in. "They're used to cure you of poison immediately, if you're not in range of a statue at the time." There was a sudden commotion at the back of the house, interrupting her. "Drat! The chickens are acting up again! Sorry to cut this short kids, but I've got to sort them out…again!" She started running to the chicken coop.

The others laughed silently. "I'm guessing that happens often during the springtime?" Gabumon asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. But we've gotten good at sorting them out." Noah looked over at Alex and Tai. "Before I go help your mom, I have a little bit of advice for you. If you get in trouble with Luna, this is what I want you to do. Run like mad!"

Alex laughed. "Don't worry Dad. I will take your advice and consider it seriously." Alex gave his Dad a pat on the shoulder. "Good bye, Dad."

"Good bye Alex. Good day children!" Noah called out, starting to walk back, just as Angelina shouted, "No, get away from there, damn it!"

"Bye bye!" They all called out, before turning around and heading for the entrance. Most of them were almost skipping.

"Wow," Palmon murmured. "We're going to see more of Lunar. I'm so excited about this!" She found it to be something unique to her. She wanted to go see a new world.

"You're excited? I'm about ready to do cartwheels!" Nall exclaimed in disbelief. "I've never been on a real adventure before!"

"Oh really? Be thankful that you didn't go on adventures that almost got you killed!" Joe retorted sharply.

Nall was quiet for a moment. "You do raise a good point, Joe. But hey, that's why we have the items with us this time!"

"Which reminds me," Tai put in, "Where are the items we bought today?"

"I've got them. I have them in a subspace pocket that I created." Nall sounded proud of himself. "That way, you guys can carry more stuff of your own, and can access the supplies if you need to."

Sora asked, "How much can you hold?"

"Removing the weight and size of the object, ninety six items. Not a great deal, but definitely more than any backpack."

Sora turned to Izzy. "How do you create a subspace pocket?" she asked curiously.

"I would say…very carefully," was the only reply she received. She simply shrugged and kept walking.

"Actually," Luna began, "it's basically second nature to him. He's the most compact travel bag you will ever see."

"And he never weighs any more than he does now," Alex chortled. "He's the lightest travel bag ever!" He looked very relieved. "Which is all that spared my poor shoulders from breaking off from the rest of my body."

"Hardy har har." Nall said sarcastically.

They reached the entrance to find Ramus already waiting for them. "Hey guys!" he called out. "I was starting to worry about you!"

"Sorry about that, but our friends wanted to get weaponry for themselves. After what happened in the Dragon Cave, they didn't want to take any chances."

Ramus nodded appreciatively. "I can live with that." With that said, he turned to look at the Weird Woods in the distance. "I hope the fog clears soon," he said.

Alex nodded. "I don't think anything short of the voice of the Goddess could clear that fog. Speaking of Goddesses," he motioned at Luna, "look who we brought."

"What?" For a moment Ramus was speechless, but slowly, a smile began to form on his face. "Guess Nall was right," he revealed. " Luna is coming after all."

Luna looked at him sternly. "Of course Ramus," she replied. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble!"

"That's no fun," Nall grumbled. Kari laughed at that.

"Okay! Everybody ready?" Ramus asked. A resounding chorus of "Yeah!" answered that question for him. "All right! Weird Woods, here we come! Next stop, the port town of Saith!"

"Let's get started!" Tai called out excitedly.

"Yeah!" Nall added. And with that word, they started on their journey to Meribia.

And unknowingly, to their destiny. For they were being watched.

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For several minutes, the woman watched the small group as they walked out of the village. She had to admit, she was impressed that they had met up with the Digi-destined. _Gennai'll be happy to know that,'_ she thought to herself, smiling slightly _'But then, Gennai would be happy to have a cure for arthritis_.'

A flash caught her eye suddenly, and she saw Noah give her the thumbs up. They were on their way. Well, sixteen of them, anyways. The Sailor Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, that little child she had seen in her dreams, two felines that had a feel of familiarity to them…and Greg Urawa were not accounted for, still.

_'They must be on the main continent, near the Goddess Tower.'_ She thought about it for a moment._ 'They'll be all right. There are no foreseeable threats there.'_ The woman began packing her bag, then turned to leave. Before she left though, she did a two-finger salute, letting Noah know that she had gotten the message. Then she leaped, silver hair tied in meatball strands glittering in the sun, her white dress fluttering in the breeze.

Guided by her instincts, she began jumping up the nearby mountain range like a Sailor Scout, and began her journey to Saith, taking a shortcut only a few would have dared. That way, she would arrive before Kari Kamiya, T.K. Takahashi, and their Digimon partners, Patamon and Gatomon. After all, she wanted to be ready.

She just hoped that Mercury and Greg arrived on Lunar with more grace.


	8. Episode Seven: The Sailor Scouts Arrive

Digimon: Silver Star Story

**Episode Seven: The Sailor Scouts Arrive**

For what seemed like a lifetime, though it was only a few minutes, Amy Mizuno and the other Sailor Scouts fell through what seemed like eternity. All of them saw images that were entirely unknown to them, some extremely vivid, other's only in passing. The rest of it was only a myriad of colors.

Finally though, the Scouts could see again.

Unfortunately, what they saw made them wish that they were still blind, as what they saw was the ground coming up fast! Thankfully, none of them were too shocked at this, as they had dealt with weirder in their short lives.

Reacting quickly, Amy twisted so her feet were facing the ground, then pulled out her transformation pen and shouted "MERCURY STAR POWER!" all in one motion. That way, when she hit, now Sailor Mercury, all she felt was a minor discomfort go through her legs. Her landing caused a slight shockwave to occur as she created a small crater.

Mina, Lita, and Raye had also transformed, but they landed far more gracefully, and with no shockwave to account for it. For that happened, they looked like they had done nothing more than simply jump in place. Pluto, her powers now back under her control, teleported down to the ground the second she had her sight back. Rini, Luna and Artemis floated down to Earth, encased in a bubble Rini had created quickly. Serena was spared her usual falling flat on her face, as she was cradled in Tuxedo Mask's arms.

Greg, who had no special powers like the rest of them, did it the old fashion way. He hit hard and with extreme prejudice.

"Greg! Are you all right?" Mercury cried out, running to where he had landed. She prayed that he wasn't seriously hurt.

Greg simply waved a hand in her direction, slowly getting up. When he was finally back on his feet, he gave himself a once over. He had just gotten those clothes clean the other day too. The indignity of it all.

Other than that, he was fine, which confused him to no end. He wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth though, so he filed it in his mental 'check another day when I am _not_ in mortal danger' file. "I'm fine Amy," he said, checking to see if his vocal cords were working, and being surprised that they were. Considering the fact that he had landed flat on his face, literally, the fact he could speak at all without spitting out all of his teeth was amazing.

Now that everyone was accounted for, and had everything attached, Sailor Mars looked around, taking in her surroundings. "Where in the name of the moon are we?" Everyone knew that she was asking Mercury, who could figure out anything.

"Do I look like I know?" Mercury shot back irritably. She was extremely edgy, and for the first time in her life, spoiling for a fight. The others noticed this, and started backing away quickly. Mars tensed subtly, waiting for her to attack. An angry Amy was an Amy you treaded carefully around…unless you were a meatball-head girl who was fearless when it came to dealing with her friends.

"Whoa, Ames!" Serena exclaimed, getting in between them before the two Scouts could even think about hurting each other. "She just asked a question!"

Mercury began to take deep breaths, trying to keep her emotions in check. She had never felt so angry before in her life. _'Probably from the lack of sleep, and not knowing what is going on.'_ But thankfully, she had been angry before, and knew how to deal with it. And Serena was right, all Raye did was ask a question. She had no right to take out her frustration on her.

When she had calmed significantly, she turned to Mars and said, "I'm sorry, Raye. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm just…tired."

Mars just smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ames. It's just that you have never yelled at anyone like that before." She looked around. "So now what do we do now?"

"Well, we can't stay here," Jupiter replied, looking around with just a touch of paranoia. "How bout we try to find some civilization before we get attacked?"

Greg was now next to Mercury. "Good idea. And strangely enough, I've got a feeling that it's this way." He pointed in one direction.

Mercury's computer and visor were out almost immediately, and she scanned in the direction that Greg was pointing. She blinked, astonished. "You're right," she said. And the funny thing was that she was right too. She had been ready to scan in that direction anyway.

"If there's a town or something there, then let's get going. Maybe we can get some answers as to where we are."

Serena started walking after she had said that, Darien right behind her. Mercury watched them go, then shrugged. "Guess we'll figure it out later," she muttered to Greg. Greg nodded in agreement, smiling weakly. They followed them, having no other option.

As they walked, the Scouts observed that the air was not only breathable, but fresh. Not fresh as in, it was not stale. Fresh as in the absence of automobile and factory smoke fresh. They found it…refreshing. However, Mercury and Greg found the land they were walking on comfortably…familiar. They didn't know why though.

Rini stared at the two with a look of concern on her face. She wanted to know Luna P and Raye had meant when they said that one of those two had more power than two Silver Crystals. No force could be more powerful than the Silver Crystal. Her mommy had taught her that when she was old enough to know. So having the weakest of the Sailor Scouts, a fact even Amy had stated to them all, and a person who was a Rainbow Crystal Carrier having more power than the entire Sailor Scout team combined was…weird, in her eight year old mind's opinion.

But at the same time, she knew that no one could answer those questions yet. Not until they had more information. Information that was not going to be forthcoming for quite a while. And she was more concerned about Amy and Greg than she was of that mystery.

"I'm worried about them," she said, talking to Luna. "I mean, Luna P couldn't even find out what that power was, and Amy and Greg aren't getting a lot of sleep these days, and it's starting to make them grouchy."

"We know Rini," Artemis sighed, "but with Greg, that's normal. He can work around it with little difficulty. It's Amy I'm more concerned about. She doesn't have any experience at all in these matters. It's starting to exact a toll on her."

"Now we're in this strange place, and I have a feeling there is a connection between their dreams, and this place." Rini continued to stare at the ground in thought. "And I know that there's more to this than meets the eye."

Luna looked at her with a bit of pride. "You will make a formidable Sailor Scout in the future," she told the Crystal Tokyo princess, "because I had the same thought as well."

"As did I," Artemis added, looking at Greg's back with a thoughtful stare. "But we need to find out where we are first, then find the connection between here and that white light that brought us here. That way, we'll be one step closer to figuring out what Pluto and Mars saw in their minds. You will need to hold on to your curiosity until then."

"Oh, okay Artemis."

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They managed to walk for several hours without running into any problems. They did see a great deal of wildlife. Serena and Mina were particularly taken by the rabbits, while Mercury found it odd that there would be creatures indigenous to Earth on this planet. Then she had looked up.

When she had seen the Earth above them though, she was not surprised. What surprised her was that she was not surprised. It was if she had viewed it many times before like this. She noted that Greg was having the same reaction, and decided to talk to him about it later. First though... "Pluto, do you think it's possible that we are on moon, during the time of the Moon Kingdom?" she asked, as she heard Serena and the others gasp, or meow in shock as they looked up.

Pluto thought about it long and hard. "No," she finally stated, looking very worried. "The Moon Kingdom had a breathable atmosphere, but its sky was predominately night. It never had a blue sky at all."

"Well, that blows that theory," Amy began calming the rest of the girls down before they started panicking. She succeeded in bringing their histrionics to a bearable level.

Finally, after the group therapy session, Serena stomach began to grumble. It was a signal of danger, as Serena was a complete menace if she wasn't fed. Amy and the others knew this from personal experience. Even Rini began to start looking around for anything, a carrot, a piece of broccoli. _'My kingdom for a place with food,'_ Amy pleaded.

As if to answer her prayers, she saw something over the horizon that looked like a building. Getting her computer and visor out of their sub-space pocket, she scanned the structure. Her earlier thoughts were confirmed. It was a building of some kind. What was amazing about it was that it was built right into the mountain. Not carved. _Built._ She could worry about that later though.

"Hey guys!" she called out. "I think I found some shelter about three kilometers to our right! Maybe they'll have some food for us."

"That would be nice," Serena moaned, her hands already clutching her stomach in hunger.

As they approached, they noted that the structure was made of a material similar to marble, and boasting an impression of a female wearing a toga. "Reminds me of a Greek Temple I once saw," Mina whispered to Lita. Lita nodded, too impressed to answer.

Serena wasn't staring at the temple, like everyone else. Instead, she was starting to become sluggish. "Does it have food in there?" she asked dumbly, already starting to foam at the mouth, figuratively speaking.

"I don't know," Mercury groaned, her own appetite making her edgier than she already was. It was all she could do not to shriek in frustration. She was definitely on the verge of a total breakdown.

Pluto noticed this, and moved nearer to Greg. "I don't think that Serena is the only one who needs nourishment at the moment," she murmured to him.

Greg looked at her and replied, "Well I know how she feels like, because that's what I'm feeling right now." Greg turned his gaze back to the temple. "I also feel like I've been here before."

"Where do you think you have been somewhere like this before?"

"No I mean I feel like I've _here_ before," Greg emphasized. "_This_ temple. _This_ mountain." A growling interrupted his explanation. "This hunger," he finished jokingly.

"I was more on the lines of Mercury's current attitude," Pluto stated wryly. "It isn't how she usually acts. On the moon, Queen Serenity once said that Mercury's emotional temperate made her seem like a Goddess. I don't think she ever saw this."

Greg thought about it before answering. "For starters, we're not on the moon anymore. Amy is not really a princess anymore. Twentieth Century life is considerably more dangerous right now than the Silver Millennium ever was. And again, I know how she feels. I'm just a lot better at hiding my feelings than she is." Greg's gaze shifted to Serena, who was now drooling like a tap. "I just hope they're is food in there, otherwise Serena's going to go ballistic."

"I agree."

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As it turned out, the place did have food, as it helped road weary travelers who were low on provisions and needed a place to stay for the night. A young woman named Jessica met them at the door, greeting them and then ushering them in without any suspicion in her stance. And as Amy watched Serena mow through the food like she was a wrestler, she was glad that the woman did. A few more minutes, and the moon princess would have begun biting off one of her own legs.

While they ate, the majority of them, minus Serena for obvious reasons, began to question the priests and priestesses as to where they were. The answers they obtained, though, gave Amy and Greg more questions. Question that no one had the answers to.

Serena finally looked up after what seemed like hours and said, "Thanks for the food. I know we're eating quite a bit of it."

"Don't worry about it," Jessica replied. She had introduced herself to them while she had handing out plates. "We get a lot of people with big appetites around here. It's usually the norm."

"Yeah, kinda like you Jess," one of the other apprentices spoke up, her voice filled with good humor.

Jessica looked a little put off by this. "Hey, I'm half beast man! I can't help it if I have a big appetite!" she protested. The others laughed at this.

Mina was the first to calm down. "I have a question Jessica. I have a fascination in temples. Could you tell me who this temple was erected for?" she asked.

The entire order of people there stopped moving around to turn and stare at Mina as if she had grown a second head, or something. "You're joking…right?" Jessica asked, as if where they were was obvious to every last one of them.

"Ummmmmm…no?"

Thankfully, Amy managed to come to the rescue before a major diplomatic incident could happen. "What my friend means," she said hastily, "is that she was wondering the name of the temple is." She ignored Mina's confused gaze, keeping her eyes on Jessica.

Jessica looked relieved. "Oh! Well, we call it the Goddess Tower. It's the primary place of worship, as well as the home of Althena, our Goddess."

_'Well, that was easy. __Hey, wait a minute. Why does that name ring a bell? _Darien, and everyone else, save for Greg, didn't notice Amy's look of confusion. For that, she was glad.

"Do you know if there are any settlements around here?" Darien asked, his tone that of a man wishing to learn everything there was to know about a certain world. "You see, we're somewhat new to this neck of the woods."

Jessica thought about it long and hard. "Well," she said, "there's my hometown, Meribia, which is just a weeks journey from here. We can give you food and some money for spending purposes."

Amy perked up. "Thanks for the help." She bowed graciously to their new acquaintance. "There is one thing I want to ask though," she added.

"Okay, I'll bite," Jessica replied, looking curious.

"Is it all right if Serena and Rini were to stay here, until we get back?" Amy looked over at her friend, ignoring Rini's sudden death glare. "It will allow us to reach Meribia, and keep her safe."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who said we're staying here?" Serena shouted, looking extremely shocked at this. She stared at Amy with an expression of dismay. Rini just glared at her for a moment longer before returning back to her meal.

Greg spoke up before the situation escalated further. "No offense Serena, but you have less impulse control, in terms of eating, than Mike Tyson. Also we kinda need to keep you two safe. It _is_ the girls duty after all."

Serena looked rather strangely at their rainbow crystal carrier companion. "Uh…right. And where pray tell are you all going?" she asked.

"Well, Greg and myself will head in the general direction of Meribia," Amy stated, then asked, "Is there anywhere else we can try?"

Another priest spoke up. "The magic floating city of Vane. It circles the Goddess Tower into an eternal shield of protection." He started to look around for something, found it, and unrolled it. Amy noticed that it was a map of Lunar. "There is a transmission spring that's just a three day journey from here."

"That's it?" Raye asked, her curiosity piqued. As a Shinto priestess, she had learned very powerful spells, some helpful, some very dangerous.

"Well, no. In order to get into Vane for the first time, you need to give them an application. Then you need to pass through their trial." Jessica went and got some more paper. Raye noted that it looked like a standard work application. "You pass the trial, you can enter the city. Then the transport will transfer you directly from the city to the ground."

"Okay. Can you give us the application please? That way, we can get into the city legally." Raye stretched her arms out to work some kinks out of her body.

"Sure." Jessica handed the applications over to them. "You need anything else?"

"Well, we need some currency, as well as food for the journey, which you are already giving us.' Amy thought some more. "We also need a map of the area. So we don't get lost."

An older priest looked around for a moment. "Ah! Here we are," he exclaimed, pulling out a map that not only seemed like it had just been made, but had a metallic sheen to it. Amy noted that it seemed to shimmer in the light.

The priest handed it over to Amy. "I hope this will suffice," was all he said.

Amy looked at it long and hard. "I think it will."

If only she had known.

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After a collective number of good-byes, minus the cats, both who had elected to stay with Serena, the other Scouts began their journey to Meribia. Darien was understandably saddened about leaving Serena and Rini behind, but his beloved assured them that they would be all right. Now, with backpacks laden with food, as well as money pouches now tied around their waists, they began walking.

For three days, they walked, meeting up with several other groups along the way, all who were very kind to them. Through them, they learned a little bit about the world they had landed on. It proved very advantageous.

When they reached the Transmission Spring, Amy and the others hugged each other goodbye. "You show them what magic is all about," Greg had added, much to the amusement of Jupiter. Then Amy and Greg continued on their way.

As they did, they talked about their lives, dreams, fears, just anything that came to them. Greg was not surprised that Amy's dream was becoming a doctor. Amy was not surprised that Greg wanted to become a businessman. Both had a fear of the unknown, and both apparently loved to fly.

"Boy, I must be the luckiest girl in these parts," Amy stated after a lengthily pause on the last day of their journey. "I have the cutest guy in the whole of Lunar."

Greg looked at her, surprised.

Amy winked at him.

"It's strange. Apparently we're discovering parts of ourselves that we have never even noticed before. I never thought that I'd hear those words out of your mouth." Greg immediately realized something. "It's kind of like our dreams."

Amy looked at him, that same look realization on her face. "You're right, Greg. It does seem like that." She grinned. "Oh well. I'm kind of enjoying this. I mean, we've never really just... talked before."

For the rest of the day, they continued to walk, stopping only to have a quick lunch. They both had a lot on their minds, and both were silent as they walked. Finally though, Amy had to speak. "Those dreams…" she began.

"I know. They don't make any sense," Greg finished for her. "But we'll soon be in Meribia. Maybe we'll find some answers when we get there. And I have a feeling that we're not the only ones looking for answers. Do you think you can remain calm until then?"

Amy turned her gaze to him. "How can you remain calm?" she asked, looking very frustrated. "I'm about ready to fall to pieces, and you're walking like you don't have a care in world! What in the Goddesses name is your secret?" She immediately wondered why she had said goddess in that sentence, but she didn't follow that train of thought.

"A lifetime of having dreams of the future," was his reply. "I never had dreams like these before, but the basic principle is the same. I just simply take them at face value, then I figure out which is dreams, and which is real."  
Amy now gazed at him with an expression of understanding. "You're right, she finally said, sighing softly. "I'll try to remain calm. It's just that I don't like knowing about anything."

"You know what Ames? Neither do I." Greg turned to stare into Amy's eyes. They were still watching each other as they entered the port city of Meribia. Somehow, they knew that they were going to get some answers soon.

For as the powers-that-be know, they weren't the only ones who were going in that direction. In all fairness, T.K. and Kari were on their way to Meribia as well.


	9. Episode Eight: The Weird Woods, Part Two

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Eight: Laike

The half hour spent walking to the Weird Woods was different from last night, and not just because of the fact the girls were with them. There were no hidden plots, no attempts to talk anyone back. There was laughter, as Izzy and Ramus once again went at it like the Ali and Frazier of business disputes. It was actually refreshing.

When they reached the Weird Woods though, the mood of the group did a downhill spiral. And thickened. To fog-like proportions.

"It's worse than yesterday guys," Ramus groaned, defeat plain in his tone. Not even an hour into their journey, and already they had an obstacle that they couldn't pass. "There's no way we can get through this stuff."

"We can't keep giving up and going home Ramus!" Nall shouted, his voice sharper than he had intended. It wasn't Ramus's fault.

Matt was trying to see, but wasn't having any success. "Well what would you have us do Nall? Ramus is right, we can't stumble through this fog. But you're right as well, we can't just keep giving up.

"We have to try! I mean, maybe the fog will disappear…"

Luna was looking around, as if she was trying to find something like a spirit, or an OFF switch. Finding nothing of the sort, she began to think about it. "Don't get upset Nall," she said soothingly. She turned to look at Alex. "There's something I'd like to try."

Everyone turned to look at her with a group of looks that spoke of their curiopsity. Nall asked on behalf of them all, "What do you mean Luna?"

For that, Luna did not answer, at least in words. So she decided to show them. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. The she started to sing.

Kari was about to ask what in tarnation she was doing, but the music stopped her. It was beautiful and tranquil, soothing the confusion in her heart and soul. It also sounded familiar, but she was used to the sensation now that she ignored it.

T.K., Gatomon and Patamon were also in a state of tranquil relaxation. Gatomon felt the music caress her ears, soothing the turmoil in her soul. She felt…lighter. She wondered about that. But that was nothing compared to what was happening at that moment.

The fog, which was as thick as pea soup a moment ago, was dissipating. Visibility was improving at a slow, but rapidly increasing rate. They could now see the trees for the first time. The sky became visible over the canopy.

In less time than it took to get on a horse, the Weird Woods saw day light for the first time in thirteen years. The Digi-Destined and their adventuring friends were understandably shocked.

"W…O…W!" Nall breathed. "The fog just faded away!" He looked around, his eyes as big as dinner plates, figuratively speaking.

Izzy looked around, his entire belief system now in shambles. "Not…bad," he managed to get out.

"Not bad? That was better than Mimi. Uh…no offense," Gatomon added hastily, looking at Mimi.

Mimi looked extremely put off. "None taken." She looked at Luna. "How did you do that?" she asked.

Luna was silent, her own face a giant question mark. She had been asking herself the same question.

Alex was starting to get worried. "Luna…?"

It seemed to snap Luna out of her trance, and she turned in Alex's direction. "I don't know how I did that, Alex. I don't even understand how I knew I could. I just…felt it in my heart, and then my voice took over. But…how…I…" she started to stammer.

Alex had never seen Luna in that sort of emotional state. Even last night paled in comparison. "Luna…? Are you okay?"

Ramus, as always, was completely ignorant of what was going on. "C'mon guys! Now that the fog's lifted, we can get to Saith in no time!" He started to walk, humming a little tune as he did so.

Reluctantly, Alex and Luna tore their gazes from each other to look around the now clear forest. "Yeah, let's get going," he uttered silently to himself, resolving to stay near Luna as much as possible.

As they began walking, they kept their eyes and ears open. They tried to remain vigilant, but at the same time, they wanted to stay as relaxed as humanly, of digitally possible. Tai and the other Digi-Destined were familiar with this approach, as it allowed them to sleep at night when they were in the Digital World.

Even Kari and T.K., who were, for lack of a better term, kids, got the feeling that every sense of theirs was expanding. Every smell was stronger. Every sound was more pronounced. Everything they saw was in sharper focus. But at the same time, they were calm.

Ramus was watching them, amazed at how they were acting. He couldn't believe it. They were two years younger than him and Alex, but they acted like they were going on a stroll through the towns square. At the same time, they looked like they were expecting trouble to come right at them. _'Must of taken time to develop,' _he thought.

Then the trouble they were waiting for struck.

After they had opened a chest they had found, revealing an antidote, once again to Izzy's knowledge, they ran into their first opponents. They all came to a singular conclusion; the creatures were ugly! And in need for a weed whacking.

**Fly Trapper: A shrubbery type monster that inhabits the Weird Woods. It attacks with its vines and teeth. If the flowers on its head start to bob up and down, it is getting ready to poison its foe.**

Izzy looked up. "Careful, guys!" he shouted. "These things are stronger than the creatures in the Dragon Cave!"

"PEPPER BREATH! Take that!" Agumon shouted, opening the first shot, obliterating a Trapper in one shot. "They're weak against fire guys! Give me some space!" He slashed at another with his claws, slicing it in half. "No problem! We're better prepared than in the Dragon Cave!"

Ramus and Alex were already choosing their targets carefully, working as a tag team would in the ring. Luna was throwing her poison darts around, hitting whatever she could.

Tai managed to get out of the way of one of them as it tried to poison him. His blade was still entangled in one of the vines of another one, so he swung his fist. It connected with a surprisingly solid head. It also connected with a tad bit more force than he had originally assumed, as the creature sank to the ground, unconscious. "Well, that's something," he muttered to himself.

Sora and Mimi were throwing their own supplies of darts around, flicking them with unerring accuracy. They never ran out, making them wonder, and put it in as a question for their resident experts for later.

Biyomon and Tentomon had developed a bit of a hit and run tactic; flying close enough to attack with their claws or talons, then flying away before the trapper could retaliate. This tactic also allowed Agumon to mow down the enemy with extreme prejudice.

Matt took a glancing blow to his shoulder, just enough to make him grunt in pain. It also served to piss him off, as he whirled around, his foot catching the one who struck him in a roundhouse kick. It slammed into a nearby tree, knocking it out. "The Weird Woods," he spoke to the sky, "is getting tiresome."

Finally though, after what seemed to be an hour of fighting, even though it was only five minutes, the surviving weeds decided to run for it. In a matter of seconds, the forest looked like it had never been disturbed. The only way they could tell there had ever been a battle was because of the bodies of dead or unconscious Fly Trappers on the ground. "Well, that was fun," Gomamon stated, brushing some grime off his head. "When's lunch?"

Joe looked at him incredulously. "How can you think of food at a time like this?" Gomamon just shrugged, deciding to not reply. Joe grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Asshole," under his breath.

"Joe…" Sora began warningly.

"Oh give it a rest Sora," Tai put in quickly. "Joe probably would call the queen of England that if she pissed him off enough."

"I would not! I don't want to be thrown into the dungeon because of that!"

"Relax Joe!" Everybody shouted at once.

The group gathered, assessing their injuries, seeing if they needed anything healed. Matt's was the worst so far, but it wasn't serious. So they continued on, with Joe muttering under his breath of how this was a bad idea, and Gomamon asking him to be a tad louder.

They walked a ways longer, fighting a few more Fly Trappers as they went, as well as collecting some more antidotes. Izzy was about to explode with keeping the question to himself. Mimi noticed this, and whispered, "Give it time Izzy. We'll get the answer to it sooner or later."

"Good…Alex! Giant Mushrooms approaching at twelve o'clock!" Izzy's computer was open and scanning the second after he had yelled out that warning.

The giant mushrooms were green with purplish tops. They stood about as tall as Alex did, and looked more like small trees than they did mushrooms. They were also moving like a zombie, slow and uncoordinated. However, as Izzy discovered, it was because of the fact that it didn't have anything remotely approaching legs. Instead, it was scrabbling along on four vines. It also appeared hungry.

"Scythe Spore: A mushroom type. It's mushroom top is actually a mouth that it uses to eat or attack. It possesses the ability to poison its enemies. It's also considerably tougher than the Fly Trappers, so be careful."

"You got it Izzy." Mimi released a storm of darts at the incoming swarm. She managed to hit all of them, which surprised her to no end.

Tai swung his blade at one of them, aiming for its head. It reared back though, avoiding the weak attack, then started leaping up and down. Tai didn't understand why. Someone did though.

Izzy, acting on instinct alone, threw his computer to Joe, who had backed off almost immediately, then charged. He slammed into Tai, knocking him out of the way as the Spore unleashed a cloud of greenish mist into Izzy's face.

And in that moment, Izzy Izumi felt Lunarian poison for the first time. It was something that he would remember for the rest of his days.

The pain was excruciating! It felt like his insides were on fire and about to explode. Noah had not told him that the poison of Lunar would have an effect like this. It did nothing to solve his immediate problem, which was that he was getting weaker.

"_Izzy_!" Mimi, Tai, and Tentomon shouted at the same time, all three of them moving in his particular direction. Mimi was the most frantic, though she didn't know why.

Izzy was at that point beyond caring, as he was now curled up in a ball. The Spore, now over him, opened its mouth and prepared to finish the job.

"No!" Tai roared, charging at it like a bull. He caught it in a very effective spear, snapping it in half. Palmon had begun using one of them as a club, smashing its now mutilated body into other ones. The others began to fight their way to where Izzy was laying.

Mimi got to him first, and with no thought at all about her looks or her clothes, kicked another one that had approached. The creature stumbled back before righting himself and snapping at Mimi. Or tried to, but she had released several darts, shredding it's head mozzarella style. It dropped, spraying Tai with its plant juices. "Ewww. Gross," he said, mimicking Mimi.

Mimi ignored Tai, but it wasn't to annoy him. She was more concerned about Izzy. Checking to see if there were any injuries, she roared, "Nall! I need an antidote and a herb now!" Nall flew over to where she was.

Despite her obvious dislike of almost anything but shopping and her friends, and her obvious flakiness. Mimi actually did know her herbs, and also knew old home remedies for colds and headaches. And even if she didn't act like it, she was extremely intelligent. In fact, she was just about as intelligent as Izzy. It also helped that she had a photographic memory, as she remembered what each was for.

When she got what she would need, she first helped Izzy eat the antidote, feeling relieved when he finally stopped twitching in pain. Then she gave him the herb, which he was able to administer to himself. She noted that most of the color returned to his face. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Izzy looked at her. "I'm doing much better now, thanks to your timely assistance," he replied. "Thank you."

"That's good," Tai said, swinging his short sword at one, slicing it in half. "I hope I don't ever see you like that again!"

"I don't want to _feel_ it period." Tentomon released a Super Shocker at another one, electrocuting it. "I think that's the last one." He looked around as he said this, then asked, "If it's a plant type monster, how come I could electrocute it?"

"No clue. Ask Althena when we see her," was all Matt would say as he walked over to where Izzy was now sitting. You okay man?"

"I'm feeling extraordinarily better, thank you." Izzy looked at Tai. "You okay Tai?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the save Izzy," Tai replied. "You know, I think that was the last one."

Ramus agreed with him. "So do I. If there are any others, they're probably hightailing it out of here."

"Which we better do as well," Alex added sensibly. He walked over to Izzy. "Can you stand?" he asked.

Izzy checked his legs, moving them experimentally. He found they could withstand his weight when he walked, but he wouldn't be able to stand. "I'll need some help getting up," he said, "but after words, I'll be able to walk on my own." He shifted hid gaze. "Mimi, could you help me?" he asked.

Mimi blushed, not enough to be seen though, and wrapped her hands around Izzy's outstretched arm. She helped him up to a standing position, where he was a little wobbling, but was able to walk. He stared at Mimi. "Looks like we're even," he noted lightly.

"And I owe you Izzy," Tai threw in. He patted the keeper of Knowledge on the shoulder.

Tentomon flew up. "Nice save Izzy," he stated appreciatively. "I give it a ten plus for effort, but five plus for style." He looked at Izzy with suspicion. "I didn't think you could do that."

"Neither did I," Izzy stated. "It just goes to prove what a person can do if their friends are in danger." He finally stopped wobbling. "Though next time," he added, "I'm going to carry an antidote with me from here on out."

"Well, we all learn something everyday," Nall threw in, earning him a glare from Alex. "Like Mimi for starters. She went and risked her own life. Just to save poor defenseless Izzy."

At this, Mimi blushed crimson and stepped away from Izzy. The boy in question also blushed, but had turned away to pick up his backpack. When he felt his face cool, he turned around to give Nall a glare that spoke of death and daggers.

"What?" Nall asked.

Alex intervened before the stare became an all out war. "We'll make their lives miserable later. Right now, we might as well keep moving." He put his sword back in its scabbard, and started walking.

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Nall flew ahead, scouting the situation. He did this for two reasons; number one, so they weren't surprised like the last time, and number two, so he wasn't in range of Izzy and Mimi. Those two probably would have taken him apart! Grant you, he was smaller and faster than them, but they had Tentomon and Palmon…

As he was worrying what those two were going to do to him, he spotted something about five feet in front of him. Flying a little faster to investigate, he flew directly into a clearing. "Hey guys!" he shouted behind him. "I'm in a clearing! There are no monsters present whatsoever!"

"Could you make sense?" Alex asked exasperatedly. He turned to T.K., who was walking beside him. "He always gets like that when he's scared that someone going to hurt him," he whispered. T.K. laughed.

"Let's get there than!" Joe suggested. "I'm starting to sneeze from all of this pollen."

Gomamon simply looked at him. "When is the pollen not making you sneeze?"

"I'll ignore that."

Sora simply sighed. "They'll never change."

Tai agreed with her there.

After several minutes of walking, they entered the clearing. Nall flew up to them. "Took you long enough," he greeted them sarcastically. "I was about to go to sleep waiting for you!"

"And nice to see you too Nall," Palmon retorted.

Gatomon shifted her gaze to the sky. "We've been in here for a while," she commented. "It's almost dark."

"I guess you're right. No use stumbling around in the dark." Tai began relaxing a little bit. "Let's set up camp."

They started to look around. "What about over there?" Gabumon asked, pointing to an area with a single tree.

"Good eyes Gabumon. Let's go set up near there." Alex shifted the backpack on his shoulder.

They started to move forward, all of them with one thought on their minds. Despite the healing properties of the herbs, nothing could replace the wonders of a long sleep. And they were safe… or so they thought.

As they reached their destination, Agumon and Gabumon suddenly stopped and began to look around. Agumon also heard something, and it gave him the feeling that they were being watched. "Ummm…guys? I think we're being watched."

"Huh?" Tai looked around as well. "Actually, I got that same feeling right now too," he said. "And there they are!" He pointed in one particular direction. Everyone followed his finger and saw it as well.

Coming out from behind the trees and bushes were two types of monsters. One of them looked like a combination bowling ball and Medusa. Instead of snakes though, it had tentacles writhing on its head. Its eye, Izzy realized, was actually a camouflage to disguise its mouth. Truly an ingenious method of evolution.

The other creature on the other hand, stood on two muscular legs. It was slightly stooped as well, carrying a big stick, and wearing only loincloths. Its face resembled that of a bulldog. Izzy, already realizing what these two monsters could be, pointed his computer at them.

"It's a Goblin," he spoke up, "A ghoul type monster who carries a big stick around with him at all times." His blood ran cold. "It also posses the ability to poison it's victims with little difficulty. They always attack in large groups, and beat their opponents to death. The other is the Gorgon we were warned about. Its mouth is actually its entire face. It has an attack where it actually _regurgitates_ its stomach acids to try and poison its enemies. Disgusting." He snapped the computer shut. "They also attack in groups, so we better make a statement-."

"Too late," Gabumon interrupted him, as the Goblin and Gorgon were joined by more.

And more.

Until there were three dozen Goblins and two dozen Gorgons near them, advancing. It was obvious what their intent was. Everyone started to back up.

"What…what are you?" Nall asked frantically, though he already knew the answer. "Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Sadly, but not surprisingly, they didn't obey him.

Agumon shot a look to the other Digimon. All of them were exhausted. They had never had to fight continuously before. So far, their most titanic battles probably lasted an hour at most. _'This is not good.'_ He thought dismally.

"They're too many of them!" Ramus shouted, looking at the Digimon and coming to the same conclusion that Agumon did. "And the Digimon are too tired to fight again! Let's run for it!"

"Good idea. Okay everyone, back the way we came!" Alex ordered, already turning around.

They tried to run, but another batch of Gorgons came out of nowhere, effectively blocking the way back into the forest. "We're surrounded!" Nall exclaimed needlessly. No one told him to shut it.

"Alex! I'm too young and promising to die!" Ramus wailed in despair, never the less getting into a defensive stance, weapon ready.

Alex nodded. "Then we have no choice but to fight!" He got into a fighting stance, ignoring his tired muscles. Tentomon he noted flew and began hovering next to Izzy. Gatomon and Patamon looked ready to rumble.

Exhausted, many of them barely able to stand, the group got ready to battle, with even Kari holding her scepter like a club, ready to use it. _'But how?'_ she asked herself.

The lead Goblin barked a command, and they surged forward like a tide, ready to beat the prey to death. The Digi-Destined braced themselves for an impact that would surely destroy them…if had hit. The reason for that was that they never reached them.

As the first one reached them, bringing its stick down for a blow, it suddenly keeled over, blood oozing fro a cut in its chest. The rest of them stopped as a hearty laugh, and a voice saying, "Looks like we have a bit of trouble here!"

Confused, the group started looking around, trying to find the owner of the mysterious voice. "Who's there?" Agumon called out. Then his question was answered, and in the most direct way possible.

In a far corner of the forest, a movement caught Tai's eye. He turned to see a man step out from behind a tree into the clearing. He was large man, with muscles that were defined beneath his clothing. He had a scruffy beard, and a lean, hardened face. A wicked looking blade hung around his waist, and a smile graced his face as if it were permanently etched there.

Nall looked at him in amazement. "Who are you?" he asked. "Where did you come from? What the heck is goin' _on_?"

The man was going to answer, chuckling as he did so, but he took one look around and instead said, "Hmm… perhaps this isn't the time for an introduction!"

"Yeah, you're probably right!" Joe retorted, keeping his eyes on the Goblins.

"Do you kids want some help?" the mystery warrior asked, his hand caressing the handle of his sword like it was a part of him. "Or do can you handle these critters by yourselves?"

Alex stole a glance at everyone else. With the exceptions of T.K. and Kari, everyone was exhausted. They probably wouldn't even last the first few minutes of battle. He made his decision in an instant. "Yes, please help us!' he cried out.

Almost immediately, the sword was in the warrior's hand, and he gave out another boisterous laugh. "Let's have a crack at these things then," he exclaimed in joy, "Supper's a comin' and I need to work up an appetite!"

"Good for you sir." Palmon decided that the guy was crazy as hell. _'But hey, crazy works,'_ she thought to herself.

Tai finally found a little kernel of energy to use. "Okay then. Let's do this…again," he muttered. Agumon, Pest control!"

"You got it Tai," Agumon replied, feeling a surge of adrenaline go through his system. _'Ah, the joys of the fight or flight response.'_

The group all agreed silently to get the hell out of that circle as soon as an opening presented itself. Until then, they still had enough energy to dodge and weave through the masses of creatures trying to turn them into rugs. They also did a great deal of pain to the monsters in the process, distracting them from another person. The majority of the creatures though, were trying to gang up on the newcomer, indicating that he was a common, and unwelcome, presence in the Woods. It allowed Mimi and Sora to use their darts, hitting them in the legs and arms, for all the good that did them.

Kari on the other hand, was having infinitely better success, as she was using the scepter of Light like a baseball bat, hitting them left and right. She was over the shock of her superhuman strength, and was putting it to good use.

The stranger was no pushover in battle either. Wielding his sword like it was an extension of him, he wadded into the thick of them, slicing them left and right. It was amazing to say the least. And T.K. noted that they were leaving him and the rest of his friends alone. _'Must be a common sight around here,'_ he thought. Turning his attention back to his opponent, he ducked a tentacle, and jumped up to avoid the goo that came out the Gorgons mouth, using his momentary height advantage to do a double kick.

The Gorgon turned into a discus for a moment as it sailed through the air, then slammed into a tree. T.K. was not surprised as it slumped to the ground, very dead. _'Looks like I have that strength too. And I thought that it was just a fluke too,' _he thought sadly.

Finally, after only five minutes of fighting, the surviving Goblins and Gorgons began backing into the forest at less than half of their original number. They did it very quickly, again implying that it was a common occurrence for this man to beat the stuffing out of them. T.K. was not comforted by that revelation. He wasn't complaining though, as within a few minutes, the clearing was…clear again except for the intrepid band and the stranger.

"We did it!" Nall exulted, and without waiting for anyone else to cheer or sigh in relief, turned around and shot out, "Who are you?" at the stranger, lightening fast. "Or should I ask, _what_ are you?"

With the creatures now gone, the Digi-Destined and their adventuring friends got a better look at the savior. He was definitely muscular as they all thought. He also stood two feet taller then Ramus, though his presence made him seem taller. He wore a military style cap on his head, and a yellow cape around his shoulders. The sword, they now noticed, was hanging in its scabbard once again, and his stance was relaxed, if not a little stern. _'All in all, a person looking for a good time,'_ Patamon thought._ 'But fighting Goblins?'_

With a flourish of his cape, the stranger stared at them. "What a hapless bunch you are," he said. "You're lucky I came along when I did." He crossed his arms at over his chest. "Didn't you know that these woods were ridiculously dangerous for ordinary travelers? Are you lost, or out for a picnic?"

Gatomon bristled in indignation. "No sir, we are not on a picnic, and we are _not_ lost," she informed him archly. "If you really want to know, we are on an adventure."

The stranger suddenly stared wide-eyed at them. "What? An adventure?" He was silent for a moment before he began to chuckle. The chuckle soon escalated into a laugh, then ended with the man clutching his sides in hilarity, tears streaming down his eyes in mirth.

Nall and the others were not so amused. "What's so funny?" Nall asked irritated.

The stranger finally managed to get enough breath to answer. "The lot of you are on an adventure? That's the best line I've heard in a long time!" He doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

"I don't see what's so funny about that," Mimi growled.

The stranger finally stopped laughing. "I wasn't laughing at you!" he exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was laughing at what you kids are doing. It's been a long time since anyone has told me that they were on an adventure." He straightened, that same smile on his face. "Tell ya what! I'll whip up a nice fire and some grub, and you can tell me all about it!"

T.K. grinned. "Now that," he said, his stomach grumbling, "is something none of us will refuse!"

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The fire crackled soothingly, casting the clearing into flickering shadows. It provided illumination for the group now huddled around it. They continued to glance around them, as if waiting for the Goblins to attack. The stranger noticed this, and chuckled. "Don't worry kids. The smoke from the herbs I'm burning will keep the monsters away."

Everyone relaxed after hearing the reassurance. Nall even stated, "You're smarter than you look mister. I'm impressed!"

The man laughed. "Thanks…I think!" he replied, looking in Nall's direction. "But I'm not smart. When you travel as much as I do, you just learn things along the way." He suddenly noticed Mimi shivering. "Come on kids, it's getting chilly. Let's get closer to the fire."

Everybody moved a little closer, grateful for the warmth the fire provided. Kari however, slid the scepter behind her backpack for some reason. She didn't want the man to know that she had it. She didn't know why though.

They were silent for a few moments more when the stranger smacked his head, making them all jump. "I just realized," he remarked, "I haven't even asked for your name yet. My name is Laike."

"I'm Alex," Alex replied, shaking Laike's hand, "and this is Ramus." He pointed at big and fat.

"Hello," Ramus said, mumbling over a mouthful of food. Sora looked disgusted at this.

The Digi-Destined introduced themselves, all of them exhibiting better manners then Ramus, though many of the sounded tired. The only ones with any real energy in them were T.K., Kari, and their Digimon partners.

"I'm Nall," the little flying fur ball called out.

"And I am Luna," Luna supplied, shaking Laike's hand. "We're traveling from the village of Burg." She gazed around her for a moment. "Thank you for helping us defeat the monsters Laike. You're quite kind."

"Hmm…" Laike muttered thoughtfully, "Luna…"

"Is something wrong Laike?" Luna asked.

The question snapped Laike out of his thought. "Oh…nothing," he replied, staring at the fire. "That's just a name I've not heard in a long time." He looked up in the general direction of Burg. "Your village is the birthplace of Dragonmaster Dyne, right?" he suddenly asked.

The question brought all talk to a standstill. Caught off guard, Alex replied after a minute, "Yes. Dragonmaster Dyne is our hero! Well…he's my hero." He lowered his head in embarrassment.

T.K.'s head turned to stare at Alex's direction, something nagging in the back of his head. He just couldn't figure out what it was though. He decided to talk to the others later about it, when he wasn't so tired.

Laike looked at Alex with a strange glint in his eyes. "So, you're going to be the next Dragonmaster." He stated in an inquisitive tone.

Alex innate modesty kicked in. "I…uh…I…I'd like to," he managed to stutter. His face was now red as an apple.

Laike gave him a reassuring stare. "No dream is out of reach Alex," he said wisely, "no matter how impossible it might seem." He suddenly obtained a twinkle in his eye. "And in order to accomplish your dreams, you are going to need plenty of food and rest."

Nall perked up. "So you're saying that I can accomplish anything?" he asked excitedly.

Laike gave out a very large laugh, one that seemed to lighten their moods considerably. "Indeed you can Nall!" he replied. "All right kids. Lets have some food and get some sleep. We have to get up early, while the monsters are still groggy!"

"Good idea." Tai turned to around to tell the others to go and get some shuteye, only to find all of them getting ready. Agumon and the others were already out like lights. "So much for saying good night," he muttered before helping Ramus get out the blankets and passing them around. In a few moments, after Joe threatened Tai with a certain someone, everyone went to sleep…except for two. Laike…and T.K.

T.K. was still staring at the fire, his thought now a jumble of confusion about the past several days. Now that they were not in the thick of battle, he could now wonder. "Are you all right young man?" Laike asked, noticing that T.K. was still awake. He saw the look on the kids face, and was concerned.

For a moment, T.K. was silent. "I was just…wondering," he finally said, "about why we are here. What purpose do we serve here right now? And can we go on before we start to lose people?"

Laike looked at T.K. in a new light. "Those are pretty deep thoughts for a small kid," he noted. After what you guys told me about your world, this should be relatively minor league. It's also not worth worrying about just yet." He gave T.K.'s head a good rub. "So my advice for you is to get some sleep. You're going to need it."

T.K. smiled a bit. "Alright. Thanks for the advice, and good night." With that, he went over to where his and Kari's blankets were set up, and slowly drifted to sleep.

Laike watched T.K. long after he had fallen asleep, his gaze fixated on the Crest of Hope that had appeared briefly on T.K.'s chest. _'I think I found a few of them,'_ he thought. _'And Althena thought that no one would notice.'_ He smiled faintly. _'Pretty obvious if you ask me.'_

Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the children, he shifted his gaze to Alex. The young man was filled with curiosity and determination to become a Dragonmaster. He reminded Laike of another young man who wanted to have adventures. _'He has the green eyes. I wonder…'_ He halted that thought immediately, not wanting to dwell on it. He knew some of the choices he had made when he was young, and he didn't think Alex was going to have any more luck than he did.

A yawn came out of nowhere, taking him by surprise. Deciding that it was time to follow his own advice, he settled down on his bed roll, and closed his eyes. His dreams, well… we won't get into them.

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The sun was shining as the group woke up the next day, all feeling more refreshed then last night. T.K. was even feeling more at peace with himself. Then they all looked around, feeling that something was amiss.

"What the…?" Nall muttered, trying to find out what was different. Then it clicked. "Laike's gone!" He shouted, looking slightly annoyed. Then he smiled. "That was kinda rude for him to leave without saying good-bye…but anyone who laughs at my jokes is a good man." He flapped his wings, working the kinks out of them. "I hope we meet him again."

"I guess when Laike left, he didn't want to push his luck with Nall," Agumon pointed out quietly to Tai. "I mean, we've only known the man for a few hours, but he seems to be a good guy. I agree with Nall."

"So do I," Tai returned. "Anyone remember where to go?" he asked.

Ramus looked around. "Laike said we're close to the exit, right?"

"Yep, that's what he said." Gabumon began looking through the foliage. "There's a path right through here," he finally added, pointing in the desired direction.

Nall flew to check it out. "Not bad…I guess you can see the forest through the trees," he quipped.

"_Nall!_" Everyone groaned at once.

Ramus chuckled humorlessly. "After we get out of here, we head south…to the port of Saith," he recited, beginning to tremble with excitement, "where we can set sail for Meribia and take our first step onto the shiny path of glory!"

"Deep breaths Ramus," Nall advised. "Don't hyperventilate on us!"

Sora watching Ramus warily, stated, "I don't think any of us could carry you." She paused. "If we wanted to," she added.

"Har, Har, Har. You are soooooo funny," Ramus retorted sarcastically. "Let's get out of here before I die of laughter!"

They took the path that Gabumon pointed out to them, ready for anything when they left the forest…except for what hit them the second they were out.

"Rain? We're being hit by rain?" Tai asked, looking every bit like the drowned rat.

"Hey, they say a little rain can't hurt you," Sora noted, though her tone suggested otherwise.

"Yeah, but a lot can kill you!" Mimi wailed, her hat now drooping under the rain.

Kari sighed, her shoulders slumping. "So much for going anywhere today," she groaned.


	10. Episode Nine: The Idiot Gambler

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Lunar: SSSC do not belong to me at all, nor do any of the characters in it. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takauchi. I don't really remember who owns Digimon and Lunar, but I know that I don't.)

(Theme song of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is played first, like you would see it at the beginning of the game.)

Episode Nine: The Idiot Gambler

It stopped raining at noon. However, it might as well have rained all day, for it definitely had made a mark on them. They were now extremely annoyed.

Forgoing using the blankets, as blankets tend to be very inefficient umbrellas, and had a tendency to smell when wet, Alex and Ramus, with a little help from Tentomon, had pulled a large tent out of Nall's subspace pocket and set it up. They all piled into it almost immediately, all thinking dark thoughts about heavy rain.

Once all inside the tents, Joe had pulled out a few towels so everyone could dry themselves off. None of them knew why he had towels with him, but none of them cared either. At that moment, they had referred to him as god.

Kari had never seen anyone bow before like Tai was, or get hit upside the head with the hilt of a sword, but now she had a good case study.

To make the time go faster, the Digimon decided to tell more of their adventures. For several hours they enlightened the others as to what they had been doing over the last year, duties, inventions, or just kicking some bad rookie level Digimon's ass. It proved to be very informative, and taught Kari a whole new slew of words. Words she decided she was going to wait until she was in really serious danger before using. Tai and Gatomon agreed with that, and the subject had been dropped.

Then Patamon spoke of the first time that he had digi-volved into Angemon and battled Devimon. T.K. recognized it as the battle of File Island, as the Digi-Destined were fond to call it. Had it really been a year since that had happened? It felt like it was longer to him somehow. Finally though, it had stopped raining, and they could go on. They all came to the conclusion that they were going to buy umbrellas when they got to Saith.

For two days they traveled, talking about menial things, laughing as Izzy and Ramus butted heads on every financial subject in creation. Patamon, Tentomon and Nall tried to outdo the other two in acrobatic maneuvering before Alex and T.K. told them to stop, after a dive bomb attempt from Nall almost took off Alex's head. Mimi, Sora and Luna spoke of various things, like life-dreams, beauty tips, and secret crushes.

Finally though, they entered the port village of Saith…and stared at it. "Seems a tad small to be a port," Gomamon spoke up, stating the painfully obvious to everyone present.

"This island doesn't exactly have a lot to offer," Alex mentioned, throwing a look at Gomamon. "We only have the White Dragon's Cave, and not everyone's crazy enough to go through the cave just to meet him. Besides, this is the only other town on the island."

"Yeah, and here's some advice that Noah gave Nall. Don't speak unless spoken to," Joe hissed. Gomamon just snorted quietly to himself.

Saith was very much like Burg, as it was preparing for the Goddess Festival too. Like Burg, it had streamers and balloons and even a banner that welcomed everyone to their town. Unlike Burg though, there was one thing missing, Joy. And that was for a good reason, as the group soon discovered at the town bulletin board.

"Sea Port closed? What do they mean Sea Port closed?" Ramus cried out, staring at the sign like they had just told him that he was going to be poor for the rest of his life. He looked pitiful.

"I think they mean, Sea Port closed," Tentomon answered with. "Not a good thing by any account."

Joe looked even more crestfallen than before. "So much for going to Meribia today," he muttered darkly. "We're stuck here."

"Now don't say that Joe!" Gomamon replied optimistically. "We'll find a way!"

Joe looked skeptically at his Digimon partner. "And how pray tell are we going to do that?" he asked sarcastically. "You gonna digi-volve to ultimate?" Gomamon looked rather hurt by this.

Sora noticed this, and said, "Calm down Joe," before addressing the others. "I agree with both of them. With the Port closed, we can't get to Meribia. But we'll find a way."

"I agree Sora." Tai turned to the others. "We might as well go to the port to find out what happened." He paused, then changed that sentence. "On second thought, how about we split up into groups. Biyomon, you, Nall and Luna go to the port and find out why it's closed. Everyone else, pick a couple of people to go with, and mingle."

"Right. Izzy, Tentomon, and Sora, you're with me," Alex called out. "Let's go and ask the people milling around for information."

"Good idea. I'm going to need some help with buying more supplies. Joe, would you accompany me?" Matt asked.

"Okay. Gomamon, get your hands out of that right now!" Joe yelled, startling the Digimon in question. Gomamon jumped, then quickly withdrew his paw from the barrel he was feeling around inside. "Don't ever do that unless you have _permission_ to." Joe empathized permission heavily.

They separated, Joe keeping his eyes on Gomamon at all times. Alex and his group began asking questions to random citizens. Tai and the rest of them began mingling in the crowd, having a look around.

Luna, Nall and Biyomon began walking in the direction of the Port. They were taking a lucky guess as to where it was stationed at, but then again, they had guessed before, and it had been right.

Meanwhile, in order to pass the time, Biyomon asked, "When we get to Meribia, what are you going to do? Besides help Ramus sell the Dragon Diamond?"

Luna had been caught off guard by the question, but she recovered quickly. "I guess I'll have a look around first, then go see if they have a bookstore," she replied. "I'm always partial to new story. What about you?"

Biyomon thought for a second. "I honestly don't know," she answered. "I always stay next to Sora in case of trouble, but maybe I'll take a look around as well." She stopped talking when they reached their destination. "Here we are."

The building they were looking at had a sign that was labeled **'HARBOR ENTRANCE'** in bold lettering and stationed on the roof of the building. It was one of the larger buildings in the town it seemed. But that wasn't what had caught Biyomon's attention. It was something else. It was the smell.

'It stink's like the inside of Whalmon' Biyomon thought. "What is that horrid smell?" she gagged, holding her beak with both of her wings.

"That." Nall pointed to a stack of crates and bags. "Rotting from the looks of it. I hate rotting food."

"Maybe it will smell better inside," Luna suggested hopefully. Turns out, she was wrong.

It actually smelled _worse_ inside, but that could be explained by the three dozen or so people crammed in there, al shouting at the top of their lungs. The three of them couldn't hear any of the words, but they got the gist of it. "Okay, I am never going to do this again!" Biyomon shouted to Luna.

"What?" Luna shouted back, unable to hear, before she came up with an idea. And the idea was shouting really loudly in her ear.

"_BE QUIET EVERYONE_!" she practically shrieked. The response was immediate, as everyone immediately turned around in surprise, quieting down as they did so. "Thank you," she said raspily. "Now could someone please tell us where the harbor master is?"

One person, a heavyset man, spoke up. "He's right over there," and pointed in the general direction.

"Thank you. Oh excuse me…pardon me…" Using her elbows to good effect, Luna started moving through the crowd. She noted grumpily that Biyomon and Nall were flying over her. She was gratified though that they were staying right above her. It was also annoying, as she couldn't fly.

Finally making it up to the desk, huffing and puffing as she did so, she managed to ask the harbormaster, "Could you tell us where we might find the Captain of the ship in the harbor is?"

The heavyset man pointed to his left. "Over there kid," he grumbled, making it sound like the captain was a man that he didn't like at that particular moment.

"Thank you." Luna turned and began walking in that direction, Biyomon and Nall on her heels.

The man in question was leaning against the wall near the entrance to the docks. He was a tall man, with a neatly trimmed beard to complete his look. He wore a Captains uniform made of forest green cloth, and a similarly colored captain's hat to top it all off. And he seemed to be preoccupied with something, as he didn't noticed them. "Excuse me," Biyomon said loudly, startling the man. "Hello there," she stated, quieter now that they had hid attention.

"Ohoy mates!" The captain greeted them with a traditional buccaneer greeting. "I'm the Cap'n of the Hispaniola, bound for Meribia." He gave a hearty growl at the end of his sentence. "So what can I do fer you?"

Biyomon noted that he acted more like a pirate than a respectable captain. _'I'll tell Sora and Mimi to watch themselves around him and his crew,'_ she thought.

"Why are you here?" Luna asked. "I saw the cargo manifest. You should've been on your way to Meribia by now."

"Aye lassie, but the sea is tossin' so hard that I need me Sea Chart to navigate…" his voice almost became a whisper, "but I seem to have gambled it away.

Biyomon and Nall fell from the sky, startled to have heard that come out of the man's mouth. "WHAT?" Nall even shrieked.

Luna turned and caught Nall before he hit the ground. Biyomon managed to get enough lift to stop only half an inch from bruising herself. "Well, that answers that question," she muttered to Luna.

The Captain meanwhile started to grumble, "That scurvy dog…he won't be so lucky next time. I'll have a rematch or his head, I tell ya!" He started stomping out of the building, pushing everyone aside…or trying to. The crowd however, was not as lenient as they were with Luna. He found himself flat on his back, nursing a bump on his head.

Luna and Biyomon just looked at each other. "That was a nice story," Luna muttered to the spot the Captain used to occupy. "Thank you for sharing."

Nall looked at Luna. "This is terrible! This is awful! Just one question: What's a Sea Chart?" he asked. "Some kind of really yummy fish?"

Luna giggled. "No silly. It's a map of the oceans sailors use to avoid hazards!"

"Oh…I knew that!" Nall flew back into the air. "I was just seeing if you knew."

"Yeah right. Suuurrrrreeee you did," Biyomon replied mock seriously, before saying, "Let's go ask the harbormaster if he knows anything about our mystery gambler. Move it!"

The crowd parted at Biyomon's command, allowing the three of them to get to the harbormaster with far greater ease than before. As they did so, Luna reflected on their change of fortune._ We just need to find this elusive man, then find a perfectly legal way to get the Sea Chart from him.'_ "Excuse me," she said aloud, "but could you tell us who has the Sea Chart? We really need to get to Meribia."

The man looked up. "Well, the Captain did," he replied, "but he was fooled into losing it in card game with an infamous gambler named Brett." The man began cleaning off the top of his desk. "The Captain is a fine sailor, but the worst poker player in history. The man's eyes twinkle with delight every time he gets two cards with pretty pictures on 'em. Now I have a port full of angry passengers, drunken sailors, and rotting cargo. Lovely," he sighed.

Luna and Biyomon looked at each other. "Well, can you tell us where we can find this Brett?" Biyomon asked, clutching on to that name.

"Brett?" This time, the harbormaster didn't even need to think. "He's gloating at the bar."

"Thank you. Excuse us!" Biyomon and Luna began to push their way back through. As they did so, Biyomon asked, "Are we going to do what I think we're going to do?"

Luna nodded. "Let's tell the others first," she said. "Then, let's pay Brett…a little visit."

Nall groaned form Luna's shoulder. "I knew you were gonna say that," was what he groaned.

Tentomon was now understandably frustrated. Everybody seemed to tell him and the others in his group about an unbeatable gambler by the name of Brett, who appeared to inhabit the local bar as if it were his home. And he wasn't well liked at all in town. In fact, there were a lot of people who wanted to tear him apart, limb-by-limb.

On their way to the bar, they had run into Tai and his group, all who were looking relatively annoyed. When they heard why that was, they all came to the conclusion that they didn't like Brett much either. And they never met the guy, so that was saying something!

"So, now what?" Agumon asked.

"Well, it's obvious! We pay Brett a little visit!" Ramus replied, rubbing his hands together.

Tentomon looked at him. "For any particular reason, or do you want to learn the art of gambling?" Tentomon asked, a little scathingly.

Ramus ignored the implied tone, but not the question. "Well, if my 'conman' sense is working properly," he said, throwing a sly glance at Izzy, "Brett might have the answer to our problem."

Izzy returned the glance. "Oh I agree _completely_," he stated emphatically. "In fact, I was going to suggest that as well."

"So were we," a voice sounded off. They turned to see Luna, Biyomon, and Nall walking over to them. The looks on their faces told the story.

"Brett has the Sea Chart," Luna reported gloomily, "and unless anyone has a spare one, we are going to have to find him, and get it back."

"And I'll give you two guesses as to where he is," Biyomon added.

They all said it at once.

"The bar!"

The bar wasn't among the largest establishment they had ever see, but it wasn't the smallest either. "Why is it," Gabumon asked, "that the best gamblers in all an alternate world always choose the smallest bars?"

Nall answered. "Because they have something got hide. That's why."

"That was rhetorical Nall," Gabumon mumbled as they walked in.

Inside the bar, there weren't a great many customers in it. The bar itself was well worn, but well kept. The floor was clean, and there wasn't a remnant smell of smoke in the air. Windows gave the bar a twilight feel to it, but also a feeling of openness. It was a place you'd want to go, where everybody would know your name.

Gomamon didn't seem to care though. "Now if I was a gambler with a Sea Chart, where would I hide?" he asked.

Joe pointed over to the corner, where two men were hunched over, playing what appeared to be a card game. "Over there," he answered. "With the rest of the vermin."  
"Joe, I said lighten up, not insult people!" Gomamon paused. "Not that he isn't one, mind you…"

"Gomamon!" Biyomon, Palmon, Mimi, Sora, and Luna exclaimed at once, all staring at the aquatic digimon. Gomamon shrank a little as Tai and Matt smirked.

Once again, they broke into four groups. Tai took one group over to a table near the entrance. Sora and her group went to get drinks for everybody, letting the man behind the bar that they weren't here for liquor, and ordered water. Tentomon simply buzzed around, shocking everyone that didn't know about Digimon as he asked around for information on Brett, then relaying it to Ramus.

Ramus, Nall, Alex, T.K., Kari and their Digimon started looking for a table that was closer to the man in question. They managed to get one two tables down from their quarry. There they watched him, as he paid for a drink, sitting back, looking smug about something.

"He looks like a bad person," Kari noted, frowning slightly.

"He makes my head hurt just by sitting there," Alex stated. "He's got to be a complete sadist." He sipped his water.

Gatomon studied him closely. "'Idiotic' is a far more useful term. 'Shark bait even better," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Ramus, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ramus nodded slowly. "He's up to something," he muttered. "He's too confident. And according to Tento, his victories border on divine."

"So what's so bad about that?" Patamon asked, curious.

"Because," T.K. replied, "no one has that type of winning streak without a trump card. They would need to know their opponent and what they're thinking. Something I don't think Brett has time to do."

Alex looked thoughtful. "So the question is, how is he doing it?" he murmured. He looked around. "Let's go and check out Brett." He got up and headed over to Brett, Ramus and Nall right behind him.

Kari slid out of her chair and followed them, after finishing of her glass of water. T.K., Patamon and Gatomon looked at each other, shrugged, then got up to follow her.

Brett sat his table like he always did, sipping his brandy, and observed the rest of the bar. Every now and then, he saw someone from another table look at him, but for the most part, the people ignored him. It suited him just fine. Besides, it paid to be 'unbeatable' all the time.

Looking at his winnings, he smirked to himself. _Another day, another victory,' _he thought gloatingly. _'I could clear this town out if I wanted to, but that wouldn't be right. How would I get to Meribia? Maybe next time the captain will gamble his ship away.'_ He laughed softly to himself at that thought. Then something caught the very edge of his vision. Startled, he looked up, then blinked in surprise.

A group of children were standing over him, all of them looking rather irritated about something. With them were some of the strangest pets he had never seen before seen in his life. And the most surprising thing was that they were all staring at him for some reason.

With an effort, he put his patented 'Brett' smile on his face, looking at them with a benevolent expression. "Howdy kids," he said in greeting. "My name's Brett. I reckon I'm the best there is when it comes to gamblin'.

The little brown-haired girl looked at him for a moment. "It's him all right," she said, making Brett wonder why they were looking for him. Then he realized why. After all, he _was_ the one who won the Captains Sea Chart. "Can we have a word with you?" she asked sweetly, maybe too sweetly.

Brett blinked, taken off guard by the forwardness of the girl. "Now see here," he stated harshly, "I ain't talkin' to you till you gamble with me, understand?"

The kids looked at each other with what could only be termed as exasperation. "Look," the brown-haired boy spoke up, "we're not here to gamble with you. We're wondering if you could give us the Sea Chart that you won."

'Damn! These kids are catching me off guard!' Brett began to sweat inside his clothes. He had to get them away somehow, and he knew how too. "Pardon? You want the Sea Chart?" He made a show of thinking it over. "Gamble with me and I reckon we can talk."

The white cat with the big ears suddenly asked, incredulously, "We have to _gamble _with you in order to _talk_ about the Sea Chart?"

Brett was understandably shocked, as he had never heard an animal talk before. He noticed that his other 'guests' were treating this like it was an everyday occurrence. They had caught him off guard yet again. "That's about the scope of things, yeah," he replied dumbly before snapping out of it. "How about it?"

The pudgy looked up. "People, conference," was all he said. The group of them huddled together in a circle, whispering amongst each other. Brett saw that two of them were gesticulating a little, indicating a small disagreement among them, but in the end, he saw all of them nod and break. "I reckon we will," the small, blond hair boy stated.

Brett was secretly exulting inside. "Awright then," he said. "Let's play for a hundred silver. We'll start by playing a really simple game." He pulled out a coin. "I toss a coin. You guess heads or tails."

The pig-like flying creature flew done on the table. "Gentlemen, lady, we got us a bet," he said.

Brett absorbed all this in, a little bit scared now for his personal safety. He had to get rid of them soon, but maybe he could make a few extra silver while he was at it. "Call it!" he yelled, tossing the coin in the air, preparing to put on his sympathy face.

"Tails," the little girl called out, as the coin hit the table.

"Sorry kids. Its heads," Brett remembered to put a face of false sympathy. _'This is too easy,'_ he thought in triumph.

_'That was too easy,'_ Ramus thought irritably. He stared at the coin on the table with a frown on his face. _'There's something funny with this coin I know there is. But what?' _Suddenly, he had a theory.

"How about another round son?" Brett asked, clearly enjoying this little game. Ramus nodded. He needed to be sure before he told anyone else.

All right. Call heads or tails!"

"Tails," Ramus said distractedly, already having an idea what it was going to land. Sure enough, he heard Brett exclaim in false sympathy, "Dang nab your luck kids! It's heads. I win a gain!"

"Hmmm…" Ramus had all the information he needed. He had observed the coin as it had flown through the air, and it had on it was "CHEAT!" "Guys, could I have a few words with all of you please? It's important."

They all backed away from Brett like he was a disease, huddling in a group a few feet from him. Ramus immediately asked, "Did any of you look at the coin he was using? I mean, _really_ look?"

Gatomon and Kari nodded, knowing what Ramus was talking about. Alex and T.K. looked confused. Nall simply asked, "What do you mean Ramus?"

Ramus was looking at Brett, watching him smirk at them before returning to his drink. "The coin he flips isn't the same coin he shows us." He gave them all a very serious look. "Brett is cheating," he finally revealed.

Gatomon and Kari nodded. "I knew there was something fishy about him," Gatomon added, her gaze narrowing even further than they were. "I say we expose him before he ruins someone else's sea-faring job."

"What?" Nall exclaimed, amazed by the audaciousness of that particular statement. "Are two sure we should accuse the best gambler in this town of cheating?"

Ramus looked a little annoyed at the question. "Come on Nall!" he almost yelled. "If anyone knows anything about money, it's me!" He watched T.K. and Patamon as he said this.

T.K. looked thoughtful. "We're going to have to find a way to catch him in the act," he muttered, almost to himself. "Make him slip up somehow…"His voice trailed off, than he looked at Ramus. "You have a plan." It wasn't a question. Ramus nodded, looking extremely confidant. "Then it'll have to be something valuable. And we do have something valuable with us."

Kari perked up even further. "Yeah, we do!" she exclaimed.

Ramus grinned. "Let's do it one more time. It'll be fun." His began twinkling wickedly. "I promise!"

"It better," Nall grumbled as he took off again, "or I'm gonna claw you into a bloody mess." 

"I'll let him," Alex added. "Your plan had better work Ramus."

"Oh, don't worry," Ramus replied. "It'll work."

Brett looked up to see the children standing in front of him again. "You kids are back?" he asked, disbelieving. "Come on now, I don't wanna win no more of your allowances…it just ain't right."

Alex refused to take the bait. "Pal, unlike others you have beaten, we do win once in a while," he stated, drawing a smirk from Gatomon in the process.

"And we're going to prove it."

Ramus took over. "We want to make things more interesting Brett." He removed his pack from behind him and opened. "We want to bet…" and with that, he removed the Dragon Diamond, "this."

Nall practically turned whiter than a sheet. "Ramus! You better be sure you know what you're doing!" he shouted. "We didn't come all the way to Saith to lose the Diamond on a coin flip!"

Ramus just winked at Nall before turning back to Brett. "Well, how bout it Mister Gambler?" he asked casually. "You game?"

Brett's eyes had gone saucer shaped, as he had never seen a diamond more beautiful ever in his thirty-three years of life. "Holy Goddess Althena!" he finally exclaimed. "I reckon that's the purtiest rock I ever seen! You got yourself a bet son!"

Ramus grinned, as he knew no self serving conman would give up the chance to take a extremely large diamond from a couple of unsuspecting people. Now he was going to have to time his next move just right…

Brett let the coin fly up in the air, probably thinking that this was going to be a sure thing for him to win. It reached its apex, then started to descend. Everyone's eyes were on it…except for Ramus. He was watching Brett with the look of a man who was on a mission.

The coin hit the table, started to fall on one side…and Ramus, with a little bit of effort, shoved Brett out of the way and grabbed the coin off the table. "There! See?" he asked, brandishing the coin like a bomb. He showed it to Gatomon, who nodded before showing it to T.K.

Nall on the other hand was not impressed. "So Ramus's plan was to beat up Brett?" he asked snidely. "Pure genius."

Actually," Gatomon spoke up, admiring her claws, "that_ was_ part of the plan." She then flexed her claws threateningly, smiling as she did so.

Brett was not happy. "Put that coin down boy!" he snarled, looking like a volcano ready to burst.

Ramus meanwhile was very calm. "Why Brett? So I don't notice that it has two heads?" he asked nonchalantly. He handed it over to Alex so he could examine it.

Nall flew over to the coin and saw for himself. "Brett," he stated, annoyed that he didn't listen to Ramus in the first place. "you're nothing but a lying, cheating weasel!"

T.K. stared at Ramus in amazement. "Ramus, how'd ya know?" he asked.

"I knew it was a fake when it hit," Ramus explained, looking very proud of himself. "A real coin makes a deeper 'clink'."

"And it also has much shinier surface than a fake one," Gatomon put in, looking at her claws again in admiration. "It also doesn't look like it was bought from a joke shop." She smirked at the gambler. "Little things only a cat could see."

Alex tossed the coin back to Ramus, then walked up to Brett, and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt. "Now are you going to give us our money and the Sea Chart," he asked in a threatening manner, "or am I going to have to show you how strong a farm boy can be?"

Brett was terrified for the first time in his life. "Oh dear!" he exclaimed. "I've been caught by children! If news of this were to get out, I'd be ruined!" He looked at Ramus. "You naughty, beastly boy!" he shrieked, dropping his accent entirely.

Ramus laughed. "I see your accent is as fraudulent as your coins!" He basked in the glow of his victory for a few seconds more before setting his mind back to what they had come here to do. "Game's over Brett! Hand over the Sea Chart!" he ordered, looking entirely serious.

At this, Brett became even more frightened. "I…I'm afraid I don't have the Sea Chart," he managed to get out.

Gatomon stopped looking at her claws and threw a glare at him. "You want to run that by us again?" she asked.

Brett took a deep breath, and said, "I don't have the Sea Chart. Please don't push me again. I bruise easily, and I'm a bleeder!"

"What?" Kari, T.K., and Nall exclaimed at the same time. Nall added with, "You said we had to gamble for it!"

Brett started to shake even more. "I said you had to gamble! I never said I had the Chart!"

"You…you…" Nall was at a loss for words for about a few seconds. "Ninny-ninny, dumb-dumb, poopy-head!" he finally settled with.

"Um…well said," Ramus said, a sweatdrop appearing on his head. Kari managed to stifle a giggle. T.K. just grinned.

Alex lifted Brett a little higher. "So where _is_ the Sea Chart?" he asked, his voice not even portraying the tension he was feeling in his arms. He felt Patamon fly a bit farther from them, and Gatomon approaching Brett, ready to give him a claw-down that would make an ordinary cat's look like a small slap.

Brett understood the implications immediately. "I traded the Sea Chart to an old woman in the forest northwest of this town. She gave me this." He pulled out a cane that had a flower carved into it. "Take this with you," he said, looking calmer now. "Perhaps the woman will trade for it again…or something else."

Patamon looked rather pale. "A woman with eccentric tastes. Wonderful," he groaned flying around in a circle before hovering over T.K.'s head to observe the staff. "What is that thing?" he asked curiously.

"No idea," Alex replied, looking it over. _'Guess we'll see if it's in that 'file' thing Izzy told us about,'_ he thought.

"It's called a Fortune Cane," Izzy explained, reading the information as it appeared on the screen. "It's supposed to give its wielder good luck in battle." He shut his computer. "How does it do that?" he asked Alex.

"Haven't a clue," was his answer as Alex put the cane in Nall's subspace pocket. "Just because you live on Lunar doesn't necessarily mean you know everything about it."

"Hmm…good point." Izzy looked at the assembled group in front of him. "It appears that for whatever reason, the Digi-Analyzer is capable of not only analyzing the monsters here, but it is also capable of analyzing the equipment, so I think we're just about ready for anything."

Luna nodded, sipping her water slowly. "So, we're going to this Old Woman's house then?" she asked knowingly.

"Yes, we are. And could you stop hovering over me Tentomon. It's getting on my nerves," Palmon grumbled, looking extremely irritated.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Tentomon dropped until he was hovering next to Palmon. "How's this?" he asked.

"Ha…Ha. Verrrrry cute." Palmon slapped him upside the head. "Get with the program Tento!"

"Yes Tentomon. This is no laughing matter." Izzy put his computer back into his backpack. "We are going to need our heads about us for this. So Palmon, please don't remove my partner's head just yet. We might need him later."

Palmon pouted. "Where's the fun in _not _letting his head roll?" But she complied.

Mimi looked on with amusement. "Someone would think you had a crush on him or somethin'," she mentioned mischievously.

"Me? Have a crush on him? Hah!" Palmon said, not even blushing a slight red. She turned her back to Mimi.

Mimi just shrugged. "Just a thought…"

Luna looked at her glass. "Now that we have agreed that we're going to the Old Woman's house, I'm assuming we're going to buy enough food to get us their and back." It wasn't a question.

"Yep, and a little bit more in case someone is injured beyond the herbs capabilities." Tai started making a checklist on a napkin. "Let's see…bread…milk…"

"What amazes me," Agumon spoke up, picking up his partners place, "is how all the food can stay cool for days on end, even when it's the middle of the day and inside a sweltering back pack.

"One of the more common uses for magic," Alex explained. "It's a cooling charm that anyone with even the slightest hint of magic can use. It keeps the food fresher, longer. All in all, a very good thing."

Sora looked visibly happier. "Definitely sounds more convenient than a refrigerator," she stated. "Can we learn the incantation for it?"

"For starters, you're going to have to tell me what a refrigerator is, and second, even though it's the easiest spell to do, it's also one of the hardest to say correctly. It usually takes a few months to say it properly, and even then, you have to have some magic to use it."

"Hey, it was just a thought," Sora said, shrugging.

"Also, we don't know the chant," Luna added, "but someone in Meribia might. It has a street that's supposed to be a slice of the magic city that resides there."

"Okay. So when do we leave?" Gatomon asked, cleaning some of her fur with her tongue.

Tai checked outside. "It looks like it's starting to get dark," he reported, sliding back into his seat. "We might as well stay here for the night. Anyone know where the nearest hotel is?"

"Hotel?" Alex stared at Tai with an expression of confusion.

"I think he meant the nearest inn," Luna mentioned lightly, watching the comprehension dawn on her friends face. "It takes awhile, but you'll get the hang of it."

Tai once again got up. "Come on Matt. Let's go find the inn."

"No need." Izzy motioned them to sit back down. "I can show you where it is," he said. "I saw it while we were getting some supplies, which includes easy to carry umbrellas."

"It's a pretty small place, but there is enough room for all of us." Kari reached over to get her glass of water, but she couldn't reach it. Luna smiled and pushed over to her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." Luna watched in amusement as Kari drained half of her glass before she got up. "I'm going to ask Brett if he knows how much it'll cost," she said. Alex watched as Luna walked over to Brett's table and began to talk to him. _'She's got more patience than I do,'_ he thought, with a slight lovesick expression on his face. Tai noted this, grinning wickedly.

Agumon however, asked, "How does she do it? How can she keep her cool with that man?"

"Sheer willpower, and feminine wiles," Gomamon replied, with a wink in Alex's direction. Alex merely looked at him. "Well, it's true. I mean, how else do you think that they manage to keep the peace between us? Dumb luck?"

"Also, we know what we want, and we can get it." Sora tried to look seductive, not an easy feat when one had such an open expression. "I mean, who could resist our charms?" she asked.

Gomamon answered that with, "A man who likes other men. Also, most women."

Everyone laughed at Sora's expression. "Thanks," was she managed to get out of her throat.

"No problem," Gomamon replied, grinning.

Kari drained her glass, looking rather confused. "What are you all talking about? Are you making fun of how some people's choices? And do we have to pay for this water?"

"No, just Sora, to answer the first question." Tai ducked under the hand that would have given him a nice handprint on his face. "To answer your other question, we were discussing on the lines of who could continuously resist a woman's charms."

"And to answer your last question, no. The bartender said all the water's free." Sora giggled as Kari immediately jumped out of her seat and began to make her way to the counter. "She sure is thirsty these days," she mentioned.

Tai looked up. "Well, what did you expect? She hasn't been sleeping well, and there are the dreams."

Nall turned around sharply in midair. "Dreams?" he asked, an uncomfortable knot forming in his gut.

Tai looked up. "Oh, nothing to worry about. Just some dream that keeps occurring every night." He sat back in his chair, pondering for a moment the ramifications. "Actually," he added slowly, "now that I think about it, it's because of that dream that we're here to begin with." He sat back up. "I hope Luna was able to 'steal' the number we're going to need to pay for the inn."

Ass if on cue, Luna plopped down in her seat, just as Kari sat back down with a glass of water. She had a look of triumph in her eyes. "I'm guessing you won?" Kari asked, a small child's smile on her face.

"The inn is four silver per bed, but they only have eight beds." Luna looked somewhat redder than usual.

"Well, we Digimon are used to sleeping on hard surfaces. I mean, most of the Digital World is little more than a rock face." Agumon looked over at Tai. "But what about you guys?" he asked.

Tai steeled himself. "Looks like some of us are going to have a sleeping partner," he said.

"Yeah, but who?" Matt asked.

"Well, T.K. and I can share a bed, so that eliminates two people." Kari blushed slightly, but no one noticed this. After all, why would anyone think anything wrong with that. They were only little kids.

Tai stood up. "We'll figure out who else gets the dubious honor later," he declared. "Meanwhile, let's get to the inn so we can get some sleeping arrangements. Also, I want to know how to use this properly."

"Good point Tai." Matt looked relieved. "Now I won't feel like I'm going to accidentally kill someone."

They found that even with the cost for all of them, which equaled seventy-two silver, they still had sufficient money to get better equipment for themselves, as well as a few more herbs, so everyone decided to split up. Tai and Matt managed to procure Alex's services, and the three of them found an empty spot in town to practice in. Alex immediately showed them the fundamentals of sword fighting; thrust, parry, overhead swing, cleave, as well as a few of the more elaborate movements. The two Digi-Destined were able to get the hang of it rather quickly, and while their styles were a little rough, Alex assured them that they would only improve with time.

Sora, Mimi, their Digimon, and Luna went over and asked if there was a kitchen in the inn. When they learned that there _wasn't_, they went to find a nearby café to purchase dinner for everyone. The food, they soon found out, was cheap, but pretty decent, and soon spread the word to the others.

Izzy and Ramus went looking at the weapons in the store, purchasing what each one the others would use. Izzy himself had purchased a pretty sturdy bow, which reminded him of the short bows they had used in Russia thousands of years back. He found it…ironic to say the least.

Joe simply stayed at the inn with the others, getting stuff out that they would need for the night, and warning Gomamon to _not_ get on any of the beds. Gomamon had, "no respect," as he shuffled away, much to the amusement of the other Digimon.

T.K. and Kari however, had decided to explore the town some more. It was the first time they had ever been in a port town before, and they hadn't been on Lunar for very long, so they were understandably curious. Patamon and Gatomon decided to join them in this little venture, with Tai giving them strict orders to keep them safe. It was something that the two of them took seriously, as usual.

For almost an hour, the four of them wandered through the town, taking in the various sites. They learned of several games that they had never heard of before. When they got the gist of it though, the other kids asked them where they had learned to play those games. To that, T.K. and Kari basically told them they just got lucky. Then they went on their way.

As they walked, they noticed people setting up stands, getting displays in place, and others dragging something or other to an empty space. "They must be getting ready for the Goddess Festival," T.K. commented. Kari nodded.

As they reached the center of town, they approached a stand with various items set in a an ordered. The stand had a sign imprinted on it that said, SERE'S SHOP in bold lettering. What had caught their attention though, was a poster that had been set up on some kind of bulletin board. Curious, they looked at it more thoroughly.

The poster was apparently hand drawn, and depicted what appeared to be eleven people of various sizes. Four of them, set near the bottom of the poster, made the portrait seem to be very contemporary.

A pasty-faced man with a wooden cane, held such timeless wisdom, perfectly captured on the paper. A woman without any visible weapon, with hair golden like the evening sun, held a gaze of stern kindness. A large man with pointy ears who was wielding an enormous axe. He had a scruffy brown beard, as well as fierce grin adorning his equally fierce visage, looking like he could take on the world and quite possibly beat it. And finally, a man wearing some type of strange armor and a sword hanging from his waist, a serious expression gracing his face. They only got a passing glance though, as the two humans and two Digimon began looking at the others on the piece of paper.

The one that had caught Kari's eye was the brown haired woman on her left. She had hair and eyes the same color as Kari, as well as the form of a combination of a dancer and a farmer. She was wearing a dress that was a red-pink color combination with pink ribbons on the hip areas. She was also wielding a scepter that was much more intricate than the one Kari had. It also seemed familiar to her.

T.K.'s gaze was drawn to the man next to the woman. The man had blue eyes and dirty-blond hair in the same color that T.K. had, and he had a devil may care expression on his face. He was wearing bluish-black armor with golden trimming, as well as a similarly colored cape, only with a reddish-gold underside. He had a sword strapped around his waist, as well as holding a short sword in his open hand. He also had an arm around the brown haired woman's waist, making it obvious to T.K. and Kari that they were a couple.

Patamon and Gatomon gaze were, unsurprisingly, on the couple to the right. Patamon in particular was observing the male, while Gatomon was checking out the female.

The male had golden blond hair like Angemon, as well as his build. His eyes were blue, like a blue twin lakes. He was also carrying a silver staff, similar in design to Angemon's, as well as the smile that every once in a while graced the champion level Digimon face.

The female, who's hair was of a lighter gold color, was the same color of Angewomon's. She had a silver bow, with a quiver of arrows on her back. A gentle smile completed her lovely face, and a slight twinkle in her eye. The male angel had his hand around the females waist in much of the same way as the human male did.

The next group they observed was the couple underneath the center. The woman seemed to have a great deal of wisdom, but also looked as though she a great deal of experience as well. She had no visible weapon, but she looked like she _was _a weapon, coiled and dangerous if provoked. The male one had what looked to be a light blue blade strapped to his back, but had much of the same set up as the woman. He also seemed a tad nervous to be there, but that was all irrelevant.

Now Kari and her friends turned their attention to the person in the center; a woman stared right back at them. She was truly magnificent, looking very much like the brown haired woman, only with blue hair and eyes. She wore a completely red dress with a bowtie impression on her bosom. A sash was tied around her waist, and she had shawl around her arms as if to ward off a draft. She also had a smile graced on her lips, but she also seemed…sad. As if she had a burden that she didn't want anymore.

The four of them stared at the picture in awe and confusion. Once again, they were hit with a strong surge of deja-vu, only this time, it was more pronounced. And now, they were extremely confused.

"Who are they?" Kari asked. She was under the impression that she had met those people before, thought she had no idea why that was the case.

T.K. still continued to stare at the portrait. "I don't know Kari," he replied, "but those two kinda look like grownup versions of us."

"And they look like Angemon and Angewomon," Gatomon elaborated, pointing the two angelics, "and that looks like an older version of Luna." She knew that she had seen them before, she just didn't know where. And right now, she wanted answers.

As if to answer her prayers, a voice broke through their trail of thought. "Amazing, isn't it?" it asked warmly. "It was done around sixteen years ago, a few months after the heresy wars. It's the only one of it's kind." Startled, they turned around.

A lady stood right behind them, looking not at the poster, but at the four of them. She appeared to be of middle age, with silver hair tied into two meatball pigtails. Her eyes were a soft gray, and she had an aura of open friendliness about her, something that made people want to trust her. She wore a simple white dress with a bow-tie on her chest. It reminded T.K. of the bow-ties on the Sailor Scouts uniforms.

The woman smiled. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" she asked. "I didn't mean to. It's just that you were so engrossed on the poster I thought you were going to burn holes into it."

Kari smiled and began to giggle. "You caught us. We probably wouldn't have known if a big elephant came up, picked up one of us, and showed how big people act."

"I guess you have a point there." Their arrival suddenly gasped. "Oh, I'm being rude! I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Sere."

"I'm Kari, and this is Gatomon." Kari held out her hand. Sere shook it, showing surprise at Kari's grip. Kari wasn't going to tell her that she wasn't using even a fraction of her strength. It didn't seemed a good idea to tell someone that a kid had the strength of a bad Digimon.

"And I'm T.K. This is Patamon." The two of them bowed. "What were you saying about the poster?" he asked hesitantly.

"It's the only one of it's time, and also the most accurate one to depict the people." Sere looked at the poster with a appreciators gaze.

Patamon asked, "How do you know?"

Sere turned her gaze to the flying pig. "Because I'm the one who made it," she said, drawing looks of surprise from the kids. "I also taught a man many of the techniques that I was taught. He's currently the one who's responsible for the bromide rage that's sweeping the world.

"Bromides?" Four voices sounded off at once.

Sere's eyes gained a mischievous glint to them. "Let's just say that the boys will try to keep them like keepsakes."

"Oh." Kari decided to wonder about it later. Instead, she asked, "Who are they?" pointing at the four on the bottom.

Sere looked at the painting for a moment. "Those four are called the Four Heroes, the protectors of Lunar. The pasty-faced one is Ghaleon, premier of the Magic Guild and their most powerful mage. The woman next to him is Lemia Ausa, the leader of magic city of Vane. Those two are the mot powerful magic users on Lunar, as well as two people you never want to screw with." Sere shuddered with the grin still in place. It made Kari think that Sere might be more powerful than she was letting on. She certainly _felt_ like it. She stopped that train of thought though as Sere continued speaking.

"The giant beastman is Mel de Alkirk. He wields a large battle axe as his primary weapon of choice, though he's a skilled boxer as well. He's currently governor of Meribia, but he still likes to party every weekend. And finally, Dragonmaster Dyne." Sere's eyes got a faraway look about them. "He was the ambassador for humanity in their dealings with the Goddess, as well as the Goddess's protector. All in all, the most fearsome group of warriors ever in Lunarian history. They played a major roll in the recent, well recent in history anyway, heresy wars."

"Really." Gatomon pointed two the two angels. "Who are they…if it's not too much trouble?" she asked hesitantly.

"I believe their names were…Angelus and Angelica." Sere frowned as she thought of something. "They were human angels, as the portrait describes them. Angelus weapon's of choice were the silver staff he's holding now, or a blade that he calls…Excalibur. Angelica was an expert archer, and always had her bow and arrows with at all times."

Patamon pointed to the couple right below the blue haired woman. "And they are?" he asked with the forwardness that was him.

Sere smiled, intrigued by their drive for knowledge. "They were the Planetary Guardians, Ami and Ryo," she replied. "Ami was the environmental expert, and always took an active interest in the ecology of Lunar. Her weapon choice were two twin swords that she summoned whenever there was a battle. Ryo was the stronger of the two, as well the more cautious of the two. He carried a katana blade of ice with him at all times. He possessed the ability to predict the future, but never really used it except in emergencies…or when he wanted some time alone." Sere saw them looking at the couple to the left. "And to answer your next question, I don't know much about those two," she added, pointing to the that couple. "All I know is that they were the Guardians of Hope and Light."

'Hope and Light?' The four thought at the same time. Thought it though. None of their shock or disbelief showed on their faces, however, as that would wait until later "okay, so who was she?" Kari asked, pointing to the woman in question.

Sere laughed, a warm, cheery sound that put them all at ease. "My, aren't we curious today. Such a drive for knowledge." Sere thought long and hard. "Well, I'm not completely sure, but I do believe that that's the physical representation of the Goddess Althena herself." She paused. "She does look quite lovely, doesn't she?" she asked.

Gatomon nodded. "I'm guessing that the picture doesn't do her justice?" she asked knowingly.

The twinkle returned to the silver haired one's eyes. "Right you are Gatomon," she said. "This is actually the only way can admire this picture without generating any form of response other than the usual male response." Kari laughed. "In real life, any male who gazed upon the Goddess was said to have instantly fallen in love with her." Sere gaze suddenly had a thoughtful expression. "Actually, now that I think about it, her male guardians didn't seem to act any different around her, so not every male fell in love with her."

"I most certainly hope not," Gatomon stated. "I don't think their girlfriends would take too kindly to that."

Sere laughed again. "I think you may be right there Gatomon." She suddenly asked, "What's the time?"

Kari took a look at her watch…and gasped. "T.K. it's almost dinner time! We're going to be late!" She turned to bow to Sere. "Sorry, but my big brother wanted us back at the inn after an hour. It was nice meeting you." With that, she turned, grabbed T.K.'s hand, and practically sprinted back to the inn, Patamon and Gatomon on her heels. _'I hope Tai hasn't eaten everything yet, because my tummy wants food!'_ she thought hastily.

Sere watched the four of them run, a tender smile still gracing her face. At the same time, she remembered their curiosity about her picture, as well as their slight reaction when she told them about Hope and Light.

'I knew they would come here and ask questions.' she thought, putting some items that she reserved for the Goddess Festival only onto one of the display stands and adding an anti-thief charm to it. _'And I can help them, even if it's indirectly.'_

she thought, putting some items that she reserved for the Goddess Festival only onto one of the display stands and adding an anti-thief charm to it. 

She remembered the first time she had met them; all veterans, all wanting a change, all wanting a chance to start a new life. _'And I was almost able to help two of them!'_ she thought angrily. _'Damn you monsters! You took away Ryo's life!'_

With an effort, Sere calmed herself down, breathing slowly, deeply. _'What did she call this? Earth relaxation breathing?'_ It had been so long since she had last seen her old friend. She didn't even remember what she looked like. She would worry about that later, though.

Looking up to the Blue Star she stared at it with tears shining in her eyes. "I will help them Althena. I swear I will help them with every bit of wisdom I possess. I swear it, in the name of the moon."

And then Sere went back to the harbor to get the rest of her stock, a lone cloud of sadness in a town full of love…and very short fuses. Which were only going to get shorter if that Sea Chart wasn't brought back to the Captain soon!

Turns out, the Digi-Destined were going to get more than they bargained for in this matter.


	11. Episode Ten: Nash and The Sea Chart

(Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Lunar: SSSC do not belong to me at all, nor do any of the characters in it. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takauchi. I don't really remember who owns Digimon and Lunar, but I know that I don't.)

(Theme song of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is played first, like you would see it at the beginning of the game.)

**Episode Ten: Nash and the Sea Chart**

As a few rays of sunlight began pouring through the closed curtains, Sora slowly woke up, taking her time in returning to the land of the living. She was definitely feeling refreshed, and ready to face the day. Of course, she was almost always ready to face any day. She just felt…happier about it than usual.

Stretching her arms, she froze when her elbow bumped into something warm, soft, and moving. It was rhythmic, indicating that it was alive at the very least. She turned around, suddenly suspicious of who it was in her bed. When she had finished turning around, she saw that her first guess was wrong, and that it was not Biyomon. Because Biyomon had never made her blush four different shades of red.

Tai was laying on the side closest to Sora's face, breathing rhythmically. He was obviously oblivious to the fact that he was being watched at all. He just kept snoozing, a small smile plastered on his face. For some strange reason, Sora did not want to know the reason. She checked over the side of the bed, where she saw that Biyomon and Agumon were sleeping peacefully on a few folded up blankets. For a moment, she was wondering why they were in her apartment, and why Tai was in the same bed as her. Then it came back to her, and she blushed even more than usual.

**Last night**

"All right everybody! It's time to see who sleeps with who tonight!" Gomamon exclaimed, pulling out several straws from Joe's backpack. "The two who pulls the short straws are going to be sharing a bed together for one night!"

"All right! Give them to me!" Joe grabbed all the straws from out of his Digimon's hands. "This is not anyone's dream come true! So don't act like something's going to happen during the night!"

Interestingly, six faces heated up with that statement. Tai's, Sora's, Izzy's, Mimi's, Alex's, and Luna's.

"Okay, long straw gets to sleep alone tonight. Short straw has a sleeping partner. As per request, T.K. and Kari are not part of the drawing. However, that still leaves one bed that needs a partner." Joe took a look around. " All right then! Let's get picking!" He picked the first one. "Looks like I sleep alone tonight. Thank God."

"Joe, you are no fun at all," Gomamon complained. "You are absolutely no fun whatsoever."

Joe looked at his Digimon partner. "You have a pretty vivid imagination. You do the math," was all he said before he turned to the others. "Who's up next?" he asked.

One by one, everybody picked a straw. Matt, Ramus, Alex, Luna all pulled the long straws, all of them breathing a sigh of relief as they did so.

Not so for Tai and Sora. When it came to their turns, they pulled out the short straws. When they saw that they were short, they went white with shock, then red with embarrassment. Both of them looked at the straws, then the others, then at each other. They were both speechless, to say the least.

Hello. Did someone make a raving understatement?

"Well, looks like Tai and Sora get to sleep together tonight," Matt said, looking rather smug. "Try not to wake us up you two."

Tai turned around sharply. He got the gist of what Matt was insinuating "And what does that mean Matt?" he asked threateningly.

Sora had also turned to watch the keeper of friendship. "Yes Matt," she asked sweetly, "What do you mean by that?"

Matt backed off slowly. Tai's temper, he could handle. Sora's, he could try to sooth. Both of them on the other hand, he might as well sign his will now and get it over with. "Um…nothing," he managed to squeak out.

"Good." Sora turned around and grabbed her backpack. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready for bed," she informed them archly, then walked out, straight backed and head held high. She was also blushing ten ways to Sunday, but she wasn't going to let Matt see that. It would only add fuel to the fire, in her opinion.

Tai was also red in the face, but it was partially from embarrassment, partially from anger. He forced himself to calm down though. He didn't want to have a heart attack. He needed his faculties, he needed…he needed a damn cold shower. But seeing as how they didn't have showers, he would settle with a cold bath. But judging from the fact that they had no running water, he was pretty much in trouble. Deep trouble.

_'Oh well,' _he thought. _'Time to prepare for a long night.' _He started to try and get his hands on a free bed, only to find that they had already been taken. In fact the only one that wasn't taken was in a position that was rather…conspicuous. "Oh boy…" he muttered. "I have a small problem."

Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one who was having problems.

Sora was sitting in a small study that she had found, writing in her diary. She had been carrying it around with ever since that day when they were transported to Lunar. In that diary were her deepest thoughts, her fantasies, her dreams, and her problems. What she was writing about definitely qualified in that last category.

_"Dear Diary,_

_Oh, what am I going to do? I have no idea as to what I'm feeling at the moment. I have to sleep, in the same bed as Tai! And all because of a stupid pair of short straws. This would probably be the worst day of my life…but I'm not sure._

_I still don't know what my feelings are for Tai. He's my friend, practically my brother in every aspect. He's also someone I can trust with my life. But now, I see him as more. I see him as one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. I see him as a slightly headstrong, but extremely trustworthy boy. Why is that? Why am I seeing him like that? Oh please diary, help me out here._

Sora sat there for a moment more after finishing her entry, lost in thought. She was honestly having a hard time breathing. Every time she looked at Tai, she found herself hard pressed to not jump into his arms, a trait that wasn't really like her. She had always been modest around the boys, and most of them would soon move on to Mimi. Not that that was any better, as Mimi actually believed in falling in love with the right man. Sora felt that way too.

She finished getting ready, looking n the mirror. _'This is going to be a night to remember,'_ she thought,_ 'even though I probably don't want to remember it.'_ Then she took a deep breath, turning around as she did so, and walked out of the changing room, trying to get herself under control.

Tai by this time had not only gotten himself under control, he was currently talking to Agumon and Biyomon about something. _"Probably on the lines of getting revenge on Matt,' _she thought. Figuring that wasn't such a bad idea, she stepped into the room.

"All right everybody!" Joe called out. "Everybody to bed!"  
"Joe," Gomamon groaned. "You're starting to sound a lot like Luna."

"And that's probably a good thing with Gomamon around," Tentomon whispered to Palmon. Palmon nodded.

"Okay. Which bed is ours?" Sora asked. Tai led her to the one in the back. "Oh."

"Well, it's the only one empty. The others all claimed theirs while you were getting ready, and that includes Patamon and Gatomon. They had fallen asleep on one of the beds, and no one had the heart, or the courage mind you, to get them off the bed." Tai was trying not to look at Sora's nightgown. "Well, let's get to sleep. The sooner the morning comes, the sooner we can get out of this bed."

Sora climbed in first, liking how Tai thought at that particular moment. Tai got in after her.

Sora liked the feel of the mattress. It was soft, but not too soft. It also was clean, thereby eliminating one of her concerns. However, the bed was also a little small, as it wasn't big enough for two people to sleep in it comfortably. She knew a way around it though, but it also brought a slight pink tint to her cheeks.

"Tai, you're going to have to put your arm around my waist," she whispered. "Otherwise, neither of us are going to get a good nights sleep."

"Um…okay." Tai was looking rather nervous as he followed Sora's advice, putting his arm tentatively around her waist. He blushed a bright red.

"Well…good night Tai."

"Night." Tai put his head down on the pillow, closing his eyes. Soon Sora heard Tai's breathing slow and deepen, and turning her head slightly, she observed him. _'He looks so peaceful when he's asleep,'_ she thought enviously. Awake, he was very intense, very focused in anything he did. Asleep, he looked like a young boy, the type of boy the girls dream about during their free time. Much like she did anyways.

She decided to follow her own advice at that moment, and she put her own head down. Thankfully, the pillow was large enough for both of them.

One minute later, she was asleep.

**Present Time**

Sora watched Tai for a few seconds, remembering the dream she had had before she had woken up. It was definitely a very nice dream, and matched her present mood. She felt safer than she did at any other point in her life. She also didn't want to wake Tai up, but they had to get up soon.

"All right. You can stop pretending to be asleep Sora."

Tai's voice startled Sora out of her reverie. She looked and saw him looking at her through slitted eyes, observing her in much the same way as she was observing him. She blushed even more. "How'd you know?" she asked quietly.

Tai chuckled. "Well, I was sleeping, minding my own business, when all of a sudden, I get elbowed by someone," he teased. "Do you know who she is? She's about your height, same hair color and style. Seen her?"

"Oh you…" Sora popped him lightly on the arm. "How'd you sleep?" she asked shyly.

"Rather well. You?" Tai returned nervously.

Sora smiled warmly. "I slept okay." She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I suppose we're going to have to wake up everybody else."

"I guess you're right." Tai got up reluctantly, and pulled his backpack out from underneath the bed.

"All right everyone! Time to wake up!' Sora cupped her hands over her mouth. "We need to get up and get ready for the day."

Luna yawned, and slowly sat up. "Is it morning already?" she asked sleepily. Izzy also sat up, looking wide awake already.

Tai went over and opened the window, allowing the morning sunlight to enter the room. "I think that's a yes," he said, now fully awake. "Come on you guys! Get up! We need to get ready to leave!"

A pillow sailed through the air, striking Tai full in the face. Another one hit Sora on her side, almost knocking her back on her own bed. She recovered though, and with a glance to Tai, Luna, and Izzy said, "You do realize that this means war."

"Agreed." Tai picked up the pillow. "All right boys and girls! Time to wake up!" He threw the pillow right at Matt, which hit him full in the face.

What immediately followed was a lengthily and costly pillow war. Well, costly for the pillows anyways.

After cleaning up and changing their clothes, as well as paying for all the pillows they destroyed, they set out for any last minute shopping done. Then they began their journey to the old woman's forest.

They left the city two hours after they had waken up, ready for anything…even rain. And Joe made that his first question of the day.

"What I want to know," he began, "is how a people who have never heard of cars, are stuck in a fifteenth century way of life, and also have magic, can still have umbrellas, cameras, and know to keep food chilled to preserve it?

Alex looked at Izzy. "Is he always like this?" he asked. "I mean, asking questions to questions that we don't have the answer to?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Izzy looked around. "I do believe we go this way," he said, pointing in one particular direction.

Alex was impressed. "You've got a good memory Izzy."

Izzy shrugged. "It's just that I remembered that path split into two different paths. I distinctly recall coming down the right path…well, you know what I mean," he stated quite modestly.

"Well, let's get going. We need to get that Sea Chart!" Nall called out, painfully near Tentomon's ear. Tentomon turned around, managing to get the point across to Nall that he was annoyed. "Sorry Tentomon." He began flying in that direction, the bug Digimon right behind him.

"I would ask who made him leader, but I don't think I want to know the answer," Tai commented.

They walked for about an hour, waiting for the inevitable complaints to issue from Mimi's mouth. When they didn't, they turned to look at her in surprise.

Mimi was walking, not even paying the slightest attention to her feet. In fact, she looked like she was deep in thought about something. This was even more surprising for her.

In fact, Mimi was thinking about something, namely about the events of last night. When T.K. and Kari had come up to that little restaurant, several minutes late, they had seemed preoccupied about something. Tai and the others didn't press them, but Mimi knew that they wanted to know what the four of them had seen. So did she. But if they wanted to keep it secret, then she wasn't going to pry. After all, she had her own secrets to keep.

Kari and T.K. were walking side by side, as was common these days. Patamon and Gatomon were doing much the same thing. All four of them were discussing who they saw in the portrait.

"I'm telling you, the male angel looked like Angemon, only wearing much nicer clothing," Gatomon said, looking rather love-struck.

"Oh please. Angemon's much better looking!" Patamon argued. "Though I gotta admit, he does have a much nicer staff that I do. And what about the female? She looked simply ravaging!"

Gatomon rolled her eyes. "Typical mon. Always looking at womanly charms," she snarled mockingly. "Now the male was simply gorgeous! Those blue eyes, and that handsome face!" Her eyes turned into proverbial hearts.

"Ugh! Be still my beating heart! It is simply too gruesome to comprehend!" Patamon empathized this by placing a diminutive paw over his heart in mock disgust. Secretly though, he was jealous.

Gatomon turned to scowl at him, only to see something else entirely…

_The female angel flew through the air around the Goddess Tower, hair streaming in the wind like a banner. Her magnificent wings flapped every once in a while, keeping her up at breakneck speed. She performed various acts of aerial grace and cunning, working her lithe body in such a way that a bird would probably cringe just looking at it. But it did nothing to calm the tension in her soul, or the alertness of her glance. She was waiting patiently, if with a little uneasiness._

_"Angelica!" a voice called out, stopping her in her tracks. Instantly, her bow materialized in her hands, the quiver of arrows appearing on her back. She pulled one out, notched it in her bow, pulled it back, and released. It soared through the air, only to be deflected by a staff of silver. _

_The male angel flew through the air, his staff coming down in a downward arc designed to knock her into a loop._

_Angelica formed a pink sword in time, deflecting the staff, then retaliating with a series of sword attacks that would give Zorro pause. These were neatly deflected by the staff wielding male, then he retaliated himself. This went on for a few moments more. "You're slowing down Angelus," Angelica finally stated, taunting her adversary. "You used to be able to disarm me by this time, and with ease. What ever is the problem."_

_Angelus grinned. "Perhaps you are just getting faster," he returned, blocking another attack with his staff one handed. At the same time, he was edging his other hand to Excalibur. "I might be getting slow…" He unsheathed it, and almost immediately swung it in a side swipe maneuver. Angelica disengaged from her attack on Angelus's defenses, a look of surprise on her face. She noted that her blade was now half it's original size. "Or maybe I'm just playing around with you," he finished, smirking._

_"Oooh, you are going to pay for that!" Angelica shouted, laughing as she did so. They always practiced like this, always were trying to trick each other with new moves, or get under each others skins. Sometimes, she succeeded, sometimes he was victorious, but it was always fun…as well as unpredictable._

_"I would like to see you try… but as you know, I win this time." Angelus sheathed his sword, then sent his staff back into the fortress. "You're right though, I am getting a little slower. But I'm also a thousand years older than you."_

_Angelica flew over to him, letting him embrace her with his arms. They shared a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. "All right," Angelica panted, looking into eyes so similar to her. "You win…this time. And you're not getting that slow."_

_Angelus laughed. "If you wish it, you can win next time, if you're lucky. But right now, I believe that you owe me one of your famous home cooked meals."_

_It was Angelica's turn to laugh. "I believe that I will do just that! In fact, I will make enough for everyone else to have some. Maybe it'll get Althena out of her room. It's that time of year again."_

_Angelus groaned. "She is not doing that again. She does that every year at this time" Angelus started to wheel around. "I am going to talk to her right now!" _

_"Not a good idea Angelus. She asked not to be disturbed." Angelica turned him around to face her. "And anyway, you have talked to her every year at this same exact time, and it hasn't helped one bit. She also wants you to enjoy yourself this year, because you turn into a grouch around this time after speaking with her. She'll be fine in a few hours. Just give her time."_

_Angelus thought about it. "You're probably right," he reluctantly conceded. "It's just that I don't like seeing her like this!"_

_"And you know what she'll say; 'Don't worry about me old friend. You live your own life.' It's actually sound advice when you think about it." Angelica smiled a little bit._

_Angelus looked forlornly at the Tower. "She deserves some happiness, just like the rest of us," he groused._

_"I know, my love." Angelica held him close. "I know…"_

Patamon snapped out of it, turning to look at his fellow Digimon. "Did you…?" he asked.

Gatomon nodded.

"I think that the man looked like a grown up version of you T.K." Kari mentioned, watching T.K. begin to shudder. "I mean, blue eyes, dirty blond hair? That's what you'll probably look like when you get bigger."

"I hope that I never wear armor like that guy! But you're right, he does look a little like me." T.K. looked thoughtful, lapsing into silence. Kari took that moment to look at him. _'He looks older when he's thinking,'_ she thought. She also found it very familiar. Like she had seen something like this before. Suddenly, she found herself thinking about something…

_A young man sat on a sofa, lost in thought. He was staring at what looked to be a meditative tree, planted at the edge of the room. It was out of place, for the room had a feel of complete and utter luxury, though to it, though there were very few possessions. Not that he would have noticed if the entire room was filled with earthly possessions, so great his concentration._

_"Hey, Takeru! What are you thinking about!" A woman walked up to Takeru, eyes twinkling, breaking the man's concentration. "You look so serious when you do that! Where's the Takeru who would laugh at the first possible moment?"_

_Takeru turned to look at her with his trademark expression on his face. "Well, you know me Hikari," he replied. "I sometimes think about some of Althena's decision, and wonder if they were the right thing to do. And I wonder, will anything ever be the same again?"_

_At that, Hikari looked rather sad herself. "You should see Althena," she said quietly. "She locks the door to her room in the Goddess Tower, and begins second guessing herself for every time someone dies, or in this case, tries to destroy everything she worked so long to put together. It makes her so sad, and me rather upset. I mean, it was three thousand years ago!"_

_Takeru put his arms around her, drawing her close. "I know what you mean Hikari. But we are only human, despite our powers, immortal life spans, and Althena's case, goddess powers. We can't predict every little thing that will happen. That would take someone with more power than even Althena."_

_Hikari looked at him. "How can you keep such an open mind, even after everything we've seen? How can you keep Hope so close to your heart, even when the Goddess loses hers? And how can you believe that there are beings more powerful than the Goddess." _

_Takeru gave her a small kiss on her lips. "Because I know that without Hope, the powers of darkness will win for sure. It would be the same thing if we lost the Light. And that's why we were chosen, beloved. Because we never lose our Hope and Light, because we're Althena's Hope and Light. And we'll always be. Just as we'll always be each other's Hope and Light."_

_Hikari leaned into the hug "You're right Takeru," she said, a small smile gracing her face. "But maybe this upcoming Goddess Festival is just what the healer ordered. And maybe she will finally stop blaming herself for events that she could not control."_

_Takeru nodded in agreement. "Perhaps you're right. And perhaps…she will find love…again." The two of them chuckled a little. "Now, to answer your last question, I was raised to believe in only one god, an all powerful creator of the universe. Also, you know there are infinite realms out there. There will always be more powerful things out there than our Goddess Althena…"_

Kari snapped out of it, shaking her head to try to clear her head. She felt like she had just seen something from another persons life. But it felt like something her life.

"Takeru…" T.K.'s voice broke through her train of thought, and she turned around to look at him in shock.

"The man's name was Takeru," T.K. said again, looking certain.

Kari nodded. "And the woman's mane was…Hikari." Kari stared at him. "You…had the same vision I did?" she asked attentively.

T.K. nodded. "It's almost like…we're seeing a part of their lives. And it's pretty far into the past, if you ask me." He looked spooked by what they had seen.

Ramus looked back at them. "I don't think I like where their conversation is going. What about you?" he asked Agumon.

Agumon looked at him. "It's really none of our business, unless it becomes a problem for them. So I'm going to stay here, and think about home until tonight."

Tai and Matt were watching them as well. "If they weren't nine years old, I would think they were married, or something," Tai mentioned.

"I know what you mean," Matt commiserated. "You'd think they had been married for…millennium."

Tai now looked a little worried for Matt. "A little too broad in your time span there buddy." He looked over at Patamon and Gatomon. "And their Digimon are just as bad. I mean, look at them!"

"Oh, we're looking," Gabumon replied. "They're better at it than you two."

"Gee thanks Gabumon," Matt grumbled. "You sure show some loyalty."

"Don't mention it," Gabumon returned, grinning.

Over the next couple of days, T.K. and Kari continued to discuss the vision, and point out little details about them. This continued to confuse the living hell out of everyone else, with the exception of Izzy and Ramus, as they were locked up in another battle over finance, Mimi, who was rooting silently for Izzy, and Tentomon, who was doing it more vocally.

This would continue into the night, as Izzy and Ramus switched from finance to philosophy, an area that Ramus was completely inadequate in. Izzy walked right over him, for a more precise term..

Luna, on the other hand, was a master of Lunarian philosophy, and it proved to be a match against Earth philosophy. Through their arguments, both sides learned a great deal of the ways they had been raised. It proved to be very entertaining as well.

Others took the night time to play games, or talk to their friends.

Palmon watched Mimi as she began walking over to where Luna and Izzy were now sitting, looking very thoughtful about something. Mimi said something to Izzy, which the keeper of knowledge nodded too before getting up and walking over to Alex. "You think so?" she asked, turning back to Tentomon.

Tentomon nodded. "All the evidence the evidence points to it," he replied. "Izzy really likes Mimi. I've caught him staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. And when he realizes he's being watched, he blushes a very interesting color, and turns back to his computer. It's as obvious as the wings on my back."

Palmon felt a wave of pity for the boy genius. "I don't know if Mimi feels the same way. She hasn't said anything about Izzy at all." Palmon pondered for a moment after saying that. "Grant you, she might be too shy to say anything about him. I still don't understand humans."

"I don't understand them any better myself," Tentomon grumbled. "Then again, I don't understand our fellow Digimon any better, so I'm not too worried."

"Neither am I. I'm just worried about Mimi and Izzy.' Palmon looked even more forlorn.

"Yeah, so am I.' Tentomon examined the entire problem at every angle. "I don't think either of us want our partner to go ballistic over this."

"Precisely. The question is though, what can we do? Drag him away from his computer? He practically sleeps with that thing! Except when he's talking to someone, like now," she groused.

Tentomon suddenly got a mischievous idea. "Why don't we plan for the day when we get them together? It _will _take a lot of planning, and possibly a much larger Digimon then we got." He looked proud of himself.

Palmon was also happy. "Yeah. Let's plan now and wait for some of us to digi-volve! It'll not only go much smoother, and probably be much safer too."

"Agreed."

"I just cannot comprehend whether or not she like me or not," Izzy commiserated to Alex, who was also currently with girl problems. He figured Alex could help him with some advice. And if there was one thing that Izzy could work with, it was advice.

After his battle with Luna had ended with a draw, and after Mimi had shooed him away so she could talk to Luna, Izzy had wandered over to where Alex was sitting. He had asked him a single question. "What do you know about girls?"

Alex had told him to sit down and to tell him what he meant by that. Izzy had then told everything he could think about a certain honey colored hair young lady wearing a big Texan type hat. What he wanted to know is what you did when you liked someone so much that he you couldn't get her off your mind. Why he wanted to know, the keeper of knowledge didn't know.

He also didn't know why he was feeling this way. It was…laughable, to say the least.

Alex turned his gaze towards the two girls in question. "Well, I wouldn't know how a woman's mind works," he finally said, "but I can tell you is that it is perfectly natural of you to ask these questions. It's also understandable that you feel this way towards Mimi. It's harmless…well, most of the time anyways, as well as a part of adolescence."

Izzy sighed, his gaze turning to the girl in question. "It's just," he began with, "we are complete polar opposites in every possible way. I am a studyholic who spends almost every possible moment on the computer. She is the ultimate mall rat who could melt the plastic on any store. We have nothing in common."

Alex grinned, unable to believe it. He had found the flaw in that argument. It was so obvious that he had to restrain himself from laughing. "Au contraire mon fraire," he retorted. "You do have a few things in common with each other."

Izzy looked at him, a little surprised. "Oh yeah? What?" he asked, curious.

Well…you're both Digi-Destined," Alex stated, beginning to tick off the reasons with his fingers. "I guessing that's a very exclusive club there. And you both fight for what you believe in."

Izzy considered it for a minute. "You're right," he finally conceded. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, and this one doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. The fact the two of you came to each others aid. When you were in trouble, or for a different reason. You, when Mimi and Ramus were about to come to blows. Mimi, when you had been poisoned in the Weird Woods. And oh yeah, the fact the two of you blush when the you're caught staring at one another is also another very powerful reason. The only four who haven't noticed that are T.K., Kari, and their Digimon, and that's because they're not paying attention!"

Izzy took a look in the four in question, and saw that they were talking about something, not even paying attention to the world around them. "Hmmm…good point," was all Izzy had to say on the matter. "So, what do I do about Mimi?" he asked.

Alex pondered for a moment. "You need to tell her how you feel," he finally replied. "Otherwise, you'll go crazy."

"Good advice. When exactly are you going to follow it?" Izzy noted that Alex suddenly seemed interested in his shoes. "Oh come on," he said, unknowingly paraphrasing Tentomon's words. "It's as obvious as the computer on my back."

Alex chuckled. "So I guess we're just a couple of love-sick fools who are too cowardly to tell the girls of our dreams that we love them, huh?"

"Most definitely."  
"Want some water?"

"Please."

"I don't know if he likes me at all," Mimi lamented to Luna. "I mean, we're complete polar opposites in everything."

Luna sighed, smiling a bit as well. "It is a very personal dilemma," she said, "and one I can't help you with, as I'm having the same problem you are having. But hey, you know what they say. 'Opposites attract'."

_'If only you knew,'_ Mimi thought. Out loud though, she said, "But I don't think he sees me as anymore than a friend. He spends about as much time on that computer as he does with us. I don't even know what he's thinking about half of the time!" _'Actually, I do, but I'm not going to say that.'_

Luna noticed the look in her eye, and suddenly felt a strange sense of curiosity go through her. _'Interesting,' s_he thought. _'There is more to Mimi than meets the eye. A secret that she doesn't want anyone to know. The question is, what is it?'_ "Well, he did come to your aid when Ramus called you crazy. And I have caught him staring at you like a man dying of thirst would stare at a glass of water." She looked at Izzy and Alex. "In fact, it's obvious to everyone, except Izzy…and T.K. and Kari."

"And for very obvious reasons." Mimi looked at the two in question. "They have their own problems to contend with."

"As do we," Luna said, bringing them back to their own personal situation. "we need to tell the boys of our dreams how we feel, otherwise, we're going to go crazy, and start acting weird."

"Agreed."

"Do you want some water?"

"Yes please."

On the fourth day of there journey, Gomamon looked up and said, "So this is the Old 'Woman's' forest." He frowned. "Doesn't look like much."

"Looks like a damn haunted forest. Sorry Sora,"  
Tai added hastily, as Sora gave him a sharp look.

Izzy had already pulled out his computer out, and had begun scanning the interior of the forest. The results of that scan were, to put it bluntly, promising. "It appears safe to enter," he said, satisfied.

Tai pulled his sword out it's scabbard. "Well, let's be ready, just in case," he warned. "I don't think any of us want another surprise attack like in the Weird Woods."

Agumon cracked his knuckles. "You got that right Tai," he stated.

Alex looked over at Izzy. "Is there anything we need to worry about?" he asked. "Because it looks like Tai and Agumon want something to beat down."

Izzy consulted his computer. " 'Mantle Wrapper'. A cousin of the Fly Trapper. It's slightly weaker than it. It also has the same attacks as the Fly Trapper. Next, 'Mutant Ant': The Godzilla of the ant colonies. It has no added attributes, but it does have exceptional defense. It is resistant to skill attacks, so don't use them." The next monster came on the screen. " 'Killer Fly': A pumped up version of the Mutant Fly. It has a special attack called Dive Bomb, which calls roughly double the damage of a normal attack, as well as the ability to poison it's victims. And finally, 'Killer Wasp': A wasp that puts the hornet to shame. It has two attacks that _can_ poison any living, moving thing." Izzy checked his backpack to make sure he had antidote herbs with him. "It's also the strongest bug in there, so be on your guard."

"Duly noted." Matt had his hand on the handle of his own blade. "I think that you need to get your head out of the computer once in a while. It's starting to become freaky."

"Oh, I don't see anything wrong with that," Ramus commented, his short sword already out and ready. He was ready for anything, and he wasn't going to let a small problem like bugs stop him.

_'That makes two of us,'_ Matt thought, holding the handle in a death grip. He knew that they were probably not going to have a problem. At the same time, he wasn't going to be caught unprepared this time.

They entered the forest, their eyes roaming the immediate area around them. At the same time, they were relaxed. After all, as everyone knew, any fly could be swatted with the right flyswatter. It was just in this case, the flyswatter was sharp and pointed.

They explored the forest, running into more of those chests that Izzy was starting to find extremely confusing. Some of them held money or items, which they felt was okay. Others held a bunch of Killer Flies, which almost immediately attacked. The lot of them were not afraid. Annoyed at the delay, but not afraid.

They met up with a bunch of Mutant Ants halfway through their journey through the forest. They were dispatched with, and with extreme prejudice. The Mantle Rappers were dispatched with just as easily. It made the Digi-Destined feel like they were playing some kind of video game.

All that changed though, when they met up with a trio of Killer Wasps. Suddenly, the game became interesting.

"Tentomon! Keep it up!" Izzy shouted encouragingly, as Tentomon and Patamon went toe to toe, or wing to wing, with two of them, engaging in an aerial battle that would have put the Red Baron to shame. Super Shockers and Boom Bubbles flew through the air as they tried to hit their opponents, only to miss the wasps by a couple of centimeters.

The wasps fought back with their stingers and claws, aiming for close range, but running into the same problem. This went on for a few minutes more.

Matt and Gabumon dealt with the third one, as Matt was practically swinging his sword around erratically around. Gabumon was waiting to strike. He didn't have to wait long.

"BLUE BLASTER!"

_"Sword Dance!"_

Alex had entered the fray, unleashing his attack upon the creature. It mostly missed, but one slice did clip it's wing. It stopped for a second, but that was all that was needed, as the blaster hit it full in the face. At the same time, Matt stopped his frantic swings, and did a solid uppercut with his sword, slicing it in half, as the frozen body of the wasp fell to the ground, very much dead. However, it also released all of it's juices, spraying Gabumon in the process. "Ugh, bug shit," he grumbled, trying to get it out of his fur.

Tentomon by this time had finally out-flew his foe, and unleashed a Super Shocker at it. The Wasp barely got out of the way. It wasn't able to get out of the way of the next attack.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon released her attack, aiming for the wasp. It hit, just as the wasp was hit with a Super Shocker. It promptly disintegrated into a pile of dust.

Patamon and his wasp were still caught in their deadly game of cat and mouse, trying to hit the other. The Wasp was flying a little slower, but it was still slashing at the Digimon with it's full strength in tact. Patamon was sporting small cuts, but it seemed the poison was not affecting him, as he was still flying at peak efficiency. He was also bruised, indicating that the wasp was trying to body slam him into the trees.

Biyomon flew over to where the two were still fighting. She had begun to formulate a plan, but she would need some help. "Luna!" she called out. "Fire an arrow at the wasp!"

Luna nodded, then notched an arrow into her bow, pulled the string back, and released. At the same time, Biyomon unleashed her attack.

The wasp broke off it's attack on Patamon and dodged the two attacks. Biyomon however, expected that to happen. And it gave Patamon the advantage.

Patamon, the wasp no longer on his tail, blew the wasp away with one last Boom Bubble, knocking it ten ways to Sunday. In others, he slammed it through a tree. It was promptly put out of it's misery by Luna, who shot an arrow at it.

Alex took a look around. "I think that's the last of them," he reported, sighing in relief.

"And good riddance." Gabumon looked even more haggard than before. "I really hate wasps," he grumbled.

"I go with that," Joe grumbled back, trying to get bug juices out of his cardigan.

Patamon flew over to Gabumon. "Need a comb Gabumon?" he asked.

Mimi was checking her hat. "Thank you lord. No slime," she exclaimed, though it sounded…hollow…to her.

Palmon turned to look at Mimi. She had detected that small detail, but didn't know what to make of it. It was like Mimi _didn't _care about the hat. "Yeah, I'm fine Mimi. Thanks for asking," she said sarcastically.

Mimi was abashed. "Sorry Palmon." This time it was genuine, so Palmon the earlier slip to the back of her mind. It still was nagging at her though.

Izzy had taken out his computer again and had begun scanning the area around them. "I believe that there is clearing about thirty feet in front of us that is devoid of insects," he said, pointing in that direction.

"Well, let's head in that direction, before more of those wasps show up." Tai began walking in that direction, Alex and Agumon right behind them. Everybody else looked at their retreating backs, shrugged, then followed.

They entered the clearing, pretty much unscathed, though covered in the remains of the bugs they had run into. All of that was forgotten however, as they beheld something rather…ordinary compared to everything else they had seen.

"What is this supposed to be?" Nall incredulously, flying over to inspect a tortoise-shaped shell of wood. "Some kind of booby-trap?"

"Looks like it," T.K. replied, bending to take a look inside the shell. "Looks like something a kid my age would make out of blocks.

Izzy stepped forward to check one out. "It appears to be set up to capture food," he said sensibly. "Preferably a beast of some kind." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mimi stoop to check another one of the traps, an expression of curiosity on her face.

Nall snorted. "I can't imagine a creature dumb enough to stumble under this thing!"

Gomamon looked up, grinning. He began saying, "Well, look on the bright side. At least we haven't found anyone under these things yet," when a noise attracted his attention. "Hey, what's that?" he asked.

Straining, they all listened. Finally though, they could discern a voice crying out, "Hey! Hey there! Get me out of this thing!"

Nall did a one-eighty in the air, looking around, confused. "What the-?" was all he got out.

"Where did that come from?" Agumon asked, just as confused. "_Who_ did that come from?"

Gomamon looked at Nall. "You were saying?" he asked, smirking.

Nall did not reply, as he finally zoomed in on the general direction of the voice. "That sounded like it came from further up the trail!" he exclaimed, flying in that direction. Everyone started running, or flying, after him. Izzy and Mimi straightened and picked up the rear. "Too…much…running," Mimi panted. Izzy nodded.

When they reached where the voice was emanating, Nall flew in and rapped the shell. "Hello?" he called out. "Who's in there?"

Joe stooped to peer at the bottom of he trap. All he saw were a pair of blue-black shoes. "I would say someone who was stupid enough to get caught by the trap," he replied sagely.

Nall shot him a really dark look before returning his attention to the trap. "Ummm, what exactly are you doing?" he asked bluntly.

The answer came rather quickly, and with a side order of arrogance, and tinged with desperation. "What does it look like I'm doing, peasant?" he retorted.

"Hmm…being caught in a trap, and you can't escape," Tai answered bluntly. Gatomon just looked at the trap, a little annoyed.

The voice deemed it not necessary to reply. Instead, he ordered, "I order you to release me from this contraption immediately!"

Everyone stared at the trap. "Pretty pushy, don't ya think?" Palmon asked.

"Nall looked over at Alex. "He sounds pretty rude Alex," he observed. "What are we gonna do?"

"I say we leave him here," Ramus replied, sounding particularly certain. "He isn't hurt, and I'm sure that he'll get out of this…eventually."

"Okay. All in favor?" Tai's, Matt's, Ramus's, Agumon's, Gabumon's, Nall's, and Gomamon's hands or paws shot up into the air. "All right," Alex said. "Luna?"

Luna looked rather tempted to go through with it. "While I'm tempted to agree," she said hesitantly, "I think we should help him. After all, Laike didn't desert us when we needed _his_ help…"

Alex was torn, but he eventually sighed. "I guess you're right," he groaned, moving over to the trap. "Tai, Izzy, Ramus, would you assist me?" he asked. Tai and Izzy nodded, and moved into positions for optimum lifting. Ramus just moved into position. "Ready and…_heave!_"

With an little bit of effort, as well as being unaware of the love-struck eyes of Sora, Mimi and Luna, moved the shell off of the trapped one, dropping it about several feet from it's former location. Then they waited, breathing slightly deeper, the only sign that they had exerted themselves.

The young man slowly stood up after a few moments when he realized that the sky was now open for him to see. He looked around, and satisfied, grinned. He pulled out a comb from out of his robes, and twirled around in his fingers for a few seconds before running it through his hair. He deposited it back into his robes before even acknowledging his saviors.

"Hey there kiddies!" he said in greeting. "My name is Nash. I'm a level three apprentice from the magic city of Vane that floats around the Goddess Tower." He gave them a two finger salute. "The area around the Old Sea Hag's house can be a little tricky, so be sure to watch your step around here, okay?"

The Digi-Destined looked at one another, then at Nash, then back at each other again. "Is this guy for real?" Agumon asked. Tai shrugged.

"I think he wants us to believe that he is an impressive individual." Gabumon ruffled his fur in indignation. "Something that's not going to happen for a while."

Nall was understandably, and predictably, annoyed. "What are you saying? You're the one who was trapped, not us!" he snapped. "And would it kill you to let a 'thanks' pass your lips?"

"Yes," Palmon threw in. "Would hurt you to be humble as well?"

Nash laughed. "Who, me?" he asked. "I'm in the third rank of the Magic Guild…and the best magician in my class." He would have gone on about himself, but something seemed to make contact with his brain, and he swiveled his head in Nall's direction. "How dare you say I was trapped when I was just…uh… When I was just investigating how this silly contraption was made!" he finally shouted out.

Palmon just smirked. "Yeah, and how were you going to get out? Nudge it to death?" she asked sardonically.

"This is why I hate leaving the city," Nash practically roared, glaring at the cactus Digimon. "you country folk don't have any manners!"

Nall was getting angrier as Palmon stood there, her mouth hanging open in shock. "You've been yelling at us since we got you out of that trap, and _we_ don't have any manners?" he asked incredulously.

Palmon had finally closed her mouth, and was currently being held back by Agumon and Tai. "No Palmon!" Tai grunted. "He isn't worth it!" He was surprised that Palmon was this angry, a feast that not even Myotismon could accomplish.

Izzy, understandably was much calmer than the rest of them. "Mister Nash," he addressed their new acquaintance. "We were under the impression that you were in an uncomfortable position, and we resolved to help you out of that situation."

Nash was a little bit surprised at this calm statement. "Oh," was all he managed to get out. His ire was cooling down, so he asked. "So, what are your names?" with a little respect in his tone.

_'Now that the magician's calm.'_ "Hello Nash," she said, trying to do this properly. "My name is Luna. We are all travelers from the village of Burg. These are my friends." She pointed to each one in turn, "Alex, Ramus, Nall, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K., Kari, Agumon, Gabumon, Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, and Gatomon." She took a deep breath. "Try saying that five times fast," she quipped.

Nash looked slightly dazed by the name overload. "I'd rather not," was all he said on the matter. He turned to the Digimon. "Why do you all have 'mon' at the end of your names?" he asked.

"It's short for monsters," Biyomon explained cheerfully.

"Ah." Nash filed it away in his 'Ask again later when I _don't_ think they're off their rockers.'

Luna pressed on, hoping to nip this confusing time in the bud. "Are you going to the Old Woman's house?" she asked softly. A nod answered her question. "You should join us. It would be much safer for us to travel together." She looked over her shoulder, and decided to ignore Tai and Agumon's frantic hand signals. "What do you think Alex?" she asked sweetly.

Matt observed Alex's expression shift a little. "She's got him pretty much wrapped around her finger," he muttered.

"I can agree with you on that," Nall muttered back.

"Well, I don't like the idea…and for obvious reasons," Alex began, "but you're right Luna, it would be much safer if we were to go together as a group. What do you say Nash?"

If anything, Nash looked even more. "Go with you…?" he asked, thoughtful. No one had ever asked him to join them before. "Well, protecting beautiful women and simpletons is the duty of every Guild member." He made his decision, his smile in full force. "All right. I will travel to the Old Sea Hags house with you. I just hope you all appreciate my exceedingly good gesture!"

"Oooh…I think I'm going to have a headache," Ramus moaned.

"I think Nash _is_ a headache," Nall grumbled.

"Ditto," Patamon added, looking like a storm cloud.

Izzy consulted his computer. "I believe that her house is to our north," he finally said.

"Well, we better get going then. This fortune cane is burning a hole in my backpack," Tai said, releasing his grip on Palmon. "Don't attack him…yet."

As they began walking, Nash asked, "You said you were from Burg, didn't you?" Luna nodded. "I heard that a girl with a beautiful singing voice lives there…do you know her?" he asked attentively. I mean, what I said about her is wondrous

Nall looked surprised. "I know that Luna is really good, but I don't really know about wondrous," he stated skeptically.

Nash did a double-take. "You're the singing princess of Burg?" he asked, amazed. Then he smiled, one laced with admiration and respect. "I would love to here you sing sometime Luna."

"Well…" Luna thought about it, then nodded her head. "All right…"

"All right! I'll hold you to that." Nash immediately turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Let's go have a word with this Old Hag!" he shouted.

Nall sneered. "Who put _you_ in charge buster?" he growled. "Alex, this guy bugs me… a lot!"

Alex nodded sympathetically. "He bugs me too Nall," he said soothingly. "But what can you do about that?"  
"Kill him, and make sure his body is never found," Tai muttered, earning grunts of approval from the boys, with the exception of Izzy and T.K., and earning stares of disapproval from the ladies. "What?" he asked blankly.

"Oh brother," Kari groaned. "This is going to be a long trip."

The Old Ladies house was an average house in every sense. It was also something of a fixer-upper.

"What did she make this thing out of," Gatomon asked. "Clay and bearskins?"

"I think the consensus is sticks and stones," Sora answered.

"Actually, you're both right." Izzy scanned the structure. "I think it's a hodge podge of everything you have said. And it's been that way for years. The door is okay though. It's just wood."

"Is that house even sanitary?" Joe asked, looking green around the gills.

"I don't think so Joe," Gomamon answered.

"All right then. Let's get this over with." Alex walked over and knocked. He stepped back, and waited.

For a moment, they heard nothing, then:  
On the pricking of my thumb, something tasty comes…" The door opened to reveal the occupant of the house. She blinked her wrinkled eyes at seeing them. "Uh…erm," was all she managed to get out for a few moments as she gawked at them.

"Uh…hello?" Sora said questionably.

That seemed to snap the old woman out of it. "Hello children!" she exclaimed, eyeing them hungrily. "Don't you look delicious…er, delightful."

Tai looked a little uneasy. "This suddenly doesn't seem like a good idea anymore," he muttered to Joe.

"I'll have to agree with you on that," Joe returned.

The woman looked at each and every single one of them in turn. "What is your business with me?" she asked, now composed.

Izzy stepped forward. "We came to ask you if you wanted to trade for the Sea Chart. We need to get it back to the Captain of the _Hispaniola_."

"You want the Sea Chart?" the woman murmured, looking thoughtful. She got a faraway look in her eyes, and her ancient eyebrows knitted together in the enter of her head. "Well…Since I assume that you won't part with your tasty little pets…" the Digimon and Nall threw particularly dirty looks, which she ignored, "Will you trade me the Water Cane?" she finished.

Izzy's mind went blank. "Could you excuse me or a second?" he asked, heading to the rear of the group. Once he was out of sight, he pulled his laptop out of his sack and turned it on. "Maybe it'll be on file. What is a Water Cane?" he typed into the computer. He got an answer

**Water Cane: A magically charmed object that is created for use by those who are magically gifted. Creates a sphere of water that can be used to attack any monster anywhere in range. Is primarily used against earth and fire resistant creatures.**

"And there's a picture," Izzy muttered to himself, looking up. His glance passed by Nash, and he saw that Nash was carrying something in his sack. "And Nash has got one."

Nash looked at him, catching the look that Izzy was throwing him. "What is it?" he asked, having a sinking sensation in his gut.

Izzy walked over to him. "We need that Sea Chart, and she's willing to give it to us, but only if we trade her a Water Cane. You have a Water Cane."  
"Yes I know this. What's your point?" Nash asked impatiently, the knot in his gut tightening.

Izzy took a deep breath. "Could you trade with her?" he asked hesitantly. "We really need that map."

"What?" Nash couldn't believe it. "I was given the cane by Ghaleon before I left Vane!" he shouted, not even paying attention to the others. "I'm not about to exchange it with a warty old hag for some crummy old map!"

"And here we go," Agumon muttered, shooting a glance in Biyomon's direction. She nodded.

The Old Woman's wrinkled and lined face started to redden. "Warty…Old…Hag?" she started to snarl.

Sora and Ramus each grabbed one shoulder of the magician. "Could you excuse us for a moment? Thanks," Ramus said sweetly, as he and the keeper of Love dragged Nash back to Tai and the rest of them.

Nall watched them as they did so. "We really need that Sea Chart Alex," he said. "What do we do?"

"We could always knock him out…but that wouldn't be right," Alex added hastily, as Luna was getting ready to give him the patented stink-eye.

Luna dropped the gaze, and smiled gently. "Would you like me to talk to him?" she asked. "Nash seems to be fond of me…"

Ramus looked affronted. "No way Alex!" he exclaimed, drawing strange looks from everyone else. "The only thing this egomaniac understands is tough talk."

Alex and Tai stared at him. "And you would be the expert on that?" Tai asked sarcastically.

Alex thought about it. "Well…if you think you can do it Ramus," he gestured in Nash's direction. "feel free to do it. Though I doubt you'll succeed…"

Ramus grinned. "Watch and learn Alex." He started to walk over to where Nash was standing and started to speak to him. Alex noted though that Nash seemed to be getting more agitated with each word that Ramus was saying. Until finally, he said something back that made Ramus suddenly stop and stare in shock. He turned around and walk back to Alex sullenly. "He's worse than I am on any given day," he grumbled. "Talk about being as stubborn as an ox."

Tai turned to Luna. "Well, looks like we're doing it your way." He sighed. "May God have mercy on your soul."

"Thank you for the reassurance." Luna looked a little nervous as she walked over to Nash. "Nash…" she began, getting his attention, "without the Sea Chart, we can't sail to Meribia, and we desperately need to go." Her gaze became pleading, and she gave him a soulful look. "I'm begging you…please…will you trade your cane for the Sea Chart?"

Nash was speechless, his mouth hanging open like a baby's. He couldn't believe that she was asking him.

Nall noticed that his jaw was hanging, and shouted, unable to resist, "Hey Nash! Need some help picking your jaw off the floor?"

"I…uh…well." Nash couldn't articulate any form of speech. He was still in shock. However, little by little, his prideful smile came back into play. "Luna, there's no way I can turn down a woman as beautiful as you." He turned to the old woman. "Her you go," he said, giving her the Water Cane. "And my apologies for calling you warty."

The Old Woman smiled. "Don't worry about it." She motioned to them to come in. They did so, waiting in the main room. The woman went into the next room, saying, "I'll be back in a moment," over her shoulder.

As they waited, the Digi-Destined looked around them, seeing the insides for the first time. "It looks like our living room," Kari commented.

"It looks like Mister Endyimon's apartment," Izzy mentioned.

"Mr. Endyimon?" Tentomon asked.

"Oh, he's a friend of my family. He and I are both orphans, as we both lost our parents at a young age." Izzy got a faraway look in his eyes. "He's really the only one who I could relate to…until I met you guys."

"Oh." Mimi thought about it. "Now that you mention it, I know Darien too. My Dad taught him everything he needed to know about the stock market. He taught me about modeling on his spare time."

Izzy looked amazed. "And here I thought I knew you Mimi," he said jokingly. "I thought you were going to be a scientist or a physicist."

Palmon watched as Mimi's eyes crimp at the mention of physicist. _'Interesting,'_ she thought. _'I figured Mimi would wince at something that involved using her brains. Instead, she looks…so sad. Why?'_

Izzy had noted it too, and was about to enquire about that, when the old woman's voice suddenly exclaimed "Found it!" Izzy snapped his attention back to the door, just as the woman came out. "Here's the Sea Chart kiddies," she said, giving them a somewhat yellowed map. Tai took it, and put it in his backpack.

Kari bowed. "Thank you miss," she said.

"Don't mention it, kiddies." She escorted them back to the door. "Good bye kiddies!" she said, waving.

"Bye!" was roughly what twenty-one voices said as they returned the wave. Their goal was achieved, and with no blood spilt.

You know," Matt noted as they walked back to the forest entrance, "She was actually a very nice lady. A little weird, but nice."

"You're right Matt," Gabumon said. "We did get the Sea Chart, as well as a new acquaintance. All in all, a very good day."

They entered the clearing, all feeling happier about the world in general. As they passed the traps again though, Izzy and Mimi detached from the group and began analyzing it again.

Nall flew over to them. "What in the name of the Goddess are you two doing?" he asked.

Izzy looked up. "I'm trying to see what the bait is," he said before looking at Mimi. "What are you doing Mimi?"

Mimi blushed a little. "Just…curious myself," was her answer. Then, "It's fruit!"

"Huh?" Nall flew in closer, saw what it was, and couldn't resist saying, "All that's in this trap is a banana…still hungry Nash?"

Nash glared a Nall. "Are you talking?" he asked scathingly.

Tai simply said, "I think that's a yes," to Matt. Quietly, of course.

Finally, I got this chapter done! I think that I'm going to be extremely relieved when I finish this story in about a thousand years (laughs). But seriously, I wish to know if there is anything I can do to make what In already have up better, so please, send me your suggestions. As per one of your requests, there was only one small battle scene. Also, next episode, Greymon returns for the first time in this fan fiction. And in two episodes time, Amy and Greg will be back!


	12. Episode Eleven: The Return of Greymon

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Lunar: SSSC do not belong to me at all, nor do any of the characters in it. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takauchi. I don't really remember who owns Digimon and Lunar, but I know that I don't.)

(Theme song of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is played first, like you would see it at the beginning of the game.)

**Episode Eleven: The Return of Greymon**

Episode Eleven: The Return of Greymon 

The sun was just starting to set in the sky as the Digi-Destined and adventurers walked out the forest, spirits up for the first time in two weeks. Practically all of them were smiling, except for one. And that was for one very obvious reason.

"Phew! Talk about a long day!" Palmon exclaimed, shaking one of her feet. "I think my roots are starting to grow toes now!"

Gomamon looked at her. "And that's a bad thing?" he asked casually. He received a glare from her in return. "Sorry! Geez! You people have no sense of humor!"  
"Just none around you." Agumon said, revealing something that the others had been hiding from him since day one. "You're not all that funny."

Gomamon looked affronted.

"…And don't ever do that again!" Nash's voice roared, which was immediately followed by Nall's voice saying, "Oh, what, this?" with a snide tone.

Izzy and Ramus started at each other, then at the two of them. "They're worse than we are," Izzy commented.

Ramus nodded. "And far more dangerous. I mean, with the exception of that first time, we're not at each others throats."

Tai, however, was just a tad bit more annoyed. "Knock it off you two," he snapped, "Before I knock both of you…and I apologize in advance, Sora…on your asses!"

His threat brought the two in question to a dead halt, staring at him in shock. "Now then," Tai continued on, quieter now that he had their attention, "let's continue on until sunset, then set up camp. Is that all right with all of you?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Nash, you do have a bed roll, don't you?"

Nash patted his shoulder bag. "Right here," he elaborated, sounding like he would have to be an idiot to forget.

Tai deemed it not necessary to comment on his attitude. After all, it was only several months ago that Tai acted exactly like him. Instead, he said, "Good boy. We'll have to keep you around then." Letting Nash digest that, he began walking. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get away from this forest, the sooner we can actually have dinner."

Agumon came over to Palmon and bent down. "Here," he said, "you can ride on my back for a while."

Palmon, astounded, blushed. "S-Sure," was she said. She mentally kicked herself. _'Get a grip girl!'_ she scolded herself. _'He's just helping you out!'_

The group walked on, Agumon carrying Palmon on his back for about a half-hour and T.K. and Kari talking about something. Nall and Nash were staying as far away as humanly possible, and Izzy and Luna discussed Earth and Lunarian chemistry. Science, not interpersonal relationships. They were _not _going there.

Mimi, which was quickly becoming the norm for her, was not complaining about her. What _was _odd for her though, was the fact that she was rummaging through her small purse, muttering, "Where is it?" quietly to herself.

T.K. heard this though, and wondered what in tarnation she was doing. He didn't inquire though, instead saying to Kari, "Could you excuse me for a second?" before walking a little faster, heading in Tai's direction.

"Where's he going?" Patamon asked, confused.

Gatomon shrugged. "Over to Tai," she replied. "Now then…"

They set up camp, three hours after they had left. Tai and Alex immediately handed out duty assignments, and the group broke off to do their jobs. Joe, Gomamon, and Ramus were responsible for getting the tent out and setting it up for the night. Izzy, Tentomon, and Nash were given the task of getting their bedrolls set up for the night. Mimi, Sora, and Luna went to get firewood for the night. Kari, Gatomon, Biyomon and Palmon were told to get plates and eating utensils out, a fact that was confusing until they realized that Nall was carrying more than just recuperative items.

T.K., Patamon, Tai and Agumon, after the girls had obtained enough wood, went through the process of making a fire for Matt and Gabumon to cook upon. It was upon this time that Agumon noticed something was bugging Tai. For one thing, Tai wasn't talking off their ears. "Tai, you seem quiet at the moment," he said. "Is there anything wrong?"  
Tai was silent for a few moments more. He was contemplating whether or not to answer, but decided that if they couldn't give him advice, then no one could. "Well, we've been here for about a month," he began. "We've pretty much beaten some pretty big odds, met a giant dragon with the personality of…well, Kari, met a man who is a superb swordsman, and, oh yeah, beat a conman at his own game and recovered a Sea Chart."

"What's your point Tai?" Patamon asked.

Tai took a deep breath. "In that month, none of you guys have been able to digi-volve at all. It makes me feel like I've been doing something wrong there's something I haven't been doing. I feel like…I've failed you guys," he admitted.

Agumon looked rather touched. He put a hand on Tai's shoulder. Don't worry about it," he said optimistically. "Remember what Izzy said? It'll take time for our bodies to become accustomed to this place so we can digi-volve. And I'm not worried. When we work together as a team, we're actually very hard to beat."

Tai looked at him. "But what if we meet someone who can beat you? What then?"

Patamon spoke up. "Then we'll do our best," he stated. "Let's face it, we didn't beat Apoclamon by giving up, now did we?"

"They're right, Tai," T.K. added, grinning. "We didn't get to be where we are by running scared. We got there by standing our ground and not giving up. We'll find a way."  
Tai finally managed to smile a little himself. "Okay guys. I'll worry about something else. Like you and Kari," he said to T.K., looking annoyed. "I mean, what's going on with you two?"

T.K. became serious, the look of an older and wiser man shining through his eyes. "We just saw something in Saith that stumped us, Tai. We've been trying to make sense of it ever since we left there. And we don't want to tell you guys until we do."

"It's not just you two," Tai groused. He turned to Patamon. "You and Gatomon are acting weird too. What was it that you guys saw in Saith that's become your favorite topic of discussion?"

T.K. and Patamon looked around for a moment, as if afraid someone would overhear them. "Your sister and Gatomon might have our heads for this, but I guess we can tell you, but only if you promise not to tell anyone else, not even my brother."  
"Okay." Tai was now even more curious than before. "So, what _is_ the big secret?"  
T.K. took a deep breath. "We saw a picture of a group of people at one of the stands. All of them looked familiar to us, and it's been something that we've been trying to figure out ever since. Two of them looked like Angemon and Angewomon, and two of them looked like older versions of me and Kari." He took another deep breath. "We've also had visions. We know their names were Takeru and Hikari. My full name is Takeru."

"And Kari's full name is Hikari," Agumon continued, now understanding what they were telling them. "Which effectively means that we have an even bigger mystery than before."  
"And I've got the feeling that your dreams are connected to this somehow," Tai added, stepping away from the fire.

T.K. would have continued the conversation on, but Matt chose that moment to walk up to them. "If you've got the fire going, I'll make the rest of dinner," he said, telling them subtly to get something to eat and get away from the fire so he could cook a culinary masterpiece. Or something along those lines.

"Okay. What's for dinner anyways?" Tai asked.

"Hamburgers," was the answer as Matt got a few packages of beef out of the food bag. "Also, fruit salad. Speaking of which, you better go get some before Ramus eats it all."

Tai sighed. "You're right, as usual." He began walking over to where the salad was, the other three not far behind him.

T.K. walked up next to the keeper of courage. "I'm gonna tell Kari and Gatomon that you know now," he said quietly before detaching and heading to where Kari and Gatomon were, waiting for them with food.

Tai and Agumon continued to walk where the salad was, only to find Izzy and Tentomon guarding it against a hungry Ramus. "Let everyone else have some first Ramus!" Izzy was saying. "Otherwise, I'll let Tentomon electrocute you into oblivion!"  
Agumon stepped up next. "And I'll fry your sorry carcass if you don't move right now!" he roared, letting Ramus know that he and Tai were hungry and ready to hurt anyone that got in their way. Ramus backed off immediately. "Thank you."

"Nice work Agumon. Don't ever do that again."

"You got it Tai."

Kari stared at T.K. like he had grown a second head. "Why?" she asked, stunned.

T.K. sighed. "Because he was worried, and he was becoming extremely agitated as well," he replied. "Also, I made him and Agumon promise not to tell anyone. He deserved to know, that's all."

Gatomon took another bite of fruit salad. "While I don't think you should have done it without all of us agreeing to it, Tai _was _getting agitated. And an agitated Tai is a Tai to avoid at all costs."

"Agreed." Patamon set his plate down. "I wonder if Matt's done with those Hamburgers yet, because I think Ramus just finished off the salad."

Kari looked at the man in question. "I'm actually surprised that he isn't bigger," she observed. "He eats enough for four people."

T.K. nodded.

* * *

The next several days were pretty much the same as that one. With the addition of Nash into the group, Izzy and Ramus reached an unspoken agreement to shelve their discussions for the duration, instead joining forces to make sure that Nall and Nash maintained a cordial relationship with each other.

They would have had better luck with convincing Piedmon to become a good guy. Nash was too stubborn, and Nash was too arrogant. A volatile combination in the best of times, and definitely not something that the others appreciated a great deal, as it grated on their nerves, and their tempers, every day.

When they were a day away from Saith, Tai finally put his foot down, and told them in no uncertain terms, _again, _that if they didn't stop, he was going to hurt them, very, very badly. They stopped after that, which was soothing to everyone else.

Finally, they entered Saith the next day, slightly wetter than they had been the day before. "A light drizzle, eh Luna?" Agumon grumbled, looking at Luna. He blinked when he saw that she wasn't paying attention. "Uh…Earth to Luna."

Luna blinked, turning her gaze to the digimon. "Oh come now," she stated, "It could've been worse." She turned her attention back to the town. "I wonder what everybody is doing?" she asked. "They all look so busy."

Mimi looked around. "You're right. They look very busy. They're moving a lot of the crates."  
"I bet they're trying to finish their work before dinner," Nall spoke up, looking proud of himself. "Hey, that sounded down right sensible."  
"Umm… that reminds me, when do we eat?" Ramus asked.

Tai groaned. He knew kids fatter than Ramus who ate less than him. "Is that all you think of?" he asked exasperatedly, digging into his backpack. He pulled out a pack of beef jerky and tossed it to the pudgy boy. "Here, chew on this."

Sora meanwhile tracked the crowd's movements. "Wait a minute," she muttered, seeing something that wasn't right. "Hey guys!" she called out. "It looks like the crowd is moving towards the entrance. And they're moving awfully fast to just be doing their jobs. And they're all coming from the general direction of the harbor." She got a funny feeling in her gut. "I think something's up."

Agumon stared at the crowd too. "You're right Sora." He began walking in the general direction of the harbor. "Let's go see what's going on."  
Tai immediately moved as well, grabbing Agumon by the scruff of his neck. "Whoa there, buddy!" he exclaimed, remembering that monsters were destroyed if they were found without a human next to them. "You can't walk of by yourself in this town. You'd have a giant bulls eye on your chest!"

"Tai's right," Patamon said. "Remember, we're basically monsters with manners and the ability to figure out the concepts of right and wrong. We would be target practice for someone with the proverbial trigger finger."  
"So what else is new?" Gomamon asked sarcastically. "We're _always_ target practice for something or other. I'm really not worried."

Tai didn't look even the least bit mollified. "How about you and me go together Agumon? That way, your life is not in danger when it's actually avoidable, and we can learn something." He turned around to the others. "I want you guys to stay outside the harbor building. If there's something that needs to be dealt with, then you'll be there in shouting distance. But let's not overload the poor harbormaster's mind."

"How about we stop by the statue first?" T.K. asked. "Because I'm feeling sore."

Agreeing to that, they began pushing their way through the massive crowd, trying to get to their first target. As they moved though, Agumon noticed that the crowd seemed to be thinning. When they reached the statue, the crowd had thinned out considerably. And it was still moving to the edge of town. "What the hell is going on around here?" he asked as he put his hand on the side of the statue, feeling his bruises fade away in a pale green glow. "It's like they're running from something."

Tai backed away from the Statue, noting absently that he was next to Sora. "I guess we're going to find out in a few minutes." He turned to pierce Nash with a glare. "And we are not going to show off our 'superiority' in this detail. Is that okay with you?"

Nash looked rather annoyed. "Now look peasant," he growled. "I don't have to. Everyone knows that I am superior! I don't need to tell people I'm superior!"  
"Then keep your mouth shut," Patamon growled back, now becoming seriously angered.

Tai nipped this in the bud. "Kill each other later," he told them. "In the meantime, let's get going." With that, he and Agumon began to head in the direction of the harbor. Everyone else followed, like a school of fish.

The port was almost deserted now, with only a few people hastily moving cargo to primitive looking carts, then pushing them out of the port. "What the Hell…those are tools that the port usually has!" Nash exclaimed. "Why are they moving them?"

Gatomon suddenly cupped one of her ears. "Hey," she exclaimed. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" T.K. listened long and hard. He definitely heard something, and it confused him. "What the…slurping?"

Joe listened, and heard it as well. "Well, it's confirmed. Now I'm worried," he revealed to everyone present. "Unless Gomamon is eating something that I don't know about."

"And thankfully, I'm not, because I'm hearing it too." Gomamon looked sick. "I thought I slurped loudly."  
Tai looked at him. "You slurp?" he asked.

Alex interrupted the resultant conversation before it could begin. "Let's press on," he said. "Some things we shouldn't have to hear."

They entered the building, immediately observing how much it changed. Before, it was full of people trying to push their way to the desk. Now, only two people were in there, and they weren't moving one inch. Their eyes were opened real wide, and they were staring at something on the wall.

Biyomon flew over to where they were, observing them. "They're in shock," she said in confusion. "It's like they've seen something that is so terrifying that it literally put them in a stupor."

T.K. looked around. "We need to find someone who can tell us what's goin' on around here," he finally decided. "Now where to find someone."

As he said this several people ran by, all of them panicking, and blubbering. They were wearing what looked to be some kind of uniform. They weren't slowing down though, and it became apparent they were running for their lives.

Agumon barely managed to get out of the way, saving his toes in the process. "What the hell is going on around here?" he asked, now seriously confused about the entire situation.

Izzy stared out after them. "They appear to be running for their lives," he observed.

"Very astute," Ramus rumbled.

Nash continued to watch them as they receded into the distance. "I think the question here is, why are they running?" He got a very important look in his eyes. "And I'm going to find out. I will be right back."

Matt immediately grabbed the scruff of Nash's collar, stopping him in his tracks. "Whoa there, Sherlock," he growled. "If we let you go, then we'll never find out what they're running from. How about we let Tai and Agumon find out what we need to know, then make a decision."  
"I'll go too," T.K. suddenly blurted out, walking through the port door.

Tai looked at them. "If a problem arises, I'll send Patamon to get you guys. No problem."

Joe gave him a pitying look. "Every time you say that, it does become a problem. So stop saying it."

Tai gave him a really dark look as he, Agumon, and Patamon followed T.K. in.

Nash looked at the spots they once occupied. "Why is it," he said, "you allow a child who is younger than the majority of you go into potentially dangerous situations?"  
Matt looked at him. "Because he knows how to defend himself, that's why." He turned to stare at one of the remaining crates. "I just hope it's not too serious," he added.

Joe groaned. "Don't pin your hopes on it."

* * *

"Get everybody in here," Tai grumbled, unable to believe his bad luck. "We've just experienced a change in fortune." And as Patamon flew back to get the others, he reflected on that change of fortune. This was a very annoying situation that they were in. And what's worse, he had no idea what to do next.

He turned around when he heard the door open, and the others entered. "Joe," he began immediately. "I'm going to stop saying that now."

This confession did nothing to mollify Nash. If anything, he grew even smugger with that sentence. "You see?" he began. "If you allowed me to question the crew, we wouldn't have had to worry about being in the dark. Good decision there. Now we may never find out. If I had been in charge-"  
Agumon's temper finally snapped. "All right! That's it!" he roared, turning around. "You have been nothing more than a damn asshole ever since we got you out of that trap, and I for one am getting sick and tired of your endless ranting! You think you're better than everyone else? Get your fucking head out of the gutter right now, because the world does not kiss the damn ground you walk on!"

Everyone stared at Agumon in shock. Sora's mouth was hanging open. The digimon were in various poses of movement, and now were doing pretty decent miming positions. Ramus and Alex looked ready to bolt in terror. Luna and Mimi were like Izzy, just staring at him.

Nash, on the other hand, felt his own temper snap. "You are a selfish little beast who doesn't understand a damn thing about me, or what you are talking about! So how about you at least try to understand that I don't listen to you, cretin! And, oh yeah, I _know _that I am most certainly better than you!"  
"Why you-!" Agumon couldn't finish the sentence, and instead prepared to shish-ka-bob Nash. Nash brought his hands together to begin summoning a spell. Tai started to move forward. Izzy was trying to be heard over the sudden commotion. Everything was spiraling out of control. None of them knew who was going to strike the first blow, or when. Fortunately, it never came to that.

The second Agumon was ready to flambé Nash, a growl emanated from a far corner of the room, surprising everybody out of the tense situation that had formed. They turned around to see…

"Guys. It's the captain of the _Hispaniola_!" Luna exclaimed.

"He's here still?" Nash asked.

Biyomon nodded. "Guess he has a stouter heart than most," she commented.

"And probably a much more humble demeanor," Agumon said snidely, turning his gaze to Nash.

Tai started checking the inside of his backpack, giving a series of grunts, before finally pulling out the Sea Chart in triumph. Walking over to the captain, he said, "I think this belongs to you."

The Captain looked at the Sea Chart with a look that one would reserve for family. "Ya brought the Sea Chart!" he roared, relieved, though there was an underlying sense of…fear to it. He didn't give Tai a hug, though that's what he wanted to do.

"Glad to be of help. So can the _Hispaniola_ set sail soon?" Tai asked. "We really need to get to Meribia."

At that, the Captain's fear intensified. "I'm grateful ta the lot of ya," he began uncertainly.

"But…?" Agumon asked impatiently, needing clarification.

The Captain hesitated. "But me ship's is bein' devoured by a wretched beast from the hellish depths!" he finally growled. Agumon realized why he was still here. He wasn't going to leave his ship.

"That's terrible!" Sora exclaimed. "What could have made it come after your ship? It had to have been something!"

The Captain thought about it for a moment. "It musta been all the fish in me cargo bay," he finally said.

Gatomon and Nall perked up almost immediately. "Fish? Did you say fish?" they asked simultaneously. Kari and Alex face- faulted in surprise.

Another growl emanated from the bearded one. "Yes," he replied, somewhat surprised by the question.

Nall turned to face Alex, fear now showing on his face. "Guys, we have to help this guy!" he yelped.

"Yeah!" Gatomon piped in. "All that fish is in danger! We have to save them!"  
Kari looked ta her Digimon friend. "You scare me sometimes," she stated. "But we should help him. It's the right thing to do." She looked ta her brother. "What do you think Tai?"

Tai gave some thought to it. "You're right, Kari. It is the right thing to do." He turned to the Captain. "Maybe we can help you deal with it," he said firmly.

The Captain stopped in mid growl, so great his surprise. He stared ta Tai like a man who had been told he was going to survive a potentially deadly cancer. "Are ya offering ta slay the monster for me?" he asked hopefully.

Alex stepped forward. "Yes, if you let us. After all, we need to get to Meribia, and you need your ship," he said sensibly. "Now, if you want our help, please escort us to your ship."

The Captain growled, this time one that conveyed his relief. "Bless ya kids! Walk this way to me ship! And watch your step!" he added.

Following the Captain through the door, the group entered the docking zone of the harbor, all scanning their surroundings. Along the way, they noticed that there were very few people here, mostly crewmen too frightened to move.

Then they took one good look at the _Hispaniola_, saw the reason why.

"Ewww! That's one ugly creep!" Mimi shrieked, trying to keep the smell from getting into her nose. It didn't sound very convincing to her own ears, though. Not that anybody was paying attention.

Izzy gave a much more clinical description about what they were seeing. "It looks like across between an octopus and a jelly-fish." What he thought about the creature though, was something that he didn't care to say in front of everyone else.

"Izzy, what are you talking about! That thing is a giant walking turd!" Matt exclaimed, looking sick.

"Thanks for the mental image, Matt," Gabumon grumbled.

T.K. took a look around. "Where's the rest of your crew?" he asked.

His question was answered, not with words, but with the sudden appearance of more of the crew in question, catching their breath. "Run while you still can Captain!" one of them gasped before running again.

"Captain!" another gasped out. "We all tried to attack the monster, but it was no use…he just ate all of our weapons!" He took a look behind him, then said, "I let the deckhands retreat until we figure out what to do…uh, what_ are_ we going to do, Captain?"

Before the Captain answered, another crewmember ran up. "Captain, the monster's eating right through the hull! Let's get out of here before he starts looking for desert!"

Yet another crewman joined them. "Captain, don't think any less of me, but…_run away_!" All three of his subordinates then turned tail and ran like wet dogs. Not that anyone could blame them.

The Captain growled again. "My crew's a blasted bunch of lily-livered cowards!" he declared. "Ta think I let those scurvy dogs sail with me!" He suddenly shifted his gaze to them. "Ya kids aren't scared though," he paused for a second there, "and that's why I'm gonna let ye handle this on yer own!" And with one last growl, he turned tail and ran like the grim reaper was after him.

The Digi-Destined watched run back into the harbor building. "The only time I had ever seen anyone run like that," Matt observed, " was when I saw a girl with a strange hair style and her cat run at mach three away from the computer school on Main Street."

Izzy began analyzing the monster with his computer. He frowned. "The scanning program is taking longer than necessary to get an identification on it," he said. "Maybe the monster is of a rarer variety…"

"…And while you're analyzing it," Tentomon snapped, "That thing is gobbling up the rest of the ship! We have to take it out now!"

"Hold it! I have a theory!" Izzy started to look at the top of his screen checking the selections. "Hmmm…file, edit, view, insert, format, tools…that's what I need." He clicked the tools button. What he was looking for was apparent by the commands displayed. "Monster, Digimon…Boss?" He clicked it…and instantly, the creatures profile came on the screen.

Saline Slimer: A creature from the darkest depths of the ocean that attacks ships laden with fish, and other aquatic delicacies. It strikes with jelly like hands, and is considered a danger to the sea-lanes. Its only weakness is that of electricity, but as of late, no form of magic has been able to penetrate the protective covering surrounding it. It also possesses the ability to regenerate any damage it sustains.

"Well, that explains that," Izzy mumbled, putting his computer away, then removing his bow, and notching an arrow into it. "I think it's time to deal with it."

"We are in complete agreement." Tai looked at Nash. "Looks like you'll be jolting something after all," he said.

Nash looked cautious, instead of his usual cocky expression. He was still confident, however. "A creature like that can be hurt by physical attacks, or skill attacks that rely on physical attributes," he stated. "Also, fire attacks can burn away the outer shell, thereby allowing any magical attacks to get through. Like that thing said, it can regenerate, so it looks like we're going to be at this for a while."

Agumon looked confident himself. "Well then, it looks like I'm up to bat." He started walking up the plank, his intent obvious. Every one else looked at his back, then shrugged and followed him.

Nall got a closer look of the Slimer as they approached. "_This_ is what has everybody running scared, Alex?" he asked incredulously. "Matt's right, it's a giant blue booger!"

"Yech! No wonder everybody is running! This thing is but-ugly!" Alex stated, looking nauseous. He shook it off though, and pulled his sword out of its scabbard.

"Oh well." Nall shrugged, as only a creature in flight can do. Out of mind, out of body. "Let's start picking!" he added cheerfully.

The Slimer apparently heard that little remark, because he slowly began turning around. "Ummm, Nall," T.K. began, "I think he heard you."

The monster started to slowly ooze his way over to where they were standing, it's intent pretty obvious. It was going to eat them for no other reason than they were there. Immediately, Tai and T.K. split up, heading in opposite directions. The rest of them followed their example as they filed on their way on the ship. Their tactic was simple. Make it follow one of them, and the rest would attack while it's back was turned.

Agumon, on the other hand, chose another approach. A strong approach. A direct approach.

"PEPPER BREATH!" he roared, releasing a sphere of fire at the Slimer. The Slimer turned its head toward him, just in time in intercept it with his head. It disintegrated the portion of the bubble, leaving the head vulnerable for a second. Biyomon immediately took advantage of this by releasing a Spiral Twister at it. The Slimer gave a wince, at least they thought it was a wince, when the attack hit it, inflicting some damage.

"All right, Nash. Your go!" Tai shouted.

Nash concentrated long and hard. "_Check this out_!" he finally roared. "_Thunder Bomb_!"

A yellowish sphere formed above the Saline's head, gaining size with every second. When it reached a certain size, a storm of lightning bolts rained down upon it, striking at the same spot Biyomon had. The Saline Slimer was soon obscured by a cloud of smoke. "There, that should take care of that," he said.

Tai took a closer look. "Uh…guys," he began. "I think we're going to do more than that!"

"Huh?" Nash looked back at the rapidly dissipating cloud…and promptly went pale with shock.

The Saline Slimer's protective covering had fully regenerated, and was reflecting the thunder bomb every which way. "Okay. That didn't go as I had hoped," he managed to say.

"Izzy, you said that the Slimer was vulnerable to electricity!" Agumon shouted.

Izzy looked at Agumon. "I was going to tell you guys, but you ran forward before I could. The Slimer cannot only regenerate his injuries, he can also regenerate his protective field. We're going to have to burn all of it in order to leave him defenseless!"

"Then we need a bigger fireball!" Agumon reared his head back. "PEPP-"

The Slimer, possessing just enough intelligence to know that the tasty looking orange thing was a threat, reared it's own head back, then let loose a water loogy at Agumon. It hit, trapping the Digimon in a glue like prison. He struggled, to no avail. "I'm stuck!" he shouted.

Joe got Izzy's computer out, and accessed it. "It looks like it has three attacks; your basic physical attack, an attack called gelatin breath, and a holding move called mucus." He looked up in annoyance. "I think we know what mucus looks like."

Now Tai got a little pale. "I think we're in trouble," he said, turning to Nash. "Do you know any fire magic?" A negative shake of the head answered his question. "We're in trouble." He turned around. "All right guys. Looks like we do this the old fashioned way!"

"Agreed!" Izzy, Luna, and Ramus pulled their bows back, and released their arrows at the Slimer. They all slammed into the side of the Slimer, not doing any significant damage, but getting the Slimer's attention away from Agumon. "Okay, we just got its attention away from Agumon. Now we try to do enough damage so it'll return to the sea!"

"Good idea, Izzy. BLUE BLASTER!" Gabumon released a stream of ice at the Slimer.

"BOOM BUBBLE!" Patamon unleashed his sphere bubble, adding his strength.

"SUPER SHOCKER!" Tentomon let loose a deluge of lightning.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon's tornado attack spiraled through the air with one purpose.

"_Thunder Bomb_!" Nash let another sphere of lightning form above the Slimer. Again, lightning bolts flew from the sky.

All of these attacks collided with Saline Slimer's protective bubble, where it promptly ricocheted off, flying off in every direction. The whole lot of them ducked, barely escaping the power that flew above them. Gabumon got clipped by a stray lightning bolt, which ended with his being thrown into the air. Their reflected powers hit the guardrails, smashing most of them. This pretty much annoyed the hell out of everyone else, but what happened next hanged all of that.

The Slimer retaliated with another sphere of water, this one slightly different in color and velocity. The reason for that though, became apparent when it slammed into its target.

Tentomon didn't even have a chance to get out of the way.

The sphere made contact with him…and exploded, blasting Tentomon right out of the air. His cry of pain was cut off as he sailed over the edge of the ship. "Tentomon!" Izzy shouted.

"MARCHING FISHES!" Gomamon shouted, already next to the rail. He had seen Tentomon get hit, and the subsequent fall, so he was ready.

On his command, a large squad of colorful fishes rose from the water, forming a large makeshift raft. Tentomon fell on it, unconscious, but no longer in danger of drowning. Gomamon breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I did some good," he stated.

"POISON IVY!" Palmon let her vines loose, catching Gabumon in mid air. The furred digimon let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Palmon," he called down. "Now throw me at him!"

"Not a good idea!" Agumon roared, still trying to break loose. He's going to attack again!"  
The Saline Slimer did attack, letting another water sphere soar through the air as he reformed his hand, and prepared to bring it down on Palmon. Mimi ducked as it flew through the air. Izzy turned around, notching his bow again as he did so, and released another arrow. Luna and Ramus also did so, aiming at the Slimer.

"_Explosion Staff!" _Alex shouted, jumping in the air as he did so. As he began to fall, he began to concentrate on his objective. The hand of the Saline Slimer.

As the tip of blade came in contact, a fiery blast suddenly engulfed the hand, destroying it utterly. He continued his descent to the ground as the creature reeled back, it's equilibrium disrupted by the sudden shift in its gravity.

Palmon threw Gabumon into the air, then hurled her vines like a bunch of spears at the Slimer. Gabumon unleashed another Blue Blaster at the opening. Both connected, getting another wince out of the creature.

Tai and Matt ran forward, swords at the ready. And they used them to good advantage, slashing at the monster. Three more arrows from their resident archers, combined with those sword attacks, finally wrenched a cry of pain out of it. Unfortunately, the damage healed quickly before they could capitalize, which prompted a downfall of spirits from the kids.

Gatomon began edging her way towards the Slimer's rear, trying to get a clear path of attack. But she needed it to stop moving it's overgrown head for a second.

"BOOM BUBBLE!" Patamon's attack ricocheted off the Slimer, but it also forced it back several feet. _'That is one tough mon,'_ Gatomon thought. To make things better in her opinion, the Slimer was now in a still position. And she took it.

"LIGHTNING CLAW!"

Gatomon's claws cut deep, doing far more damage in one attack than they did over the last few minutes of combat. And it had more of an effect as well, eliciting a scream of excruciating pain from the monster. _'Somehow, I don't think I should be able to do this much damage.'_

The Slimer immediately reformed its hand, which it used to slap Gatomon away. All Gatomon felt was herself getting slapped by something wet, and then a sensation of flying through the air. She slammed into the main post at a decent speed, where she slid to the deck, stunned.

The Slimer wasn't done yet, though. It immediately threw its hand out in a grabbing motion, trying to catch one of the moving bugs. And its first target became obvious when its hand tried to grab Sora. She let some Poison Darts loose, but it didn't effect it. As a last ditch effort, she pulled her helmet off her head, and threw it at the Slimer. The Slimer caught it, then popped into its mouth. Crunching down on it, not noticing Sora get out of range. She let out a sigh of relief, but also felt some sadness as she watched the Slimer eat her helmet. She had had that helmet for several years.

She could worry about that later though, as she saw the monster spit another sphere of the mucus at her. She could not move out of the way in time, and Biyomon would not be able to save her this time. She braced herself.

Suddenly, she felt herself being shoved out of the way by someone. A telltale set of goggles answered that it was. "_Tai!"_

Tai had begun moving almost immediately, not knowing if it was mucus or another Gelatin Breath. All he knew was that Sora was in trouble, and he had to protect her. However, it cost him, as the sphere soon had him in similar predicament as Agumon. He was out of the fight.

And then, it all became moot, as the Slimer was soon hitting every last one of them with Gelatin Breath's and it's hands, taking them out one at time. Kari was the only one to get out of way in time, but she soon tripped over a bunch of ropes, and fell down, losing her grip on her scepter.

Now that the threat was out of the way, the Saline Slimer could now go and pick and choose what delicacy it was going to eat next. His roving eyes laid themselves on the struggling form of Tai, and it licked its mouth in hunger. It started to move in his direction.

"Tai…" Sora mumbled weakly, struggling to get up. She watched helplessly as the creature picked Tai, and slowly examined him, like a predator observed its prey before pouncing.

Agumon began struggling harder to break out of his mucus prison. "Come on, break damn it! _Break!_" he grunted.

Tai looked at his current predicament with a certain air of helplessness. Outside though, he was still struggling. He wasn't going to go into the night without a fight. But he was out of time. _'I am not going to give up! We can still win this!'_ he thought viciously. He felt the Slimer's grip tighten even more. It made him struggle all the more.

The Slimer opened its mouth, prepared to swallow Tai whole…and Tai's digivice activated almost immediately, sending a narrow beam of energy in Agumon's direction.

And Agumon simply smiled. _'I'm going to enjoy this,'_ he thought.

"AGUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO …GREYMON!"

Ramus, who had managed to get his head up, had just finished eating an herb. For that reason, he was able to watch in shock as Agumon suddenly began changing. His height increased, and his arms grew a tad more muscular. Blue stripes appeared on his back. His teeth grew more serrated, thus making him look like a real monster. A skull mask descended, settling on top of his head. His tail stretched out, becoming longer, more flexible. His eyes though, remained the same, but with a hardcore look to them.

"My god," he gasped, "Mimi was telling the truth."

Mimi only smiled, getting up herself, limping slightly as she removed an herb from her own backpack. "Told ya," she said.

The Saline Slimer dropped Tai a foot away from its mouth, surprised at what it was seeing. It didn't see Tai hit the deck, effectively being freed from his prison and then running over to Sora, pulling her out of the way. Its full attention was centered on the giant monster before it.

Greymon grinned, a deep and menacing look on his face. "You want to eat Tai," he growled, "you're going to have to go through me."

The Slimer growled as well, before hurtling its hand at Greymon. Its objective; to squash the rival predator like a bug.

Greymon's hand sliced right through the watery hand, destroying it utterly. The remains of it splattered all over the injured Digi-Destined as the Slimer fell backwards again, trying to regain its equilibrium. It recovered faster this time though, and hurtled another gelatin breath at the orange lizard.

Greymon simply blew fire, disintegrating it with ease. He then used his tail like a club, slamming the boss into the main post. It slid to the ground, barely missing Gatomon as she staggered out from beneath it, trying to regain her bearings.

The impact however, also blew Tai over the edge of the boat. He flailed, fell over the edge…and was promptly caught, upside down, by a battered, but conscious, and _extremely_ irate Tentomon. "Thanks Tento!" Greymon called out.

Greymon turned around to see the Slimer rise up. With something that probably was a roar, it charged.

Now

Greymon had had enough of this thing. He was going to end it now.

"NOVA BLAST!"

A massive sphere of fire, more massive and ten times ore powerful than the Pepper Breath attack, shot out of Greymon's mouth, heading right at the Saline Slimer.

It didn't even stand a chance.

The fireball impacted, engulfing the creature for a moment in fiery luminance before exploding. An unearthly shriek of pain rent through the air, making the entire town stop moving in surprise.

Finally though, the inferno died down, and the cloud of smoke dissipated, allowing them all to get a closer look at the Slimer. What they saw was something truly satisfying; the Saline Slimer trying to get reorient itself. Then they saw something else that even more satisfying, as it brought with it a bulls-eye on the Slimer.

"The field! It's gone!" Matt exclaimed.

"Attack!" Gabumon shouted.

Tai and Matt slashed at the Saline's exposed head, causing it to roar in agony.

"LIGHTNING CLAW!"

"Sword Dance!"

"POISON IVY!"

Gatomon and Alex cut deep, moving out of the way as Palmon picked up the broken rail, and threw into the Slimer's side, causing even more pain. Izzy and Luna let their arrows fly, causing them to stick out of the creature's backside. Another unearthly cry, this time of rage, filled the air. T.K. didn't even worry about it, and simply used both of his hands in a clubbing blow, striking just underneath the creatures jaw. The Slimer flew into the air, screaming.

"BLUE BLASTER!"  
"SUPER SHOCKER!"

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"  
"BOOM BUBBLE!"

"Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"

"NOVA BLAST!"

The three attacks, all concentrated in one area, collided with the Saline Slimer, causing a massive explosion to occur. It was so bright that the team had to cover their eyes for a moment.

From out of the explosion, the battered husk of the Saline Slimer fell to the ground, hitting with enough force to almost crack the wood. It struggled to right itself. Its body was now an unrecognizable black, one of its eyes was swollen shut. It was definitely bleeding a pale green substance, and it was not healing at the same rate as it used.

Izzy noticed this. "It looks like all the cumulative damage is too much for it," he said. "We got a chance to take it out."  
Kari looked at it for a moment, a thought nagging at her, something that was trying to make itself known, something…

She figured it out.

"I think I know how we finish it off," she mentioned. "Can I try something, Tai?"

"Sure." Tai took another swipe at the Slimer, stopping it in its tracks. "And that was for almost eating me, booger boy!" He walked away.

Kari pulled the scepter out of her backpack. She held it up, and said three words that, if you removed one word, and put in the word moon, would have made it Sailor Moon's attack.

"Light…Scepter…Activation!"

From out of Kari's scepter a powerful blast of energy flew at the Slimer, seemingly gaining strength as it flew. The symbol of Light stood out in stark relief in the center of the blast. It was more powerful than anything the Digi-Destined had ever seen.

It hit the Slimer full force, highlighting it for a moment before destroying it. It didn't even have one last chance to scream.

But it did have enough time to do one last attack. And with its last breath, it took it.

"Izzy! Move!" Mimi cried out, running in his direction as she saw one last gelatin breath issue from the dying Slimer's mouth.

Izzy tried to get out of the way, but he tripped over a piece of the rail that was behind him. As he fell, he closed his eyes.

'Nnnnoooooo!" Mimi held out her hand in a last futile attempt to grab Izzy's hand. Or so she thought.

When her hand had gone up, a jet of flame shot out from her fingertips like a flamethrower, striking the sphere a split second before it hit. It promptly disintegrated, as these things are wont to do.

Tai and the Digi-Destined stared ta her in shock. "Did…Mimi just do that?" Sora asked.

Tai looked rather pale. "I'm not going to ask her," he replied.

Greymon looked spooked. "I think I'm going to avoid making her angry from here on out." Palmon nodded in agreement.

Alex, Luna, and Nash were somewhat less surprised. "I think there is more to Mimi than meets the eye," Alex whispered.

"On that, we can agree," Nash returned with.

"I think trying to agree or disagree with her has now become academic," Ramus added, coming up next to them, massaging his bruised leg as he did so.

Of all of them, the only two who weren't surprised were Izzy, who had had his eyes closed the entire time, and Mimi, who was busy checking him for injuries. "You sure you're okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Izzy cranked his neck from side to side, checking to see if it was broken. "Except for being bruised in unmentionable places, I'm okay," he replied. "What about you?"

"I'm fine." _'Now that you're safe.'_ She didn't say that last part out loud, though. It would've been too embarrassing.

Tentomon flew over to the ashes that were once the Saline Slimer. "Just how I like them," he said, satisfied. "Dumb and well done."

"You and every other person on this planet," Nall retorted.

Greymon stretched his arms out in satisfaction, and said, "It feels good to be able to digi-volve again."

"On _that_, we can agree," Tai grumbled, turning to Matt. "Matt, could you please go get the Captain and his crew? Tell 'em that we've dealt with their little problem. I'm kinda waterlogged," he added, looking down at his drenched clothes.

As Matt started jogging to the harbor building, Gatomon walked over to Kari. "Looks like you figured out how to use it," she said appreciatively.

Kari stared at her scepter in curiosity. "And yet another mystery for me to solve here," she muttered. "I wish I was playing hide-and-seek right about now."

"Ya know what, Kari? So do I," Gatomon commiserated.

Nash walked over to Mimi. "Uh, Mimi," he began attentively. "How were you able to do that? I mean, cast magic?"

Mimi thought about it for a moment. "I don't know," she finally said. "I mean, all I wanted to do was save Izzy, and then…foom! Fire comes out of my hands…without singing my gloves!" she finished incredulously, checking her gloves in disbelief.

"Don't worry." Nash held his hands up in an attempt to get her attention, marveling at her ability of concentration. "Your own magic won't do any damage to any of your clothing. It's part of you. Just like electricity is part of Tentomon, or me."  
"Oh, thanks." Mimi felt relieved. It quickly became alarm though. _'I almost gave myself again!'_ she thought to herself. _'I can't…I can't let them see who I really am. The REAL me…"_

Palmon noticed the change in Mimi, but decided not to inquire about it. They had bigger fish to fry, so to speak. And they were coming up at that particular moment.

The Captain growled once in fear at the sight of Greymon, then growled again in happiness. "Ya kids did it!" he exclaimed. "Ya slayed the beast and saved me ship!" He turned to Tai. "Would ya be kind enough at hand over the map?"

"Oh." Tai pulled it out of the outer pocket. "Here you go."

The Captain took it from Tai, and clasped it to his heart. "I'll never let this lovely rag out o me grasp again!" he declared, looking close to tears. Abruptly, he turned around, startling Gomamon out of his semi-trance. "Yer headed for Meribia?"" he asked. A group nod answered his question. "I insist ya sail on the _Hispaniola_…free o' charge!"

Everyone looked amazed, and delighted. "Really?" Ramus asked, eyes already twinkling in delight. "You'd do that for us?"

"Of course!" The Captain growled, looking happy enough to fly. All he needed was pixie dust. "Without what ya did, I wouldn't have a ship to sail! Whatever I can do at help, I will!"

Joe began to look apprehensive. "Just don't rock the boat too much," was all he said on the matter.

Gomamon sighed. "Joe, I don't think he gets to decide that," he mentioned quietly.

Alex waked forward, smiling as Joe gave Gomamon a pitying look. "How long will it take to repair the ship?" he asked.

The captain looked around him. "Excuse me sir," he called up to Greymon. "Could ya become smaller or somethin'?"

"Oh! Sorry." Greymon dedigivolved back to Agumon.

"Thanks." The Captain surveyed the ship. Finally, he said, "It'll take me crew a while ta fix the damage…but they'll be done in the morning." He growled. "These buggers are lucky ta have jobs after that cowardly display!"

"Oh what, and you weren't?" Agumon grumbled. Tai silently agreed, but elbowed his partner in the side to quiet him down.

"So, is there any place we can go to stay the night?" Nash asked, the arrogance gone from his voice. Izzy silently approved.

The Captain thought about it. "You can get some rest at the dock house. I'll have the crew roust ye at daybreak. Didn't ya hear me!" he suddenly roared, causing his crew to jump in surprise. "Get ta work! And the first one o' ya who ran away gets ta swab the slime of the deck!" Still roaring, he chased his crew up the ramp onto the ship, where he dispensed assignments in the same way.

Finally though, Nall said the one thing that now was going through their heads. "Tomorrow, guys…tomorrow we're gonna be in the biggest city in the world!" He grinned. "What do you think it's like? Will the people be friendly? And will they have good fish?" He chuckled at that last question.

"Enough with the fish already!" Five voices sounded off at the same time, Ramus's among them. "You know what the best part of it is, Alex?" he asked, as Kari giggled at the expression on Nall's face. "My dad wouldn't believe it if he saw it!"

"That would make two of us," Izzy muttered to Tentomon.

"Ditto."

"I'm just happy to be leaving this hill billy haven behind," Nash exclaimed. "A person as sophisticated as I am needs the commerce and culture of the city…" Nash's voice trailed off when he noticed that no one was even listening. "I also need people who listen to me when I'm speaking!"

Agumon turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry Nash. Were you saying something?" he asked.

Everyone laughed at the expression on Nash's face. "Oh, Nash!" Palmon squealed. "You had that coming!"

Nash began chuckling as well. "Too true," he allowed.

"Well, let's go get some rest, Alex," Ramus suggested, "and a snack." He rubbed his stomach. "Fighting that monster made me hungry!"

"Good idea, Ramus." Alex thought about it. "In fact, the Goddess Festival starts today, if I recall my dates correctly. Maybe we'll get some food there."

"I applaud that idea!" A voice called out from nowhere." I like how you think, young man!"

Tai and the others turned around to see who the voice belonged to. They saw a woman with silver meatball pigtails and a white dress. She reminded a few of them of Serena.

Kari smiled widely. "Hi, Sere!"

Sere turned to look at her. "Oh, hello Kari," she returned cheerfully. "I was on my way to the harbor to offer my services with dealing with the monster, when all of a sudden, I saw a couple of huge flashes of light. Was it you?"

Kari blushed. "I…just figured out how to use something the White Dragon gave me a while back," she answered shyly, showing the scepter to Sere.

Sere's eyes widened to saucer shape. "The Scepter of Light!" she exclaimed in amazement. "And you say that the White Dragon gave it to you?"

Kari nodded. "Why is that so surprising?" she asked.

Sere struggled for a moment to explain what was going through her head. "It's just that, the Scepter of Light hasn't been seen in anyone's hands for about fifteen years!"

Twenty voices sounded off in the next moment, all shouting, "_Fifteen years!"_

Sere managed to calm down. "Yes, fifteen years. It disappeared around the same time Dragonmaster Dyne died." She turned to Kari. "And now it seems that a Guardian of Light is needed again."

Kari looked thoughtful. "You've got a point," she said. "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing. It's just that the last time that there was a guardian of Light, when she had finished, she disappeared around the same time as Dyne."

Now Tai looked confused. "Why did she disappeared at that time?"

"Haven't a clue," Sere replied. "All I know is that she and the other five guardians attended the Goddess Festival in Burg first, then vanished. No one really knows what happened to them after that. There is speculation that the Goddess sent them on a long term mission, but I for one, don't think that's the case." She suddenly looked at Luna, smiling. "I see you're wearing that necklace I gave you," she added warmly.

"What do-?" Luna suddenly had the proverbial light bulb go of in her head. "It was you?" she asked. "You haven't aged."  
Sere's smile became a little sad. "Let's just say I look younger than I am. It's a blessing _and _a curse sometimes." She chuckled humorlessly before turning to T.K. "Could you come by my stand before you go to bed? I want to give you something before you go."

"Oh, okay." T.K. didn't understand why he was saying yes, except to a sudden surge of curiosity. _'Guess I'll find out eventually,'_ he thought.

Nall flew forward. "C'mon, let's go to the festival already! I want to have fun, and some food. Fish preferably."

Everyone groaned as they started to walk. "What is your obsession with fish?" Izzy asked. "There are other foods than fish. Chicken, for example."

"Yeah, but fish is the best!" Gatomon purred, looking rather put off by Izzy's suggestion.

Mimi looked at her. "Okay, now you're starting to scare me," she said.

Tentomon sidled up next to Palmon. "Let the planning for Operation Playing Cupid begin," he whispered. "We'll put it into effect when the rest of us have digi-volved."

"Agreed," Palmon whispered back, grinning wickedly, then looked around. "Hey, where'd Luna go?" she asked.

"Huh?" Nall did a three sixty-degree turn in the air, spotting Luna over Mimi's shoulder, near one of the piers. "Luna?" he called out. "Are you…okay?"

Luna started, caught off guard. She didn't think anyone had noticed her stop. "I'm sorry," she said, looking at them for a moment. "Why don't you guys go on ahead? I'll catch up…" her voice trailed off, her smile fading.

And Kari was struck with another sense of déjà vu…

_

* * *

"You okay, Althena?" Hikari asked, looking very concerned. She did not like the scene she was currently seeing._

Althena looked up, looking clear-eyed. "Are my eyes tearing up?" she asked.

"No." Hikari didn't understand why Althena was asking this.

"Then your answer is, no." Althena sighed, then picked up the glass she was currently holding onto. "I have probably hit an all time low in terms of my self-pity," she stated pathetically.

"Yes, but drinking?" Hikari picked up a bottle of ale that was half-empty. It gave her a pretty good idea where the rest of the contents were. "Angelica, I can understand. Angelus, I can accept. Me, I know I can drain an entire crate of whiskey by myself without losing any of my faculties! But you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You never touched any alcohol in your immortal life!"

Althena downed half the contents in the cup, her expression never changing." And now I am. You should be proud of me. I have now become an immortal b-"

"If you say that word," Hikari warned, "you will become it." She looked out the window for a moment. "Is it the Vile Tribe invasion that has you down now?"  
Althena looked up. "If I had handled the situation differently, then maybe we wouldn't have this war in the first place."  
"And if you had handled it differently," the Guardian of Light retorted, "we might have been attacked even earlier, and Lunar's inhabitants would have been mostly slaughtered." She looked at Althena. "In my opinion, you shouldn't crucify yourself on this decision. You had no idea this would happen."

"I should have," Althena asserted, now looking ta the glass in her hand. "I should have known that they wouldn't be able to live in peace with those who worship me. They are too violent, too unpredictable."

Hikari sat down next to her. "You know that the same thing could be said for about ninety five percent of the population," she reminded her friend gently. "So I wouldn't be too concerned. You are not responsible for anything, but for acting with the best intentions." She patted Althena's shoulder supportably. "And I will tell you something I haven't told Takeru yet. I would have done the same exact thing you did." She formed another glass with a simple thought, and poured herself a glass. "And I would probably be doing what you're doing right now, and that's trying to drown your sorrows in a pool of darkness." She paused for a moment. "Not succeeding, mind you."

Althena chuckled. "I guess we do think alike, as the others are always telling us. How sad."

"Yeah, pitiful little us. Cheers."

The two clinked their glasses together. "But seriously, are you…okay now?"

Althena smiled, though still a little sad. "Not completely, but I'm feeling a lot better now." She looked at the bottle. "How about we finish this off?…"

* * *

Kari snapped out of it. "I am seriously not liking where this is going," she muttered. "I'm going to have a long chat with this Althena when I meet her."

Unbeknownst to her, Luna was silent, having had the same vision. Stewing over it, she walked over the edge of the pier, looking forlorn.

Nall flew upwards. "Alex, something's up with Luna. You saw the look on her face."

Alex knew what he meant. "I know. And I think it had something to do with that last battle. Something seemed…different in her."

Nall nodded decisively. "Let's talk to her and find out what's wrong," he suggested.

"Good idea."

* * *

Luna stared out at the ocean, her gaze distant, and her thoughts elsewhere. She was thinking of two things. Two things that happened quite recently to her.

For starters, she was thinking about that vision she just had. She was wondering if that was really something that happened all those years ago, or if her mind was starting to play tricks on her. That was something she couldn't figure out. The thing that confused her the most was the fact she thought she had seen it before from somewhere before. But that wasn't what was foremost on her mind.

What was forefront in her mind was the battle with that Saline Slimer. She had watched as the others spread out, ready to fight. How Alex had charged forward fearlessly, not even excepting the fact that they would be defeated. How even Mimi continued to fight with every fiber of her being, something that would have normally confused her to no end, if she were thinking about it. How she had almost given up hope when the monster had struck all of them down. And her amazement when she saw Agumon digi-volve into Greymon, a digivolution that ensured the Slimer's defeat. And her guilt when she realized something about herself. And even though the Slimer was defeated, the guilt remained.

"Luna…what's wrong?" A voice asked out of nowhere, shattering her out of her reverie. She turned around to see Alex standing behind her. She wasn't surprised though. In fact, she had been expecting it.

Looking at them, she sighed. "Alex…I…" she began, cut off, took a deep breath, and tried again. "I'm not going with you to Meribia with you," she finally got out. "I'm staying here."

Alex was shocked. Luna was just kidding around, wasn't she? "Luna…I don't understand," he managed to get out.

Luna smiled sadly. "Everything you've talked about," she said, "everything you've ever dreamed of since you were a boy….it's come true." Her smile grew a little more. "You're on a fantastic adventure, just like Dyne."

Alex thought about it. "Yeah…but that's not the problem, is it?" he asked, like he already had an inkling of what she was thinking about.

Luna sighed, the sound conveying her sadness. " I always told you that I believed you…but deep inside my heart, I'm not certain I really did." She hung her head in shame. "Why else would I be so surprised ta what's happening to us, Alex? She asked. "It's just so…unbelievable."

Alex stares at her in surprise. "_That's _what you were concerned about?" he asked incredulously. "How do you think I felt when I learned of what I was to undertake? I mean, all I was going to do was go to the Dragon Cave, help Ramus get a Dragon Diamond, and that would be that. Instead, I'm now on my way with the pudgy friend, and the most beautiful girl in all of Burg," Luna blushed," and Nall, to the largest city in the world, alongside sixteen people from another realm, who are trying to get home. I mean, when Quark told me that the desire to become a Dragonmaster burns in my soul, I was unsure of myself too. Anyone would be."

Luna didn't look the least bit mollified. "But you've grown so strong, Alex. Strong enough to venture into the unknown…with nothing but confidence in yourself and your friends."

Alex couldn't believe where this conversation was heading. "Luna…" he started to say.

"If I couldn't put all of my faith and trust into you," Luna plowed on, not giving Alex a chance to continued, "how can you put yours in me?" She felt even guiltier, but she had to say it. "All I would be on this adventure is a burden, Alex. I know you won't admit it, even to yourself, but somewhere deep down, you know it's true…"

"But, Luna…" Alex was desperately trying to say something. Anything to let her know that she was wrong.

Luna cut him off. "I've made up my mind, Alex. I'll watch you set sail in the morning…and then I'll return to Burg." She tried to smile. "I'll wait for you there, Alex…I'll always wait for you."

She started walking past him. "Good night, Alex…"

"Not so fast," Alex exclaimed, snagging her hand. "Will you at least allow this fool to join you at the Goddess Festival for a few hours?" he asked quietly.

Luna did smile now, this time with real warmth. "Yes, please do," she said.


	13. Episode Twelve: A Song On the Boat

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Lunar: SSSC do not belong to me. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takauchi, Lunar belongs to Kadokawa Productions. I don't know who made Digimon, but I know it wasn't me.)

(Lunar theme song)

(Digimon Theme Song)

Chapter Thirteen: A Little Song on the Boat

The town of Saith had been , for the last few weeks, a veritable hive of resentment, anger, and all out sour dispositions. To put it bluntly, the people felt like shit. Add the recent attack of the Saline Slimer to the mix, and it would be enough to kill any partying mood. In short, people should have been simply counting their blessings to still be alive, or to still have.

However, the Saline Slimer was gone. The Sea Chart had been recovered, and the Sea Port and the _Hispaniola_ were back in business. The cargo had been saved, and freshened almost immediately. All because of a group of kids and their monster pets.

Gabumon decided not to try and correct them on the monster part, as it was true in a way. Digimon were after all digital _monsters_.

Now, because of all the good luck the town had had in that last incident, Saith was brimming to the rim with good cheer, happiness, and the need to just have a damn good time. And they were letting the rest of Caldor Isle know it, alongside Burg.

"This is great!" Tai exclaimed, drinking a concoction that tasted strangely like Coke. "A week ago, these people were…well, not very happy. Now look at them!"

Matt grinned. "Just goes to show that people can bounce back from any problem that pops up, and that includes stupid gamblers, and giant sea turds!"

"Matt!" Agumon and Gabumon groaned. "Don't say that! You'll make us sick!" Agumon added.

Tai chuckled, then survey ed the area around him. He saw Gomamon and Tentomon collecting some trinkets from one of the stands, then going over to where Joe and some pretty girl he had met were standing, laughing about something.

He watched as Biyomon flew over to where Palmon was sitting, pointing over to where Agumon and Gabumon were standing, both giggling and blushing. _'Well, this could prove interesting.'_

He saw Ramus and some other fat kid engaged in an eating contest, with Ramus easily winning. If Tai hadn't seen how much Ramus could eat in a single seating, then he would have questioned what he was seeing.

Finally, he saw Izzy and Mimi walk side by side, checking out all of the stands, playing some of the games, and just basically having fun. '_They seem…very close,'_ he thought to himself. Then he saw the one person he really wanted to see walk right up to him. "Having fun, milady?" he asked

Sora stopped in front of him, looking extremely happy. "I think I may stay here forever! This is better than anything back home!"

"I agree with you there!" Tai clinked his glass against Sora's. "And I think you can forget playing matchmaker with Alex and Luna," he added. "They got together without your help."

"Instead, you can try and put Izzy and Mimi together." Matt pointed over to where the two in question were at that particular moment. "I don't think they've been more than a foot apart since the festival started."

Sora giggled. "Looks like I'm going to have my work cut out for me."

"Yes you do." Tai held out his hand. "Would you give me the honor of your company?" he asked timidly.

Sora looked at him, her own eyes softening. "I would love to," she said, taking it, then dragging him over to where a godly number of people were dancing. Matt chuckled, thinking that Sora had pulled her trap off perfectly.

"So, Matt!" Gabumon stated, giving him a particularly evil look. "I'm surprised you haven't gone to hunt own a female who would love to have the pleasure your company. Why the hold up?"

Matt looked down. "T.K. asked me to wait for him for some reason. I don't know why. Which reminds me, weren't you too going to speak to Palmon and Biyomon?"

"Oh!" The two most powerful Digimon of the group immediately began jogging through the crowd to the only female Digimon of the group, blushing madly. Matt grinned. _'I'm going to enjoy teasing Gabumon about this.'_

"Hey, Matt!" T.K. and Kari came running up, grinning as only little kids can. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No problem. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Matt asked.

"Well…" T.K. sure looked nervous. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go with us over to Sere's stand. She wanted to give me something, and I would like some big brother support."  
Matt was touched. Even after everything that happened, T.K. was still a kid, and thus wanted some brotherly backup. "Sure," he said. "I do confess to a certain curiosity as to what she wants to give you."  
"Careful, Matt," Mimi's voice said behind them. "You're starting to sound like Izzy."  
"Yes. You definitely had my inflection down to a tee." Izzy walked up to Matt, looking rather amused. "Also, we wanted to ask you if we could tag along."

T.K. nodded, surprised that Izzy and Mimi wanted to tag along. After all, he was just going to pick something up. It wasn't that big of a deal.

On the other hand, it couldn't hurt to have them along. After all, Patamon and Gatomon were actually having fun for the first time in a month, and he wasn't about to disturb them.

"All right." That said, T.K. began walking to where he had seen Sere's stand, the other's behind him.

"Thank you, good sir." Sere put the money in her money pouch, then handing the scarf over to customer. "And if you have a chance, please check out the main store in Meribia. We have a much larger selection there."

"Will do." The customer looked at her appraisingly. "Ya know, you are one of the richest, and most eligible, woman on Lunar today. You don't have to come here every year."

Sere smiled. "Well, I like to travel, and I don't like being trapped in my shop all the time. Also, I wouldn't miss the Goddess Festival for anything."

The customer smiled, then waved good bye. Sere watched as he left, then stretched. _'At least he didn't ask for my hand in marriage,' _she thought. _'Even in jest.'_

"Looks like business is starting to pick up," a voice suddenly said, breaking into Sere's thoughts. She checked to see who it was. All she saw were two boys and a girl. Then, acting on a hunch, she looked down.

"There's a stool right next to you, T.K." She pointed to the stool in question. "You can stand on it."

"Thanks." T.K. got on the stool in question. "I think I need to grow several feet. That way, I won't be a little kid anymore."

Sere chuckled. "Don't be so hasty to grow. Being bigger isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Your brother can attest to that."

Matt grinned.

T.K. laughed. "Good point. So what did you want to see me about?" he asked, curiosity rearing it's head once more.

Sere's smile dropped, and her expression became serious. "Well, it's very important. I wanted to give you something special before you went to Meribia." She dropped underneath her stand, searching for something. "I wanted to give you…" With a slight grunt of victory, she pulled a parcel out from underneath her stand. "…this," she finished, putting on the stand, and unwrapping it.

T.K.'s jaw dropped. Displayed before him was a sword, sheathed in a scabbard that appeared to be made of gold, complete with a strap that was designed so the sword hung on the person's back. The handle was made of a similar material, and with the crest of Hope engraved on it in stark relief. He unsheathed the weapon, examining it. The blade was about the same length as Kari's Scepter, and had been kept clean and relatively sharp. It also felt very familiar to him, and it felt…right, being in his hand. He re-sheathed the sword, then looked back up to Sere. "This is for me?" he asked, incredulous.

Matt had very much the same expression on his face. "You want…to give T.K….a sword?" he asked, slowly and deliberately.

Sere nodded. "That's about the scope of things. However, if you don't want your brother to have it, I will understand. A little child usually shouldn't have a weapon of any kind. I'll put it back underneath my stand, and I will never offer it to him again." She let the statement hang for a moment. "It's your call."

Matt nodded, now lost in thought. His common sense was warring with his gut instinct, as it always did when he was faced with a tough decision. On one hand, his common sense was telling him that T.K. wasn't old enough to hold a sword. He could hurt himself, or worse! Also, T.K. didn't know how to use a sword. He had never even raised a wooden sword in his life. All in all, a recipe for disaster.

However, his instincts were telling him that if T.K. was allowed to have the sword, then he would wield it with the same maturity that he had in everything else. And something told him that T.K. could wield that blade, and wield it with maturity.

He knew his own thoughts, and thus knew he could not make the decision. "I think I'll let T.K. decide. After all, this will affect him more than any of us."

T.K. was almost bowled over by the trust his brother was putting in him. It reminded of their last few days in the Digital World. And like Matt, he was torn with what he should do.

'C'mon T.K.!' he berated himself. _'Make a decision! Show that you can! Show 'em you are grown up enough to make this decision!'_ And with a sudden confidence that he felt just suddenly, he picked the sword up, then strapping it on his back. "Thank you," he murmured, bowing slightly at the waist. "How much is it?"

he berated himself. And with a sudden confidence that he felt just suddenly, he picked the sword up, then strapping it on his back. "Thank you," he murmured, bowing slightly at the waist. "How much is it?" 

Sere's smile grew only slightly wider. "It costs absolutely nothing. Think of it as a gift that I will not ask for back. Just, don't lose it, okay? Also, remember this; The weapon is only as strong as the person wielding it."

T.K. nodded. "I'll remember. I promise." He got a somewhat mischievous look on his face. "So, what was that about you being eligible, still?" he asked.

At this, Sere blushed. "Let's just say I have had everybody from men to women who swung on the other side of the fence propose to me. And let me tell you, it's very embarrassing sometimes."

Mimi looked very amused. "I'm surprised you haven't accepted any of them."

"Well, I'd rather wait until I fall in love with someone. Kind of like you," Sere retorted, bringing a slight blush to Mimi's face. She looked at Izzy for a moment. "Though I think your search will be over soon. Now then…Mimi. Can I speak to you, alone?"

Mimi looked confused. "Umm…sure." She turned to Izzy and the others. "Could you give me a few minutes? Don't worry, I won't keep her long."  
Izzy looked confused, and that confusion was apparent on his face as he and the others left. Mimi watched them go, then asked, "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Sere looked to her left and right first, then, forgoing small talk completely, said, "You can tell them, Mimi. They won't think any less of you."

"What do-?" Mimi cut herself off. "I'm just afraid. I have never told anyone before my secrets. How'd you know?" she asked suddenly.

Sere's chuckle this time was humorless. "Let's just say I've known a few in my day. So I know what I'm looking for." Then she bowed slightly. "I am also somewhat of a telepath, so I accidentally looked into your thoughts. Sorry."

"Oh. You…won't tell anyone, will you?"

"No, Mimi. I'm just a shopkeeper. I know how to keep a secret." Sere stretched her arms. "However, you might want this back," she added, handing Mimi a small parcel. "I found it in the inn. I've improved it's structural integrity with a few strengthening charms, so it won't break so easily."  
Mimi unwrapped it, checking what was underneath. "Thanks. I was wondering what had happened to them. Maybe I'll wear them in front of the others someday."

Sere's smile grew softer still. "You'll tell them when your ready, especially that young genius you like so much." Her expression became more mischievous at the look of shock on Mimi's face. "Oh, come on. It's as obvious as my hairstyle. Now run along. Your friends are waiting."

Still looking disconcerted with the whole thing, Mimi headed over to where Izzy was waiting, remembering to put the parcel in her purse at the last moment. As she did so, she vowed that someday, she would tell them her secrets. She just couldn't do it now.

Sere watched Mimi with sympathy as she walked over to her friends. She understood the young ladies dilemma, having had the same problem when she was young. _'She wants to belong so badly, but at the same time, she wants to be herself in front of her friends. Much like I was at her age. Her soul is tormented, and she wants to be accepted for who she is. I hope she gathers the courage to tell them soon, or she'll crack under the strain. Then she'll truly be alone.'_

A customer caught her eye as he walked up, and she turned, a bright smile on her face as she greeted him. After he had bought something, giving her the customary marriage proposal , and had left, she sagged against the stand slightly, letting a sigh escape as she did so. She was slowly getting stronger, but it still was hard to use her powers for any period of time, no matter how brief. The use was exhausting, though not as much as it was in the past. Her mind, however, was on the Digi-Destined.

She already knew that T.K., Kari, and their digital companions were on their way to achieving their destiny, so she wouldn't have to worry about them too much. She would instead turn her gaze to their fellow Digi-Destined, giving them advice, instructions, and also good old fashioned pep talks when they were down. She would especially help Mimi sort through her feelings for Koushiro Izumi.

She would also try to help Alex and Luna grow closer. _'Those four are as bad as Prince Endyimon and Princess Serena!'_ she thought with a hint of a smile. She hoped their friends could help them with that, otherwise, she was going to lock the four of them in her storage room, and not let them out until something happened. _'Something that doesn't involve extreme intimate contact. Might as well put the sleeping herbs on sale again. They were taking up room anyway…'_

Izzy and Mimi walked through the crowds, both lost in their own thoughts. Izzy, on his feelings for Mimi, Mimi, the same reason. Both were working up the courage to tell the other how they felt. Working up the courage being the key phrase. They weren't succeeding very well. _'Still, it wouldn't hurt to try,'_ Izzy thought bracingly. _'After all, what's the worse that could happen?'_

Turning his head, he cleared his throat, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. "Uh…Mimi?"

Mimi turned her head, smiling. "Yes, Izzy?" she asked, her smile threatening to rob of him of what little courage he had.

Taking a deep breath, he plowed on. "Now, we've known each other for a long time, Mimi. And we have always been honest with each other. Me, because I usually don't have any reason to lie. You, because you're, well, you're a very sweet girl."

Mimi knees were starting to wobble a little, but Izzy didn't see it. "Aw, shucks, Izzy." She bowed her head shyly. "I'm just like a lot of girls out there…on two different worlds, I think I must add."

Izzy chuckled. "Mimi, your logic has become rather impeccable as of late. I feel like I'm being challenged!" Both laughed a little at this. "But seriously, I really want to tell you something."

Izzy would have said more, but a sudden stampede of people cut him off. "What the-?" was all he got out, just before he was run over, literally.

The crowd of people continued on, unaware of what they did.

"Izzy!" Mimi ran over to where Izzy was now lying flat on his back, staring up in the air. "Are you okay?"

Izzy looked up at Mimi's face. "Do you know how beautiful you look at this angle?" he asked, still in a daze.

Mimi blushed. "Are you okay?" she asked again.

Izzy shook his head, trying to shake the cobwebs. "What just happened?"

"You got run over by a mob."

"Ah."

Mimi helped him up, then assisted him getting the dirt off of his shirt. "Wonder where they were all running off to?" she asked.

Izzy finished brushing off his trousers, and flexing his fingers. "Let's go find out," was the suggestion he threw on the table.

They walked over to where the crowd was forming. The crowd that now had members of the group that almost turned Izzy into a pancake. And he never even had the chance to tell Mimi how he felt.

As they approached, they heard someone start to speak. "Welcome! If you are here, then you wish to begin your journey in a game that is more than a game, and more of a way of life!" A roar of approval went through the crowd. "Well then, I will explain it, then!"  
"The game is called _Secar Triad. _It is a game that is as old as Lunar, and just as amazing. Dragonmasters, ambassadors, and members of the elite have played this game for years. This will constitute the first year that the game has opened up for members of lower birth. Now I shall explain the rules. And first and foremost of the rules is that you can have no more than two people, or two tag-teams, each containing two team members."

"Each person will draw five cards. These five cards will make up your beginning hand, and cannot be traded in for any reason. If you do not have a monster card, then you shuffle your deck, and draw again. Once you have at least one monster card, the duel will begin." He held up three different colored gemstones. "These are called energy stones. You use them to power each monsters attacks. The stronger the attack, the more of a certain color you will need. You can find out how powerful each one is in the handbook."

"There are four different classifications of cards; Monsters, Traps, Magic, and Enhancement cards. The monsters cards, well, for obvious reasons. Trap cards, you use for basically trapping your opponent. Enhancement cards are used to physically enhance your active monster's offense and defense. And lastly, magic cards are, simply put, cards that are used for any purpose."

"In order to score a victory, you must defeat your opponents monster. Either with brute strength, or with strategy. Brute strength is usually how it is done, as they don't expect you rookies to have a card that can match them. Strategy only comes when you don't have the power, but you understand how to manipulate your deck. It is infinitely more difficult, but much more rewarding as well."  
"Each person has a life meter. That life meter is set for that specific person's experience. Less experienced players usually go to four thousand life points, as it gives them time to strategize, and ultimately provides much needed playing time. The more experienced players usually can have as few as a thousand life points, as they can create winning strategies in the blink of an eye. To win, you must knock your opponents life points to zero. That can be accomplished by attacking your opponent's monsters, or attacking your opponent directly. The destruction of the monsters will take five hundred life points. The direct attack will take a thousand. You can only attack your opponent directly if he doesn't have any monsters on the field. Remember that, all of you."  
"Now, each monster has a unique ability that is theirs alone, and can be called upon once in a game. Most people don't bother, as their abilities would take away their ability to strike in that turn. Also, you don't want to rely on their abilities too much, as they do have a tendency to backfire. Also, a little word of caution with Enhancement, Magic, and Trap Cards. Magic Cards can block Trap cards. Trap cards can stop Enhancement cards. And Enhancement cards can cancel out trap and Magic card effects. This is done so that no card is unstoppable."  
Izzy and Mimi took all of this in rather quickly. Both were fans of the card games back home. Izzy however, was a card collector, who never used his cards except in championship tournaments. Therefore, he was experienced, but not the type of person that a world champion would notice.

Mimi, on the other hand, was a vicarious card shark. To her, card dueling was as integral as shopping and being with her friends. To her, it was a part of her life. She loved it, though her friends never even knew about it. After all, what would they think about that?

"Each of you will receive a starter deck, as well as a forty gems of various colors." The speaker held up a small box. "As you become more experienced, you can begin modifying your deck to suit your own style. Boosters are sold at all card stores that sell _Secar Triad_. Now, I have enough for all of you, but only two of you will get a winning deck. And finally, _Secar Triad _is compatible with any card game out there, so cards that are not part of the game can be used. Now then, who wants to be the first to get a deck?"  
Almost immediately, the entire crowd began jockeying for the chance to be that person. They looked ready to kill each other for it. And they were being watched by two people who _weren't_ jumping at the chance.

"Kind of sad, really," Mimi observed. "I mean, being a maniac is one thing, but this is ridiculous."  
Izzy nodded. "It seems that this is a part of their culture, a part that has been denied to the common people for a long time. Now they get their chance."  
"Well, let's go see the other sites then, Izzy."

They had barely managed to take two steps when a voice shouted, "Excuse me," behind them. Startled, the both whipped around.

The instructor came walking up to them, the crowd right behind him. In his hands, he was holding onto two boxes. "I believe you two shall get the first decks," he said. "You both have the heart of champions." Then he produced a number of boxes. "And you can give these to your friends. You never know when you might need them."  
Izzy and Mimi accepted them, looking surprised at this. "Thank you," Mimi even murmured, embarrassed by all of the attention they were receiving.

"I'll take them, guys." Tentomon flew up. "I noticed the two of you, and I just couldn't help noticing that you look a little…flat there, Izzy."

"Hah, hah. Take them and go already. I want to spend the rest of my time getting to the statue, just so I don't feel any pain."

Tentomon chuckled as he flew away. He knew where this was heading. It just was not going fast enough, in his opinion.

Izzy stopped for a minute to collect his thoughts, looked up…just in time to see Mimi be mobbed by more than two dozen young men, all of them fawning over her. Questions of "Are you single?" "Wanna go on a date?" "Did you know that pink's my favorite color?" could be heard, coming at razor fast precision. Mimi looked very flustered at all of this attention, and tried to tell them that she wasn't interested. Trying, not succeeding.

Izzy was becoming very jealous. And he decided to do something about it. He even knew what he was going to do. He just couldn't believe he was going to do it.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he made his way over to Mimi's side, putting his arm around her waist. "Sorry gentlemen," he said gruffly, "but she's taken already." He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Mimi smiling gratefully, blushing slightly.

A collection of groans issued from the crowd, followed with deprecations, curses, as well as a few uncalled for names at Mimi's expense. Izzy couldn't hear them correctly, as they were all mixing together.

He got the gist of it though, and that was enough to anger him. Only Mimi's hand, rubbing his back soothingly, stopped him from doing a very un-Izzy like thing, and beating the living hell out of one of them. He stood there, seething, as the crowd dispersed in every direction. He heard Mimi murmuring, "It's all right, Izzy. They aren't worth it," in his ear.

"They shouldn't have said those things about you. It's not fair to you to have to hear those names." Izzy looked at Mimi. "You are not like that at all."

Mimi smiled. "I know that," she whispered to him. "But they're just jealous." She paused for a moment. "Thank you again, for helping me out of that problem. It was really…sweet of you."

Izzy smiled, taking his turn in blushing like a cherry. "Your welcome."

They spent the rest of the Goddess Festival hand in hand, having the time of their young lives.

Though Izzy never did tell Mimi how he felt. And vice versa.

Talk about bad luck…and stampedes. Love tougher than it looks.

Palmon finished talking to Agumon and Nall about what she had observed, looking very frustrated as she did so. "I just don't know her anymore," she lamented. "I mean, she's been acting differently almost since we've arrived. She's been acting more like Izzy every day, and she doesn't seem to be that concerned about her clothes anymore, or even her physical appearance!"

Agumon pondered for a moment on that, mentally rechecking everything that he had observed over the last few days, and found himself agreeing with Palmon. "She _has _been acting differently." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe Izzy's starting to rub off her."

"And she was checking her gloves after that last battle," Nall threw in. "So maybe she hasn't changed-"

"She was analyzing them," Palmon interrupted impatiently, "like a scientist. There was nothing naïve about it. It wasn't the Mimi I know."

Agumon nodded. "Maybe she thinks that they don't fit anymore, but that's grasping at straws." He began pacing back and forth. "But we have secrets of our own, Palmon. So does it really matter?"

Palmon looked shocked, but then sighed resignedly. "I guess so…it's just that I don't like not knowing my own partner."  
"I know what you mean, but when she's ready to tell us, she will. Just give her some time."

"Okay…_Nall, get away from that crate of fish right now!"_

"Excuuuuuuse me! I'm getting hungry!"  
"And here we go," Agumon muttered as Palmon and Nall began bickering. "So much for some quality time with her…"

"And who would that be?" Gabumon asked, coming up with Biyomon next to him.

Agumon looked rather peeved that he had been heard. "You know who I'm talking about."

Biyomon shook her head. "Want some help dealing with Nall?"

"Please, would you help us with him?"

They stayed up until midnight, enjoying everything that the festival had to offer, before retiring for the night. They all came to two conclusions. One, they absolutely _loved _the Goddess Festival. Two, they were going to give Mimi a semi-wide berth, as she was almost asleep. Waking her up would prove disastrous for one's long term health, so they let Izzy guide her over to a particular spot, where she laid down and fell into a stupor. Everyone followed her example.

The Captain himself came to wake them up, using the trumpet he used to rouse his crew. He figured it would be safe to, seeing as how they had all stayed up late to enjoy themselves. He also wanted to see their reactions.

The reaction was instantaneous, and something he would remember for the rest of his days.

In the course of just one minute, the Captain was burned, chilled, electrocuted, wind whipped, just plain whipped, blown into a wall, almost beheaded by Gatomon, slapped by Gomamon, then had all four elements sent at him by Mimi, before they realized who they had hit. After Luna had healed him enough so he could hear, and move relatively well, they began apologizing. He waved it off, telling them he should have known better.

They ate breakfast at a quaint little diner, watching as the townspeople cleaned up the town, and helping a little themselves. After all, it was the least they could do.

Finally, though, it was time to leave…and to part. The leaving bunch began saying their good byes to the one who was staying behind.

"Are…you sure you're going to stay here?" Nall asked sadly.

Luna nodded. "Yes, Nall. I'm worried about Alex's parents. I have to go back and let them know that you two are doing fine."

Sora came up and hugged her. "Thanks for being with us all the way here," was all she said. Luna hugged her back, fighting back the tears in her eyes.

The other thanked her in their own way, each hugging her, or patting her on the shoulder, getting on the boat as they did so. Even Nall said, "I miss you," quietly, nuzzling her cheek for a second before flying up to perch on Alex's shoulder.

"Nall," Luna called out, "you have to take care of Alex for me, all right?"

"No problem!" Nall grinned. "If we get into trouble, I'll just talk us out of it!"  
"Oh no," Joe groaned. "We're all doomed."

Everybody was torn between laughing and groaning, eventually deciding to laugh. Even Luna managed a giggle, before turning her gaze to Alex. "Take care of yourself, Alex. Don't sleep with your feet sticking out from under the covers! You'll catch cold!"

Alex felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, as Tai gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "I feel your pain, man. Sora always tells me that before she leaves my apartment for the night."

Alex gave him a nod. "She _always_ does that. Even on a warm summers night."  
"Don't forget to eat an orange or two on the ship!" Luna continued in a sing-song voice. "And…don't forget about me," she finished, sadder.

Alex nodded. "I won't. I promise."

Kari got on Tai's shoulder's. "Good bye Luna!" She waved enthusiastically. "I hope we see you again!"  
The bell on the ship began tolling, letting everyone know that the anchor was about to raise. "Raise the sails!" The Captain roared. The crew did so. Finally, they raised the anchor.

"Take care, Luna! Remember to tell my Dad that I'm not coming back until I've made my first million!" Ramus called out.

"I will, don't worry!"

"Farewell, Luna!" Nall gave her a one finger salute. "I'm confidant we'll meet again!"

"Come by Burg someday! I'll give you a tour!"

"Bye, Luna! So long! See ya!" Nall shouted! All the Digi-Destined gave their own version of good bye to her. She simply nodded, smiling.

Then she turned to Alex. "I'll miss you, Alex! Good bye!"  
"Good bye, Luna." Alex smiled a little at this. "And take care." He turned around, struggling to hold in the tears.

Tai and Agumon watched the young man for a moment. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" Tai asked, feeling for him.

Agumon nodded, then walked over to Alex. He tapped him on his knee, getting his attention. "Get her on this ship," he immediately hissed. "You need her here, beside you. If you really do care for her, get her onboard now!"

Alex was surprised, and a little scared, but slowly, the fear was replaced by determination. Agumon was right, of course. He_ did_ need Luna alongside him. As a friend, she was someone who he could rely on, a shoulder he could cry on. He was incomplete without her there. She was his friend, his better half, his sister. His soul mate. He couldn't live without her.

All of these thoughts went through Alex's head in the space of a second.

The second thought was acted quickly upon.

As the boat began moving, Alex moved to the edge. He saw Luna bowing her head, unable to watch her friends leave port. "Luna!" he shouted. "Luna, you have to come with us!"  
Luna's head snapped up in shock. "What?" she shouted back. What did Alex mean?

Alex almost,_ almost_, sighed in exasperation. "Luna, all of the exciting adventures in the world mean nothing unless your with us! This isn't just my adventure, it's _our_ adventure! And I don't mean our friends! I mean yours and mine!"  
Luna's eyes shimmered with confusion, and a faint glimmer of hope. "Oh, Alex…but…what if?" she managed to stammer out.

"There's no time to think about it!" Alex held his hand out over the edge. "Here, take my hand!"

Luna made her decision. She took off running, her feet pounding the wooden dock beneath her. Her own hand was outstretched. She was almost was close enough, almost…she grasped Alex's hand in a firm grip.

Izzy stretched his own arm. He had had a growth spurt over the year, so that he was now only an inch shorter than Tai. He only hoped that Luna would take it.

Luna did take it…just as the ship reached the edge of the dock. Gathering her courage, she leaped. At the same time, Alex and Izzy heaved up, both of them almost pulling their arms out of their sockets. The effect was instantaneous, as Luna was literally catapulted upward. All three crashed to the deck, panting hard.

Luna got up, looking at Alex as he sat up. "I hope I'm doing the right thing. It's all so exciting!"  
Nall landed on her shoulder, smiling so widely that it looked like his jaw was on a hinge. "That was close," he said, relief and amazement apparent in his voice. "You almost didn't make it, Luna."  
"And, yes, you are doing the right thing." Izzy winced as he stretched his arm out. "Though I may never hold anything in this arm ever again…"

"And she would have made it. If you didn't pull her up, I would've called upon an army of fish!"  
Alex laughed. "And you would have too," he gasped, before looking at Luna. "Now our real adventure can finally begin…and you'll be right with us where you belong!"

Luna looked very nervous. "Oh, Alex…I don't know…about this…" she wheezed. "I'm…"  
Nall took a closer look at her. "What's wrong, Luna?" he asked cheerfully. "Your face is all red!"

Luna had enough strength in her took shoot the fur ball a glare. "I'm just trying…to catch my breath…that's all."  
"Yeah, I'll bet that was it," Mimi whispered to Sora. Sora giggled.

Alex smiled gently. "I knew you would come with us, Luna. I had faith in you…" He held out his hand again. Luna took it, and got up.

"Oh, Alex." Then her expression became concerned. "But, what about your parents?"  
Alex's grin grew confidant. "I'm going to tell you something my father told me. 'Don't worry about us,' was what he said. And he was right." He gave Luna a one armed hug. "They wanted us to remember them, but not to worry about them all the time."  
Ramus looked rather amused. "And if you worried all the time, then you would turn into him!" he added, jabbing at Joe with one of his fingers.

"Har, har, har," was all Joe said as everyone else laughed, Luna included.

The day past quickly, and was full of surprises. For starters, Joe did not, as Ramus predicted, begin throwing up at the first rocking of the boat, but had instead passed the time by standing near the railing, looking down at the water as it flowed past the _Hispaniola._ Everyone could see that he loved the sea. Not as much as school, but he still loved it. In fact, as Alex watched, Joe looked down, trying to see if there was anything under the water, then reminding Gomamon for the umpteenth time not to jump in the water. Gomamon gave the usual grunt of disappointment before settling back on the rail. Alex chuckled.

Nall had done much the same thing, but had become bored, and was now hovering near Alex. "Alex, I don't know about you, but I'm getting chilly out here." He shivered to prove his point. "Want to head down below?"  
Alex grinned mischievously. "Good idea. And who knows? Maybe you can tease Sora for a while about that one night last week."  
Nall grinned wickedly as they began moving to the stairwell. "Thank you, buddy. I think I will do just that." Laughing, they descended.

The interior of the ship was just as impressive as the inside. The wood was smooth, and had a feel of care to it that showed that the crew had made sure this thing remained a sea worthy vessel. "This is some ship, eh Alex?" Nall asked.

"Definitely." Alex turned around. "Why am I not surprised? Izzy, what are you doing?" he asked.

Izzy looked up from the floor. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Um…checking the floorboards for loose silver?"  
"No, Nall. I'm seeing how strong the planks are, actually." Izzy looked around him in admiration. "This ship could give Old Ironsides a run for it's money."

"Old Ironsides?" Alex echoed questioningly.

Izzy smiled. "'Old Ironsides' was a nickname given to the _U.S.S. Constitution,_ an old United States Frigate from the Nineteenth Century, in the day when they were used as battleships. She was made a little bit differently by her builders, who wanted her to be special. To that end, only the best wood was used. It was one of the first ships to have a twin hull, one overlapping the other. The inside hull was similar to the single hulled ships of the time. The outer hull, on the other hand, was made with huge oaks planks measuring twenty-one inched thick. It had seventy two sails, and it's tallest mast measured around two hundred and thirty-three. It had forty-four cannons installed on it, so it was much better armed than others."  
"So, what was so important about it?" Nall asked.

"It engaged in a battle against a British Warship called the _H.M.S. Guerriere, _and took a pounding. The sides were so thick, however, that the cannonballs just bounced off of it."

"They bounced off the hull?" Nall sounded impressed. "That must have been some powerful magic they employed on that ship!"

"Nope," Izzy chuckled mirthfully. "Just oak boards twenty-one inches thick, and, at the time, superior construction techniques. In fact, if memory serves correctly, it is still an active warship of the Boston Navy Shipyards, as well as the First Naval District."  
"But it doesn't see any combat," Alex said knowingly.

Izzy shook his head negatively. "It wouldn't survive in the modern world for very long. It's a warship in name only, having never been decommissioned. It's actually nothing more these days than a tourist attraction."

Nall was amazed. "Wow, that's incredible. Maybe one day, we'll have an 'Old Ironsides' of our own to be proud of."

"So do I. And hopefully, I'll be there to see it."

Alex grinned. "We hope you see it too. Well, we're heading to the back. I think supper's almost ready."

"Okay," Izzy muttered distractedly, already stooping down and pressing his hand onto another plank, testing it's give. He felt it, and gave a nod of approval. He felt he was on a piece of history, though he knew he was on a ship that was different from the ships of the past on his world.

"Hey, Izzy! If you keep looking at the floorboards any longer, it's going to spring a leak."

Izzy looked up to see Tentomon. "And you would be the expert of that?"

Tentomon looked exasperated. "There _are_ far more interesting places to observe on a ship then the floorboards. The galley, for instance.

Now Izzy chuckled. "I am assuming we have gotten our dinner?" he asked.

"Correct. Mimi and Palmon are guarding yours from Gatomon and Nall, and for a reason. It's fish, so they are on a aquatic rampage."  
"I pity Nall. He's the oddball there."  
"He's always the oddball."  
Izzy chuckled some more. "Well then, let's go before Tai sics Sora and her dreaded lectures on me."

They had reached the door to the dining area, when Tentomon turned his head. "Do you like her?" he asked suddenly.

Izzy was so surprised at the question that he almost tripped on his own two feet. He managed to right himself, and turned to look at the little insectoid. "Who do you mean?" he asked, though he had an inkling as to who his friend was speaking about.

"You know who I mean! Mimi! " Tentomon buzzed around Izzy's head for a few seconds impatiently. "You look at her whenever you don't have your head stuck in your computer, or raising hell with the damned Lunar version of the Pillsbury Doughboy. You seem to ignore your computer, and stare at her like she's the last woman on, if you'll pardon the pun, Lunar. You blush whenever you start to talk to her, and when we are not in danger. You have begun to mutter her name in your sleep, and it's starting to drive me crazy! I want official confirmation that you are in love, and I want it now!"

"Shhh!" Izzy hissed, clamping his hand over Tentomon's mouth, fearful that Mimi would come out and wonder what was going on. "I'll tell you if you just quiet down, and promise not to tell anyone what you have heard. Okay?" A nod was all he received. "Yes, I do love Mimi. She is the sweetest person on two worlds…in my opinion, that is. Is that okay?"  
"Thank you." Tentomon smirked, though Izzy still couldn't see any facial expression changes. "That was all I needed to know."

Patamon frowned, his little brow furrowing in concentration. The time for strategies, for talking, for changing the rules, was over. He had to act, and he had to act now.

From the other side of the table, his adversary watched him carefully, her expression unreadable. All around them, the small group that had gathered around them observed the two combatants. All around them, the ship rocked with the steady movement of the ocean. None of this registered to him, so great his concentration.

He made one final adjustment, then said one word. One word that sealed his opponents fate. "Checkmate."

Luna blinked, looked down at the chessboard, then back up at Patamon in shock. "You…beat…me?" she asked, bewilderment evident in her voice. "You beat me in chess? And on your first try, too?"

Patamon preened a little. "Guess I'm just a natural," was his reply. He was trying to sound humble, but wasn't succeeding very well.

Ramus came back from the galley, already on his fourth helping. "Sounds more like luck. No one has ever beaten Luna at chess. It's considered impossible. Hey, Alex!" he suddenly shouted, greeting their future Dragonmaster in training.

Alex sat down in an empty seat, Nall, Izzy, and Tentomon right behind him. "So, who won the chess match?" Alex asked, as if he already knew the answer.

"Patamon," Gatomon purred, licking at one of her paws contentedly. She sounded like someone who rooted for her man.

Alex practically fell out of his seat. Nall almost fell from the sky. Both stared at the flying Digimon with similar expressions on their faces. "Patamon…beat you?" Nall managed to get out.

Luna looked at them. "Imagine my surprise. He just wiped the floor with me, and that's not an exaggeration."

T.K. grinned. "That's my partner for ya! He can do anything on his first try!" He gave Patamon a high five.

"Which scares me to no end." She rose from her seat after saying that. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Don't stay up too late, Alex. The same thing goes for all of you."

Meanwhile, Izzy thanked Mimi and Palmon for guarding his dinner. Mimi blushed red, stuttered a "your welcome," then practically flew into the sleeping quarters after Luna. Palmon stared at the trail her partner left, shook her head, then whispered something to Sora and Biyomon. The two nodded, and followed the cactus-type Digimon after Mimi. The door closed, sealing off whatever dastardly deeds the three were planning.

"So!" Alex began. "What are you all talking about? As if I need to be told?"

"Well, it's only the same thing Ramus has been talking about for the last month." Gabumon looked rather resigned of it all.

"Damn straight!" Ramus shouted, trembling with excitement. "Alex, I don't think I've ever been so happy!" he practically sang. "We're on a fantastic adventure…and we're gonna be filthy, stinkin rich!" He let out a whoop of triumph "See? If we had listened to my dad, and stayed home, none of this would have happened!"

Izzy raise his glass. "And on that, we can agree!"  
Ramus clinked his glass on Izzy's. "But," he said, a little more somber. "I kinda wish my dad was here to see how far we've come…"

"…and how far you've come," Izzy added. This adventure has done wonders for you. You've not only grown up, but you have become braver. Something that staying in Burg wouldn't have done."  
Nash nodded. "You raise an excellent point. However, before you sell the Dragon Diamond Ramus keeps rambling about, I think you should meet Master Mel."  
"Mel," Nall muttered thoughtfully. "Sounds familiar…"  
If at all possible, Nash's chest puffed out even more. "As well he should!" he exclaimed. " Mel is the one of the Four Heroes, and the governor of Meribia!"  
Alex nodded. "No wonder. So how is Mel like in person?"

"Mel is a very friendly person. He might be able to put up with your attitude."  
"Oh, our attitude." Agumon sneered. "We're arrogant, and presumptuous, and, oh yeah, get caught in primitive traps."

Nash threw him a particularly deadly look, before saying, "Well, when we reach Meribia, may I offer my services to help Mimi begin to understand her new found powers. I may not be a teacher, but I can introduce the basics to her."

Izzy thought about it. "I think you better take it up with Mimi on that, because it's not out decision. It will affect her more then any of us." Suddenly, he looked around. "Where's Tai and Matt?" he asked.

"Tai turned in early. He said the rocking of the boat made him sleepy. Matt is checking out the rest of the boat. However, I thought I saw him checking the backside of some young lady a while ago." Agumon chuckled. "I am going to enjoy annoying him about that."  
T.K. laughed. "That's my brother for ya! Always checking out girls any chance he gets. I'm surprised Tai hasn't."  
Kari sidled up next to T.K. "Oh, he does," she whispered mock conspiratorially. "He only checks out Sora, though."

"Oh, is that all?" Ramus deadpanned. "I figured Tai would be checking out Mimi. Oh, wait, that's Izzy's department."  
At that, Izzy blushed, muttering something along the lines of murdering Ramus, before turning his attention to his dinner. T.K. grinned…and for a moment, just a moment, he reminded Kari of Takeru. It was the same expression, the same smile.

And then the moment was broken when Gabumon gave out a yawn. "Well, I'm going to bed," he declared. "Tell Matt when he gets back to do the same."  
"Will do, Gabumon," Nall called out.

"Speaking of sleep…" Tentomon began buzzing to the stairwell. "I'm going to go get Joe and Gomamon before they freeze."

"Good idea." Agumon stretched his arms as he got out of his seat. "Do we have any idea if the ladies have gotten into their pajamas yet?"

"Well, if they aren't, then we're all sushi."  
On that particular note, most of them began vacating their seats and heading for the door.

Mimi pulled the pajama top over her head, wondering very little about whether or not it showed enough skin. All of her bed clothes were modest, which was definitely different from her personality, at least before the Digital World. _'Why does Mimi have such modest clothing?' _Sora asked herself._ 'Why doesn't she have something, fancier, like a nightgown?'_ But she knew the answer to that. Mimi never did like anything that was fancy, except for dresses. She had no idea why, though.

As if to answer her unspoken thoughts, she heard Mimi mutter, "I wonder what Izzy thinks of these." Sora giggled before turning to Luna, to see if she had anything to say about it.

She saw Luna on one of the beds, looking very forlorn. "What is it?" Sora asked.

Luna looked up. "I'm…just thinking about Alex. About everything that's happened."

"Oh, yeah?" Mimi walked over, Biyomon and Palmon right behind her. "What are you thinking about now?"  
Luna took a deep breath. "Alex has grown up so much since we set out from Burg. When we left, he was just a boy…and on the outside, he still is." She took a deep breath, as if hesitant to continue.

"But…?" Palmon coaxed gently.

Luna sighed. "But he's changed somehow on the inside" She turned away from them, so neither of them could see her tears. "This is all happening so fast," she said. "I wish I could understand these feelings."  
Mimi walked over and hugged her. "And that's what you're afraid of?" she asked. "You're afraid of change?"  
Luna nodded. "I used to think that I had to take care of Alex. But now, I want him to take care of me…"

Sora and the two Digimon joined the group hug. "We know how you feel," she confessed. "Because we have been having the same thoughts too."

Nash finally got up, stretching as he did so. "Even someone who is in peak physical condition has to sleep." He joined the small group starting to mill around the door to the sleeping quarters. "Everyone, I'll see you in the morning."  
Ramus got up, swaying slightly as he did so. "Man, am I tired…I'd better lie down before you guys have to carry me to bed…like last time," he added, yawning as he did so.

"Don't remind us," Alex grumbled, getting up as well. "C'mon, you." He gave Nall a little shake.

"Checkmate!" Patamon declared. "You know, when we get back to the Digital World, maybe I'll start up a chess tournament there."

Gatomon looked at him. "Half of the Digimon have no hands," she reminded him sweetly. "And the other half would play you once, then never play again."  
Patamon sighed, before giving Gatomon a small peck on the cheek. "Thanks for taking the wind out of my sails. I had a good idea, and you shot it down." He grinned as Gatomon turned an interesting shade of red. "Though the payback is very interesting."

Ramus chuckled before yawning again. "You guys should go to sleep too. We need to be sharp if we're going to negotiate for a good price on the Dragon Diamond!"

"Hmmm…good point. Hey, Matt. Is it safe to enter yet?"

"Yes." There was such palpable relief in his tone that Alex had to stifle a laugh. Obviously, the keeper of Friendship was thinking on the same lines as him.

As one, they filed up to the door. "Can we come in, or do you want to make us wait?" Agumon asked.

"You can come in," Sora's voice issued from the other side. "Just stay away from Tai. Otherwise, I'm going to hurt you."

Joe looked amused. "And now we know who she likes. Like we ever needed any evidence."

Immediately upon entering, however, they realized the purpose for Sora's warning. Tai was in one of the far bunks, quietly breathing in and out. A far cry from any other time they had seen him asleep. A verrrrrrry far cry.

Sora climbed into the bed next to him, and Agumon went into relaxed mode between them. Waking him up would produce a wanna-be cooked version of anybody.

Roasted Fur ball, anybody?

However, all these thoughts flew from Izzy's head when he saw Mimi. The only other time he had seen Mimi in her nightclothes was during the Myotismon. He had disregarded it at the time, because they were busy fighting for their lives. Now he didn't have that excuse. And he was staring. Something that was happening much more frequently every day.

If looks could tell a story, then Izzy would have been a novel. Correction, he _was_ a novel.

Mimi ducked her head, mumbled, "Good night," to everyone, then practically flew into her bed, covering her head with the covers. Palmon sighed, shaking her head.

Joe and Gomamon fell into a bed almost upon entering, falling asleep almost immediately. Palmon dropped herself next to Mimi's bed. Matt and Gabumon were already asleep. Izzy got into a bed, having led there by Biyomon and Tentomon. Much to his ever increasing embarrassment, the bed was located right next Mimi's. He followed Mimi's example, namely, covering his head with the blanket. Tentomon sighed, shaking _his_ head.

Alex almost got into bed, but chanced a glimpse at Luna. He was a little surprised to see her looking pale, almost as if she was trying to hold something in.

Nall also noticed this, and flew over to her. "What's the matter, Luna? You look awful!" He exclaimed. "Do you have to hurl on deck?"  
Luna looked up, looking rather pathetic. "I _do_ feel seasick, Nall, now that you mention it…" she mumbled. "I think I'm going to lay down before I gets any worse…"

Alex came over, and led her to a bed near his. Then he helped her lay down, giving her a little peck on the forehead. "Night, Luna…"

Luna smiled faintly. "Good night, Alex." Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

Alex walked back to his own bunk, a excited Nall nipping at his hair. "I can't wait!" he heard the little hair ball exclaim. "And I still can't believe we're actually doing this!"

"Neither can I, but hey," Alex grinned. "life's just full of surprise."

"And they just keep on coming!" T.K. and Kari called sounded off in another corner, laughing as they did so.

In the middle of the night, Alex awoke. He woke up thirsty, not an uncommon occurrence. Very annoying, to say the least. "Why is it always in the middle of the night?" he grumbled as he located his backpack, and hunted for his water bottle. Getting it out, he took a long drink. "Ahhh…I hope Dyne didn't have to worry about this all the time…"

He was in the process of putting it back, when a movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. Looking up, Alex saw a person with blue hair walk out the door. A cursory glance confirmed Joe was still in bed, breathing very quietly. Therefore, by process of elimination, it could only be one person.

"Luna?" Alex stared, dumbfounded, then went and shook Nall. "Pssst! Hey, wake up, you flying hair ball!" he hissed.

"Hmmm?" Nall slowly woke from his very good dream. "Wha…whaisit, Alex?" he slurred, looking bleary eyed. Then his gaze fell upon Luna's empty bed, and his gaze sharpened. "Where's Luna? Alex, where'd she go?"  
"She just left the room a few seconds ago. Other than that, I have no idea."

Nall took flight, hovering in view of Alex. "Let's go find her Alex," he suggested. "There are only so many places on a ship she can be!"  
"Good point there. Only, one word of advice; Don't wake Tai."  
Nall nodded his affirmative. They moved with care past the beds, trying not to wake up anyone else. Upon reaching the door, Alex opened it, letting a sigh of relief come out. Quietly, of course.

Nash looked up as he saw the door to the sleeping quarters open, and deposit Alex and Nall. He was not surprised by this. "Alex? What are you doing awake? Feeling nervous?"

Alex thought about it for a moment. "A little, now that you mentioned it," he said, sitting down.

Nash smiled. "I can't say I'm surprised." He leaned in closer. "If it makes you feel any better," he whispered, "I was also a bit nervous the first time I went to Meribia." He leaned back in his care, totally at ease with the world around them. "You realize, of course, that I'll strike you down with thunder magic if you tell anyone," he added.

Alex chuckled, giving him a one finger salute. "Your secrets safe with me. So, have you seen Luna?"  
Nash suddenly noted that that was the reason Alex was apparently up now. "Luna couldn't sleep either. I offered to keep her company, but she went up to the deck alone."

"Now why would she do that?"

"Maybe," Agumon's voice said behind them, "she was trying to let the rest of us get some sleep."

Alex moved to another seat as the orange Digimon sat down, looking extremely cranky. "Guess you can hear people whisper, huh?" he said.

"In a bulls-eye. Now what was so important that you had to risk incurring my wrath?"

"They were looking for Luna," Nash replied. He looked at them. "In fact, weren't you two going to go check on her? Like, right now?"

"Yes, we were. Thank you for reminding me." Alex got up, bowing to Agumon as he did so. "Sorry for waking you up, buddy."

Agumon waved it off, chuckling as he did so. "Don't worry about it. Just, do me a favor. Don't do it again." He watched as Alex and Nall made their way to the stairwell. "Good luck," he added quietly.

"So, I wonder why Luna couldn't sleep?" Nall asked, flying a little faster than usual. "I mean, she has never had any trouble sleeping before in Burg."

"Well, let me think." Alex began ticking off the reasons off his fingertips. "We're not in Burg, and that's familiar territory. We are on a ship that's sailing to the mainland, and we are on an adventure that exceeds even my dreams. And to top it all off, we are in the company of a group of people and creatures from a parallel realm, who we are helping try to find a way home. That enough for you?"  
"Hmmm…good point. But why now? Why not earlier?"

Alex sighed in exasperation. Were all flying fur balls this tenacious in their questioning? "I…do not…know. And I am not going to find out."

Nall sighed as well, as they reached the deck. "Now, then," he said. "If I was a blue haired woman, where would I hide?"

"Under a brown haired boy's bed." Alex laughed at Nall's shocked expression. "Just kidding, Nall. But seriously, I think…" Suddenly having a sudden suspicion, he looked up. "…She's up there," he finished, his throat suddenly dry.

"Huh?" Nall looked up, confused…and promptly fell silent.

There, standing in the crows nest, was Luna. A vision of beauty, the Blue Star acting as a backdrop, she stared upward into the sky. Her eyes the clearest blue, her hair the same color.

Alex was still as he beheld the vision of beauty before him. His heart swelled with love for her, and suddenly, he didn't feel like disturbing her.

Luna, on the other hand, was unaware of the two of them, as she was staring at a group of fireflies. She stared at them, envying them for their carelessness, their lack of emotional turmoil. She sometimes wished she could be like them, without a care in the world.

Closing her hand over one of them, she observed it silently for a moment, marveling that it was generating light, but no heat. She found it very interesting. Then, acting on a sudden impulse, she began to sing.

Wishing on a dream that seems far off

Hoping it will come today

Into the starlit night

Foolish dreamers turn their gaze

Waiting on a shooting star

But…what if that star is not to come?  
Will their dreams fade to nothing?

When the horizon darkens most

We all need to believe there is hope

Luna released the firefly, watching it as it flew into the night with the rest of them. Her eyes became very distant as she allowed herself to think f things she didn't usually think about. Primarily, Alex.

Is there an angel watching over me?  
Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?

I know my heart should guide me but,

There's hole within my soul

What can fill this emptiness inside of me?

Will I truly be satisfied without knowing?

I wish, then, for a chance to see

Now all I need (desperately)

Is my star to come

Luna's voice tapered off, as she turned her gaze to the Blue Star, her thoughts on Alex…and beyond.

Nall flew a little higher. "Hey, Luna! What are you-?"

Nall was silenced by Alex, who managed to get a hand around Nall's mouth, forcing him to turn to face him He silently shook his head, letting Nall know that he didn't him disturbing her. Nall nodded, then followed Alex back to the stairwell. Before going back downstairs, they took one last look at her.

Luna stayed there, staring upwards into the heavens.

Tentomon slowly awoke to an insistent poking in his side. "Unless this is an insanely beautiful Digimon, I'm going to hurt you," he grumbled.

"And good morning to you too. I would like to think you couldn't hurt me. After all, I'm a _plant_!"

Tentomon allowed sensory perception to enter his eyes. "Good morning to you, Palmon. Now go to Hell."

Izzy finished putting on his shirt, chuckling as he did so. "I take it Tento is no longer a morning person."

"Oh, he still is," Agumon stated. "He just doesn't like being poked awake. It makes him grouchy."

"Taichi Kamiya, Yamato Ishida! Get out of bed this very instant!" Sora's shout soon had Ramus scurrying back five feet and Gabumon literally flying out from the corner.

"She's awake," Gomamon understated. "And she is letting us know why girls are superior to boys."  
Joe looked around him. "Does anyone else notice that we outnumber them two to one, yet they have the home field advantage? Does anyone see something wrong with this picture?"

"You want to tell them that?" Ramus retorted. "Be our guest. We're staying right here."

Mimi came over to them, rubbing her stomach. "When breakfast?" she asked pleasantly.

Gabumon and Kari looked at her. "You scare me sometimes, Mimi," Gabumon confessed. "How can you think about eating when we are only an hour away from Meribia?"  
Mimi pretended to think about it over. "Because I'm hungry," she finally answered with.

Meanwhile, Luna stalked over to Alex's bed, acting like she was fully rested. "Alex! Nall! How long are you two going to sleep?" she asked sharply, giving Alex a shake. "We're only a few miles away from Meribia! It's time to wake up…_ahhh!_" she suddenly shrieked when Alex's eyes snapped open, laughing as he did so. "Don't do that!" Luna shouted, giving him a good slap on the shoulder.

"Sorry Luna, but I just couldn't resist." Alex's smile made him look like the boy he used to be, complete with the mischievous look. Her knees almost gave out there and then.

To distract herself, she turned around to Nall, who was starting to blink. "Luna…I hope your nose is a snooze button," he grumbled, "because I'm going to jab it…"

Luna laughed. "Oh, Nall, quit your moaning and get _up_, stumble butt!"  
"Yeah 'Stumble butt,'" Gatomon said. "Get up. Otherwise, we're leaving you here."

Alex got out of bed, stretching as he did so. "Man, am I ever hungry." He turned to the others. "Let's go get something to eat."  
Kari stared at him like he was an alien. "You're as bad as Mimi," she stated.

Nall began flapping his wings, working the kinks out of them. "I'm so glad you woke me up, Luna," he growled. "I was having a nightmare about a bunch of half-dressed servant girls hand feeding me fish."

Luna returned Nall's glare. "Excuse me for thinking you wanted to wake up sometime this year!" she snapped.

Alex stepped in between them before the argument escalated even further. "Now, now. No fighting in the morning. Save it for three o'clock."

Nall and Luna both chuckled. "You're a lot of help, Alex. Aren't you supposed to be taking Luna's side?" Nall asked.

"And can't you two wait until _Wrestlemania?" Tai asked. _

"What?"

"Here we go again," Kari groaned.

"Not today!" Ramus shouted "We're in Meribia, guys…we're really in Meribia!"

Nall perked up immediately. "You're right! We are, so we need to get ready!" A slight rumbling was heard, issued from Mimi's stomach. "After we eat," Nall added.

In a single file line, they left the sleeping quarters, just in time to see Nash sit down. "Where were you?" Tai asked.

Nash grinned sheepishly. "I fell asleep in the chair, then woke up with a serious need to-"

"Thanks. No need to finish that sentence," Ramus cut him off as he slid into his seat, clasping his breakfast tray. "Somebody give me a big juicy pinch, because I must be dreaming!"

Immediately, Gomamon did just that, obtaining a yelp from the pudgy guy. "Nope, your not dreaming."  
Nall noted that, despite that pinch, Ramus was in good spirits. "I think Ramus is a little overwhelmed now…" he noted.

Alex grinned, that look in his eyes more pronounced. "I realize this, Nall."

Luna looked at him. "Aren't you excited, Alex?" she asked. "You don't have to be calm. It's okay to let your emotions go once in a while!"

Mimi observed the boy in question as she finished off her breakfast. For some reason, she was eating more and more each day. Soon, she would be eating as much as Ramus and Tai. "Actually, Luna, I think he is letting his emotions go. After all, I don't think someone who has suppressed his emotions would go through all the trouble to scare you."

"You raise a very excellent point there, my hat wearing friend."

'So do I. Why don't you calm down?" Nash asked Ramus. "Meribia isn't going anywhere!"  
Nall directed his glance to Nash, a sly look entering it. "Why are _you_ so restless, Nash? You're just as worked up as the rest of us!"

"So I can report to Ro-uh." Nash hesitated. "Because everyone knows that you think better when your heart s pumping!"  
Matt definitely looked skeptical. "Yeah, right." He set his plate down on the counter, everyone else following him. "I'm going topside. Anyone care to join me?"  
A few seconds later, a small group of teenagers and monsters began walking quickly up the stairwell. Walking, not running. After all, they didn't want to run into anybody.

The crew watched in amazement as their passengers all vied for the best position to see Meribia.

Biyomon, Tentomon, Nall, and Patamon all sighed, and hovered over their heads. Finally, Alex, Luna, T.K., Kari, and Gatomon managed to fight their way to the front. After that, everything calmed down as the rest of them found places to stand.

"Wow," was all that came from Nall's mouth.

"Prodigious," Izzy murmured, Mimi mouthing him, as he did so.

Luna looked over at Alex. "It's even more magnificent than I imagined, Alex."

"She moved closer to Alex, holding out her hand. Alex grasped it firmly, nether one of them taking their gaze off the city. No one noticed Kari and T.K. doing the same thing.

After a few moments, Nall managed to find his voice in the cupboard over the refrigerator. "Look at all the ships, and the huge town! Meribia is even more splendid than I imagined!"  
"Yes, and you imagine a lot." Tentomon was looking happier. "I've got a feeling we're going to get some answers here!"  
If only he knew.

Phew! This story is going to be the end of me! Merry Christmas to all! It has taken me over a month to finish this chapter, which is sad. After numerous complications, and setbacks, Amy and Greg will be making their official debut into the mainstream of Digimon: Silver Star Story in the next chapter! But I think I'm going to find a way to lessen the length of these chapters. Otherwise, by story's end, I'm going to have thirty pages per chapter! (Chuckles humorlessly, and with a look of hopelessness.) I will not begin the next chapter until after the new year, my reason being that I want to begin a few changes to what I have, namely little errors in the story that make no sense, even to me. If you have seen any that I've missed, let me know, and I'll try to deal with. Last, but not least, have fun this holiday season. We all deserve it!

Now, as an after note, I am currently working through the process of a Captain Planet fan fiction that is going to be connected to this story in certain aspects. I would appreciate any suggestion you might have on how I can proceed.


	14. Episode Thirteen: Meeting of the Seers

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

In your dreams, magical thoughts

All things are real unless you dream they're not

In your dreams, love is the plot

Carried on wings of hope

Each of our souls intertwine when we do

Instantly we see it, the time to grow and be it, when everything is pinned on a hope

Let rise the dreams of your heart

That innocent youth, curious and kind

Free to roam the breeze in love

Only when two brilliantly shine as one

(Digimon Theme song)

Di Di Di

Di Di Di

Digimon Digimon

Di Di Di

Digimon Digimon

Di Di Di

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Change into digital champions tooo save the Digital World

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digivolve into Champion, Digivolve into Ultimate 

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon!

Digimon!

Digimon!

Digimon!

__

Digimon Digital Monsters

Digimon Digital Monsters

Digimon Digital Monsters

Digimon Digital Monsters

Warp-Digivolve

__

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digivolve into Champion Digivolve into Ultimate

Change into digital champions tooo save the Digital World

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters Digimon are the champions

Digimon Digital Monsters **DIGIMON**

Episode Thirteen: Meeting of the Seers

Sunrise for the city of Meribia was a beautiful thing. With no smoke clogging the air, like in the cities of Earth, the sun could be fully appreciated by the inhabitants, as well as everyone else on Lunar.

The city itself was the business capital of Lunar. Almost every business there was either a branch of a company from Meryod, or another one of the big cities, or was actually the center of a corporation spanning the planet. Either way, Meribia was a businessman's, or businesswoman's, paradise. It also possessed the mightiest army in the entire zone, as well as a territory spanning all the way to the fishing community of Lann.

And as Greg Urawa stared out at the docking _Hispaniola_, he couldn't help but marvel at the simplicity, and the sophistication, of how the people here lived their lives. They were a people who practiced equality between different species, and where mixed breeding was not only accepted, but embraced with open arms. If only the people of his own home could be as accepting…

His trail of thought was disrupted when he felt the presence of a mind next to him. It was serene, though, and immediately recognizable. And if that weren't enough to convince him, the musical lilt of her girlfriend asking, "Thinking again, Greg?" confirmed it. He smiled.

"You know I think a lot, Amy," he replied, putting an arm around her waist. "I mean, I have a unique ability to see into the future, have a girlfriend who just 'happens' to be a Sailor Scout, and have recently been transported into a parallel realm with said-girlfriend and her fellow Sailor Scouts and Sailor Moon's daughter from the future. I also add to the fact that this world gives me an extremely strong sense of deja-vu, and you see that I have just cause to be thinking."

Amy laid her head on his shoulder, understanding where he was coming from. She had been thinking about the same thing for the last month. "Don't worry, Greg. You're not the only one."

For a moment, the world receded from around them as they stood there, unaware of everything around them. There was only them, standing there, looking outwards. Then the sound of voices from the _Hispaniola_ shattered their moment, and snapped their heads around in surprise.

Greg was the first to recover, and began chuckling. "Well, well, well. Look who else has dropped into Lunar."

"I don't believe it," Amy breathed in. "I just don't believe it."  
"Let's go say hello, and give them a good scare." Amy nodded, and they began walking in the direction of the ship.

As they approached, they could hear the fat boy saying, "…in my opinion, the selling of firewood would be a profitable venture. I mean, it's abundant, it's cheap…"

"Of course it would be cheap, and redundant! You live in a world that has forests behind every wall, and those who use magic can instantly grow new ones in six minutes! You don't need to sell firewood, Ramus! Sorry if I stepped on your toe, Gomamon."

The right time presented itself to them. Amy grinned, shouting, "That's telling him, Izzy!"  
"Thank you, Amy. Now… …_Amy?_"

Greg laughed outright at the expression on Izzy's face. "Oh, come on. It's not like it hasn't happened before."

As the identity of the voice sank in, Kari decided not to inquire. Instead, she turned around. "Just remember, Tai," she said, "You were the one who hired him to be my babysitter."  
"I did that in a moment of insanity," Tai deadpanned, with a straight face. "One that I'm already beginning to regret."  
Greg grinned. "Liar. You were happy to get out of the house." He shook Tai's hand. "Good to see you again, Kamiya. So, how've ya been, besides being stuck here like us?"

Tai grinned sheepishly. "Well, other that that, we've been doing fine."  
"Just the same old," Kari expanded. "I lost several teeth."

"Well, that's good to hear." He turned to Izzy. "And how are you, my former pint-sized little friend?" he asked.

"I have been doing rather well, now that you mention it." Izzy gestured to Tentomon. "Greg Urawa, Amy Mizuno, this is my Digimon partner, Tentomon."  
"Enchante, mademoiselle," Tentomon greeted, bowing as only a bug could do.

Mimi and Sora however, got a good look at Greg, and gasped as one, "Greg?"

Amy turned around slowly, looking at Greg with narrowed eyes. "You know them?" she asked suspiciously.

Greg fidgeted. "We…had a run in, before I came to your apartment."

"And he means that in a literal sense," Mimi clarified. "We apparently slammed into him with the force of a truck."

"Ah. Hey, you're Mimi Tachekawa, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Serena owes you about thirty yen."

"Thanks for reminding me. She can repay me in silver."

Greg sidled up next to Izzy, and growled appreciatively. "You sure know how to pick them, little buddy," he whispered. He walked away, chuckling at the expression on Izzy's face. He was so much fun to tease sometimes!

Amy stared at the whole lot of them with a curious expression. "So these are the eight Digi-Destined children that saved our world last summer? They don't look like much."

"Hey, I resent that."

Greg chuckled. "Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K., and Kari. And their Digimon partners; Agumon, Gabumon, Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, and Gatomon." He stared at the Digimon. "I think you eight need to vary the last portion of your names a little."

Amy laughed at the expressions of shock that played across their faces. "I think you surprised them, Greg. I don't think they were expecting anyone to know who they were."

Tai recovered his voice, a little unnerved by the casualness that Greg exhibited. "How…did you know all that?" he asked shakily.

"Ah, ah. A magician never reveals his secrets. Instead, he lets the audience figure it out for themselves." Greg turned to look at the blue-haired woman. "I know you know," he stated.

Luna's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "You a seer? A real, honest to goodness seer?"  
Amy giggled. "It took me a few weeks to figure that out, and that was only because he told me. So you got lucky."

Sora looked around with a confused air around her. She had _no_ idea what they were all talking about. "Excuse me. At the risk of changing the subject and all, but, what is a seer?" she asked.

Nash smiled. "A seer is a being who possesses the ability to peer into the future. They don't usually have voluntary control over that particular ability, as it's completely subconscious."  
"Yes, normally a seer doesn't have control over it, but I'm one of the few exceptions to the rule." Greg looked the five in front of him. "You names are Alex, Luna, Ramus, Nash, and Nall. Aspiring Dragonmaster, emotional support, aspiring businessman, supreme magician wanna-be, and…little fur ball. No offense."

"None taken." Nash clapped his hands together. "Well, it's been fun, but I have some business to attend to. I'll be in Meribia for a while."

Kari looked over to him in surprise. "I thought you were heading for Vane."

"I am, but I first need to obtain a few things here, including a new staff. I also need to get some advice on something. "He handed them a map of the city. "If you need to find me here, I'm usually talking to my fellow mages on Black Rose Street." He took Greg's hand, then bowing and kissing the back of Amy's. "It was a pleasure to meet the two of you. So long then!" With that, he turned and began walking out of the harbor.

Amy watched him leave. "That was almost subtle."

"Oh, let him be. He's always like that." Ramus began looking around him. "At last!" he exclaimed. "We're finally in Meribia!"

"Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. Shall we go over why we're here again?"

"Geez, Joe. You could become a little more original."

"I'll keep that in mind, Gomamon. Keep your paws away from the barrels!"

"Don't worry, Joe. I'm sure Agumon can keep him in check." Ramus turned to the others. "I'm going to find a shop and sell the Diamond," he said. "We're going to be rich, Alex! Filthy, stinking, _rich_!"

"Then go!" Alex replied, laughing as he did so. "And try not to do anything stupid!" He continued laughing as Ramus ran off like a marathon runner, before turning to their newest acquaintances. "So, how long have you two been here?" he asked cheerfully.

"A month." Amy noted the others sudden interest in that time span. "Let me guess; same time span?"

"In a bulls-eye." Matt looked around. "Does either of you know where the nearest weapons store is?" he asked. "Some of us need new weapons."

"And others something new to complain about," Gomamon added, giving Joe a dog's stare.

Greg chuckled. "How about we give you the grand tour?" A chorus of surprised nods made him grin. "All right, let's split into two groups. We'll meet in Black Rose Street. That sound okay to you guys?"

"Sounds good to us." Tai, Sora, Matt, and their Digimon quickly connected with Amy. Alex and Luna joined them not long after. "Dibs on her," Gabumon added unnecessarily.

"I see." Greg had a giant sweatdrop on his head. "T.K., Kari, Patamon, Gatomon, could you please join Amy's group, if only to keep the others in line?" T.K. and Kari did so. "Now, Matt, Gabumon, over here please. Amy is already taken, thank you so very much." Matt and Gabumon went over to his group, Matt grumbling as he did so. "Okay then! See you guys later! Now, then. Let's begin with the pier bar…"

Sere peeked over the edge of handrail, smiling merrily. _'Well, all six of them are now together. And four of them must have started having visions.' _That thought brought a smile to her lips. _'I hope they can understand them, and find out they _really _mean soon!'_ Otherwise, certain people were going to have so much fun with them. Herself, for starters.

Getting up, ignoring the feeling of weakness as she always did. She made plans to have her staff move all the 'special' stuff she had collected over the years into the front display, as well as send messengers to her other stores all over Lunar, and have them do the same exact thing. Asking the crew if they could help her staff get her cart off the ship, she smiled. The Captain would know where to send it. Probably the only advantage of being put on a slightly lower pedestal than the Goddess. She could have live without it, though. With that thought, and a very unnoticeable shudder, she disembarked from the _Hispaniola, _and headed out of the harbor, whistling some old tune she knew.

She had just reached the end of the harbor when she felt a dark presence in the confines of the city. She couldn't pinpoint where it was, just that it was there. Her command over precise locations was not up to speed, and wouldn't be for quite some time. _'Looks like I'm going to have to put my reserve plans into motion sooner than I expected,'_ she thought. _'Better tell my staff to get ready.'_

She began walking faster.

"…This is the _Chariot _Bar," Amy explained, pointing to the bar on their left. "It's the last of the drinking establishments in the city. It is also rumored to have the best liquor in all of Meribia."

"Only in Meribia?" Sora queried.

"Well, yes. I haven't actually been out of Meribia for a month now, and I don't drink alcoholic beverages. So I'm not going to find out. You have a question, T.K.?"

T.K. nodded. "What stores are there in Meribia?"

Amy consulted the brochure. "Well, there's Drago's Magic Items Banzai, Rocho's Weapons Store, Sere's Shop-"

"Sere's Shop?" Kari interrupted excitedly. "Where is it?"

"Umm…not sure. Why are you guys so interested, anyways?"

Gatomon grinned, as only a cat type creature could grin. "Because we've met the owner," she explained. "She was in Saith for the Goddess Festival a couple of days ago, operating a small movable store."

Amy stared at them all, surprised. "From what I've heard, Sere's store is the most successful business in all of Lunar, with divisions in every town and village. What was she doing in Saith?"

"She was operating a small stand, as Gatomon pointed out," Agumon replied. "She was really nice, and was apparently enjoying herself. That's probably why they're so popular. They're a force of really nice people."

Amy giggled. "You're probably right. When I went in there, everyone was eager to help me, or just to speak to me. I even found a decently sized book store in there, with books on every subject." She looked at Tai and Sora. "I also think they play matchmaker," she added casually.

Tai and Sora were immediately on opposite sides of Alex and Luna, both blushing brightly. "Ummm…what are you two doing?" Nall asked from Alex's shoulder. "Besides being on two opposite sides of my two best friends?" He wasn't expecting an honest answer.

Neither one answered him.

"…And this is Droz's Weapon's Store," Greg said, turning to stare at them all. "It's weaponry is about the same as the weapons in Saith, so don't waste your time here, unless you're on a budget."

"Consider us warned." Tentomon looked around. "Also, why would I use a weapon? I don't have any hands…well, useful hands anyways."

"I think that's a general warning, Tentomon," Izzy stated quietly to his partner. "So, is there any stores in Meribia that sell better armor and weapons." He stared at Greg's curious look. "I still do not understand how certain weapons can be better than others, but I am going to take full advantage of it."

Greg grinned, understanding. "Actually, there are stores that _do _sell the items that you seek. But they're on the other side of town, and I know how much you_ love_ walking."

Palmon didn't look too happy, but she wasn't exactly angry either. "Walking is better than running," she grumbled. "Right, Mimi?"

Mimi wasn't paying attention, as she was deep in thought about something she had heard back at the pier. What she had heard Luna say about Greg._ 'He's a Seer. He has the ability to see into the future. That means he already knows about my past. Or he will know soon. And I don't want anyone to know. Not yet, anyways.'_

"Hey, Mimi. Palmon just asked you a question?"  
Mimi flinched, coming back to reality. "Oh, I'm sorry, Joe. What did you ask, Palmon?"

Palmon was now seriously worried. "Mimi, are you okay? I've never seen you like this before."

"Yeah, Palmon. I'm just don't have anything to say on it, that's all."

Greg turned to stare at her, a sudden suspicion starting to form in his mind. _'Could Mimi be reincarnated from the Moon Kingdom? Could she be a Sailor Scout too? But what is she hiding? And why is she hiding it from her friends? Could she be afraid?'_

Joe felt the same suspicion grip him, but all he said was, "Okay, if you say so."

Palmon couldn't understand it. Mimi was…flighty on the best of days, but that was due to her cheery disposition. But ever since they came to Lunar, Mimi had been smiling less, and seemed to be lost in thought, something she was not known for. And it seemed to Palmon like Mimi was…withdrawing from her own friends somewhat, like she was afraid to be close to them anymore. The only person she really talked to was Izzy, and that was only for a few seconds before she ducked away, her head bowed.

Mimi could feel Joe's and Palmon's gazes on her. She knew she should tell them, that she had to tell them, but she was afraid. Afraid of what all her friends would think of her.

Afraid that they would leave her alone, forever.

"My insignificant store is blessed a thousand times over by your wondrous presence! I have a selection of many fantastic and wonderful items for sale!"

This was the greeting Amy's tour group got in the store nearest to the main city of Meribia. They had decided, rather reluctantly, to forgo entering Sere's shop, instead heading down to Black Rose Street. Now, they were all busy trying not to laugh at the sales clerks over exuberant sales pitch.

"My first item is the Magic Toothbrush!" With a flourish, he pulled out a toothbrush, something that looked like the makers of Crest would have loved to get their hands on. "It scrubs your teeth while you sleep, leaving your teeth bright, not just white!"

Kari's hand was pressed against her mouth as her body began shaking with suppressed laughter. T.K. was trying remain calm by reciting to himself quietly every baseball card his older brother possessed. Tai and Sora were using sheer willpower to maintain their straight faces.

The salesclerk didn't notice any of this. ""I can tell you want one! You _need_ one!"

Luna noticed Patamon looking at T.K.'s hat, trying to control himself. Amy was having slightly better success, her mouth twitching the only dead give away. Gatomon was staring at Amy shoes, her little cat body starting to shake. Kari was shaking more and more. What was going on?

Nall, on the other hand, clapped his paws together. "Can I get it, Alex? It sounds like it would be kinda fun…"

"Nall!" Luna exclaimed, looking scandalized. "Are you too lazy to clean your own teeth now? No brush for you!"

That was the thing that broke the camels back. Kari and T.K. collapsed on the ground, laughing so hard they had a little trouble breathing. Amy and the Digimon were having slightly more success containing their mirth. Tai and Sora weren't even trying, and had retreated to the back of the store, so they laugh to their heart's content.

"I knew she's say no," Nall lamented. "It'll be your fault when I contract gingivitis, Luna!"

The salesclerk had a slightly amused look on his face. "Of course, of course!" he boomed cheerfully. "You children have such wonderful hygiene, there is no need for my toothbrush!" He put it back underneath the counter, trying not to laugh himself. He loved kids!

"So, what's the next item?" Agumon asked. Amy noted that he appeared calm, but his eyes sparkled with obvious amusement. _'He has more humor in him than Serena,'_ she thought.

"The next item is the legendary Magic Plate!" This time, the man behind the counter out a simple gold plate. "Any meal you can think of, no matter how luxurious, will instantly appear for your delectable pleasure!"

Instantly, Nall and the four Digimon stopped laughing, and turned around. "Really?" Gatomon asked, her eyes showing what she would call. If she thought like a cat, lot's of fish. She heard Alex groan as he realized the same exact thing.

"Absolutely! And the best thing is that this item has never been more affordable! You cannot afford to_ not_ to buy it!"

Nall nodded, convinced. "I've never heard a better sales pitch, Alex!" He started flapping down to Alex's belt. "Where's the money pouch?"

"Whoa! Move your paw away from my money pouch!" Alex ordered, batting Nall away gently. "And you two, get off of my feet!" He tried shaking Patamon and Gatomon off, but they clung to him stubbornly.

Luna nodded. "I don't think we should buy it. If food keeps appearing, how are we ever going to wash it?"

Now it was Nall's turn to look scandalized. "You don't _have _to clean it, Luna!" he exclaimed. "You just keep eating all of the food!"

"By which time," Amy whispered to Biyomon mischievously, "we will all look like King Kong." Biyomon giggled.

"No…thank…you!" Alex grunted, successfully prying Patamon off his foot, and handing him to a laughing T.K.. Then he looked down at Gatomon. "Do you want to be de-clawed?" he asked irritably.

Gatomon let him go immediately.

"How unfortunate! I would think that active children, and creatures, would need to consume vast quantities of food!" With a dramatic sigh, he put the plate back in the display case, then pulled out one last item. "Surely, you children will require this next popular item!" He set it on the counter. "I call it the Magic Duster!"

"Magic Duster?" Immediately, Sora and Luna were at the counter, with similar expressions of delight on their faces. Tai and Alex groaned in mock-despair. Kari started giggling again.

"Yes! Simply wave it at any object and watch the dust particles fly away!"

Luna was delighted. Alex knew this she he saw that sparkle in her eyes. "What a wonderful item, Alex! Let's buy one!"

"Or two!" Sora threw in.

"Girls, we're on an adventure!" Nall exclaimed, as the Digimon gave them a look of shock. "When are you gonna have time to clean?"

Luna and Sora looked at Nall, like he had grown two heads. A reaction Nall was used to. "When we get back to Burg, silly!" Luna replied, giggling slightly.

Tai and Alex smiled sympathetically. "Sorry girls. Maybe next time," Tai said.

"In the meantime," Agumon threw in, "Let's go check out Sere's Shop. I want to see what's in it."

"All right." Amy headed for the door. "Follow me."

As they followed Amy out of the door, none of them noticed the salesclerk's smile slowly disappearing. When they were all out, he pressed a small button under the counter, then stood back so he could be seen better. A screen, so out of place on Lunar, slid upward into position. He shuddered. He was not looking forward to this.

And then a face, a face that was the stuff of nightmares, appeared on it, scowling. "What?" he growled.

The salesclerk didn't want to do it to such sweet kids, but his own children's lives were at stake. "They're here," he said simply. Then he prayed to the Goddess that those children would be safe from his wrath.

Greg was about ask Mimi a question about her past, something that was of little importance, when he felt a vague sense of warning go through him. It felt like a small knot in his stomach had suddenly tightened for a miniscule second. Most would have dismissed it as nerves, but Greg knew better than to ignore. For him, it meant something had happened. However, it was a small feeling, so he dismissed it as none of his concern. After all, it was probably just a crook, right?

"So, where to next?" Gabumon asked.

Greg thought about it for a moment. "Well, how about we check out…" he looked over the map, "…Black Rose Street next? They say it's a slice of Vane, though I think they're exaggerating a little bit. But there are a few magicians who live there."

Mimi perked up almost immediately. _'Maybe someone there can help understand this power I've got,'_ she thought hopefully.

Gomamon grunted. "Well, could please move it along? Joe's starting to twitch. I think he's allergic to standing still."

"Hey!" Joe retorted. "At least I don't look at the female population of other species!"  
"Well, it shows I've got good taste!"

That clinched it. Greg began chuckling. "You two are about as bad as Serena and Raye. Always at each other's throats, but still the best of friends."

Mimi giggled. "You're right, they _do_ act like Serena and Raye." She looked at Greg. "How do you know them?" she asked, curious.

__

'And my first clue of the day,' Greg thought. Out loud, he said, in the form of an understatement, "Well, they…helped me out of a couple of jams last year. I was also in a few of their classes as well."

"Ah." Now that Mimi thought about, she thought she had heard rumors about someone who had edged past the school genius in the summer exams.

"How do you know them?" Greg asked, breaking through her line of concentration.

"I went to the same school as Raye for a while, before Mom transferred me to a public school. And Serena and I went to Juuban Elementary school. Grant you, she was a grade ahead of me, though how that happened is beyond me. She was a sweet person, though." Mimi gestured. "Please, let's go to Black Rose Street already. I've got some questions I want answered."

"Very well, Alright, boys and girls. Please follow me." Greg began walking in that direction, the Digi-Destined in tow. Along the way, he stretched his mind out, seeking Amy's oasis of calm. He found it at their next stop. _'Well, looks like we rendezvous with Amy as scheduled after all.'_

He picked up his pace.

They were halfway down Black Rose Street when they heard it. A voice that made the Digimon groan in fear, and the Digi-Destined to groan in exasperation. Greg gave them all a strange look.

"Oh my! Are you all lost, strange creatures? You'll find a nice place at the bottom of my stomach!" The voice chuckled.

Then Greg heard the high pitched voice of Nall saying, "I've heard that voice before," before groaning, "I remember now! It's the Old Hag from Caldor Isle who gave us the Sea Chart!"

"Old Woman," Alex corrected, though his tone suggested that he agreed with Nall's assessment.

Greg grinned. "Let's go say hi," he suggested, walking in that direction.

Amy chuckled at the expressions of terror on Nall's and the Digimon's faces. "I take it you've had a few adventures of your own on your way here."

Alex nodded. "One of them was recovering the _Hispaniola_ Sea Chart from an old lady who was living in the Old H Forest. "He looked over at the nonhumans of the group. "And they had the most unfortunate experience of meeting her," he finished.

"Oh, you know my sister?" the lady in front of them asked, surprised. "Is she still living in the middle of nowhere all by herself?"

Upon further inspection, they realized that this woman, while very old, was not as wrinkly as the woman they had seen on Caldor Isle. She was also better dressed. The attitude was the same, though. Anybody else taking a small stroll down memory lane?

"Yes, she is," Gatomon replied, looking wary. "Why?"

The woman stared at the little cat like creature for a moment. "I wish she'd come back and live with me again! But she said that she loved peace and quiet of the forest." She snorted in disbelief. "She's just too stubborn to admit that she misses me.," she stated with absolute certainty.

"That sounds…very interesting," Biyomon said. "Are you going to eat us animals of different breeds?"

The woman chortled. "Don't worry. I'm not fond of the taste of wild game like my sister," she said, "so you don't have to worry about me trying to capture and eating you guys!" She walked away, still chuckling to herself.

Nall sagged. "I still don't trust you!" he grumbled.

Patamon nodded his head in sympathy. "Don't worry, buddy," he said. "I wouldn't let her anywhere near you."

"That makes all of us," Tentomon's voice sounded off behind them. They all turned around to see Greg's group approaching. "We heard a commotion over here, and decided to investigate."

"And who are you calling, 'animals?'" Gabumon asked in mock indignation. "I _prefer _the term 'monster.'"

Everyone laughed at this. "We'll keep that in mind," Sora replied, giggling like mad.

"For sure." Amy looked at them all. "Where haven't we been yet?"

"Well…" Mimi pointed to a small building. "How about we check out that building?" she asked.

Greg shrugged. "Okay then. Let's go."

A few minutes later, Greg wished they didn't.

"…And that's what happened," Nash finished, his listener at rapt attention. "I still haven't determined if singing is the key…but I have a strong suspicion that it is, Royce."

Royce smiled slightly, ready to give him an encouraging word or two, but she felt something in her mind. She looked up…just in time to see a group of various beings, monsters and humans, walk in. _'They are here, just as I have foreseen.' _"Nash," she murmured, "you're friends have come."

"Huh?" Nash looked up. "Guys! Haven't you ever heard of knocking!"

"Oh, yes, so says the one who has an ego the size of Mount Rushmore," Agumon sneered. "Just give me a good reason, Nash, and I will flambé you."

Royce kept her chuckle to herself, finding the little creature amusing. However, she knew that he could also probably succeed in doing so. So instead, she put her hand over her crystal ball. After all, she was a fortune teller.

"We seem to have guests," she said, her voice deep, throaty, but entirely feminine, "but I welcome those pursuing knowledge, as always. You see, I am a student of knowledge. Past, present, and future." She gazed at them all, one at a time. "I can foretell many things." Her gaze fixed on Luna and Alex. "Let's see your future. After all, that's why you came to see me today, isn't it?"

Mimi felt her blood run cold. _'She's a Seer? Then she'll-!'_

Luna was no less startled, but she kept it from coming on to her face. "We didn't really come here to learn anything in particular. We were trying to find Nash."

"Oh, really?" Royce did not look convinced. "From what I've seen of your future, you need my services quite desperately. So many questions you have are ones I can answer…" Her voice trailed off, but her meaning was clear.

Greg noted that the color drained from Luna's face. He felt his own blood grow cold. _She has precognitive abilities, and she has them under her control! We must tread cautiously here…"_

"And you, Alex," she continued, fixing the young man with a penetrating glance, "you seek to become the greatest hero our world has ever seen. But you are too humble to be a Dragonmaster." Her grin became a little more predatory. "You are unwilling to choose power and glory over friends and family. This will be your undoing."

Alex returned her gaze unflinchingly, his own gaze as deadly as steel. "We'll see about that," he replied. "And whatever answers you have for Luna, I'm sure she'll be able to find them out on her own." Royce didn't look the least bit convinced, but she didn't press the issue.

Greg was impressed. It took a real person to stand up to a Seer, and declare him or her wrong. The last one he knew did that was, well, Amy. He noticed that Mimi was starting to come perilously close to panic though, and knew that Royce was going to turn to her next.

Royce's gaze did indeed shift to Mimi, and for a moment, her gaze became bloodthirsty, before returning to what it originally held. "And you, Mimi, you will find that your fears _are_ justified, as your secrets will destroy your friendships, and--"  
_"Enough!"_

Everyone's gazes turned to Greg, who's instant command echoed throughout the small shop. Gone now was the shy, funny, and extremely loyal young man. In his place was a man who did not take crap from those with abilities similar to his. And right now, his full attention was focused on the entrepreneur in front of them.

"Royce," he continued, his voice booming, "you dare to try and crush them! You give out information that you feel is unquestioned, and in front of those who don't wish to know! You above all should know that what you see is only one future, one fate!"

"And what of you, Greg?" Royce asked, her voice rising as well. "Why are you so adamant against the truth of one future?"

Greg was not intimidated. "Because I have had visions proven wrong before, and I am still alive because of it. Oh," he exclaimed mockingly. "You know my little secret now. How silly of me." He smirked as Royce's took on an ugly frown.

For a minute, silence reigned in the building, as the two seers stared at one another, the tension so thick, that a knife wouldn't have been sufficient to cut through it. The others watched this transpire, unaware that a far more private argument was being waged.

__

'You think you can stop me from figuring out why you are here, or finding out what your future will be? I am a student of the great Seer's of Lunar! What makes you think that you can lecture me?'

'I have a crafty trainer of my own; the great Seer wars of my home! I'm willing to pit that experience against anyone's any day!'

Royce would have continued on, but Nall chose that moment to interrupt by saying, "So what's my fortune, lady?"

"Licking your paws and coughing up hairballs, cat!" Royce spat, already infuriated by Greg's comments. "It is an insult to think I would waste my energy looking into the future of a rodent!"  
"I'm _not_ a cat!" Nall shouted, seriously incensed. He was stopped from doing anything stupid by Alex though, as the boy was rubbing him underneath his chin. It was a tactic that Alex and Luna used to calm Nall down whenever he was on edge. It also served as a warning gesture in this case.

Royce returned her full attention to Greg. "You will learn that there is only _one_ future!" she declared.

Greg smirked. "And you will learn that I don't play by the rules of the Seers anymore. Now, can we speak to Nash? Thank you." With that, paying no more attention to Royce, he turned to Nash, smiling again. "They were starting to worry about you."

Nash walked over to Alex, watching Greg from out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know what to make of him, other than the fact that he was so loyal to those around him. So he decided to simply keep an eye on him. However, he wanted to talk to Alex too. And Greg was a very nice young man, once you got to know him.

"So guys!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Have you finished your tour of the city?"

"Pretty much." Alex looked a little overwhelmed, though whether it was because he was unused to such a large living settlement, or because of what happened a few seconds ago was anyone's guess. "It's really…big."

Nash laughed. "That it is. I'm sure you'll adjust over time. And if you don't, I'll be that much more amused."

Tai made a small grunt. "It's pretty big, but I've seen bigger. I live in bigger."

"Oh, right, I forgot. You're not from this reality. My mistake."

"So, Nash," Nall spoke up, switching the topic faster than Serena could shovel food into her mouth. "What're you asking the fortune-teller about? Hoping she might have a cure for bad hair days?"

Nash turned his gaze in Nall's direction, incensed. "You rude little rodent! In fact I asked her…well…" For a moment, he struggled with his words. "It's none of your business anyways, is it?"

Nall's grin grew even more mischievous. "Oh, I know what it is!" he stated gleefully. "You asked her if they're was a _woman_ in your future! Nash wants a girlfriend! Good luck, tiger!"

"Nall," Alex stated softly. "I did not like it when you implied a certain action to me with a certain young lady. I do not like it what you are implying to Nash. If you continue to do so, I will fulfill my promise. Do you understand me?" He smirked when he saw Nall gulp, before turning his attention back to Nash. "Sorry about that. He doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut sometimes."

"Well, if he doesn't learn so," Nash replied, "I'll show him that I don't boast about something unless I can back it up!"

Nall shrank back into Alex's shoulder as they said their good-byes to Nash. He honestly didn't want to find out what Nash could do to him. He saw Greg give Royce a particularly deadly look before exiting the building.

Nash heaved a sigh. "My apologies, Royce," he said. "I honestly wonder sometimes if that flying fur ball has a shred of restraint in him at all."

Royce shook her head. "Do not worry so much about him, or the others. There are always those who do not believe that the future is set in stone. But they will, someday."

"Yeah…" Nash trailed off, looking rather thoughtful. He had seen the look on Mimi's face when Royce had told them all what she was. _'What could Mimi be so afraid of?'_

They had just made it out of Black Rose Street when Greg noticed that Mimi was shaking. He had been brooding over the confrontation in that little shack, and thus had not been paying attention to what was going on around him. _'She's terrified!'_ he thought. _'But why?'_ As a rule, he never used his precognitive abilities to find out aspects about his friends unless absolutely necessary. So, he put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked gently.

Mimi looked up, looking very frightened. "Not really," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

"You want to talk about it?" He saw the expression on Mimi's face. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"You mean…you don't know? But I thought…"  
"I make it my policy not to use my powers to peer into my friends lives, or my friends friend's. So don't worry, I don't know anymore than anyone else…except Royce."

Mimi smiled at the loathing that Greg put in when he said this. Then she felt her depression set in again. "I…I just can't right now." She looked over in T.K. and Kari's direction. "I know what they're feeling at the moment. They have to be ready for whatever surprises are thrown their way. They take everything into account. And they believe that we'll accept them. But I'm not so sure anymore." She turned to look at him. "I want to fit in so much, but I've had to hide a lot of things from the world. And I'm afraid that if I tell them anything, then I'll be alone again."  
_'Boy, does she and Amy have something in common.'_ "Do I ever know the feeling. But hey, none of us will push you, if you don't want to tell us. So cheer up, Mimi."

Mimi definitely looked a little less fearful. "You're probably right," she sighed, a smile starting to tug at her lips.

Greg gave her a confidant grin. "I know I'm right. You just have to have faith."

Mimi nodded. It definitely sounded like good advice. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. So, where do we still have to see?"

Greg didn't even think about it. "Mel's mansion."

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have now completed Chapter Thirteen of this story. Next: The battle between Hell Mel and Alex, as well as the theft of the Dragon Diamond by the stupid crook. I am telling you, this story is going to be the end of me. But I'm going to finish it, one way or another. Even if it kills me, which may happen yet.

On a side note, I am currently tweaking Chapter Two of Captain Planet: Armageddon, and am about halfway through Chapter Three, so you can expect an update from my mini series soon. Ladies and gentlemen of the board, I'm hoping to make a slobber knocker out of these stories, so please keep sending in your reviews.


	15. Episode Fourteen: A fight with Mel

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Fourteen: A Fight with Hell Mel**

Episode Fourteen: A Fight with Hell Mel 

"This grand structure is the residence of Master Mel," the guard explained to the large group in front of him, all of who were staring at the large mansion in front of them. He had been only slightly surprised when he had seen them, though he had questioned about their digital companions. "He deserves only the finest!"

Gatomon looked up as far as her neck would allow her to. "I can only imagine," she noted. "This is one big house! I wish we could see what it's like on the inside."

Alex agreed with her on that. However, while he was ignorant on how the rest of Lunar operated, he knew from his studies that the big, important people were never really allowed the common folk into their homes, unless they had made an appointment in advance.

"Actually, Master Mel has an open door policy, so the citizens of Meribia can come and go as they please. Why don't you all go in and have a look? I guarantee you'll be surprised."

On second thought, maybe he was wrong. Not all important people were like that. Maybe he should brush up on his Four Heroes knowledge.

Luna was definitely interested. "I wonder if Mel is inside?" she asked quietly.

Greg came up, grinning. "He should be," he replied. "After all, he doesn't have any appointments with the commerce ministry, and he never meets with any of the businessmen, or businesswomen, in his home. He takes them to a bar. So, yes, he should be in there, so we're okay. Just don't go into any of the bedrooms."

Alex had to chuckle at that. "Consider us warned. Now, can we go in?"

Joe looked down at the moat that was in front of the mansion. "I hope there aren't any crocodiles in there," he muttered. Gomamon groaned.

Amy chuckled. "Don't worry. The moat is actually part of an aqueduct system that runs al around the city. Meribia is the only massive settlement on Lunar with a sewage system, and indoor plumbing."

"Hence," Greg continued cheerfully, "toilets!"

Alex looked at him in confusion, as did Luna and Nall. "What's a toilet?" he asked, then blinked as the Digi-Destined face-faulted. "What?"

Palmon looked at Agumon. "Do we tell them, or do we let stumble around in ignorance?" she asked.

Greg grinned. "Let them stumble around in ignorance. Though my butt has feels better than it did when I was walking."

"Okay, waaaaaay to much information there, Greg." Nall finally had a good idea what a toilet was, and what it was used for. "_Catch him!"_

Greg did so, catching Gomamon as he was about to jump into the water. "That water is for drinking, not swimming." He handed him over to Joe. "You might want to keep a hold on him."

Joe nodded. "Never do that again," he growled. "People don't need to think that the water is cursed." Gomamon nodded. "All right then. Let's enter, before Gomamon's basic instincts take hold of him again."

"Agreed."

As they entered the house, Sora looked around in amazement. "Wow, this place is wide!" She sniffed the air. "And I think the cook is making something for lunch."

Alex watched as Mimi took in a deep breath. "Hmmm…Salmon steamed to perfection, and topped off with white clam sauce. I think the other delicacy is Angel hair pasta, made from scratch." As if on cue, a cook ran by, with the delicacy on the cart in question. Everyone else turned to stare at Mimi in shock.

Mimi simply shrugged. "Really good sense of smell."

Amy chuckled. "I doubt Serena could have done as well," she said, "and with such mathematical precision. How are your other senses?"

"Ummm…not sure."

"Hmm. Remind me to put them to the test someday."  
Alex listened to this with half an ear as they explored the vast mansion, filing away all of it for future reference. He had learned a long time ago to put information away, storing it in a small portion of his brain. All in all, he remained silent.

They found the way to the training room, where the Meribian Army was trained to fight. However, a rather imposing guard was standing at the entrance, refusing to let them pass.

Alex had never heard anyone grumble in the way Tai did in that particular moment, and for good reason. However, there was nothing they could do, so they turned around.

Within a few moments, they found themselves outside a set of doors they had not been in yet. Next to it was a man who was rustling over a series of documents. He looked up when he felt he was being watched. "This is Master Mel's conference," he offered, somehow what the majority of them were thinking. "And the door is open to all! Go on inside!"  
"Thanks. And you'll want to divert some of your patrols to the Nanza border," Greg replied. "I think Kyle has been increasing the pay rates for his 'protection.'"

"Thanks." The advisor returned his attention to his documents, instantly forgetting that they were there. Alex found that amusing. He turned to Amy. "And how did you know that?" he asked.

Amy grinned. "We've been helping Mel out for the last month," she explained. "It's kept us busy, and not thinking about home for most of the day. It's been rather hectic, but it's under control, mostly."

Tentomon looked around, as the people were running around, taking care of little things. "Yeah, it really looks like it's under control," he muttered. "Why are they all running around?"

"Mel's lunchtime," Greg answered. "It usually takes an hour and a half to make it, so we've got some time left. Let's go in." With that, Greg walked forward and opened the door. Everyone filed in after him, intrigued as to what Mel looked like.

They were all in for a most interesting surprise.

* * *

Mel leafed over the files on his desk, finally finding the one he wanted, and began reading up on the latest update of the Meryod trade delegation. He was trying to find a way to get Meribian patrols there before they hit the Nanza barrier. Otherwise, they would set upon by thieves, or worse, the people who protect the Nanza barrier itself. "When I get me hands on the little man's neck…" he growled, reading the update with extreme interest.

"Ummm…excuse me."

Mel almost jumped when that little voice came out of nowhere, making him drop some of his document files. He picked them up again, setting them down on his desk, before seeing where the voice came from.

He noticed that there was a large group of children standing in front of his desk, all of them looking nervous. Behind those kids, he saw Greg and Amy, mouths covered to stifle the chuckles that were emanating from their mouths. _'Kids,'_ he thought, amused. _'I'm going to have some fun.'_ He got up, putting his hands on his hips, and began glaring menacingly. "I'm Mel de Alkirk, governor of Meribia! Since yer new here, I'll warn ya." He let his eyes narrow dangerously. "If you dare to make any sort of trouble in my town, I'll pop your tiny little heads off yer tweaky little necks, and mount them on me trophy wall!" He let that sink in for a moment, watching their gazes go from awed to scared, then let out a hearty bellow of laughter.

That laughter made Nall jump about several feet into the air, while he was flying no less, and he let out a yelp of fright. "You scared the heck out of me, old man!" he shrieked, taking deep breathes to calm himself down. "I thought my heart was gonna pop!"

Mel managed to stop laughing long enough to draw a breath. He was still smiling. "Don't be scared! I'm just foolin' with ya!"  
"So we've noticed," Greg replied, eyes twinkling merrily. "So, still thinking dark thoughts about young people? Because there are two of them below your line of sight."

Mel looked down, and saw the two in question. "Pleasure to meet ya," he rumbled pleasantly.

T.K. and Kari looked up…and up. Mel was enormous. His beard, though white, was of the same cut as the one in the poster. There were more lines on his face, as well as a few wrinkles, but he had the same sparkle in his eyes, as well as the same impressive build. And T.K. and Kari were once again wishing they were a few feet taller. That way, at least, they could stare up at him without getting kinks in their necks.

Mel let them stare a little more, as they were obviously meeting their first beastman. "So, what're yer names, if ya don't mind my asking?" He finally asked. "And what brings ya to see me?"

Nall made the introductions, throwing in a good joke at Gabumon's expense. When he got to Alex, he added. "Alex is going to be the Dragonmaster, Master Mel…so he came to pay his respects o one of the Four Heroes!"

"And to just meet you!" Matt threw in.

Mel grinned. "I see! We have a future Dragonmaster in our midst!" He chuckled for a bit. "I like a lad with ambition!" he roared gleefully. "They're aren't enough of ya around anymore!"

Alex looked thankful. "Thank you," he murmured, bowing slightly.

Mel's grin grew even larger. _'I see a lot of Dyne in this kid,'_ he thought. _'So modest, and yet, so sure that he could do the impossible.'_ He suddenly had a wicked idea. "So, Alex," he said, turning around and pulling his great battle axe off of the wall behind him, "Let's find out how serious you are!"

"What?" Nall looked even more frightened now than before. "Alex, you're gonna get squashed like a grape!"

"Then we'll have some wine!" Mel roared laughingly as he came from behind the desk. "Come on, Alex!"

Alex shrugged. How difficult could it be? After all, he was going head to toe with one of the Four Heroes. How much trouble could it be. He answered himself. A great deal.

If anything, this could become the shortest sparring match in history.

* * *

"Wow, nice training room." Tai looked around in amazement. "Who'd they build it for, Mel or King Kong?" It was a reasonable question, when looked at the cavern that was in front of them.

"This?" Mel looked around. "Well, I don't know any 'King Kong', but this training room was built to hold the entire Meribian army, and has on occasion!" He seemed rather proud of that. "Usually though, there are about a hundred and forty trainees in here, as well as forty-two instructors." He turned to look at Tai. "What in the flamin' hell is King Kong?" he asked.

Tai hesitated for a moment, but decided to answer. "King Kong is an imaginary thirty foot gorilla," he replied. "He's actually part of the entertainment in our dimension." He braced himself for the inevitable derisive sound that Ramus had made.

Mel began chuckling. "So, what the Guardians said is true. There _are_ parallel realms out there! I wish Dyne could have been here to hear you say that!"

Joe was intrigued. "What, Dyne wasn't a believer in parallel realms?"

"Oh, no! He was actually the biggest advocate in theory of parallel realms! It was me that was the skeptic!" For a moment, a wave of sadness washed over him, but he shook it off. "But Ghaleon backed him up on that, saying that he had met some people from…'Vulcan' or somethin'."

Matt groaned. "Lovely. 'Star Trek' makes first contact with 'Lunar'."

Greg grinned. "And 'Digimon' has made it to 'Lunar'. You have to admit, there is some poetry here. Don't know where, but I think it's there." He looked around. "That's good place to have a duel," he stated.

Mel looked over there, amazed. He growled. "That it be, laddie. Thanks."

The two trainees who were at that trainee circle looked up from their sparring to see Master Mel and a bunch of children come their way. "S-sir?" one of them asked.

Mel laughed heartily. "Looks like you two have get to have a breather, and watch me fight someone! Please excuse us!" He waited until they had vacated the premises, before stepping in. "Come on, Alex!" he roared gleefully.

Somewhat reluctantly, Alex entered the circle, gripping his sword tightly. He let a mage put a blunting charm on his sword, then waited while he put one on Mel's axe. It wouldn't blunt any shocks to their arms, but it would keep them from killing each other. "So are there any rules I need to know about?"

"No. Just stay on yer toes." Mel's grin grew ever wider. "If you find a weakness in my defense, take advantage of it! And don't go easy on me," he added, laughing heartily, "because I won't be taking it easy on you!" And with that, he charged forward, his axe swinging overhead.

Alex ducked, knowing that a blow like that would have taken his head off, blunting charm or not. He immediately deflected another blow, though it drove him back several feet. _'Geez, this guy is strong! Though I should have known he would be. He is, after all, a beastman.'_ He dodged another attack, them rolled to avoid another one. _'And he's fast!'_

Mel was impressed by the agility and speed this boy possessed. He saw that Alex was checking his defenses, trying to find an opening. He was analyzing his attacks, learning what he could of him. _'Hmmm…just like Dyne,'_ he thought. _'Which means right about…'_

Alex suddenly swung his blade upwards, trying to catch Mel unawares. Mel blocked it, then brought his axe down. Alex used his shield to deflect it, using his sword at the same time. It was promptly deflected by Mel, also serving the dual purpose of sending a lancet of pain down Alex's arm. He ignored it, and thrust, keeping his eye on Mel at all times.

Mel parried the thrust with ease, then brought his axe down in side swipe maneuver. He was going by the fight he had had with Dyne, and so far, this kid was matching his old friend with ease.

Alex parried, then surprisingly, dropped his shield, and punched Mel dead in the face. Mel staggered back, more in surprise than in pain, and retracted his earlier statement. This kid had an innovative streak to him. His approval went up a notch.

Alex picked up his shield, and did a sideswipe maneuver of his own. He continued testing Mel's defenses, trying to find a weakness. He had found one, but he knew from his studies that beast men never fell for the same thing twice. Hence, the need for quick thinking, and even quicker reflexes.

Seeing how that Mel was trying to see what he could do, Alex decided to go to something different. Thinking for a moment, he got another idea.

"Sword Dance!"

Mel moved with blinding speed, blocking the lightning fast sword attacks that Alex sent his way. His approval went into respect. _'Dyne never learned these techniques,'_ he thought. _'I don't think any Dragonmaster did. Alex may have an edge. Well, then, he's taking this seriously, so I might as well too!'_

Patamon watched the battle from his position on T.K.'s head, very interested. "Look at Mel. He's fast, strong, and not intimidated by anything. He's even keeping pace with Alex."

"Yeah, but look at Alex!" Luna looked very amazed. "He's doing his very best, and I think that's what Mel wants."

Suddenly, Mel went on a furious offensive, kicking Alex right in the stomach. Alex not only folded up like an accordion, but he flew about five feet through the air, landing in a heap near Matt. He waited on the ground, playing possum, and collecting his thoughts. A plan had formed while he was in mid air, and now, he waited for Mel to approach.

When Mel came into range, Alex gave him a double kick in his stomach, then gave him an uppercut, hoping to knock him into a loop. Mel gave a grunt, nothing more, and staggered back, obviously surprised. Alex prepared to put the next part of his plan into action.

However, Mel retaliated with a kick of his own, catching Alex in the side of his head. The world around him began to go dark. He fought it off though, and managed to see Mel's axe coming at him for a killing blow. Alex, somehow, managed to get his sword up in time to block it. Mel made a little twitch, knocking the sword out of Alex's hand. He went for another killing blow. Alex, however, got out of the way, and then did the unthinkable once more, using his shield as a weapon. When Mel deflected it, Alex slammed his fist into Mel's thumb, forcing him to relax his grip on his axe, Finally, Alex kicked the axe, forcing it out of Mel's hands. Not willing to let Mel get his hands on it again, he kicked both it and the shield away.

Tai whistled. "Not bad. He disarmed his opponent, and got the weapon out of the way. Nice."

Agumon nodded. "I'd have done the same thing."  
Patamon looked at the battle with a peculiar expression on his face. He knew that there was something here that was familiar, something that was just at the hair end of his mind…

Mel came in with a right hook. Alex got out of the way, then gave him a one-two combo. His first punch slammed into Mel's gullet, his other giving him another uppercut. Then, he kicked Mel's feet from under him, or at the very least, tried to. Mel staggered, off balance. Alex pressed on, hoping to keep the advantage.

But Mel wasn't out of the game yet.

His fist came up, and practically embedded itself into his sternum. Alex almost lost the morning's breakfast. While he was battling his stomach, he saw Mel walk over, and pick up his axe. He looked around, spotted his sword just out of reach, and lunged…just as Mel brought his axe down. He barely avoided the axe swing, then jumped up, roaring, _"Explosion Point!"_ as he did so.

Matt noticed that gone was all the hesitation, the good sport, and the decision to see how Alex was. All these two wanted to do right now was beat the other into oblivion. He wondered if Dyne had had the same thoughts run through his head. To prove he was better than everyone else.

Mel got out of the way in time, as the tip of Alex's sword left a smoking hole in the spot he had just vacated. He looked up, panting, as Alex slowly righted himself, sweat pouring out of every pore of his body. In the part of his mind that wasn't in the heat of battle, he noted in amazement that the boy was still standing. He had taken enough damage to take out a fellow beastman, yet here he stood, preparing to fight again. He raised his axe. One blow would finish this fight, though.

Alex watched as his adversary began moving forward. He could feel his magical energies hitting the near end of their power. He had enough power for one more magical strike. Raising his sword, he prepared to perform one last Sword Dance…then stopped, taking the last moment he had to think it over. He had a wild idea, and now he hoped it would work.

"Vigor!"

Mel, too far into his battle state, decided that Alex was calling on the Goddess for strength. It didn't seem to be working, so Mel assumed that he was going to win this fight.

Tai looked confused. "What the hell is Alex doing?" he asked.

"Wait," Mimi suddenly murmured, looking intrigued. "Something's different…"  
Mel brought his axe down…and Alex blocked it, keeping his blade in his hand. He put his strength into it, and forced the axe back a few centimeters.

Mel's battle state gave way to shock. _'He's learned the Vigor technique! But how?'_

Izzy pulled his computer out, and curious as to what the phrase Vigor, typed in the inquiry, "What is Vigor?" The message wasn't long in coming.

"Vigor: One of the most difficult techniques to master, Vigor gives the caster a massive increase of strength, allowing them to hold their own against opponents like beast men, and far more powerful monsters. Due to the level of difficulty, only one out of every ten hundred people can successfully utilize it.

Greg gave an impressed grunt. "I think we found one of them."

For a few seconds, Alex and Mel strained against each other, trying to overcome one another through brute force. Mel's teeth were gnashed together so hard, he was almost making grooves into them. Alex was exerting so much force, the sweat was running off of him like a tap. They were now evenly matched.

Finally though, Alex decided to end the power contest, seeing as how it wasn't going anywhere, and relaxed, throwing Mel off his game. He gave Mel a powerful uppercut. Now it was Mel flew through the air, landing several feet away. He got back to his feet, and immediately went on a furious offensive.

Alex countered with a brutal defense-counterattack combo, keeping the giant warrior at bay. He kept this up for a few moments, frustrating Mel. Everyone watched the battle with complete attention, not even daring to breathe.

Finally though, Mel found an opening in the web of steel that Alex had created. Seizing the advantage, he swung his axe forward…only to discover mere moments later that he had walked right into a trap.

For Alex immediately swerved, swinging his sword like a whip, forcing Mel to deflect it. He then kicked Mel in the knee, bringing him down to eye level. When Mel tried to retaliate, Alex merely blocked it, then angled his blade just right, disarming the former pirate. Mel lunged for it, only to become still when the tip of Alex's sword touched his throat.

"Whoa."

The statement came from Nall, who was staring, slack jawed, at the scene before them all. "Did Alex…just beat one of the Four Heroes?" he asked.

Izzy looked amazed. "I'm going to say the consensus is yes. Am I right?"

"Yes!"

For a long period of time, Alex stood there, fighting the urge to run Mel through. His every nerve was taut, ready to spring. No one knew what he was going to do.

Inexplicably, Mel began to chuckle, Alex soon joining him. Their chuckling soon grew in intensity, until finally, both were laughing. Alex dropped his sword, clutching his sides in hilarity. Mel almost fell onto his back, so great was his mirth.

Tai was confused. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nooooo idea," Agumon replied.

Mel and Alex finally get control again after several minutes of near maniacal laughter, and only because they needed to catch their breathes. Mel got up, limping slightly, but apparently as happy as a clam. "Not bad, Alex!" he bellowed, giving Alex a slap on the back that staggered the young man. "Not bad at all! That was the best fight I've had in ages…you might be the next Dragonmaster yet!"

Nall grinned. "Of course he is! Alex met Quark the White Dragon and passed the first trial!"  
_'And the wonders never cease,'_ Mel thought, grinning even more broadly. He considered giving Alex another slap on the back for good luck, but decided that in Alex's current condition, that would not be such a good idea. "Really?" he decided to say. "I'm even more impressed! All hail the next Dragonmaster!" he roared, making the cavern shake on it's foundations.

Alex turned around, and saw that the entire training room population had been watching the fight with extreme interest. They were all cheering, and clapping with extreme gusto.

And Patamon finally figured out what that funny feeling was…

_

* * *

Angelus helped the young man to his feet, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "You okay there, Dyne?" he asked._

Dyne nodded. "I'll let you know if I can get off this boat on my own two feet, after my head has stopped spinning."  
"If ya can't, I'll take you to the resident statue meself!" Mel bellowed, grinning like mad. "I like ya, Dyne. If you can stand up to me, you may be th' next Dragonmaster yet!" He looked behind him. "My crew certainly thinks so."

Angelus looked at the fearsome pirate. "And if he didn't," he replied. "I would have had to hurt you…badly, I might add."

Mel nodded. "Good point, guardian."

"Angelus. My name is Angelus. Why can't you people ever call me that instead of guardian?"  
"The others do it out o' reverence. I do it to annoy ya."  
"I see."

"Hello? A little help here? I want to leave the boat!"

Mel grinned. "No problem, laddie!" He put Dyne's arm over his shoulder, and helped him off the boat, limping slightly on his right leg. As Angelus followed, he heard Mel say, "Ya know, I think after we get my ship fixed and stocked, I'm gonna appoint a new captain, and tell 'em to go on without me."  
"Why?" Dyne asked.

Mel grinned, his brown beard making the grin seem even more feral. "'Cause I'm gonna join ya! You've got spunk, Dyne, and I think you're gonna be a great Dragonmaster!" His voice dropped to a whisper, though the angelic could still hear him rather well. "There's also someone at the Goddess Tower that I want to see."  
"If it's the Goddess, you do realize that my fellow Guardians will knock your beastman ass ten ways to the Blue Star?" Angelus asked.

"Not the Goddess! I've already got a sweetheart! She's one of the priestess's living at the shrine! I'll let Dyne see Althena!"  
Angelus chuckled. "Dyne, my young friend, do you get the feeling that you're cannon fodder?"  
Dyne chuckled, wincing as he did so. "I get the feeling, but I also get the feeling your fellow guardians aren't going to care so much."

Angelus laughed. "You're probably right. Ryo will be too busy looking at Ami, Ami will be too busy reading. Takeru is the most laid back guardian I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them. And Hikari would probably usher you in to see her. She's always playing matchmaker."

"Is that even allowed?"

"Ask the thirty six previous Dragonmasters that question, and get their answers before asking me…"

* * *

Patamon chuckled at the memory, before listening to Alex bow and say, "Thank you, thank you for your all your good cheer and congratulations. I am going to take them, and head for Althena's statue before I throw up." Alex clutched his stomach in pain.

"Go on, then!" Mel roared, gesturing. "Then you and your friends can have dinner with me tonight! Whaddya say?"  
Alex grinned, impressing everyone again. "I'll take you up on that offer. Eight o'clock sound good to you?" Mel nodded, rubbing his chin, where an ugly bruise was starting to form. "Then we'll see ya then!"

"Ahhh…" Alex moaned, leaning against the Statue in relief as he felt his stomach and head unclenched. "That feels soooooo good!"

Kari giggled. "You look so funny," she said, "standing there like that."

Luna began giggling as well. "She's right, Alex. "You _do_ look funny standing like that."

"You would too," Greg stated, grinning, "if you had just come out of a rough and tumble battle with a being as powerful as Mel. You'd thank the Goddess Statue for being so understanding too."

"And he did go toe-to-toe with Mel, and beat him. That's good cause for a celebration. Come on, let's get some lunch."

"Good idea, Amy. Alex, your stomach up for some food?"

"Gomamon, now that the queasiness is gone, I find myself ravenous. So, yes, I think my stomach can withstand some food."  
"Well, let's get going."  
"All right, Mimi."

* * *

Sora glared at Mimi as she went through her eighth salad. "I hate you," she growled.

Mimi looked at her. "Hey, don't look at me like that! I only started eating this much within the last month!"

Palmon was surprised. "And you haven't gained any weight!" she asked in amazement.

"No, but I have been apparently filling out in the right places. My mom says it's 'just puberty,' but I think it's something else. No one I know eats this much in one day, and have the body of a seventeen year old already."

Sora looked over Mimi's body, and noted that she did indeed have a very mature body. "And your mom calls it puberty? Sounds more like hyper-accelerated genes to me."

Alex wolfed through his fourth hamburger, almost not tasting it. "Look, whether or not it's natural or not, the point is, some people don't seem to care. Like a certain pineapple head boy genius."

Izzy choked on the piece of chicken he had been in the process of swallowing. Joe whacked him on the back a couple of times until he regained his breath, blushing something furious. Mimi had also gone beet red, her mouth hanging open, a piece of lettuce dangling off of her fork. Both were staring at Alex with a look of shock.

Alex chuckled, finishing off his burger, then polishing off his drink. "I think this is a good day to celebrate," he said, stretching his arms out.

"You what would make it even better?" Nall had definitely had too much caffeine, as he was almost bouncing off of their heads. "Seeing if Ramus has managed to sell that Dragon Diamond!"

"If he has, we can go and look around some more. We do have several hours to kill-"  
"Don't say the word 'kill!'" Alex exclaimed. "I've had enough of my life flashing before my eyes for one day!"

Tai chuckled. "Welcome to our life." He looked around him. "Where is Chunkus Maximus anyways?" he asked irritably.

Nall began looking around as well. "Well, I'll be damned. Ramus isn't here yet, bragging about how he sold the Diamond single handily."

"Maybe he hasn't found a shop yet," Joe suggested.

"Not likely. He found the weapon/item shop in Saith well enough."

"That's minor league, Alex. There are over fifteen different shops in Meribia alone, not to mention the eight shops on Black Rose Street. And they're all clumped in one area. It's a veritable zoo out there!"

"Hmm…good point there, Greg. So where do we check first for extremely large friend?"

Luna checked the map she managed to keep of the city. "I say we head for the lower sector. There's a store called 'Dross's,'" she replied. "That should be our first stop."

Tentomon checked the map as well, measuring the distance between their current position and the position of the store in question. "It looks like a good fifteen minute walk. Everyone who walks, hope you have sturdy soles."

Mimi checked her shoes. "Still good," she said, relieved.

Palmon looked at her. "And here I thought you were going to complain about walking any further."  
"It can't be helped. Can we go already?"

Alex sighed. "Yes, let's go already. Before Nall has a cannonball episode, or we run into a very powerful witch."  
"Or Royce," Greg grumbled, earning a grunt of commiseration from Gabumon.

* * *

Turns out Ramus and Luna were thinking on the same wavelength on this one. He was, at that very moment, situated at the counter, staring at the owner. And he was having an argument with the man.

"You don't understand! This is a Dragon Diamond freshly minted from Quarks might keister!" he shouted, waving his hands around wildly to punctuate his point. "He doesn't give these away to just anyone, you know!"

Dross, a man who had a build that was the exact opposite of Ramus, folded his skinny arms across his chest. "How am I supposed to know if this a genuine Dragon Diamond?" he asked calmly. "We've had a devil of a time with dragon zirconium lately. It seems like we've got a fool in here every day saying that he has a genuine Dragon Diamond." He gave another glance at the Diamond. "But I'll admit, this is the most beautiful gemstone I've ever seen."

Ramus groaned. _'Talk about stubborn! I hope the others get here soon."_

As if to answer his prayers, the door opened, and he heard Nall's voice say, "Hi, Ramus!"

"Hey, guys!" Ramus walked over to them. "Did you guys meet with Master Mel?" he asked.

Alex nodded, wincing as he did so. "I can still feel the bruises, too. How're things here?"

Ramus sighed. "I'm still negotiating with this guy on a price for the Dragon Diamond, but…I might have to settle for a lot less than it's worth. I'm sorry…"

Alex nodded. "I guessed as much," he replied, before turning to Amy. "Do_ you_ have a computer like Izzy?"

Amy blinked. "Yes, I do…wait, you want me to try and determine whether or not it's this dragon diamond?"

"Precisely. I mean, we all know, but you and Greg…well, maybe not Greg…don't. If you could scan it, then we'll have concrete proof. What do you say?"

"Good idea." Amy pulled out a small palm-sized computer, and opened it. She looked up. "Advanced circuitry," she replied ti Izzy's unspoken question.

"Ah."

As Amy began scanning the Diamond in front of her, Greg sidled up to Tai. "So, what's the Dragon Diamond made of? Alex is right, I do know it's genuine, but even I can't foretell where it really came from."

Tai grinned. "Dragon Shit," he whispered, after casting a partly terrified glance in Sora's direction. He chuckled as he saw Greg's face go pale.

"Hey! This diamond has organic components!" Amy exclaimed, her scan completed.

"Well, that's what you usually get when you have a Dragon Diamond!"

"Thank you for pointing that, Nall."

Mimi giggled as the two of them stared at each other, Nall in mirth, Amy with a slightly sickened expression on her face. She was about to comment on that when her eyes fell onto Amy's computer. The laughter died out when she saw a symbol that was emblazoned on the back of the computer screen. She even recognized the symbol. _'Is it even possible…yes, it is. I'm just surprised no one else has figured it out, even Izzy.'_

"Hey!" Dross called out, getting their collective attention. "Like I've been telling you, this is a wonderful stone…but the Dragon Diamond? Sorry, no. And I don't care if that thing says otherwise. I can tell these things just by looking at them."

"Wanna bet?" Gabumon muttered, earning a grunt of approval from Gatomon.

"Besides," Dross continued, "no one knows where to find the Dragons anymore, much less how to get Diamonds from them…"

"Sure we do," Joe muttered darkly. "Wait until one of them takes a crap, and wait for it to dry."

"Nice way to put it, Joe. Could you make it sound any grosser for those of us who have weak stomach's?"

"I'll ignore that, Gomamon."

"Alright, alright!" Ramus stated impatiently, wanting to get these proceedings over with. "How much will you give us for it?"

Dross examined the Diamond for a few seconds. "For a diamond of this caliber, I'll give you twenty thousand silver. And that is my one and only offer."

Izzy suddenly looked away from Mimi, who he had been staring at up until this moment, and fixed his gaze on Dross. There was something about that man that grated on the keeper of knowledge's nerves.

Ramus looked at Alex. "It's your decision too, Alex…what do we do?" he asked.

Alex thought about it long and hard. He knew nothing of business, and wasn't entirely confident on his own bargaining skills. Also, twenty thousand silver was a great deal of money, which they needed. Alex wasn't greedy, but he knew that for a group of their size, they needed a large amount of food, as well as supplies, new weapons and armor, and quite possibly a change of clothes. "It sounds good to me. Go with it."

Dross's eyes gleamed as he chuckled inaudibly. "Excellent!" he declared. "I'll go into the back and get your money. Just give me the Diamond so I can put it in my safe."

Izzy's inner alarms started to go off the hook, as Ramus reluctantly gave the Diamond to Dross. He watched as the skinny man practically danced with joy as he headed into the back. He watched as Dross turned around for a second to say, "Wait here, please," before disappearing from sight. His eyes narrowed into slits.

For several minutes, the group wandered the store, checking out the wares, and talking amongst themselves. Except Izzy, who was currently still at the counter, tapping against a display case impatiently, his eyes on the door to the back room.

Alex noticed this, and stepped over to him. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Izzy looked over at him, his expression grim. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he replied darkly. "I mean, I know there is something wrong with that man. I saw it in his eyes."

Alex began twitching a bit. "That was my thought as well. He did seem rather interested in the Diamond. And I've had a great idea to find out why it is." Spying Greg, he walked over to him. "Do you have a minute?" he asked.

Nall settled down on Mimi's shoulder. "I didn't realize that it took so long to count twenty thousand silver, guys." He looked at the others. "Maybe it's too heavy to carry out all at once."

"Uh huh." Alex replied, not really paying attention as he finished speaking to Greg.

Luna watched as Alex and Greg spoke about something, and then Greg walk over to Izzy. "I wonder what is going on?" she asked Sora. Sora shrugged.

Seven minutes later, Nall finally lost patience. "Guys, something's wrong." He flew over to the door, and knocked once. "Dross?" he called out. "Hello? Where are you?" He didn't hear anything, which set off his own alarms. "Um, guys…we have a problem."  
Greg immediately jumped over the counter, ignoring the shop clerks gasp as he did so, and reached the door. Finding it locked, he balled up his fist, reached way back, and asserted himself.

The door practically imploded, off it's hinges, and in eight separate pieces, a cloud of dust after it. Nall and Greg went in right after it. Nall took one look at the backroom, turned around, and rocketed out. Greg continued on, not even slowing down.

"Guys!" Nall roared, flying out through what remained of the door. "Dross is gone…and so is the Diamond! We've been had!"  
"What?" Alex ran over to the doorway, and looked in. He saw no one, not even Greg. "Let me guess, Izzy. A conman."

"Yes. I knew he was one by just looking at him." Izzy walked over to the salesclerk. "Do you know anything about this?" he asked gently. Alex joined him. Gatomon jumped onto the counter.

The salesclerk shrank back in fear. "Please don't hurt me!" she cried out. "I just started working here! I don't know anyone!"

Alex held up a hand, trying to sooth the young ladies concerns. "Don't worry. We won't hurt you. We're just wondering if there was anything we could do to find Dross."

The salesclerk calmed down after a few moments. "Umm…why don't you go to Master Mel?" she suggested. "Maybe he can help you…"  
"Leaving is out of the question."  
Everyone turned around to see Greg walk back out into the main area, not looking too happy. "There's a door back there leading to the sewer system, and the sewers are infested with monsters. None of Mel's soldiers will go down there. And we can't leave, otherwise, Dross may get away."

Alex growled. "Then we have a bigger problem than we originally thought. Those sewers are going to be vast. We won't have a clue as where to look."

"Or maybe we will," Mimi muttered thoughtfully, turning to Amy. "Can your computer track people under the ground?" she asked.

Amy blinked. "What makes you think my computer has that kind of processing power?"  
Mimi didn't back down. "Because I know who you are, 'Sailor Mercury,'" she replied. "And right now, we need your help. Now, can you do it?"  
The Digi-Destined stared at first Mimi, then Amy. "Mimi, what are you talking about?" Tai asked. "I mean, have you lost it?"  
"Actually, she not that far off the mark." Greg turned to Amy. "Go ahead, Amy. Transform. They do need your help."  
Amy was hesitant for a second, but slowly nodded, pulling out her transformation stick, and holding it up. _"Mercury Star Power!"_

An instant later, Sailor Mercury stood before the Digi-Destined, in the same place Amy had been. She watched them all serenely, waiting for their reaction.

The reaction was complete and utter shock. Tai and the others went slack jawed with shock. The Digimon, who had only heard about them from their partners, were only slightly less surprised.

The Lunarians looked Mimi. "Okay, we're impressed," Nall stated. "What's so special about her?"

Mimi shrugged. "She's only a member of one of the greatest superhero teams of all time, not to mention their resident genius."

Mercury looked at Mimi, a look of complete amusement on her face. "You never fail to surprise me, Mimi. How'd you know?"  
"The symbol on your computer. I can be perceptive some times."  
"And I am getting impatient!" Ramus yelled, hopping up and down on his feet. "So if you can find the cheating son of a bitch, then do it already!"  
"Okay, okay!" Mercury activated her computer, and began scanning underneath them.

Several seconds later, she exclaimed, "Got him! He's on the outer edge, near the reclamation area!"  
"I'll get the police!" The salesclerk made to run out, but then thought about it. "On second thought, sir, could you?" she asked one of the customers. He nodded, running out of the store.

Ramus was besides himself in guilt. "This is my fault, Alex. I should've known that Dross was a con from the start! I got cocky because I was able to catch Brett…I'm so sorry!"

Alex patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Ramus. He fooled all of us. If Izzy hadn't been suspicious of him to begin with, then we may not even know this much."

"And we are going to get that Diamond back, even if it is in the sewers!" Tai added.

"Disgusting to think about, but absolutely correct." Sora cracked her knuckles.

"Well then!" Gatomon stated, flexing her claws. "Everyone follow the woman with the scanner!"

With that, they entered the back room, unaware that there were eyes watching them. Well, beyond the obvious eyes of the salesclerk.

* * *

Well, this signifies the fastest time I have ever finished a chapter in a long time. Next episode, the Water Dragon, and Garrurumon strikes out. It is apparently going to be a Verrrrry long year, or two.

To answer to a person's inquiry, yes, this is actually based on a video game. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. The storyline, the characters, as well as the majority of the events that happen. However, there are going to be events in this story that are mine, and not the games. The first event that is mine is going to occur is going to be after the next chapter.


	16. Episode Fifteen: Garurumon Strikes Back

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Fifteen: Garurumon strikes back

"Sheesh, it stinks in here!"

"I hope you mean that literally, Mimi, because you're absolutely right!"  
"Can't be helped! Tai, get your hand away from my butt!"  
"That's not my hand, Sora!"

"Sorry, that's my wing, Sora!"

"You're forgiven, Biyomon. Whose hand is on my chest?"  
"Sorry, _that's_ me. Can I get some room here?"  
"There's not enough room here for all of us, Tai. Not that-"  
"Don't even finish that sentence, and back up, Ramus! Everybody, single file! Give us all some room. Mercury, you and Alex, take point!"

"We're already at point, Tai."

"Hey! Off the flipper!"  
"Sorry, Gomamon."

This was the scene in the beginning of the sewer's: complete and utter pandemonium. Feet, and other appendages were being stepped on, hands placed where they weren't supposed to, and tempers fraying because of it.

Gabumon pulled a big wad of cotton from Joe's backpack, and stuffed it into his nose. "Must…have…fresh…air," he gasped.

"Mercury, can we move it along?" Biyomon asked pleadingly.

"Moving." Mercury began walking forward, Tai next to her, his sword at the ready. The others, the majority of them beginning to feel nauseous. With the exception of one of the fliers, of course.

"You know, it's times like these that I'm glad I don't have the sensory perception to get bad scents," Tentomon noted.

"Good for you," Agumon grumbled, his voice sounding strange because of his nose pinching his nostrils shut.

Matt pinched his own nose harder, but the smell still managed to get in. "How are we going to fight if we can't breathe?"

"I think we're going to have to ask Izzy that."

Izzy activated his computer, having T.K. hold it while he typed. He ran the scanners he had, while he typed in his inquiry. "I've got the monsters that are in this vicinity," he finally stated. "I also managed to find a spell that will reduce the smell."

"Lemme see." Mimi looked over Izzy's shoulder, memorizing the incantation. "Should I give it a try?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." Mimi pushed her sleeves back, figuratively speaking, closed her eyes, concentrated, then simply said, _"Disperse."_

Instantly, Gabumon felt the smell drop considerably. It was still there, but barely noticeable now to him. "Nice job," he said, bowing as best he could.

Mimi bowed her head in thanks. "Let's hope none of us fall into the sewer water. Otherwise, we'll all start smelling like Raremon. And no spell could save our sense of smell then."

Alex chuckled. "I'm going to assume that Raremon is a Digimon with a bad case of BO?"

"Bulls eye." Gabumon took another breath, coughing as he did so. "Is there a way to get rid of the smell permanently?" he asked.

"Leaving the sewers." Mercury replied, not taking her eyes off of her computer.

"Oh."

"Okay, what are those?" Tai suddenly asked, grimacing. "They look like giant slugs." As if to emphasize his point, he pointed at two creatures to their right.

Izzy pulled up the snakes bio. "It's called a Grog snake. It's one of the little critters that lives down here. They are extremely poisonous, and are capable of doing some damage while they're at it. However, they're like ordinary snakes, and only attack, and eat, once a month. And you're right, Tai, they do look like giant slugs."

"Guess we missed that time of the month."

"Yes, we did. However, we have a bit of a problem." Mercury looked up. "There's no way to get across this part of the sewer."

Gabumon looked over there as well. "Well, this is a fine pickle we find ourselves in," he muttered. "So, there's no way to get across. Now what?"  
"We find a way." Tai began looking around. "There," he said, pointing at wall of metal. "That might be a drawbridge of some kind. See if you can find some way of bringing it down."  
"Good idea, my fellow leader. Ramus, keep a lookout."  
"Sure thing, Alex. Mercury, could you scan the area for incoming monsters? The lights not so good down here."  
"I'll let you know if anything's coming this way."

As Mercury set up her computer to detect incoming threats, the rest of the group split up into groups of two, all with the idea of finding something that could lower a drawbridge. However, how do you find something in a place with slightly better lighting than a black night? Simply put, you have to get down and dirty.

Matt and Gabumon headed over to a corner of the wall that they wouldn't have given a second glance if they weren't searching for something, and began running their hands, or paws, over the somewhat slimy surface, trying not to think what could be on the walls. They weren't succeeding.

"Talk about stinking up the joint," Gabumon muttered, feeling like he would have to clean his fur in a vat of acid. "If we get out of this alive, I'm never stepping into a sewer again for as long as I am not reformatted."

"That makes two of us," Matt replied sympathetically, resisting the urge to wipe his hands off on his pant legs. "I need a light, so at the very least, we can see the gunk on the walls."  
As if to answer his prayers, a gold light began to appear behind him, slowly gaining strength as it did so. It soon reached the edge of where they were conducting their search, causing shadows to flicker in the corner of their vision. Gabumon looked behind him, surprised.

T.K. had his hand raised in the air, and his eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. It took a moment for the little blue furred digimon to realize that the glow was coming from the little boy's hand, and it was slowly growing brighter. Finally, when the entire area was bathed in a pale glow, the little boy let his concentration relax.

Greg was impressed. "Nice trick."  
"Thanks. I just figured I'd try something." T.K. looked around. "Gabumon, I think you found something."

Gabumon turned to find his hand on a little green button. "Well, that's something," he muttered, pushing it in. "And here I though it was a monster's ass."

As if on cue, a deep rumbling sound issued in the general location of the drawbridge, and with the sound of rusting hinges, it slowly lowered, until it was suspended over the water, laying on the area they were trying to get to.

"Nice work, Gabumon!" Tai shouted. "I'd kiss you, but then I would have to kill my self."  
"No, _I'd_ kill you, and then soak my head in a vat of highly corrosive acid."

"We'll find you the acid, right after we take care of Dross." Gatomon began walking to the bridge. "Shall we continue on?" she asked pleasantly.

"As long as we don't disturb the snakes," Kari replied, giving the ones in question a somewhat wary glance.

"I'll agree with that."

For several minutes, they walked in silence, trying to think of happy thoughts, mostly centered around what they were going to do to Dross when they found. Their thoughts all agreed with pain by bending his stick-like physique like a wishbone. They several more groups of snakes, who ignored them. The only sounds made were the typing fingers of Sailor Mercury on her computer, and the occasional cough from one of them.

After a few moments, Joe asked, "Kari, can you do the same thing T.K. is doing? I mean, make your hand glow? It would be more helpful."

Kari thought about it. "Maybe…" She held her own hand out, and concentrated. Then she gave a yelp of astonishment when her hand began to glow pink. "Wow…pretty," she murmured, then blinked. "And bright."

"It's a light. What did you expect?" Ramus looked forward. "Not to repeat Biyomon's statement, but can we move it along? I want that Diamond, or the money he promised us, right now!"  
Tai and Alex looked at him. "He's serious," Tai noted, "and about ready to explode."

"I'll agree with you on that. I _almost_ pity the fool. Almost." Alex continued walking. "But I'll just step back, and let him tear the little thief apart," he added.

Tai chuckled.

As they continued, they came across a few more Grog snakes, who were in a similar predicament as the first group. In other words, they weren't a threat to the lot of them. Matt also found another lever to a second drawbridge, which was also near their position. Their gazes were intent, and their noses looking like pig snouts. However, none of this deterred them one bit, as they continued walking.

Then they hit a dead end…literally.

"Everybody, turn around." Matt mashed his teeth together. "We have just added five minutes to our mission." He barely got the last of those words out when a giant fish suddenly jumped out of the water, sailing over Kari's head, just missing her hair. She gave a squeak of surprise as the thing fell back into the water, tail hitting the water.

Tai and Gatomon ran up to Kari. "Are you all right?" the furred digimon asked.

Kari simply nodded, looking at the water, as if waiting for the thing to make another pass. Gabumon asked the one question she wanted to. "What was that thing?"

Izzy pulled the file up. "Death Carrison. It's a fish type monster that thrives in the dank areas of Lunar. It's a cousin of the piranha, only faster, deadlier, and can survive for an extended period of time out of the water. I think we can assume that it's dangerous."

"And clothes." Mimi's voice held a great deal of discomfort, and almost sounded like the Mimi of old. Izzy chuckled at hearing to this, causing her to look at him. "What's so funny? I honestly don't think any of us want to explain to the people up there why we're almost in the buff."  
"On second thought, scratch that thought," Izzy muttered. She had once again surprised him, which was becoming a common occurrence for her. He returned to his computer, the thought of Mimi in the buff bringing back memories of the time he and Tai had accidentally walked in on her when she was taking a bath. Of course, they had, at the time, thought she was in trouble. This did not save them from her wrath, and Izzy recalled a blunt, heavy object being used, as well as a momentary lapse of consciences. However, as those thoughts were not conducive to their present predicament, he banished them from his mind, and concentrated. "It's the next one over that we need to get to."

"Let's go. And Izzy, you really need to stop blushing," Gabumon suggested, taking some time to tease the keeper of Knowledge. "Otherwise, people will wonder what you're really thinking about when you stare off into space."

Izzy glared at his computer, now seriously irritated with himself. _'This is getting ridiculous. I'm starting to act like a love sick fool…which I am, of course!'_

Gabumon walked over to the edge, looking across the murky water. "I think there's another bridge over there," he said. "And I think the lever is near there too."

Matt checked as well. "There is just one problem. I think I see a whole lot of Carrison's between us and our objective. Any ideas on how to get by them?"

Mercury thought about it for a second, observing the problem from every possible angle. "Izzy, could I get a second opinion on this, and to see if my plan has any possible setbacks?"

Izzy nodded, and the two clustered, muttering about the details. After a few minutes, they broke apart. "Mercury's plan is simple," Izzy stated. "Matt, you and Gabumon are going to have to go over the water to the other side. Biyomon, you and Patamon are going to be their method of transportation. You should be high enough to avoid the Carrison's teeth."

"And what does that make us?" Gabumon grumbled. "Cannon Fodder?" However, he knew that the plan was the only one that was doable. And if he and his friends weren't the ones at risk, he would have given it considerable thought. Then he had an idea. "Don't we have a certain someone who can become bigger" he suggested pleasantly.

Agumon was confused by that, then realized what it meant. "Tai, I almost forgot! I can digi-volve now!"

Tai almost smacked himself on the head. "You're right!" He looked up. "I think there's enough room for your head, so go for it."

Mercury looked at Greg. "What do they mean?" she asked.

"Haven't a clue. Just because I have precognitive abilities doesn't mean I use them like _Royce_." Amy giggled at the look of distaste on Greg's face when he uttered that word.

Tai and the other's back away as Agumon prepared himself. "Everyone out of the way?" A chorus of yeses sounded off behind him. "Good.** AGUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…GREYMON!"**

Sailor Mercury, who had never seen a digivolution before, stared in amazement as Agumon went from small and cuddly to large and vicious in the course of ten seconds. She turned her computer to Greymon. "I don't believe it! His power increased tenfold, and his digital matrix became several times more complex than before!"

"Yeah." The seer was only slightly less surprised. "Wow, you're…big."

"Thank you." Greymon looked at Tai. "Shall I barbeque the fish's?"

"Hold on a second." Kari and the other's ducked. "Okay, barbeque away."

"Thanks for the permission, Kari. NOVA BLAST!"

The Carrison's never saw it coming. Nor could they get out of the way. At least, not as living, breathing creatures. Rather, they were fish food for, well, the fishes.

"Ewww! They eat their wounded!" Kari groaned.

"Well, what did you expect? Oliver and Company?" Greymon asked, surveying his handiwork. "You guys better get going. They're pretty fast with their mouths."

"Right." Gently, Patamon grasped Matt's arm, and lifted him off the ground about five feet. It wasn't much, but it was something considering that the little pig was lifting about a hundred pounds. Biyomon did the same with Gabumon. _'This is going to be interesting,'_ he thought.

Moving swiftly, even though they were hindered slightly by the people they were carrying, the two flying digimon moved rapidly across the water to the other side. Once there, they set them down gently. Patamon had a rather final expression on his face as he did so. "Looks like we're all probably going to get super strength here. And here I thought it was just a fluke."

"Guess not." Gabumon shifted his gaze. "There's the lever, but so is a problem. The bridge simply leads to another switch, and a dead end. So what now?"

Matt thought about it. "Let's just get this bridge down, and see what that lever does." He added, under his breath," Let's just hope it doesn't flood the sewer."

"Amen, brother." Gabumon pulled it down, then watched as the bridge dropped. "Let's go, before I change my mind."

Moving swiftly, the four of them crossed the bridge to the other side. Then, following Gabumon, they headed for the mystery lever.

"This is too easy. I mean, so far we have seen a few satisfied snakes, and a couple of the piranha's distant family. I know there are more than that."

"Hey, I don't know." His partner looked around. "But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I actually enjoy having something not try to kill me at this particular moment."

"Good point." Gabumon's head went up. "Matt, could you pull that lever please?" he asked.

Matt did so…and the reaction was instantaneous.

"Bingo!" The Digimon of Hope's shout reverberated throughout the sewer's when yet another drawbridge dropped down into a vertical position. "Matt, Gabumon, you two are the best!"  
"Aw shucks, Patamon." The blue furred digimon tried to look modest, though he didn't succeed. "Patamon, Biyomon, please go back and get the others. Let 'em know what we found."

The two flyers did just that, with all deliberate speed. Matt and Gabumon began walking down the stone path, Matt whistling as they did so. They felt that nothing could go wrong.

They had the just reached the middle of the stone pathway when something almost did go wrong for them. An up close and personal meeting with a group of Death Carrison's can do that to a guy.

"Whoa!" Matt dropped as several of them flew over head, snapping their jaws as they did so. Five of them jumped up again, and promptly landed on the small ramp, looking at the two hungrily.

"BLUE BLASTER!" Gabumon shouted, releasing a jet of blue ice at one of them. It hit, throwing it about five feet from their position, which also included knocking it back into the water. Matt swiped at another one, cutting it in half. The other two backed off. "In the water, they're fast!"

"Gee, Gabumon. Ya think? And speaking of which!"  
At that precise moment, several more appeared, jumping high into the sky…and were immediately electrocuted because of it. Then the two remaining ones on land met the same fate. They all were well-cooked. Anyone up for Carrison for dinner?

For a second, Matt and Gabumon stayed in their defensive position, before slowly realizing that there were no more enemies for them to worry about. Then they turned around…and stared up in surprise.

"Oh, so that's how it's done," Mimi said, satisfied, residual lightning flickering at her fingertips. It wouldn't have surprised them too much, except for the fact that she was floating about seven feet above the ground while doing so.

"Uh, Mimi? How are you doing that?"

"Doing what, Gabumon?"  
"That! Floating!"

"Levitation Charm."

"Ah."  
Mimi giggled. "The others wanted me to inform you that they are on their way to the other bridge, and wanted me to come get you guys." Her eyes twinkled. "Also gave me an excuse to learn how to fly."

"Okay, it's official. You're scaring me, Mimi."

"Good to know, Matt."

They rendezvoused with the rest of the group, all of them really starting to hate the sewers for an ungodly number of reasons. However, they also had a job to finish, so they pressed on.

"I wish I had a book to read at this particular moment," Mimi muttered quietly, earning an equally quiet glance of confusion from those who were in range of her. None of them deemed it necessary to comment, though.

As they passed through a doorway to another part, with Greymon inevitably crawling through it, and cracking the doorway because of it, they noted the smell was starting to get stronger. "Where is that coming from?" Luna asked, starting to gag once again.

Mercury took a cautious sniff, and coughed. "The smell is coming from this direction," she gasped, pointing in one direction.

"Well, let's get going." Gabumon started walking in that particular direction.

Greymon looked down at him. "And here I thought I was one that rushed in where angels feared to tread."

"I've been around you for far too long."

"Good point."

"Ahem." Tai spoke for everyone present, all who were clearly amused by this. "Shall we?"

Almost two hours later, Ramus grumbled, "Why didn't anybody tell me that ammonites enjoy clinging to people, and trying to suck their guts out?"

"We did." Greymon looked nauseous. "Remind me never to swallow another one ever again," he groaned.

"And I'm going on a shopping spree the minute we get out of here!" Mimi roared, sounding like she used, and for good reason. Half of her skirt was now gone, exposing a good portion of her legs. Also, her dress's midriff was gone. Thankfully, Izzy was not looking in her direction, so she could avoid blushing.

Greg fingered the tear in his coat, grimacing. "Looks like we're all going to be going shopping. Our clothes aren't designed for this kind of wear and tear."

"Lucky us." Sora looked at Mercury. "You still look unflappable. What's your secret?"

Mercury smiled. "Good personal hygiene," was her answer.

Gabumon chuckled as they walked into the abnormally large door, and started down the stairwell.

Dross chuckled to himself, surprised with his own cunning. He couldn't believe it. A real life Dragon Diamond! And that poor sap fell for his sale pitch! Now all he had to do was wait for them to leave, and he was home free. After all, he knew for a fact that no one was brave enough to enter the sewer without a backup plan. He was safe.

"There you are, thief!"

He was in trouble, and confused. How'd they do it?

He looked up, stunned beyond reckoning, at the assembled group before them, clothes with rips in them, and all of them looking rather annoyed. Behind them was a very large lizard of some kind, who was also staring at him with a look of irritation.

"You," a dark blue haired boy growled, "have something that doesn't belong to you."  
"Give us back our diamond now!" the little cat-like creature shrieked.

"Cause if you don't…" the kid he knew as Ramus gestured to the giant lizard behind them. "We'll let him 'persuade you."

Dross was a little unnerved, but he wasn't afraid. In fact, he was extremely confidant that he could get rid of them with very little effort. "I don't know how you kids found me, but it doesn't matter." He grinned maliciously. "Because you won't be around long enough to find your way out!"

The blue-black haired girl instantly began looking around, as if she heard something approaching. Which, of course, there was.

Gabumon was confused. "Ummm, we do kind of outnumber you, ten to one," he said. "And he is kind of bigger than you. So unless you have some very good back-up plan that you're planning on implementing-"  
"You mean, like that?" Luna said, pointing in the general direction of the water, her eyes wide. Everyone else turned around to stare as well.

Dross shouted gleefully, "Here, boy! That's it! Over here!" as a dark shadow approached where they were. He was extremely giddy about it, whatever it was. Curious, Kari lifted her hand up, and immediately wished that she hadn't.

What approached was a dragon around the same size as Greymon, moving slowly through the water. It was gray in color, and instead of hands and feet, it had four large flippers. Unlike Greymon, whose eyes could show rage or happiness, it's eyes were cold and fathomless. A cold pit of darkness.

"Alex, what is it?" Ramus shouted.

Alex kept his eyes on it. "A Water Dragon," he whispered. "One of the foot soldiers of the sea." Then a thought occurred to him. "How did you-?"

"Surprised, kids?" Dross looked very proud. "I'm pretty amazed myself! I never knew my pet would grow so quickly…" His smile grew even more malicious, "or getting rid of annoyances like you!"

Izzy activated the boss scanner, and analyzed the beast in front of them with an alert gaze. His blood ran cold when he saw the profile. "Uh oh…"

"Water Dragon: Normally a subordinate of the Blue Dragon, the Water Dragon is ruthless in battle, and completely without remorse. Unable to comprehend concepts such as compassion, the Water Dragon is considered the perfect soldier of the sea. Normally the size of sharks, there are those that almost reach the size of the Blue Dragon himself. They also possess a powerful fire attack.

"Well, better get ready, guys," Nall suggested. "This 'pet' looks hungry!"

As if to punctuate his warning, the dragon reared it's head back, and released a plume of fire. It's purpose was painfully obvious to all concerned.

"NOVA BLAST!" Greymon released his most powerful attack, aiming at the Dragon itself as he stepped in front of the monster.

Sailor Mercury brought her hands up over her head. _"Shine Aqua Illusion!" _she chanted, bringing all the water molecules around her to her, and chilling it to sub-zero temperatures. Thankfully, due to the nature of the place they were in, there were a lot of water molecules. Flinging her hands back down to her sides, she hurtled the ice water at the fire attack.

Mercury's attack struck the plume of fire, stopping it half way to it's target, and extinguishing it. Greymon's attack struck the dragon head-on, forcing it back several feet, but not seriously hurting it. "Okay, so it's not invulnerable, just tough as hell!"

"What I wouldn't give for Nash right now," Gabumon muttered, preparing to attack. Behind him, he heard Luna begin singing. Curious, he turned around to ask what she was doing.

It became apparent a second later, a feeling of strength went through him, making him feel like Hercules. _'Some kind of strengthening song,' _he thought, silently thanking the blue haired woman.

Luna did the same thing to every other person, including herself, before notching an arrow in her bow. "Izzy, Ramus! Let's let him know that we're here!"

Instantly, Izzy and Ramus raised their own bows, and the three released at their target, targeting the creature neck. They connected, though not getting any response from it. But they knew that cumulative damage could be just as effective, and damn distracting. And they noted with relief that it didn't have form of healing power like the Saline Slimer.

Greymon had, of course, charged their attacker head on. He collided with the Dragon while it was distracted, releasing Nova Blast after Nova Blast at it. The first one struck it again, then the Dragon retaliated with it's own fire attack, seeing a being who matched it in power. The two attacks collided time and time again.

Mercury scanned the Dragon while he and Greymon were deciding who had the better breath. "Hmm…the fire attack appears to emanate from it's chest, and is directed just behind the larynx through some kind of tube. It can sustain the attack for a set amount of time before being forced to stop."

'So, we find a way to crush his windpipe." Gabumon looked at the water. "And I think the first thing we have to do is keep that thing in one place. BLUE BLASTER!"

Gabumon's attack struck the water next to the Dragon, and instantly began freezing around it. It realized this, though, and flexed it's flippers, shattering the thin layer of ice that was beginning to surround it. Then, instead of trying to burn any of them, it waited until Greymon came in range again, then bit down. Hard.

Greymon let out a roar that shook the rafter's as the Dragon's poison entered his bloodstream, and from the tendons that were torn apart by the Dragon's teeth with the initial penetration. With a powerful uppercut, he detached the Dragon rudely from his person, knocking it back several feet. "I need an antidote, now!" he roared, swaying unsteadily as he retreated out of range.

"Nall!" Palmon shouted. _"Get over to him now!"_ If they couldn't get Greymon back into the battle, they were going to be in a great deal of trouble.

Palmon shouted. If they couldn't get Greymon back into the battle, they were going to be in a great deal of trouble. 

Nall moved to comply, Matt right behind him, but the Dragon saw this, and let another plume of fire loose. Matt dodged, but the attack hit his arm just the same, almost vaporizing it. The young man shrieked in agony, and fell to his knees, clutching his now crippled arm in supreme agony.

Izzy immediately released yet another arrow at the Dragon, but it was single-minded in it's pursuit of Matt. It stretched it's neck, opened it's mouth, and prepared to bite down.

Then Matt got the briefest of reprieves.

"Lightning Strike!"

From Mimi's hand, a bolt of lightning issued, enough power to run a city for a year, striking the Water Dragon just as it was ready to chomp down on Matt. The Dragon, unsurprisingly, roared in excruciating pain. While it was distracted, Luna ran up and dragged the Digi-Destined of Friendship out of danger. Then she began singing again, this time a little deeper.

Everybody in the immediate vicinity felt a sudden surge of health go through them, including Greymon, though the poison still ran through his system. Matt felt his arm re-knit itself, and the pain diminish to a dull ache. He saw that the flesh was now a light pink, so he decided that he was going to get back in there.

Meanwhile, while this was going on, T.K. ran forward, his new sword unsheathed and ready, When he got in range, he swung upward into the Dragon's still open mouth. The sword sliced through one of the front teeth, all the way to the nerves. Another ear splitting roar issued from the Dragon, almost destroying T.K.'s hearing. He was also hurtled back several feet because of the sheer wind factor.

The Water Dragon turned around, and launched another fire attack at Mimi. She jumped up, and flew around the attack. It managed to singe her skirt. The Dragon followed her slight form, and simply attacked again with it's flame. This time, she was too slow to evade, seeing as how she was still getting to used to being in mid air, and was engulfed. The Dragon brought his flipper up, and slammed the sphere of fire into the water.

"Mimi!"

Greg was already moving as Izzy cried out, his hand stiff like a board. Izzy released another arrow at the Dragon, just as Greg roared, _"Lightning Blade!" _bringing his hand down.

A coruscating shockwave flew through the air, striking the tooth that T.K. had sliced open. It almost let out another roar, which was cut off when Izzy's arrow penetrated it's throat, right where it's larynx was situated. It didn't cut off it's breathing, but it did temporarily cut off it's fire breathing capability. The battle was starting to go in their favor.

Greymon finally managed to get an antidote from Nall, and now unhindered by the poison, charged back into the fray. He decided to pay the Water Dragon back, and bit down on the Dragon's neck when it came in range to attack Matt again. Hard.

At the same time, Matt buried his sword into the other side, drawing yet another roar out of it.

"BLUE BLASTER!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The inside of the Dragon's mouth became colder than the Artic Tundra as Mercury and Gabumon pumped all of their ice power into their attacks, Mercury more so that Gabumon. It closed its mouth so the ice would melt from the extreme temperature. However, this also proved problematic, as it's fractured tooth shattered into pieces the minute it's mouth closed the entire way, and it let out another roar of pain. Gabumon smirked at this. _'We've got it on the ropes!'_

The Dragon suddenly shook it's head, forcing Matt's feet from underneath him, and dislodging Greymon from his neck. Then, without even turning around to use his teeth, he simply used his head like a club, slamming into the champion Digimon with enough force to topple him. Greymon dropped, almost squashing Gatomon in the process.

Alex leaped, preparing to do an Explosion Point on the Dragon's head. At the same exact time, Patamon, Biyomon and Tentomon attacked.

"BOOM BUBBLE!"

"SUPER SHOCKER!"

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

"Explosion Point!"

The Dragon reared back away from the attacks, forcing Alex to strike the concrete. He then had to get out of the way as the three digimon attacks hit his former position. He looked up, preparing to perform a Sword Dance, then stopped, concern entering his system. "Uh…guys?" he called out. "We have a problem."

Gabumon looked up, confused, and saw Matt's sword was still embedded in the side of the Dragon's neck. Not a real biggie, except for one detail.

Matt was still holding onto the sword handle, and was now hanging about fifteen feet up in the air. He couldn't let go, unless he didn't want to live. "Nobody attack!" Gabumon shouted. "We might hit him!" He looked up. "Hang on, Matt!" he shouted.

"Oh, I'm hanging! I'm hanging!" Matt returned, readjusting his grip. "If you guys have a plan, I would _really _love you to act upon it now!"

Mercury thought fast. "Greymon!" she shouted. "Aim a Nova Blast at the water!" She heard Dross laughing in the background, and wanted nothing more than to knock him ten ways to Sunday. But seeing as how she had far more important matter to deal with, she let it go.  
Greymon was perplexed. Aim at the water? Did Mercury go crazy? Not knowing why he should, he did so anyways. A moment later, he saw the reason.

The Nova Blast created thick curtain of vapor to rise from the sewer water. It blinded the Water Dragon, who, unable to see properly, began moving closer to the shore.

"Palmon, use your vines to tow this sucker in!"

Palmon did so, wrapping one set of vines around the Dragon's throat. She wrapped the other set around a pillar not far from their present position. Then she began pulling. A few seconds later, Tai joined in, adding his own strength to it.

The plan was simple; to pull in the Water Dragon, and then attack with everything they had. It would also allow Matt to let go safely. All in all, a sound plan. And under any other circumstances, it would have worked too.

However, Mercury had not taken into account on how long the arrow had been in. And the Dragon's power could no longer be contained.

Biyomon let out a bird shriek of terror when the Dragon finally fired an extremely large plume of fire at Palmon.

Matt was also afraid for the plant type digimon. "Palmon, let go!" he shouted. "It's not worth it!"

Palmon did so, shooting backwards using the other set. Tai also got out of the way, though he was forced to drop his sword.

Sailor Mercury and the others also got of the way, each in their own fashion. Still, the sheer heat of the attack was enough to crisp their clothing. The attack decimated a large area, leaving a giant crater in it's wake. Pieces of concrete rained down on the lot of them, cutting clothing and burning skin alike. It also melted Tai's sword into a super heated puddle of metal.

Matt began to sweat a little. His grip on his sword was beginning to weaken, and he was still too far up to let go. Desperately, he tried to readjusted, but it didn't help any. He began praying for a miracle.

Slowly, the Dragon began to realize that there was something sticking out of it's neck. It began to vigorously shake itself, trying remove whatever it was. In doing so, it weakened Matt's already precarious grip even further. He held on for dear life, but it wouldn't be long before he fell. _'Just one miracle, Althena,' _he thought. _'If you can hear me, and are capable of performing them, give me just one miracle. That's all I ask!'_

Unbeknownst to him, his Digi-vice began pulsing a light blue.

Gabumon noticed this, and knew what he had to do. _'Hang on, Matt! I'm coming!'_

"GABUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO… GARURUMON!"

Slowly, while Greymon and the three archers surrounded him, Gabumon began growing. The horn on his head disappeared as his snout grew longer, and more feral like. He fell down on all four limbs as they, and his torso grew longer and more muscular. His tail grew out, and thinned, until it was more like a dogs. Finally, his eyes obtained a more feral look to them, although tempered with his intelligence. He completed his digivolution in record time, grinning as only a dog could. He was going to enjoy this.

And it was just in the nick of time, as Matt lost his grip on his sword, and fell. He closed his eyes.

The Dragon, perhaps sensing that there was easy prey near him, turned his head around to snap at the young person.

It was it's first error. It would be it's last one too, for it set off a series of events.

Garurumon leaped forward into the water, heedless of the smell, and got underneath Matt. At the same time Greymon, Izzy, Ramus, and Luna all attacked at once. Greymon's Nova Blast knocked the Dragon's head off course, while Izzy's and Luna's arrows embedded themselves into the side of it's head. Ramus's arrow, however, struck like a viper at the Water Dragon's eye. A bellow of pain echoed through the sewer as the Dragon thrashed back and forth, now permanently blind on one side.

Dross's smirk began fading a little, and he suddenly felt a spurt of fear go through him. _'Uh oh…'_

Matt landed on the giant dog's back, surprised to still be alive, and opened his eyes. "Thanks," was all he managed to get out, amazed at the close call.

Garurumon nodded. "Are you all right, my friend?"

"I've had better days, but yeah, I'm fine."

Garurumon swam to shore, and got back onto the platform. When Matt jumped off, he turned back around to stare at the Dragon. "So, you want to try and eat my friend?" he asked threateningly. " Let me return the favor."  
"Let's kick some Dragon ass!" Greymon crowed.

Sora didn't even try to berate him. In fact, she found herself agreeing with him. She turned just in time to see a wonderful sight.

Dross realized that he was in trouble. Big trouble. The Dragon's aim was off by a great margin, now that he had only one good eye to use. What's more, those kids now had _two _large monsters, as opposed to his one, which threw everything out of proportion. He made a quick business decision, and decided to run for it.

"Not so fast, maggot!" Ramus and Sora shouted at the same time, grabbing one of his arms, then swinging their fists.

Before Dross realized it, both Ramus and the Digi-Destined of Love had punched, kicked, and kneed him in every single part of his body, especially that _certain_ part of him that he was so proud of. He found himself on the ground in a daze, and in pain. He heard Ramus say, "We still need to talk to you, so don't go anywhere," while he writhed a little.

The Dragon was reeling closer and closer to shore, unable to judge distance properly with only one optic fiber working. It bumped into the berth…

…and Palmon struck again.

"POISON IVY!" She roared, once again wrapping her vines around the Dragon's neck, and pulling back. This time, Greymon wrapped his hands around them, and pulled extremely hard. Roaring, the Dragon soon found itself in a position that every sea creature feared. It was grounded, and vulnerable to the rest of them.

The group went in swinging.

Matt was able to remove his sword from the creatures throat, and began slashing at it in a very irritated manner. The three archers launched almost every arrow they had at it, striking in various regions of it's body. The rookie level Digimon used their appendages or powers to great effect. Alex and T.K. sliced into the Dragon, both showing a great deal of control and mastery over their weapons. Kari used her scepter like a club, bashing it into it's ribcage, cracking another rib every single time. Greg and Mercury just used their fists. Biyomon's and Tentomon's attacks did little more than leave scorch marks, but Patamon's attack practically deformed the Dragon's skull when it hit. Tai simply stepped back to stand next to Joe.

Greymon and Garurumon tore into the Water Dragon with a ferocity that was frightening. They both bit down on the monster's neck, finally causing the thing to bleed, their claws leaving deep gouge marks in it's back. Greymon almost tore off a flipper. Then he used his tail like a bat, slamming the Dragon back closer to the edge.

Despite it's situation, the Dragon tried to fight back. It spewed fire all over the place, causing a great deal of structural damage to the sewers. It couldn't hit them though, as they were all on it's blind side, and Greymon was a fire creature unto himself.

Tentomon got a grand idea. "Guys, get him back into the water! I want to cook him!"

Greymon nodded, understanding the plan. "Gatomon, would you do the honors?" he asked pleasantly.

"Of course. LIGHTNING CLAW!" Gatomon used her attack in an uppercut formation, slamming into it's jaw with enough force to crush an iron can into a plate. The Dragon was lifted off the ground a few feet before hitting the water with a splash, head down in the water. It struggled to right itself with only three good flippers, and didn't seem to know what was going on.

Tentomon shouted, "SUPER SHOCKER!" unleashing a lightning bolt at the water, striking near to where the Dragon had come to rest. The Dragon roared as the electricity coursed through it's system. However, it wasn't enough power to even stop it from attacking, and it was starting to get angry.

It turned it's head, opened it's mouth, preparing to fry the insect…and the water began churning next to it. It grew far more insistent, more violent as it continued, until a large jet of water rose up from the sewer water, slamming into the Water Dragon, and hurtling it into the far side of the wall. It looked surprised for the first time since their fight began.

Tai was amazed. "Did you do that?" he asked Mercury.

"No."

"Then who-?"  
A second later, they had their answer.

'Mimi!"

There, floating in mid air, barely clothed in the remains of what used to be her dress, was Mimi, looking like an avenging angel. And she was decidedly pissed off too.

Izzy was amazed by her abrupt appearance. "She looks…really annoyed."

Mimi looked at the Dragon, brown eye's flashing. "Payback time," she growled. _"Lightning Strike!"_

The Water Dragon's roar was much louder now, shaking the streets of Meribia with subsonic vibrations. The citizens of the city looked downward in fear, sure that the creature was having dinner.

All the Digi-Destined and their friends knew was that cooked dragon meat did _not_ smell good, especially when they were in the sewers.

But still, the Water Dragon fought back with a zeal that was surprising. In fact, it seemed to be getting stronger.

"Oh no! Guys, it's going into a berserker rage!" Izzy shouted, backing off quickly.

"Kari!" Mimi roared, not saying anything else, because nothing else was needed.

"Light Scepter Activation!"

Kari's attack shot to the Dragon, just as the Dragon countered with it's own attack. The two collided in mid air, and not exploding, pushed against each other in a display of power.

Greymon, Mercury, and Garurumon decided to help.

"NOVA BLAST!"

"HOWLING BLASTER!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

Their aid came right in the nick of time, because the Dragon's power was still growing. Mimi redirected her lightning attack, but that only seemed to entice it even further into the rage that possessed it.

"We can't keep this up!" Greymon roared before unleashing another Nova Blast. "We need one more attack to break through!"

T.K. started looking at the sword that he held, something bugging him in the back corner of his mind, something…

"Takeru!" Urawa shouted, ducking underneath a particularly vicious slash, then smoothly slicing the guy a new naval. "Break down the gate! Just, don't do too much collateral damage. Althena knows we don't want any unnecessary deaths!"

Takeru saluted him. "Don't worry. I have just the right strategy for this!" With that, he leaped into the air, the shorter of his two swords glistening in the sunlight. Reaching the apex of his jump, he pointed the blade down, and said…

T.K. had it.

Some of the flame managed to get through, and would hit T.K. if he didn't move. The Digi-Destined of Hope, however, was already moving, leaping into the air. As the fire struck the spot where he had previously occupied, the young boy waited until he had reached the apex of his jump, the pointed his sword straight downward. He roared, _"Hope…Sword…Blaster!"_ and brought it down.

The instant the tip of the sword embedded itself slightly into the concrete, energy, was released from it, heading forward. As soon as it reached the Dragon, it broke through, revealing itself to be a sphere of gold.

It was enough.

The combined power of the six beings broke the stalemate, slamming into the Dragon with enough force to vaporize steel. It roared as the power chewed away at it's chest, thrashing about madly in a futile attempt to stop it. Until it finally hit the fire sac…and detonated.

The Dragon's head blew like it was the fourth of July, the rest of it's body following it in an explosion that shook the entire sewer system. An expanding sphere of fire headed for where they were standing.

Mimi dropped in front of them, her hand raised. _"Reflection Shield!" _A field of power surrounded everybody as she shouted this, as well as the oxygen around them. And it was just in the nick of time, as the blast engulfed them.

For several minutes, the immovable object and the irresistible force did battle. Mimi's face scrunched in concentration, struggling to keep the immovable object in place. Sweat beaded her forehead as she pumped more and more of power against the irresistible force. _'I will not stop!' _she thought viciously.

Izzy noticed something flicker near Mimi, but discounted it as a figment of his imagination. And he had far more important things to worry about.

Finally, the inferno died down, having exhausted the oxygen supply in the area. Soon, it was as if nothing had ever happened, save for all of the structural damage the battle had caused.

With a sigh of relief, Mimi extinguished her shield, then dropped to her knees, exhausted. "I'm pooped. I think I used every last erg of magic in that." She looked up. "And would the boys put their jaws back up already!" she snapped, her voice full of fire.

"Um, Greg?" Izzy asked, motioning to Greg's coat. "Could she have your coat?"

"Huh? Oh!" Greg hurriedly removed his coat, and handed it to Izzy. "Here you go."  
Izzy gave it to Mimi, who slipped it on gratefully. "Thank you. Talk about showing some skin," she muttered. "Why were you looking?"

Izzy thought fast. "You are…extremely well figured," he said. A half truth. After all, he could never tell a lie.

"Now then…" Greymon turned around to stare at Dross. "Dross? We have to discuss some things. Like their payment."

"Uh…" Dross looked at the assembled group before him, all giving him a deadly look. "We can talk about this."

"No, we can't," Alex countered pleasantly. The circle began clinching.

Dross backed up until his aching backside hit the wall. "Hey, you kids are coming dangerously close to invading my personal space!"

"Oh, really?" Mimi asked, trying to sound sympathetic. The circle closed in. Greymon opened his mouth.

"Okay, okay!" Dross threw a money pouch at their feet. "This is all the money I have! Take it!"

Ramus picked it up, and felt it. "Five Hundred Silver? We agreed to far more than that…" Ramus trailed off, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey, I have an idea! You own your shop, don't you?"

"Of course I do! So what?"

Ramus grinned. "Because now I own it, Dross, in exchange for the Diamond. That's a fair deal, right?"

Dross couldn't believe it. He had been given a way out of the situation. "Uh…sure it is," he stuttered, starting to inch around Ramus. "So I guess I'll be leaving with the Diamond now…"

Ramus didn't move. "What do you mean?" he asked cheerfully. "I sold the Dragon Diamond to the shop. And since I own the shop, I own the Diamond! If you don't agree with my logic, we can keep you down here until you realize how much sense it makes!"  
"And please!" Garurumon bared his teeth. "Don't make us stay down here any longer than necessary! Otherwise, I will be forced to take a 'bite' out of my frustrations!"

Dross looked like a drowned cat, unable to believe it. He had outmaneuvered by a bunch of kids. And what's worse, he couldn't do a thing about it!

Nall looked at his pudgy friend with a smile on his face. "Ramus, I know you've never heard these words before, so I'll be gentle…You are the _man!_"

"You…you…" Dross couldn't articulate a single sentence, so he gave a strangled shout.

Ramus chuckled at the expression on Dross's face. "However, because I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, I'll give you a job." He stepped directly in front of Dross. "But if I ever, _ever_, catch you trying to scam someone again," he growled. "…you are _so _fired!"

Dross grinned, relieved. "Thank you so much!" he stated, bowing. "I'm turning over a new leaf…nothing but hard, honest work for me from now on!" He shoved past them, heading for the stairwell. "I'll return to my…your shop and start waxing the floor!" He sped away, his footsteps echoing in the stairwell.

Ramus watched him with a speculative gaze. "I know that I can't trust him," he said quietly, "but he _can_ teach me everything he knows about business." His eye glinted merrily. "_Then_ I'll fire him."

Nall chuckled. "Ramus, you are totally ruthless…you're going to a great businessman."  
"Why thank you, Nall."

Luna walked up and gave him a hug. "I'm proud of you. Now let's get out of here, and take a look around your new store!"

"And buy new clothes, and shoes." Mimi looked down. "I want to be wearing more than a coat and rags."

Izzy looked at her. "Oh, I don't know," he said, completely straight faced. "I think you look kind of sexy with barely anything on." He resisted the urge to chuckle as Mimi blushed crimson.

Everybody began walking over to Alex, laughing at the expression on Mimi's face, while the young man pulled out a pair of Dragon Wings…except one. Ramus was still standing where he been when he told Dross about the change in management, looking very thoughtful.

"Hey, Ramus!" Nall shouted. "Don't tell me you're starting to like it down here!"

Ramus looked up at them. "Guys…I…uh…" He shook his head. "You can keep my half of the money, Alex. Having the store is more than enough."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Ramus."

Garurumon noted something was off with Ramus, but he didn't press the issue.

"Let's continue this discussion above ground." Nall was starting to become green. "I need fresh air…and I need it now!"

The two digi-volved warriors quickly shrank back to their rookie level, and crowded in with the rest of them. Alex raised the Dragon Wings up into the air, and closed his eyes.

They vanished in a burst of light.

Royce and the shadow behind her observed the space the adventurers had occupied for another moment. "Impressive," the shadow finally stated. "Very few can survive an encounter with a Water Dragon, let alone defeat it. And young Luna was truly impressive with her songs."

"Yes, there is no doubt about it now, is there? She is the one…"

The shadow nodded. "Yes, she is. But what about this 'Mimi?'" he asked, looking very thoughtful. "Shall I dispose of her and the other Digi-Destined?"

Royce paused in her thoughts, giving the suggestion careful consideration. Mimi's power was already formidable, and she had barely begun to tap them. Also, when she had activated her shield, she had seen, for a few seconds, a series of lines going down the young ladies exposed sides, as well as a different eye color. Maybe her eyes were deceiving her, but she had seen young Izumi react in the same exact manner. _'If they are what I think they are, then Sheyra's child has returned home. That also means Isildor's heir will be found soon.'_ "No," she said aloud, "no, we must know if the prophecy surrounding her is true or not. Also, our allies will want to know if those six are who we think they are." She turned to the shadow. "Continue your surveillance on them," she ordered.

The shadow bowed. "As you command. I will have my brothers assist me on this manner."

The two vanished.

Happy Valentines Day, and Happy President's day. I am going to find ways to improve this chapter so it looks like something worth reading, and not a rough copy. I just hope I'm still keeping you guys entertained.

Well, next chapter will become the first chapter I type that is not part of the game. You can expect another appearance from Sere, as well as a new mystery guest. I won't tell you any more, but I will not begin typing this until Wednesday at the very least.

On a side note, has anyone noticed the rash of Peter Pan stories that have been popping up since the movie debuted in theaters? Before, you probably got a new story once every week, and an update every month. Now, I see a new one almost every day! Good day to you all!


	17. Episode Sixteen: The Katana of Courage, ...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Sixteen: The Katana of Courage, Part One

The shop clerk looked around her, unnerved by everything that was happening, and with everyone around her.

In front of her, looking rather irritated with even being in the store, was Hell Mel himself, along with a number of Meribia's finest. They were presently interrogating the only other employee in the store, who didn't know anything more than she did, other than the fact that he didn't know that Dross was a crook. She was starting to sweat a great deal.

And Mel just stood there, looking around the store, probably thinking of what he could break in here before Dross showed up to try and stop him.

A sound in the backroom drew everyone's attention to the door, their eyes intent. So it was with a great deal of surprise that they saw the owner of the shop run out, wielding a mop and bucket. Without paying any attention to the world around him, he hurtled up the stairs like the Goddess was after him, and began mopping. The Clerk and Mel stared at him for a moment, then back at each other. The clerk pointed up at the man's retreating backside, making her point clear. Mel shrugged, at a loss as well.

The clerk turned around, ready to go check the back, when she faintly heard, through the door…

"What about going green, Mimi? You'd probably look good in it."

"I'll think about it, Izzy. But only if you start wearing purple. You'd probably look sexy in it."

"Great Goddess. Mimi Tachekawa and Koushiro Izumi, flirting? You're giving yourselves away."

"Shut up, Luna!"  
The clerk heard laughter from what sounded like a small number of people. _'What the hell?'_

She got her answer when, a few scant seconds later, the door opened, and out came the Digi-Destined, the adventurers, Sailor Mercury, and Greg, all with various tears in their clothing, and Mimi now wearing Greg's coat, but all hale, hearty, and extremely happy. She also saw that Ramus was carrying the Dragon Diamond in his hands, and moving with a confidence that hadn't been there a few scant hours ago.

"Hiya, Mel." Gomamon waved one of his paws in the governor of Meribia. "How're you?"

"I'm doin' fine." Mel was understandably confused with the clash of their general appearance, and their current attitudes. "Why'd Dross run up to the upper levels?"

"I think he's waxing the floor, just like he said he would," Tai answered, chuckling to himself.

"Ah. Why's he doin' it?"

Ramus stepped forward. "Because I now own the shop," he explained. "Dross works for me now." He derived great pleasure at seeing the beast man's face frozen with shock. "I know, it's weird, sir."

"You mean, you beat the monster that my people fear in the sewers?" A group of very pleased nods answered his question. "Good work, lads and lasses! What's next for ya?"

Mimi looked down. "A clothes store," she answered for all of them. "Some of us are wearing little better than rags at this particular moment."

"And some of us are barely wearing anything at all," Palmon muttered under her breath, earning her a slight glare from her human partner.

Mel though about it. "Well, I can't help the majority of ya, but I think you and me daughter are about the same size and build, Mimi. I don't think she would mind sharing. Besides," he added with a twinkle, "it's dinnertime."

The maid allowed Mimi to slip her arms into the sleeve of the dress, before lacing it up for her. "Master Mel was right!" she gushed, observing the young lady. "You and Lady Jessica are about the same size."

"Pretty close," Mimi agreed, looking herself over in the mirror. A one piece affair, it was white with blue striping. It molded itself to her body in a way that would make most men would probably worship her like she was a temple. She figured Izzy would like it a great deal. _'He'll probably gape at me like a fish out of water,'_ she thought, not appalled with the idea, though blushing faintly.

The maid beamed. "You shine like a new penny. Now you better get downstairs. Master Mel does not like to wait to eat."

Mimi's stomach rumbled. "Neither do I," she admitted. What she had told Sora was true, her appetite had become atrocious lately. "And I think I'm going to be fighting with Mel for it," she added.

Everyone had managed to find some clothes relatively fast, and would work for the night. They would search more thoroughly for clothes that were designed for the rigors of everyday life and travel, but for now, they could push it to the backs of their minds.

The cooks, upon learning that they were cooking for more than just Mel, had almost succumbed to despair. However, Tai, Matt, and Sora offered their services to the cooks, and then worked their fingers to the bone cooking up a culinary masterpiece. The cooks were so grateful that they offered them jobs on the spot. They had refused nicely, thanking them just the same.

Dinner was very relaxed, and cordial. Mel and Mimi had not, as Mimi had predicted, entered a war for the food, instead going into an undeclared contest to see who could eat the most food. It was done with elegance, though. After all, Mimi was not raised to be a glutton, and Mel had learned good manners through his servants. After all, he wouldn't be able to survive in high society acting like a pirate.

As they ate, those at the table spoke of past adventures, and aspiring hopes for the future, and making jokes at each other's expense. They were only a little surprised to learn that Mel had once been a pirate, and a feared one at that.

"It was freedom," he said at this point. "The high sea, no authority but yer own, all the excitement that you could ask fer…then I met Dyne, and found that there were things out there that were better than that."

"Like family?" Tai asked knowingly.

"Like family." Mel's gaze grew distant. "Jessica's not much older than you, Alex."

"Is that so?"

"Oh, yeah! The girl's got a heart o' gold, and a soul to match!"

"So, you're saying she's adopted?" Nall asked.

The beast man shot him a look, not hearing him properly. "Hmmm? What's that?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!"

Mel looked at him suspiciously for a few seconds more before shrugging. "She's at Althena's shrine, learnin' to be a priestess…and she'll be a great one!" He grinned heartily. "You should meet her! I think she'd like you as much as I do!" He began laughing. "Though you're gonna have to grow some more before I let you marry her, lad!"

Alex grinned. "Thanks, but I've already got my eye on someone else." He turned in Luna's direction.

Luna almost ducked under the table in embarrassment, but she managed not to. Instead, she said, "This food is very good. My compliments to the chefs."  
Tai bowed. "On behalf of myself, Matt, Sora, and the cooks downstairs, we will accept that praise, and pack it away for further ego boosting at a later date. They also wanted me to tell you to _never_ have company for dinner ever again."

Mel laughed. "Well-," he began, only to be interrupted by someone knocking at the door. "Yes?" he growled, making it perfectly clear that he didn't like being interrupted while at the dinner table.

A nervous looking intern walked in, staring at the collective number of people. "My apologies for intruding," he said, his voice steady, "but I am to deliver a message from Lady Sere to a Taichi Kamiya."

"Sere?" Tai raised his hand. "I'm Tai." He took the envelope from the aide, bowed once in thanks, opened it, and read the letter, his gaze becoming more and more serious.

Sora noticed this. "What is it?" she asked.

Tai looked up. "She wants to see me before we leave tomorrow. She says she has some information that I might want to have. "

"Wonder what it is."

"Me too."

Sora looked up. "Well, after we go and get some extra clothing, as well as food, we'll head over to Ramus's store, and you head over to Sere's."

"I agree." Izzy turned his gaze to Tai. "We will also need to obtain some form of mobile transportation. Our feet will certainly appreciate it."

Mel nodded. "It'll also be faster. I suggest horses. They're a lot cheaper than chocobo's, and they don't try to breed every three weeks."

Greg chuckled. "Let's worry about transportation tomorrow," he said lightly. "Right now, let's just enjoy this meal. 'Cause only the Goddess knows when we'll have another one like it."

Everyone agreed with him, Mimi most of all, who had already finished her fourth helping, and the Digimon, who were starting to catch up.

The shadow observed them for a moment, intrigued by how people with such different mind sets could form such a cohesive team. He was impressed even more by the fact that they could be so casual after defeating such a powerful creature. A force that he and his brethren shouldn't underestimate.

Inevitably, he found his gaze shifting to Mimi. _'Truly an impressive young lady,'_ he thought._ 'So full of inner beauty and strength. An indomitable soul. And a truly lovely body to match. It is the kind of body that would make a man want to worship her, to give her everything she could ever dream of…'_ He found himself thinking on how he could bring her to their side, to woo her, to give her the world.

At the edge of his gaze, he saw the one they called Koushiro turn to stare at Mimi as she sipped at her wine. He saw her return his gaze, smiling softly, and felt a surge of jealously go through his system._ 'A_ _woman of her caliber should not have to be in the presence of such filth… No, I must not think on those lines. I have a mission to complete.'_

Tearing his gaze away from Mimi, who was saying something to the keeper of knowledge, and turned his gaze to their leader, Taichi Kamiya. He was really unimpressive, with a mop of thick brown hair, a pair of goggles situated on his forehead, a band of some kind on his arm. Someone a godly number of people wouldn't even look at, though the females may find him attractive.

However, there was an aura of inner strength around him, a presence of power. It was that combination that could unite the many different personalities into an unstoppable force. _'He is a man who can mold armies, and lead them to victory. He must be crushed. And with his defeat, the others shall fall.' _He grinned under his hood.

'Then the Guardians of Althena will die…'

If Leomon had seen the Digi-Destined that morning, he would have shaken his massive head in amazement, and probably walked the other way.

Additional clothing had come first, as they weren't prepared to wear the same thing for eight months. They also knew that their old clothing, designed for the rigors of Twentieth Century life, were ill suited for Lunar.

Surprisingly, they found clothing that matched each of their size perfectly. Shoes were even easier, and were in abundant supply. They also cheaper than anything back home. For that, the whole lot of them were eternally grateful.

Then came the hard part. Transportation.

"No, I only want eleven horses, not twenty!" Joe exclaimed, gesticulating vehemently. He had been arguing with the horse dealer for almost twenty minutes, and it was starting to attract a crowd.

Greg finally lost patience. "Will you just pay the man?" he shouted, taking his hands out of the new trench coat he wore. He didn't recall meeting anyone who could carry on an argument like the Digi-Destined of Reliability.

Grumbling, Joe did so, then grabbed several of the reins. "I swear, this is high way robbery. What are we going to do with nine additional horses?"

Izzy picked up the last of them. "We probably could have gotten them for free. We could've given them Gomamon."

Joe and Greg chortled. "Yeah, but then they would pay us to take him back," Joe stated. "After all, we only put up with him because he's our friend, right, Izzy?"

Izzy didn't answer, because at that precise moment, Mimi walked up, clad in a combination of pink and green. The dress itself was based on a similar design to Luna's. She averted her eyes to the ground. "I got the identity of the maker of Luna's dress," she said softly, looking back up to stare at what her friend was wearing.

Izzy had chosen to follow Mimi's advice, and had purchased a purple ensemble of long sleeved shirt and pants, complete with a cape that hung to his knees. He had also gotten a haircut, so his hair was more manageable. Mimi suppressed a sharp inhale of breath. She had been right, at least in her opinion. Izzy did look sexy in purple.

Izzy thought Mimi looked lovely with that color combination. And judging from the odd silence that was emanating from behind him, he guessed that Joe wasn't complaining either.

Greg, who was next to him, smiled. "Mimi, you almost outshine Amy. Almost."

Mimi giggled, giving him a good pat on the back. "Thanks for putting me on a lower pedestal than Amy." She turned to Joe, and stared at him blankly for a moment. "Umm…Joe?" she queried. "You might want to close your mouth, before the flies start moving in." She turned back to Izzy, giving him a shy smile. "How do I look?" she asked.

Izzy almost swallowed a lump of coal. "You look…" he stumbled for a bit, then settled for the truth, "…lovely beyond words."

Mimi's eyes showed her happiness, then her curiosity as she surveyed the area. "Where are the others?" she asked, a hint of merry wickedness entering her features. "I want to see the look on all of their faces when we walk up."  
Greg shook his head, laughing. "You are a sick and twisted individual, Mimi. You know that?"

Palmon walked up. "And she's damn proud of it, too."  
"Well then, shall we?"

Mimi giggled evilly. "Let's."

Tai walked into Sere's shop, and was at once struck by how large it really was on the inside.

The store, on the outside, probably looked only as big as Mel's mansion, without the many towers. On the inside though, it was composed of three levels. One of those levels was almost subterranean, with two levels above it. It had windows installed on the roof, so as to let light come down on the people below them, and was stocked with everything imaginable. It even had a clothes section, as well as a book store off to one side. A piece for everyone on the team, he knew. Even Izzy.

A portly looking man looked up from the front display, seeing Tai for the first time. "Welcome," he said in a deep voice. "May I help you with something?"

Tai pulled out the letter. "Yes. I received a letter from the owner yesterday evening, and I was hoping if she is here."

"Ah, yes Mr. Kamiya. She is here, in the back. She has been expecting you." The man gestured. "Please, this way."

Following him, Tai took the time to observe his immediate surroundings. The setting reminded him of some of the super stores back home. There were even cashiers manning the Lunarian equivalent of registers. And there were customers already there, buying something or other.

"Yes," Sere's voice suddenly said, "it is usually this busy by this time. So I usually am ready by eight." She held out her hand. "Glad you could make it, young man."

Tai shook Sere's hand. "I got your message." He looked around one more time. "This is a pretty big store," he added.

Sere laughed. "We've actually had to add on to it, just to keep up with popular demand. Sometimes I wish we weren't so popular."

Tai nodded. "You wanted to see me?" he asked, getting back to the reason why he was here.

Sere nodded to her employee. "Roco, I'll take it from here." The man bowed before heading back over to the front. "Like I said in my letter, I have some information for. It pertains to your Crest of Courage. Please, come into my office."

'Now it gets interesting,' Tai thought, following her into her office. He noted how much paper occupied the majority of the space, so much so that there was barely any room left. And it was a rather large space.

Sere shut the door behind, apologetic. "Sorry about the mess," she said. "I've been thinking about looking through all of it, and getting all the junk stuff out, but I've been extremely busy." She walked over to her desk, and motioned Tai to sit down. Then without preamble, she pulled a map from the top of one of her filing cabinets, and set it on her desk. "A few years ago, one of the traveling salesclerks stumbled upon a cave, located halfway between the Shrine of the Goddess, and the Vane Transmission Spring." She looked up. "There was nothing special about it, except for one thing. It had a strange symbol on it. It's the Lunarian symbol of Courage, which I think you possess." She opened one of her desk drawers, and pulled out a photograph., and handed it over to Tai. Eyes narrowing, Tai took it. "Am I right?" she asked.

"It definitely fits my Crest to a tee," he allowed. "Any idea what's in this cave?"

"No idea. Aside an outcropping that looks like it was put there deliberately for sheltering, the entire cave was protected by some type of force field. So I've kept a close eye on it. Nothing happened, until about a month ago." She pulled out another picture, and handed it to him.

Tai looked at it, confused. This picture didn't look any different from the first one. Then he saw a minor detail. "Is it…_glowing?_" he asked, stupefied.

Sere shook her head. "No, it's pulsing," she elaborated. "It's pulsing a faint orange when I last saw it. And it began doing that, as I said beforehand, a month ago."  
Tai grasped what she meant by that. "That was about the time my friends and I…arrived in Burg." He was extremely careful how he phrased his sentences. He did not want one of the people who was helping them thinking he was crazy. "Which means the two events are connected."

"Precisely." Sere sat down gracefully. "So I think you should check it out. Have an adventure of your own for once. And maybe you'll find a reason for being here." She gave him an appraising look. "Nice clothing, by the way. Are you trying to impress a certain redhead?"

Tai blushed crimson. "I better get to Ramus's," he muttered. "Thank you for the hint."

Sere smiled. "Don't mention it." She watched as Tai, still bearing the blush, walk out of her office, before she opened her other drawer, and pulled out a communication device. "Roco, please call our tailor, and send her to my office." She leaned back in her chair, lost in her memories…and waited.

Dross was supervising the removal of his sign from the front of the store, and the placing of Ramus's in it's place, when he saw Ramus approach. "Hello, boss," he said in greeting. "I'm just putting your sign before we open up for the day."

Ramus nodded. "Nice work, Dross. Though I think the sign is a little crooked. Hey, guys!" he called out to the people who arrived. "So, I see Izzy approves of the outfit, Mimi."

Greg chuckled. "Oh, yes. So did Joe. Isn't that right, Gomamon."

"Yep."

Joe gave them a particularly deadly look before returned his attention to Ramus. "So, everything under control here?"

Ramus nodded, his smile fading. "Everyone else is inside, including Nash. He wants to tell us all something."

Now they were intrigued, they had to admit. "So much for trying to find him," Greg muttered good naturedly. "Let's go see what he has to say." With that said, he led the way in.

Nash looked up from the book he was reading to see Greg and his little group walk into the store. "Hello, guys. You're all here…except Tai. Excellent!" He put the book down, then clapped Alex on the shoulder. "I heard about your journey through the sewers to find the Diamond…and how you killed dozens of monsters along the way!"

"And swallowed," Agumon grumbled.

"Yeah, I heard about that too. A pity I wasn't there to watch you do it. I would have found the look on your face worth the stench." The magician turned away as Agumon gave him a very dangerous look. "You may not have any magical abilities, Alex, but you're still very strong." He paused for a dramatic effect. "Strong enough to come to Vane with me!" he said. "I'll introduce you to Ghaleon, and get you into some magic classes at the Magic Guild." He watched as their faces went into delighted surprise. "Think about it, Alex," he said enthusiastically. "You could finally learn to use magic!"

Nall stared at Nash suspiciously. "Alex, this is an imposter!" he stated with certainty. "We all know the real Nash would never praise someone other than himself!"

"Would you let me finish, cat? Thank you! As I was saying… Alex, despite your dubious choice in pets, I enjoy your company…and I see the enormous potential in you, and the obvious potential in Mimi." He gave Mimi a small nod of respect before continuing. "The Magic Guild is always looking for us, people who are willing to take that potential and turn it into skill."

Palmon was impressed with the sales pitch. "Mimi, maybe you should check it out," she suggested. "You might learn to control your power even better."

Mimi nodded. "Maybe…" she murmured thoughtfully.

"And," Nash continued, his enthusiasm contagious, "if you come to the Guild, you'll meet Ghaleon and Lemia! Two of the Four Heroes, boys and girls! They might be able to tell you more about the Dragons, and if there is a way to get you home!"

Alex's mind wrapped around what Nash had just said. _'He does have a point. There are two of the Four Heroes living in Vane. One of them might know something about the Dragons, and know how to get our friends home. _And_ I get to meet them, which is a very big bonus.'_

Nall looked at his best friend. "What should we do, Alex? Go with Nash, or go home?"

Alex copied Nall by looking at Luna. Luna giggled. "Don't look at me, Alex!" she said. "This is your life, and your choice…but I promise to follow you no matter where you go."

Alex nodded, smiling. That was all he wanted to hear, and thus turned back to Nash. "The Guild sounds great. When do we leave?"

Nash almost jumped up and down in glee. "Excellent! Alex, you won't regret this decision!" He looked at all of them. "We should leave for Vane immediately!"

"With one little detour."

Nash looked over Alex's shoulder to see Tai come in. "What minor detail?" he asked.

"Sere told me there is a cave that's near the Transmission Spring. It has the Crest of Courage on it, so you can understand that I'm curious as to what's in it. Any problems with that?"

Nash shook his head, then turned to look at Mimi. His jaw dropped.

So did Tai's.

Mimi laughed outright at the expressions on their faces. "My mission was a success." She looked at Izzy, who was grinning openly.

Everyone laughed at this…except one.

"Ramus?" Sora looked at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Ramus was silent for a moment more, collecting himself. Finally, he straightened. "Guys," he began. "I'm going to stay in Meribia." He held up a hand to stop the inevitable exclamations of surprise. "Magic is beyond my grasp, and I've definitely had my fill of nearly getting killed by giant monsters." He looked around him. "And besides, I'm a businessman now. I'll be too busy remodeling the store to go anywhere!"

Alex stared at his friend. "Ramus…" he choked out.

"I know, it's hard to say good bye, but you know I have to. Alex, promise me you'll keep having great adventures." Ramus's face was near the point of shedding tears, but he was resolute.

Alex grinned. "I will, I promise."

Nall was much more difficult to console. "Ramus, you just have to come with us!" He began choking up. "We'll…miss you…"

Ramus scratched under the little flying creature's chin. "I'm sorry, Nall, but I've already made up my mind."

"It's just not going to be the same without you to make fun of…"

"I know. Izzy Izumi, it has been a pleasure to match wits with you in the areas of business."

Izzy chuckled, shaking Ramus's hand. "Same here. You take care of yourself, Ramus. Don't do anything Tai would do."

"Hey!"

Everyone laughed, breaking the somber mood that was threatening to overwhelm them. "And hey," Ramus continued, a smile now on his features, "it's not like we'll ever see each other again. I want you all to stop by the shop whenever you're in town! I know I'll have made a profit by then. I'll be filthy, stinking rich, just not as soon as I had hoped."  
Alex chuckled. "Sometimes, our objectives will a long time to complete." Alex hugged his friend. "You watch out for yourself, doughboy," he said, calling Ramus by the nickname he used to in his childhood.

"You too, Dragonboy. And thank you…for everything."

Luna hugged him, and gave him a little peck on the cheek. "Take care, Ramus," she said, "and good luck."

"You too. All of you."

Riding a horse, Tai realized, was much more difficult than he thought. And infinitely more painful. What had begun as a sixteen minute tutorial by Nash, became a one hour trial by fire as Tai, Sora, Izzy, Joe, Alex, and Luna all tried to get on their horses, and were properly thrown off. Matt, who was on Garurumon, and Nash, who was on his horse already, were laughing their asses off.

Mimi, who had had prior experience riding horses, was trying to give them advice on how to proceed. "No, Tai, don't use your right foot to mount it! You'll…oh!"

"Ouch. I didn't know Tai could fly."

"That's because he can't, Garurumon. He can, however, fall with style."

"I see. How strong is Althena's Statue, Greg?"

"Ouch. Apparently, strong enough to withstand a horse thrown person. Are you all right, Tai?"

"As soon as my head stops spinning, I'll let you know."

Mimi sighed. "How about I help you guys out there? Otherwise, Nash, Garurumon, and Matt are going to die from laughing to much." She got off her horse, and headed over to Izzy. She showed him how to sooth his steed, then how to mount properly. She repeated this process with the others, before remounting her own. "Now, we're going to go slow for a while, until you all get used to it." She maneuvered her horse closer to Sora. "Everybody ready?"

"No," Joe responded, his horse still prancing around nervously.

"You're never ready."

Chuckling, Mimi led the way out of Meribia, the others behind her, moving verrrrrrrry slowly.

Sere watched them leave from her window, that feeling increasing. She knew something was going to happen, but she didn't know what. And for some reason, she didn't want to know.

"Now then," she said, getting back to the topic in hand, "I understand that your daughter is going to being taking the Trial."

"Yes," her tailor replied, looking nervous.

Sere nodded. "Tell her to take it easy, and if she comes across anyone who might be able to help her, to at least think about that help."  
"Okay. Now, let's get you fitted. I'll need to see how long the cloak is going to be…"

Sighing, the owner got up, and stood perfectly still, as her tailor began making measurements.

I am splitting this chapter into two parts, so expect the second half to be here in a few weeks. The mystery character will come in in that part, so please, be patient. Also, I'm throwing in another twist in Part Two. If this second twist is good, let me know. I like the feedback from you ladies and gentlemen.


	18. The Katana of Courage, Part Two

****

Episode Sixteen: The Katana of Courage, part Two

For the entire morning, the group were on their horses, heading for their first destination of the trip. It was faster than if they had walked on foot, but still slow going, in their opinion. Several of the Digi-Destined were visibly nervous of the fact that their horses could throw them off at any moment in a whim. Alex and Luna were concerned that they wouldn't be able to control their mounts if something should spook them. However, Mimi had assured them that they would improve over time, and that it would soon become second nature to them. They visibly relaxed after that.

Izzy was already getting better at it, as he was already becoming comfortable with his horse. Though the fact that Tentomon was buzzing next to the horses still made it jittery.

Tai looked ahead as Mimi took point. In about a days time, they would arrive at the cave. He wasn't at all sure what he would find, but he knew that he was prepared for anything.

"And if you remove the pigeon, what do you get?"

"A joke that makes no sense."

Except for Gomamon and his strange, twisted sense of humor. And Joe's paranoid behavior. But then, who would be?

Lunch that day was different. Mimi attempted to give them horseback lessons, but the majority of them were so sore from riding for four hours straight, so she ended up just showing them. It was appreciated by all of them, as well as informative.

Tentomon, the only one who didn't have to worry about resting his wings, landed next to Izzy as he accessed his computer while eating lunch. How he could do that while eating, the insect Digimon didn't know. So instead of thinking it out, he said, "Izzy, could you remove your head from your computer for a moment? That way, when I'm talking to you, I know you're paying attention-"

"Actually," Izzy interrupted, "I have been paying attention to you ever since you landed right next to me several minutes ago. Also, I know what you want to know, I know what you and Palmon are planning, and I'm grateful that you care so much. But I have been ignoring you deliberately, because of those reasons."

"Damn." Tentomon buzzed off, landing next to Palmon, and began talking to her. Tai chuckled. _'Izzy, you sure know how to take the wind out of ones sails…even if we all agree with him on this! If you're not careful, we'll help them.'_

"Could you scoot over a bit, buddy?"

"Sure." Tai shifted to the right so Agumon could plop down next to him. "So, what's on your mind?" he asked.

"Palmon." Agumon picked up a piece of melon, and chomped it in one bite. "I'm like you; fixating on one womon. Though in your case, it's Sora."

"Everybody's a critic. You stick to your species, I'll stick to mine."

"And what, pray tell, are you two talking about?" Mercury asked, walking up to them.

"Crushes."

"Ah. Can you tell me where I can find T.K. and Kari?"

"They're over there with Alex and Luna, talking about something. I don't know what it is about, and I'm too hungry to care about it at this particular moment."

Agumon looked her for a moment. "Why are you so curious as to where they are?"

Mercury actually fidgeted for a moment. "I wanted to ask them about their weapons," she said at length. Kari's scepter, and T.K.'s sword. They look so…familiar…to me somehow."

Both Digi-Destined and Digimon's heads snapped up. "Did you just say, familiar?" The Digimon asked.

"Yes." Mercury suddenly understood. "Kari and T.K."

"And Patamon and Gatomon." Tai stole a glance at Greg, who was currently speaking to Gabumon about something. "Am I going to sound crazy if I ask if Greg has had the same thought's going through his head?"

Mercury sighed in relief. "No, you wouldn't," she said. "Here I though it was just the two of us with delusions."

Agumon threw his plate into the kindling bag, having had finished his lunch a mere eight seconds ago. "Well, I think it's safe to say that you six have a mystery on your hands. So, go over and talk to them at some point. Who knows, with all of you trying to figure it out, you just might do it."

"I will, thanks."

With that, Mercury turned, and headed back over to Greg. Tai watched her for a moment, then turned back to his partner. "Now I know something's up," he whispered, "if a Sailor Scout and a Seer are having the same flashes of deja-vu that Kari and the others are having. There is no coincidence when a Sailor Scout, a Seer, two Digi-Destined, and two Digimon have the same exact sense of familiarity for this place."

Agumon nodded. "It definitely smacks of someone trying to tell them something. Something that's very important for them to know. But what?"

"Well, their new strength, their powers, even the way they've been acting mean that whatever's happening, it's happening for a reason. T.K. and Kari have been spending more time in each other's company than even when they were in the Digital World, Patamon and Gatomon have been giving them some leeway for whatever the reason, and the fact that. This place is changing them all. Into what, I don't know."

"I don't think they're the only ones, Tai. Those six are probably the most drastic, but I think we're all changing too. I mean, you and I, we're having an intelligent conversation about them, trying to put the pieces together about something we know so little about. We're keeping a secret from the rest of the group, something I know you never would have done before…whatever happened. I know I'm feeling a little bit different."

Tai nodded, agreeing fully with him. "And what about my crest?" he asked rhetorically. "It's apparently a Lunarian symbol, so how could Gennai have created it? How would he even know of it? And if my Crest is a Lunarian symbol, what about the others? I also can't help wonder what is in that cave. Mystical artifact? A great test?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't pose too much of a problem." Agumon got up. "And we won't find out what is in that cave by sitting here. We've been here for about an hour, and everyone else is probably finished by now. So what do you say we get back on the open road?"

"Good idea." Tai turned to Alex. "Hey, Alex, are you guys ready to head out?"

"Just about." Alex moved his hand away from his horses mouth.

"Well then. I'm going to try to get on my horse, and I pray that I don't get thrown off." Tai petted the mane of his mount, then got on. When he wasn't thrown off, he silently congratulated himself before helping Agumon up. "At least I got that right," he said.

Agumon grinned, as only an Allosaurus like creature could. "Let's just hope that the others have the same ease as you."

"Ah!"  
"Oh, Joe. You don't need to show fear to it! It's not going to hurt you!"

"Joe shows fear to everything, Mimi. You don't expect him to change overnight, do you?"

Thanks for reminding me, Gomamon."

Agumon sighed. "I retract my earlier statement."

Sora looked up after dismounting. "That has got to be the elaborate cave I have ever seen," she stated. "Is it supposed to be a cave, or a castle of rock?"

Tai nodded absently, not really paying attention. He was instead looking over the smooth rock face, trying to find his Crest on the wall. "Now, where is it?" he muttered.

"Hey, Tai!"

He turned his head to turn and look at Joe. "Yeah, what is it?"

The Digi-Destined of Reliability gestured at him to come over. With a sigh of exasperation, Tai did so. "Is this it?" Joe asked, pointing at a symbol on the wall he was standing in front of.

Looking closer, Tai realized that Joe had found it. "Hey, guys! Joe found it!" He looked at Joe. "This is why you're good old reliable Joe," he stated. "You haven't let us down yet."

Joe actually preened for a moment. "I try."

Gradually, everyone gathered around the two of them, trying to get a look at it. Mimi sighed, and levitated over their heads.

Izzy also got a closer look, then pulled out his computer. "It definitely looks like the Crest of Courage, though a little more elaborate. And it's pulsing exactly as you described it, Tai."

Tai took a closer look. It was indeed pulsing, but rather rapidly now. It also was a bright orange now, indicating that it had increased in power as they had moved closer. Curious, Tai held his hand out, expecting it to feel like fire. When his hand touched it, though, he felt only cool rock, warmed by the sun. "That's weird," he said. "Why would it glow, but not emanate heat?"

Tentomon flew in. "What are you talking about…oh. That is weird."

Izzy began typing in his computer, trying to get some information on the cave. "Nothing on the cave," he reported. "In fact, there isn't even a small reference on the cave. Guess this means no one knows of this place, or has been able to."

Mercury activated her visor, and began scanning it. She blinked. "Well, that's impossible. According to the scans, there is absolutely-"

"-Nothing," Mimi finished. "Nothing physical, anyways."

Luna nodded. "It feels like a magic barrier of some kind. Whatever is powering it, it's mystical. And it's extremely powerful."

Tai walked back to the entrance, and peered at it, as if trying to see what was in it. "So whatever it's guarding must be important." He shrugged. "Okay. I still want to see what's in it."

"Now _there's_ the Tai we all know and love!" Agumon gleefully noted. "Let's go in!" And with that, he and Tai headed directly for the field. The others were right behind them.

They reached the threshold…and Tai passed through safely. Agumon, on the other hand, bounced off like he had hit an invisible wall. Rubbing his snout, he stared at the invisible field, confused. "What just happened?"

Matt ran his hand over the field, feeling a solid, though invisible, wall. "I'd say," he began, "that whatever is in that cave, it's only for Tai to see, and no one else. Bad luck for the rest of us."

"So, now what do we do?"

Izzy sighed. "I say, we wait."

Tai groaned. "I just knew you were going to say that." He also knew, though, that there was nothing they could do.

Nash noticed the look on his face. "Go on," he urged gently. "We'll all still be here when you get back. Let this be your adventure, because you might never get another one like it."

Tai nodded. "Alright, I'll be back in a while. Don't eat all the dinner, okay?" With those words, he turned, and entered the Cave.

The shadow watched as Tai disappeared into the darkness, impressed beyond measure by the bravery the leader possessed. _'Still, he is only human. We shall see if his courage can hold out into the night. For it is time to meet my nemesis at long last.'_

Leaping onto the top of the cave, he scurried across it's surface, and disappeared into a hole in the side of it. All the while, he knew what needed to be done to destroy the Digi-Destined.

After all, soldiers always fell when their masters were dead.

Tai walked down the stairwell carefully, making sure his feet hit the stair in front of him. The only source of light that he noticed was coming from the door, and that was fading the farther down he walked. Not a good sign on any day.

Soon, however, he entered a well spaced corridor, lit by torches that burned the bright orange that his crest usually glowed. He was vaguely surprised, but the surprises of this world were starting to wear thin on him. He was starting to expect just about everything to happen to them.

As he walked, he started to notice that the hallway looked exactly like the hallway inside Datamon's Pyramid. It was the same design, the same colors, even the same set-up. The only things missing were Datamon, Etemon, and his flunkies. Other than that, if he didn't know any better, he could have sworn he was back in the Digital World. He looked at the wall, observing the images that were on the wall. He noted that they were extremely well crafted, which struck him as odd. Wait, _pictures_? He moved in to take a closer look, and blinked. "Agumon?"

What he had thought was a simple image of a dragon turned out to be a rather old-looking pictogram of his Digimon partner. Next to him was a Digi-vice, though of a somewhat primitive design, connecting to a picture of something that looked like Greymon. That was next to a picture of the Crest of Courage.

Tai immediately realized what it was. _'It's a digivolution chart for Agumon!'_ he thought in surprise. _'Which means…'_ He checked the rest of the wall, and sure enough, Metalgreymon and Wargreymon were indeed on the chart. _'But how's this possible?'_

(So many questions.)

"Huh?" Tai looked around in surprise. "Who's there?"

__

(Keep walking, and you shall find your answers. I have been expecting you for a long time, warrior of Courage.)

Tai turned around and around, trying to gauge where the obviously male voice was coming from. However, no echoes were present, and no one was near him at all. He was completely, and utterly, alone in the hall. Shaking his head, he started walking again, keeping a wary gaze around him.

He left the corridor several minutes later, entering a very large room, also lit by the same kind of torches that had been the hall. The room seemed to have a large amount of silver, as well as objects made of gold, set in perfect position throughout it. The room also had statues set up around it, in what appeared to be defensive positions. Words were emblazoned on the walls, which Tai realized were in Japanese. The Crest of Courage was in stark relief on the far side of the wall, by far the largest thing in the area. He began checking the statues, curious to see what they looked like.

They were not people he was familiar with. In fact, they looked extremely…alien to him. Then again, everything here was alien to him.

Until he came across the last statue. When he set eyes on it, his eyes widened in absolute shock. "D-dad?" he managed to get out.

Indeed, the statue that he was staring at did look like his father, though the statue looked a little younger. He had a look in his eyes that Tai knew everyone could connect with him, as well as a feel that he could forge an unstoppable force just by being there. He shook his head. "That can't be him. It's probably just someone who looks like him. Yeah, that's it. My dad's never been here before." Satisfied with his answer, he began to turn around.

__

(Actually, that is your father, though thirteen of your years younger.)

"Not again," Tai groaned, then blinked in shock. _"What? _What do you mean by that?_"_

(Your father is Lunarian by birth, as is your mother. He was the former holder of the weapon of Courage. He left it here, as all did before him, so it could wait for the next one who could command it's power. It is surprising for someone who is a second generation warrior of Courage to be the next person to command the weapon, but also a sign of hope.)

'Hope? For what?'

(That the weapon can now leave these hallowed grounds forevermore.) The voice seemed to pause. (_And to answer your unspoken question, no, you are _not_ going crazy, Taichi Kamiya.)_

Tai shook his head. _'Okay, so I'm not going crazy. So what do I do?'_

(Impressive. You realize that there is a challenge that you must face, and that it must be done before you can obtain the prize. Walk forward to see what shape your test will take.)

"Okay," Tai said aloud, walking forward. "So, what am I looking forward to?"

__

(You will know when you see it.)

'Cryptic. Just great. Why can't I get straight answers out of you? That's rhetorical,' he added hastily, as he began walking forward again, not missing any details. He saw various stories throughout the cavern, some prophetic, some arcane, and some that made some sense if you were a priest. What got him was that it was all in Japanese. He turned his head back to where all the wealth lay. _'Where did all of this silver and gold come from?'_ he asked.

__

(The wealth is the accumulation of more than seventy generations of warriors, all leaving everything they ever earned for the next warrior to use.)

'Oh, is that all.'

The voice simply chuckled, leaving Tai to wonder as to what that voice knew that he didn't. _'Okay, how did my Dad get to Earth, then?' _he asked.

__

(What is this Earth?)

Tai racked his head to describe what he meant. _'What you'd probably call the Blue Star.'_

(Ah. Well, I'm not exactly sure about that. I have no knowledge on the finer points of dimensional travel.)

'So, you don't know.'

(No.)

Tai didn't continue the conversation as he reached the other end of the room, thinking it wasn't worth trying to pump a voice for information. So he let the topic drop. After all, he had enough of dimensional jumping for a while.

Now that he had reached the end of his journey, he looked around, finding the area devoid of anything other than the statue of his father. He noticed a small hallway that seemed to glow blue, and moved forward again. Until he came close enough to see what the blue glow was…and promptly froze in his tracks, his hands and feet going numb with fear. _'Oh no, oh no, oh no. It can't be. Not this again!'_

In front of Tai was an energy field, a force comprised of lines diagonally crisscrossing to form an impenetrable barrier. And Tai recognized it, because it was identical to the field in Datamon's Pyramid. And it marked quite possibly the only time in the Digital World that he was afraid for himself.

__

'But I got through it okay,' he thought, _'by going through a false spot in the field. But, what if there isn't one in this one? What if it is simply here to stop me? What if-?'_

(Now you see the meaning of the test, as well as the dilemma. This is completely impenetrable, but at the same time, it can be penetrated. You must find the strength within to stop, and to do that, you must find Courage.'

'Courage? You mean, the courage deep inside to go through the barrier? Not let my fear control me?'

(No. It is Courage, but not the type you need for this challenge. The Courage you need is the kind that only a few leaders can find, and hold on to. If you can find it, then the field can be penetrated.)

Tai had no idea what the voice meant, so he stretched his hand out, feeling the field crackle beneath his hand as he felt for a weakness. All he felt, though, was the field. There were no puffs of air to indicate a weakness anywhere. "Well, so much for that theory," he muttered. "Now, then. I need to find out what type of courage I need. Now, the throwing-myself-at-the-field-and see what-happens kind of courage is out of even consideration, so what now?" He looked around. "Maybe these translations will give me a clue as to what the voice means." With that in mind, he went back to the wall, and began reading at it.

Unfortunately, all the wall had were his profile, the battles he had participated in, and the name of his crush. There was also some obscure prophecy about lightning and a flower that he couldn't make heads or tales about. All in all, nothing there that could help him. He began to feel the first tendrils of despair go through his system, but he shook them off, and started to think about the problem in finer detail. "Now, what have I missed? I mean, it's a Courage that only a few leaders have, so being brave in battle is not an option. Urgh!" he growled, kicking the wall. "Have to stop doing that," he muttered, massaging his toe. "Otherwise, I'm never going to figure this problem out." Suddenly, he sighed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm never going to figure this out by myself." He sank down to the ground. "I'm afraid…I'm afraid that if I never figure it out, then I won't get out of here. I need…I need help."

For a few seconds, silence reigned in the cavern as Tai rocked back and forth. _'Izzy, guys, I need your help,' _he thought.

__

(You have passed the test, and in a much faster time frame than your father. He had been in here for several days trying to figure it out.)

The message took a few moments to register before Tai's head snapped up in shock. "I…passed?" Suddenly, it hit him. "The Courage I needed was the one to ask for help."

__

(Yes. It is a Courage that few leaders have. I'm glad to see that you are one of those few. Most would have been too stubborn to admit it.) The voice contained such warmth, that Tai could feel it calm him down. (_The barrier is now penetrable by you, so rise up, and take the weapon that is now yours.)_

Slowly, Tai got up, and looked at the barrier. For some reason, it didn't seem so terrifying to him anymore, though he was still a little concerned. Steeling himself, he took a step forward.

"Stop right there, Taichi Kamiya."

Tai's head snapped back, for the voice was definitely spoken that time, and with a harsher aspect to it. It also had a rather small echo, indicating that it was in the room. He looked around. "Who's there?"

For a moment, all was as it should, forcing Tai to move away from the barrier to try and locate the source of the voice. His eyes jumped from shadow to shadow, noting each one.

Then, his eyes laid on one particular shadow, and the shadow moved. And it moved in his direction, into the light. Tai stared at him, thinking that he had taken a time jump back to medieval Japan.

The person who had spoken was a ninja, dressed in a skintight uniform that showed off his muscular physique. A black line, flanking either side of neck, intersected diagonally on his upper torso, and then broke into a crisscross pattern over a field of gold. His wrist were adorned with bracelets of a similar pattern on them. His face was covered by a black and white head mask, hiding hid feature from Tai. All in all, a human at first glance…except for one thing. His eye glowed with power. And he radiated evil from his very pores.

Tai took a defensive stance. "Who are you?" he demanded, staring at the creature.

"I am a being beyond your pathetic human comprehension. I am Racc, the almighty leader of the Uruk-Hai ninjas!"

"Uruk-Hai!" _'Where does he think he's from! Lord Of The Rings!'_

(It would explain a great many things. However, I think he's from Lunar, as his aura, though evil, has a great deal of Lunarian power coursing through his veins.)

'Just great. So I'm screwed then.' "What are Uruk-Hai?" he asked aloud, stalling for time.

"Your doom, Kamiya. Now, I will give you the chance to die in battle." The ninja put himself into an aggressive stance, beckoning. "So now, fight me, human."

Tai shifted his own stance accordingly, calling up everything Alex had taught him in basic combat training. _"Remember, you must keep your eyes on your opponents eyes at all times. You must also be aware of your surrounding environment, because your enemy may be able to move faster than your eyes. Also, your instincts and your mind must work in synch with each other. And remember, anything can happen, so be prepared for anything."_

(Sound advice. I don't think Dyne could made it sound as simple. Be careful.)

'I will.' "Alright asshole! Let's see what you got."

Racc chuckled. "I would be delighted." With that, he charged.

Tai waited until the last possible second, then jumped up, slamming both of his feet into Racc's chest. Then he swept the Uruk-Hai's feet from underneath him, finishing it with a kick to the face.

Racc was on his feet in an instant, his own body whirling around in a roundhouse kick. It caught Tai in the side of his head, hurtling him about several feet through the air. He slammed into the wall, sliding down to lay in front of a selection of blades.

__

"Ninja Star Shower!"

Tai rolled as Racc threw what appeared to be a storm of shuriken at him, each one razor sharp. He grabbed what looked to be a spear, and threw it. While the ninja jumped over it, Tai ran forward, his fist coming down. Racc blocked it, and swung his own fist upwards. Tai blocked it, though he still felt it as the pain ran through his arm.

Racc grunted, then began pushing Tai down, using his superior strength to give him the advantage. He smirked. _'Oh, well. It was interesting, to say the least.'_

Tai grunted, trying to push back, but wasn't able to halt his slow drop to the ground. In desperation, wondering if it was good form when someone was trying to kill you, he slammed Racc in the family jewels with his knee. Racc immediately released Tai, clutching his injured manhood in pain. Tai then gave him an uppercut, knocking him flat on his back. Then he charged, kicking Racc again and again.

Refusing to take that lying down, the Uruk-Hai scissored his legs, and tripped the Digi-Destined leader, leaping back up to his feet. He then brought his foot down, ready to crush the boy's head.

Tai reached up, and blocked the leg at the halfway point, flipping Racc onto his back, then, grabbing hold of the limb, threw him into the electric field. Racc roared in pain as the power of the field coursed through his veins. He slumped down, and Ti, taking a chance, ran towards the field.

As he reached it, Racc's hand shot out, catching his foot. Tai fell down to the ground, then felt himself being thrown in the opposite direction. He hit the ground, skidded for a few moments, before coming to a halt at the statue of the first warrior of Courage. He slowly got back to his feet, eyeing his enemy warily. "Okay, you're a better fighter than me," he gasped, clutching his chest in pain. "Why don't you tell me why I have to die, or do I get killed in ignorance?"

The ninja grinned. "You must die because you are a threat," he explained pleasantly. "A threat to all of our carefully laid plans, like your father would have been before you. With that weapon in his possession, he had a repository of knowledge, experience, and abilities that made him one of the most lethal fighters in the world. If he had stayed, he would have been the one I would have had to kill. But since he didn't, I will make do with you." And with that, he charged.

Tai, moving faster than he had ever moved before in his life, ducked, then did another uppercut, catching Racc in the jaw. The Uruk-Hai staggered back, and the Digi-Destine slammed his fist into his stomach, doubling Racc over, then laced his hands together, and clubbed him in the back. Not knowing how effective that was, he kicked Racc in the jaw. Then Tai ran forward, with the intent of getting to the field.

Racc's foot came out of nowhere, catching Tai in the nose. He saw a red film go across his vision. Then the foot connect again, and he saw stars. A third kick, and Tai found himself on the ground, blood pouring out of his nostrils. Ignoring it, as well as the taste of own blood in his mouth, he got back up, not willing to give up.

The white ninja nodded. "You are as much of a fighter as your father," he said in respect. ""I guess I'm going to have to take it up a notch." He stood straight, the brought his hands together. He went into a trance, then snapped out of it, roaring…

__

"Samurai Transurgence!"

And before Tai's eyes, he began changing.

Leg armor, greenish gray in color, appeared on his legs. Similar colored arm bands snapped onto his white clad arms. Body armor appeared, and finally, a helmet settled on his head. A katana appeared around his waist, it's edge glinting in the firelight. Despite that, though, the feel of evil remained.

Tai suddenly had a very bad feeling that he was going to have to start praying.

Outside, the other Digi-Destined were resting. Izzy and Mimi were currently playing a game of _Secar Triad, _with their Digimon watching from the sidelines, plotting as always. Joe was currently arguing current medical techniques with Mercury. Greg and Matt were keeping an eye out for any trouble that might come their way. Alex, Luna and Nall were presently talking about what they were going to do when they reached Vane. Nash and the Digimon were engaged in a somewhat civil conversation about certain aspects of the Digital World. Agumon and Sora were dozing underneath the shade of the cave, wanting to be there when Tai came out so they could see what he had found.

Suddenly, Agumon sat up sharply, eyes alert, shaking Sora out of her own doze. "Something's wrong," he said.

Sora rubbed her eyes. "What?"

"I don't know. All I know is that something wrong…_Tai!_"

Agumon's shout alerted everyone else, who began heading over to them.. Sora was oblivious to them as her gaze fixed itself on Tai's digital partner. "What do you mean, Tai?" she asked, a note of panic entering her voice. "What's wrong with Tai!"

"I don't know, Sora! All I know is that Tai's in trouble, and I need to get to him!" Agumon turned around. "PEPPER BREATH!" he roared, aiming at the barrier. It dissipated, which he knew would happen. "Someone, please tell me that there's another way in!"

Greg ran his hand over the field, or rather, tried to, but found that his hand had gone through the field. He gestured for Amy and T.K. to do the same thing, and watched as the same thing happened to them. "We're going in," he said. "Izzy, see if there is an emergency exit of some kind, just in case the cave is compromised." With that, the three, followed by Kari and the two Digimon, ran into the cave.

Izzy began scanning all over the outer surface of the cave. "I've found something!" he declared a few minutes later. "There's an opening near the top of the cavern. Biyomon, see if you can go through it."

Without replying, the little Digimon flew upwards to the hole. When she reached it, she looked in. What she saw terrified her. "I'm going in! SPIRAL TWISTER!"  
_"Biyomon!"_ Sora and Gabumon shrieked as Mimi took flight, heading for the hole. When she reached it, one glance telling her everything she needed to know. "Tai is under attack!" she shouted to the others. "And I don't think it's a test!"

Izzy began scanning into the cave, his blood running cold when he focused on the creature. He turned the computer so everyone else could see it.

****

Racc: The most powerful of a band of warriors known as the Uruk-Hai. He is wields a powerful katana, rumored to have been forged in the distant frontier by the non-believers.

Uruk-Hai: Very little is known about them, though they are among the most vicious warriors on Lunar. No one knows where their allegiances lie, or how they came to have their powers. However, no one, not even a mage, can defeat them.

"Tai's in trouble," Sora stated quietly, her eyes conveying her fear, and only those six and Biyomon can save him." She turned around. "Tai…"

Tai grunted, barely avoiding another slash from Racc's blade. He rolled, planting both of his feet into his chest plate, not doing any useful damage, but forcing him back several feet. _'I'm going to be shish-ka-bob if help doesn't get here soon!' _he thought desperately as he assessed his current situation.

The minute Racc's transformation was complete, Tai had realized that his fists and feet were not going to of any effect, and had thus settled into a defensive pattern that had so far kept him alive. And he had still given Racc quite the workout.

However, he had not emerged unscathed from the confrontation. He was sporting small cuts on his arms and chest, as well as a decent slice on his leg. And to make matters worse, he was tiring, while the samurai was still fresh.

"Come now, boy! Except your fate!" Racc swiped low, catching Tai in the leg. The young boy grunted, barely feeling the pain, and staggered away from one blow that would have decapitated him. He heard Racc shout, "You know you can never defeat me!"

__

(Why do I get the feeling that he is right?)

'No ones unbeatable.' "I'm never going to stop fighting! So come on, you horses ass! Try and kill me, if you can!"

Racc raised his sword.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

__

'Biyomon.'

(I didn't know birds had supernatural powers.)

'They do when they're from a different reality, and are the norm.'

A funnel of charged air particles, Biyomon's primary attack, struck the samurai in the face, making Racc look up in disgust. "It is a disgrace to think that a little bird could ever hope to fight me!" he roared, bringing his sword up. Biyomon tried to get out of the way, but Tai saw that she wasn't going to make. Taking his life into his hands, like he always did, he charged at the samurai.

Racc's aim shifted immediately, having seen Tai approach from the corner of his vision. His katana dipped downward and to the side. And Tai could do nothing to get out of the way.

The blade sliced through his shoulder, going through bone and muscle, cutting one of the major veins. Tai screamed out in pain, but didn't stop moving. His momentum, though deflected a little by the attack, succeeded in slamming him into Racc, knocking him onto the ground. He fell down, and rolled off of his nemesis, clutching his shoulder in agony.

__

(Are you still conscious?)

'YES! A little help would be reeaaallly appreciated!'

(Get up, and get through the barrier!)

'With…him…standing…over me!' Tai thought back, his mind starting to blank out because of the pain.

__

'He's going into shock!' Biyomon thought, flying back into the fray.

Racc leapt back to his feet, now enraged. "For that," he hissed, "your death will be slow, painful, and shall require the use of several different coffins!" With that, he raised his weapon, and brought it down.

Biyomon released twister after twister, but was not having much success distracting Racc. _'Please, Goddess, if you can here, please help Tai! Agumon and Sora will never forgive me if he dies!'_

The six warriors ran into the antechamber. "Tai!" Kari cried out, running forward, T.K. and Gatomon right behind her.

Mimi flew down, realizing that she wasn't going to make it. _'I should have gone in immediately, but no!' _sheberated herself harshly. _'I had to tell the others what was happening! Now Tai will pay for my mistake! It isn't fair!'_

Tai's eyes scrunched shut because of the pain, so he didn't see the katana coming in. When the feeling of his legs separating from the rest of his body never came, though, he summoned the rest of his willpower to crack one eyelid open.

Mimi stopped in midair, her eyes conveying her disbelief. _'Okay, who is she, how did she do that, and how did she get in?'_

The person in question was a young lady, around the age of seventeen, standing over Tai's prone body. She had reddish-brown hair, cut to her neck. She was dressed in jeans and a white blouse, both looking like they had been made in the United States. And currently, her blue eyes had a steely undertone to them. She was holding Racc's sword with an iron grip, but her gaze was on Tai. "Are you all right, Tai?" she asked.

Mimi's eyes widened further. _'An English accent, but her Japanese is very good. Question is; how does she know Tai?' _She looked at the situation. _'It's a question that can wait,'_ she decided.

Tai nodded. "Just…lost…a little…blood," he gasped.

The girl chuckled. "Still has a sense of humor, even when on the verge of death. Well, I hope you can walk, because you need to get through that barrier. We'll keep this creep busy."

"Count me in on that," Mimi stated, landing next to her. She noted the girls eyes widen fractionally in surprise as she looked at her. "Get through that field now!"

Tai nodded, staggering to his feet, and headed for the field. _'Oh, please, make sure I don't fall unconscious,' _he added.

__

(On that, we will both pray,) the voice threw in.

Racc struggled to remove his sword from the girls grip, but was unable to do so. It became moot, though, when Mimi connected with his jaw, using a right hook. Racc staggered back in surprise, holding his jaw. He gave Mimi a small nod of respect, something he knew would confuse her, before turning his attention back to the girl. "I don't know who you are, young lady, but you are going to regret interfering in my affairs."

The girls jaw jutted out confidently. "We'll see about that," was her reply. "In the meantime, let's see what you got." With that, she got into a battle position.

Kari's eyes widened in shock. For whatever reason, that position was insanely familiar to her. However, that could wait, as she and the others joined them in front of the samurai. "Want my brother? You gotta go through us!"

Racc charged.

Tai staggered through the field, falling to one knee the second after he had crossed the threshold. He couldn't believe what lucky star he was born under, but he wasn't about to question it. After all, if someone came to your life, you don't complain.

Looking up, blinking the dark spots out of his vision, and forced his mind to clear. _'I need to get that weapon,'_ he chanted to himself. _'I need to get that weapon. Oh, look. Stairs.'_

(I do not recall your father being this…loopy, I believe the word is…when he got injured.)

'Please be quiet, voice from inside my head. And let me be loopy in peace.' Tai staggered up the stairs, willing himself to put one foot in front of the other, wondering all the while if it was worth it.

He reached the top of the stairs, and realized that it was. How he realized it was beyond him, but he realized it.

There in front of him, placed upon an altar with the Crest of Courage placed above it, lay a sword. The altar was gold, and obviously old, but it was the sword that had captured Tai's now disintegrating attention. "Is that…a katana?" he asked aloud.

__

(Yes. It is the weapon of Courage, a katana forged in the fires of Mount Maria, made of a mythical metal known as Mythril. Magical properties were bestowed upon it by the fairies to make it even stronger, and allow it to be used by only the warriors of Courage. Go on, take it, as it is yours by right, and you will see what I mean.)

Tai stepped forward, and reached out with his uninjured hand to the sword. Clasping the sheathed blade, he lifted it off the altar, and held it in his hands, curious as to what he meant.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Tai felt a strange warmth go through his body, centering in his shoulder. The pain disappeared, and he could feel the muscles and bones re-knit themselves. The light headiness disappeared, leaving him feeling like he was floating on Cloud Nine. He was still covered in blood, but other than that, there was no way anyone could tell he had been injured. _'Well, that's something,'_ he thought.

__

(I thought you would like that. With this sword, you will now have the full knowledge and power that has been handed down through the ages. And even if the sword should be captured by the forces of darkness, or corrupted in some way, you are capable of performing your Digimon's attacks. It is limited to how powerful your Digimon is currently, but still a useful ability. Also, you will begin to learn fire magic, which will grow stronger. And of course, I get to tag along.)

'You? Why?'

(Because I am the sword, in tune with you. I can help you with information, and even on getting a date if it becomes necessary. But as of this moment, I suggest you return to help your friends, and turn the tide of the battle.)

'Got it!' With that, tai turned around, and charged down the stairs.

The mystery girl slammed into the force field, electricity crackling around as she collapsed. She was up immediately, though, entering the fray once more. She threw a side kick at Racc, who blocked it.

Mimi could only marvel at the girls toughness. Then again, she was finding out exactly how tough she herself was. Already, she had been thrown into a wall twice, and had gotten back up.

Greg's foot connected with the Uruk-Hai's head, snapping it to the side. Mercury's fist sent him up several feet. T.K. prepared to hit him with his attack. Racc's feet, however, came up, catching both of them in the jaws, forcing them back, then used his katana to block T.K. Then, apparently deciding that enough was enough, he brought his sword up, and brought it down. _"Samurai Blade Shockwave!"_

The whole lot of them had to scatter as a wave of fire spread from the downward swipe of the katana. "Whoa!" Kari exclaimed, watching as the shockwave dissipate against the far wall.

__

"Lightning Blade!" Greg roared.

Racc used his armored arm to deflect the attack, then charged forward. Biyomon raked his eyes though, and Gatomon slammed one furry fist into his abdomen.

"BOOM BUBBLE!"

__

"Hope Sword Breaker!"

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

"Pathetic! And to think you are guardians!" Racc roared, blocking the attacks with his sword. "I had more of a problem with Kamiya!"

"Hey, Racc! Your problems with 'Kamiya' just went into overdrive!"  
Racc's head, indeed, everyone's heads, snapped in the general direction of the field in disbelief. Seven of them went into a sort of a shock. The girl just smirked, as if she had expected that to happen.

Tai was now standing erect again, his shirt still covered in blood. However, no cuts were apparent on his body, no bruises visible. He had a sword now attached around his waist. A katana, if Mimi recalled correctly. And he was looking at Racc with a look of understandable anger.

Taichi Kamiya, the leader of the Digi-Destined, was fully healed. And he looked decidedly pissed off. "You," he growled, "have been a very annoying person."

"Indeed," Racc replied, looking put off.

"And now, you're going to pay for it." With that, Tai unsheathed his new found blade, and held it up, then beckoned with his other hand. "Come on, you son of a bitch."  
Gatomon turned to Kari. "You are not to repeat this," she said.

With a roar, Racc charged, his own katana swinging downward. Tai's came up automatically, blocking it, then hitting him with an uppercut. Now it was Racc's turn to fly through the air, hitting the wall and sliding down. He got back up, looking at the boy in amazement. He knew how to use that sword, and was a great deal stronger than he was just a few scant seconds ago. And what was worse, the others were now staring at him like he had a giant target on his chest. Under normal circumstances, this would not pose that much of a problem. Mimi would have made it a little more difficult, but not impossible. However, the newcomer threw it all out of proportion.

He remembered his secondary mission, should primary fail; obtain their weapons, and return them to his masters. However, he knew that wasn't going to happen this time. He would have to tell them the bad news. "You win this round, Kamiya," he growled, "but I will be back!" With that, he jumped up, and out of the hole.

Tai grunted, putting the sword back in it's scabbard. "I'll be waiting," he said, before heading over to the girl. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Someone who has a stake in your futures," she replied, smirking for a moment, before adding, "Be on your guard. Racc was only the beginning. Lady Tachekawa." She bowed to Mimi before repeating Racc's jumping act, pausing to wave to them all before disappearing from view.

Mimi watched as the girl vanished from view. "You know," she mentioned, "she's not a bad fighter. What I want to know is, how did she know you, Tai?"

"Haven't a clue. Though I think she recognized all of us. And I want to know why she called you, 'Lady Tachekawa.'" He patted the katana affectionately. "I think she also knew what this was," he added.

"Maybe she's a protector of some kind," Biyomon suggested.

"I think the term, 'Guardian,' is more accurate." Kari looked upwards. "She had one heck of a smirk."

"Reminded me of Peter Pan, just of the opposite gender."

"And no fairy," Mimi added, giggling.

Greg chuckled. "Let's say we get out of here," he suggested. "Sora is sick with worry, and we all know why."

Tai nodded, even as a wave of exhaustion went through him. "I'll go with that. Let's leave before I collapse in exhaustion."

Mercury nodded. "I concur." With that, she led the way out of the cave, the others right behind her.

__

'Is this always going to be the way? I use the sword, and I'll lose my strength.'

(No. The healing spell used on you actually takes a great deal of energy to use. A good night's sleep will restore it.)

'Encouraging.'

Everybody breathed a sigh of relief when Tai and the others left the cave, then reacted with worry when Tai simply collapsed on his bedroll, asleep before his head even hit the pillow. A quick explanation from Mimi explained everything, and they set up for the night, with Sora putting her bedroll near Tai. No one deemed it a good idea to argue with her on this, and the matter was dropped. In a few moments, everyone, except Mimi, was fast asleep. Mimi was stewing over what had transpired in the cave, including the girl calling her 'Lady' Tachekawa. _'What is going on around here?'_

The girl watched from afar, her eyes glinting with excitement. "This is like watching history unfold, and I get a front row seat. Oh, I wish the other were here to see this." She looked around, and her eyes became thoughtful. "Rest easy, Digi-Destined. Tomorrow will begin the rest of your adventure. And you may learn more about yourselves than you ever though possible.

Racc massaged his sore jaw, simmering. "One day, Kamiya, we will meet again," he growled. "And when that day comes, you will die!"

Who is Racc working for? Could he and Royce have something planned for the Digi-Destined? Keep reading to find out.

The two parter is done, and now I can get ready to put Episode Seventeen up. Who would have thought that typing would kill one's fingers? Well, I did, and that means I'm getting this done. Also, this mystery character is actually someone within the cartoon zone. Can you guess who it is? I will give you one hint: She is the daughter of one of Disney's most beloved female characters, and starred in the sequel to one of Disney's best movies. And that, of course, narrows it down to only a few movies. Also, can I have at least ten reviews, please? E-Mail them to me directly if you want to. I really want to know what you think.


	19. Episode Seventeen: Sailor Moon and Phaci...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

****

(Side note, for identification purposes

Luna One: The feline

Luna Two: The human)

Episode Seventeen: Phacia and Sailor Moon

After a short breakfast, and a great deal of questions on Racc and the katana Tai now had, the group saddled up, yet again, and continued their journey to Vane. A pleasant ride down a well worn path, surrounded by the beauty of Nature. And Nash was oblivious to it all.

"Now, Alex," he said, completely ignoring everything around him, "to reach the city of Vane, we have to use the Spring of Transmission."

"Spring of Transmission?" Alex asked, confused.

Greg chuckled. "It's kind of the 'gate' to Vane. It's more popular name is the Transmission Spring." He shrugged. "Personally, I call it a magic transporter."

"Oh. So how do we get to it?"

Nash ponder for a minute. "We follow this path southward until we reach it." The magician looked proud of his explanation. "Trust me on one thing, though. You will be surprised when you see Vane." He smiled knowingly, his gaze containing such mirth, that for a moment, Alex thought that Nash was hiding something.

Nall, also realizing this, flew over to him. "What are you hiding?" he asked suspiciously.

"And what do you know that we don't?" Kari added.

Nash's smile grew. "You'll understand soon enough, ladies and gentlemen. Just keep your eyes to the sky."

'The sky?' Kari thought, confused. She finally decided that he meant that literally, so she started searching the sky. She didn't know why, but it was the only plausible explanation she could come up with.

"You think Vane's on top of a mountain?" Joe asked Greg. "Because I really don't want to climb mountains."  
"You'll see," was all Greg said. He chuckled as Joe grumbled something about "being left in the dark," before Reliability reached over and stroked his horse's mane.

Garurumon chuckled. "I think the horse is growing on Joe," he said.

"Why would a horse grow on Joe?" T.K. asked. "He's paranoid about everything!"

"Good point." Matt looked over at Joe. "But hey, maybe he's growing out of it."

"Yeah, right."

"Tentomon, that's not very optimistic."

"I'll give him some hope when I see him throw a punch."

"He's inspiring to become a doctor," Izzy suddenly said. "He follows the Hippocratic oath, which includes the phrase 'Do No Harm.' He abides by it stringently."

"Actually," Nash said, entering the conversation, "healers here on Lunar are trained to fight because of all the bad blood between various cities. It's alright to throw a punch to defend yourself."

"Joe doesn't even do that!" Gomamon exclaimed. "Any of us have yet to see him fight back against a house fly! No offense, Joe, but you don't have a violent bone in your body."

"None taken. Also, I'm not exactly built for combat, either."

"Good point."

"We'll have to do something about that." Tai turned to stare at Joe. "Matt and I'll teach you how to fist fight at the very least when we stop for some rest. On the off chance that you actually find yourself in a situation that will require you to fight back. Just a thought."

"It's the thought that counts."

(I agree with Mr. Kido. It is the thought that counts.)

'Thanks. Nice to know that you're helping.'

Greg noticed the look on Tai's face, a distant look on his face. It reminded him of something, though it was just beyond his reach.

Amy, however, had her first vision…

Ami looked up from her book to see Hashiyo come out of a trance, his gaze growing aware in an instant. "What does the sword say?" she asked, correctly interpreting what that meant.

"To get your head out of that book, and spend some time with Urawa," Kamiya replied jokingly. "Actually, he said that the next trial for Dyne is fast approaching. It is not a Dragon Trial, but something else."  
"I'm guessing it has something to do with the Goddess."

"Yes, it does."

"Well." Ami got up, and stretched her arms out. "I guess I shall allow Hikari to play matchmaker, now. If this is all that Althena needs to get out of her depression, I'll go with it."

Kamiya chuckled. "I'll go get Mel. They'll both be happy to hear of this."

Ami nodded, before turning around, and heading for Urawa's room. After all, Kamiya nailed it on the head. She did spend a great deal of time reading. 'I wonder if Urawa would want my company?'

She decided he would be, as he was standing right there, a small smile plastered on his face. "So the sword has spoken?" he asked.

Amy fidgeted a little. "'Fraid so," she said, looking down shyly. "And the warrior of Courage also reminded me exactly how much time I spend reading, and how much time I spend with my friends. And I think I should spend some more time with my friends. So, um, do you want to get something to drink?"

Urawa smiled. "I would love to…"

Amy snapped out of it, looking a little disconcerted by what she had just seen. She felt like she had just peered into someone else's life without their permission, and for some reason, she thought she had seen that scene before. She looked over at Greg, who was currently squinting up to the sky. From that angle, she realized how much like Urawa he was. He was shy around her, nervous about life in general, but also witty, funny, and extremely loyal. And Amy thought he was handsome too.

Greg became aware that he was being stared at, and so turned his head in Amy's direction. "Enjoying the scenery, Ames?" he asked mischievously.

Amy blushed. "'Fraid so," she confessed, looking down shyly. She fidgeted, refusing to meet Greg's gaze.

Greg stared at his girlfriend with an intent gaze. _'She's a lot like Ami,'_ he thought, with a certain sense of affection. _'Same thirst for knowledge, same sense of humor, even the same hair color.' _That last thought got him thinking about reincarnation, but he shook that off. _'Amy is the reincarnated princess of Mercury. Nowhere in either the Moon Kingdom or the Negaverse has there ever been an instance that someone had died, crossed over from one universe to another, and was born in that universe. Then dying again in this universe, and being sent one thousand years into the future to be born again. It's not possible without some high powered assistance.'_ Shrugging, he returned his gaze to Amy for a second, gave her a small smile, and was delighted when she returned that smile. She walked up so she was next to him, an grasped his hand firmly in her own. Then they both started looking at Nash, who was currently chuckling at the others.

For about five minutes, the group searched the skies for the mountain in which Vane would be situated. Not finding it, most of them settled back on their mounts, content on waiting. T.K. continued looking around for a while longer before conceding defeat. Nall, stubborn wad of fur that he was, continued searching.

And through it all, Amy, Greg, and Nash chatted on various aspects of Vane, which included magical history, defenses, and the type of classes that were available. This made the rest of them think that they knew something that the rest of them didn't. But none of them asked, because none of them had the feeling that those three would not be so forthcoming with information.

Finally, Nash brought his horse to a complete stop. Interpreting correctly that they had come within visual range of Vane, the others stopped as well. All of them looked at the magician anxiously.

"Behold!" Nash exclaimed dramatically, pointing in the general direction of the mountain. "The Magic City of Vane."

T.K. looked up, down, and everywhere around. "Okay, where is it?" he asked.

"I second that," Kari threw in.

Greg's face fell. "Look a little to the right, midgets."

Both did so…and promptly stared in amazement. "Wow."

"You said it, T.K."

What they were staring was a conical landmass about several hundred feet in the sky. That wasn't surprising in the least to them. How it was doing it was the kicker.

The landmass wasn't being held up by anything. It was floating those several hundred feet in the air, doing a slow orbit around what Nash called the Goddess Tower, a giant mountain with a small building on top of it. And it was quite possibly the most amazing thing any of them had ever seen.

Mimi was one of two people who wasn't surprised. She was, however, confused. Vane, for some reason, reminded her of stories her mother and father told her. Floating cities, warriors who fought with powers beyond imagination, were the stories that made up young Mimi Tachekawa's childhood. And now, she found herself thinking about them as she stared at the floating island.

Izzy also remembered similar stories, as well as something his foster parents had told him about. They used to tell him stories that he knew were not real. But for some reason, he found himself thinking about them all the same.

T.K., Kari, their Digimon, Greg, and Amy, all had a very strong sense of deja-vu go through them. However, that was a common occurrence to them now, so they ignored it. But they continued staring.

"Is it just me," Patamon finally asked after a lengthily pause, "or does that seem rather…normal to the rest of you?"

"It's not just you." Gatomon was absolutely spooked. Okay, Kari, when we get up there, don't look down."

Kari nodded, looking up. "Why is it floating?" she asked.

Nash grinned. "The Magic City of Vane circles around the Goddess Tower in an endless protective orbit. It is said to shield the Goddess Althena from harm."  
Gatomon turned sharply. "Why would a goddess of near infinite power require protection?"

At that, Nash shrugged. "No one knows. I personally, believe that a being that rivaled Althena showed at some point, requiring that she be protected. However, I do know that Vane did not start circling the Goddess Tower until around a hundred years ago.

Now Alex looked up sharply. "The start of the heresy wars," he muttered, "and the death of Dragonmaster Teal."

"Exactly. With his death, the immortal Guardians of Althena rose to the heavens, and chanted an ancient spell. Vane, quite possibly a piece of the Blue Star itself, rose into the sky, and was given extremely powerful magic defenses."

"And that's all."

"Actually, no. Before that had happened, they had also installed an extremely advanced system of technological weapons, shields, and propulsion system. In the off chance something nullified the magical spells, the Guardians assured us all that Vane could still defeat anything out there."

Izzy's gaze turned almost flinty in thought. "Technological?" he asked. Again, it reminded him of those stories he was thinking about.

"And just who are these six!" Kari exclaimed.

"How did you know there were six?" Nash asked.

'Oops. Slipped up there.' "I took a wild guess," Kari said smoothly. "How do you know that there is a technological system?"

"And must we speak in questions from here on out?" Greg asked sarcastically.

Everyone fell silent for a second as that last question registered, then began chuckling. "Do you really have to ask?" T.K. asked teasingly, before turning back to the magician. "But, seriously, how do you know?"

"Because as Ghaleon's understudy, I am allowed access to every aspect of the underground portion of Vane. The combination of magic and technology makes Vane the strongest, and most versatile Guild on Lunar."

'And why do they need more than one guild?' Tai asked himself. _'Again, that's rhetorical.' _

(I am beginning to grasp it much better now.)

Tai asked himself. 

Sora, however, did ask that question. "How come you have more than one magic guild?" she asked.

"What's the point of being the best f you don't have someone or something on which to match your might and wit against? The other guilds are always trying to become better than Vane, and that means that we must always stay on our toes."

"Ah."

Gomamon stretched. "So, how long is it until we reach the Transmission Spring?" he asked.

Greg consulted the silver map, watching as the dots representing them moved closer to their goal. "We'll be there in about twenty minutes," he said. "You have that long to prepare for the next surprise."

"There's more?"

Amy chuckled. "You'll see," was all she said.

"Just how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? I really wanna know!"

Those were the first words spoken at the Transmission Spring. They were spoken by a man who was standing several feet from pad itself, looking rather forlorn. The question itself threw the Digi-Destined into a loop, almost making Mimi fall off her horse. All of them looked at the man in shock.

Nall, however, was a little annoyed by the question. "That's not me, you idiot!" he shouted. "It's a dumb owl that does that! Geez!"

Tai turned to look at Alex. "You want to tell me why you have Tootsie Pops?"

"You mean your world has them too?" Alex asked in return.

The person switched questions faster than the Road Runner. "All right…why do M&M's melt in your mouth, and not in your hand?"

"The thick candy shell, of course!" Nash exclaimed. "Don't they teach you peasants _anything_!"

"Nash…" Agumon growled.

"Oh, shut up, lizard!"

Patamon sighed, looking at the two of them. "Those two don't really like each other. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't killed each other."

"I'll go with that," Luna said, sighing. "I hope they stop sniping at each other soon."

"It'll never happen." Garurumon noted. "Agumon can be as hot tempered as Tai sometimes, and Nash is…well, Nash."

"Too true, too true."

Kari walked up to the cleric that was standing next to the Spring. "Excuse me!" she called up.

The cleric looked down, then at the rest of the group. "Who are all of you?" he asked, tensing up slightly. Then his gaze landed on the magician. "Wait…you're Nash, star pupil of Ghaleon."

Nash's entire body stiffened in pride. "I knew I was becoming famous, but this is almost embarrassing. Almost…"

"You keep telling yourself that," Agumon said sarcastically. "And you may actually start to believe it."

Nash ignored him as he shook the cleric's hand. "May I use the Spring of Transmission, sir?"

"Of course." The cleric held up one hand to stop the upcoming tide of people. "But that doesn't apply to your friends," he added.

Nash halted with the rest of them. "Sir, these are my friends. I assure you, they are most worthy to ascend to Vane."

"I'm sorry, Nash, but no, they're not." The cleric pointed to a bulletin board. "Rumors are abound that the Magic Emperor himself roams the land. Therefore, Lemia has placed quite stringent rules into effect."  
Suspicion rooted itself into Luna's mind. For some reason, that brought a very tight feeling to her gut. "What rules?" she asked warily.

"The only people allowed to use the Spring, other than citizens of Vane, are those who obtain an application for the Magic Guild from Phacia."

Nash walked over to the bulletin board with Patamon right behind him. Both read the reports that were on it. " 'According to several eyewitness,"" Nash repeated, reading the print, "'spanning the entire mass of our world, the Magic Emperor has decimated several minor towns at the border nearest to the distant Frontier, and has been spotted in the city of Meryod.'" He looked at the rest of them, his face devoid of arrogance. "I didn't realize that the rumors were being taken seriously…"

"I guess you're not as famous as you thought, Nash!"

Alex groaned, not believing it. That fur ball had no restraint whatsoever!

Nash whipped around to glare at Nall. "Still your tongue, cat!" he roared. "Not even Ghaleon himself would dare defy the order of Lemia Ausa!"

"Oh, really? Why's that?" Agumon asked.

"Because Lemia is the only one in Vane who is stronger than him in authority! She is the leader of all the magic city!"  
"Oh, and here I thought it was because he wanted to show you how to follow the rules."

Nash would have retaliated with a lightning strike, but Gatomon got in between them. "Not now, please. Fry each other later. Now then," she said, looking at Nash. "You know the area better than we do. "Where does Phacia live? Not back in Meribia, I hope."

Nash shook his head. "Phacia lives in Althena's Shrine, at the foot of the mountains to the west, a day's ride away. We can make it by nightfall."

"Well, all right then. Let's get going." Izzy remounted his horse, and stroked the horses mane. "Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this," he said, looking at Mimi in surprise. "I didn't think I would get the hang of it so soon."

Mimi smiled gently, her eyes betraying her absolute joy at this. "You have a gift, Izzy. A gift that I used to think you never had. Now I'm glad I was wrong."

Izzy returned her smile, his own joy reflecting in his eyes.

"Awwww, how sweet!" Tentomon crooned, wishing he could clap his hands together. He laughed as the two diverted their gazes away from each other. He then turned to Palmon, who was giggling behind her vines. "Don't you think so, Palmon?"

Kari smiled for a moment at that, then asked, "Is there anyone else we need to see while we're there?"

Amy grinned. "A certain meatball-head."

Serena stepped out of the Shrine, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. As always, the freshness of the air, free of any pollutants, caught her by surprise. Once more, she had some serious doubts about wanting to go home.

"Yoo-hoo! Air-and-Meatball-Head!"

She had a reason to go back, if only to get rid of that annoying brat. But why would Rini be in front of her, when she was helping with planting some plant or other? "How many times do I have to tell you…Ames!"

Amy chuckled, dismounting from her horse, then going and hugging her best friend. "I had to do something to get your attention, Serena," she said, eyes twinkling. "And I seem to recall that Rini calls you that at any time she feels like.

Just don't do it again. Greg, you're looking fit."

"Thanks, Serena. Helped in a battle with a giant dragon, and also ran into some more people that came with us through that bright light."

Serena was about to ask what the hell he meant by that, but a very familiar voice suddenly called out with, "Meatball Head, you never call and you never write! You also said that you would pay me back in two weeks, I gave you three. What happened?"

"You moved!" Serena returned, grinning like an idiot. "Mimi Tachekawa, come over here so I can greet you right!"  
Laughing, Mimi did so, enveloping the girl in a bear hug. "It's _so_ good to see you," she said softly. "Quite frankly, I never I would see you again."

"That makes two of us." Serena returned the hug. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been doing great. Oh, by the way, nice broach. It's a miracle no one has figured out that you're Sailor Moon."

"How'd you-?" Serena cut herself off. "Oh, still perceptive as always."

Tai and the others stared at the two of them in shock. Izzy stuttered for a moment before saying, "Serena…is…Sailor Moon?"

Greg sighed. "Ladies, Gentlemen, please shut your mouths before the bugs decide to make homes in them. If Amy is Sailor Mercury, then of course Serena would be Sailor Moon."

Alex chuckled. "Let me guess; The legendary Sailor Moon."

The moon princess frowned. "Okay, two things. One; I'm not old enough to be legendary. Two; Are you guys going to introduce yourselves?"

"Oh! Sorry. I'm Alex."

"My name is Luna."

"I'm Tai. This is Agumon."

"Hi."

"I'm Matt."

"My name is Gabumon."

"I'm Sora. This is Biyomon, Palmon, you know Mimi, Tentomon, Izzy, Joe, Gomamon, T.K., Kari, Patamon, Gatomon, and Nall."

"My name is Nash."

"Hiya!" Nall said enthusiastically.

Serena stared at him for a second. "You can talk?" A sudden mischievous look entered her eyes. "Oh, Luna! Artemis!" she called out.

"Why are you shouting, Serena? We're right down here."

Tai almost fell off his horse. Nall became perfectly still in shock. The rest of them stared in complete shock. Mimi looked down, then sighed, shaking her head. "Of course she would have two talking cats," she muttered.

Izzy stared at Luna and Artemis speculatively. "It seems that our own world has a few surprises left. I have to admit, didn't see this one coming."

Kari laughed at the quizzical expressions on Izzy's and Joe's faces. "Come on, guys. We've been to a world where talking creatures are the norm."

"No talking cats, though."

Gatomon walked up to them. "How _can_ you talk?" she asked.

"How can _you_ walk on two legs?" Artemis returned.

"Good point."

Kari laughed. "That must be a problem sometimes, having two cats who can talk."

"You have no idea." Serena looked Mimi over. "Wow, you've grown."

"So have you."

"No, I mean _really _grown! What did your mom feed you? Miracle Grow?"

"No, just sugar and spice, and everything nice. And apparently, jacked it up with growth hormones." Mimi looked around. "Where's Rei, and the rest of entourage for that matter?" she asked.

Serena grinned. "Pyro is up in Vane with my two other friends, and my boyfriend as well."  
"And that is…?"

"Darien Endyimon."

"It's a small world after all," Izzy muttered.

Serena turned to look at him. "You know him?"

"Yes, and so does Mimi."

"That's encouraging."

Luna looked up at the blue-haired woman. "So, your name is Luna, too?" she asked.

"Yes," the human replied. "Talk about originality."

"I agree totally. So how about I'm Luna One when we're together."

"Sounds good."  
"It'll definitely save us some trouble," Patamon added, landing next to Artemis. "So now that we have all been properly introduced, can we go see Phacia?"

"Let me guess," Serena said, turning to Amy with a smirk on her face, "Vane."

"How'd you guess?"

"We're going."

T.K.'s head turned in surprise. "B-bunny!" he blurted out in surprise.

Kari turned her head to see a little girl, around hers and T.K.'s age group, with pink hair done up in a similar hairstyle as Sailor Moon's, only with rabbit ears instead meatballs. Red eyes, and a dress of Lunarian design completed the person who they were all staring at. And she was staring at T.K. in surprise.

"T.K.!" Rini exclaimed in delight, running forward to hug him…and promptly tripped on a piece of rock.

Mimi turned to Luna Two. "Is there a family resemblance between these two, or is it just me?"

"It's not just you."

The Seer chuckled. "Mimi, meet Rini Endyimon, the daughter of Sailor Moon and-"

"Tuxedo Mask, AKA, Darien Endyimon. Busy, haven't we?"

"Hey, she's from the future!"  
"Yeah. Suuuurrrrreee she is."

"Oh, fine," Serena sniffed in mock indignation. "don't believe me."  
Amy and the others were laughing at this. "Were you two always like this?" Amy asked.

"Oh, yes. And by the way, I do believe you. I mean, no one else could make that fall look like it's happened before."

Rini looked at Mimi. "I'm nothing like Serena!" she practically shrieked in indignation.

"I'll go with that---Hey wait a minute. We've had this argument before."

"And I'm going to win this like last time by saying, you're both crazy."

Artemis chuckled. "She's right, and nailed it on the head."

"And she's absolutely right," Serena stated. "So, you're all the Digi-Destined, huh?"

"Yep."

"Back away, asshole!" Agumon suddenly roared. "Don't try your stupid 'protect all beautiful women' speech on her!"  
"Perhaps you would like to make me, lizard!"  
"Could you two hold off on killing each other until after we get our hands on an application! Thank you!" Alex wheeled around, rather exasperated. "Welcome to our life as of this minute."  
Serena chuckled nervously, eyeing Nash and Agumon with a very wary glance. "Follow me."

"This is the great shrine to the Goddess of beauty and love." The cleric in front of the shrine smiled at the lot of them. "What is your business here?"

Nash stepped forward. "We are here to see Head Priestess Phacia. Can she meet with us?"

"Why, yes she can. She will be in the congregation room, near the back, taking care of clerical matters. Feel free to see her. And welcome to the Shrine of Althena, great warrior of Courage. Will you be staying long?"

"Umm, only as long as the rest of them," Tai replied, looking rather put off. "How did you know…?"

The cleric smiled. "I knew your father when he was around your age. He was the one who sponsored my application into this Shrine."  
Kari looked at Tai. "We're not even from this-"

"Thank you," Tai cut in, smiling grimly. "Is there anything about him in your library? I'm kind of curious of what he did. He didn't actually tell me or my sister, after all."

"Oh, we do have a few things. Feel free."

"Thank you."  
Following Nash in, the group began looking around. Mimi and Serena were talking behind them.

T.K. looked around. "Wow," was all he said.

Serena turned to look too. "Yeah, it's great. And part of the shrine has actually been constructed in the mountain. Don't ask me how. I really haven't been able to find any reason how it's been done, and frankly, I don't care."

Tai looked around. "There's the library. I'll see you guys later. I have to fin out something." With that, he detached from the group, and jogged to the room in question.

"What was that all about?" Alex asked.

Kari shook her head. "No idea. I think it might have something to do with that sword, though. I think he's trying to figure out what it's made of."

"Somehow," Agumon said, "I don't think that's why. The cleric said, "I knew your father.' I think he's trying to figure out why she said that."

"Oh."

As the rest of them walked through the shrine, they noted that there were statues of people, all locked in some pose or other. The windows were made of stained glass, and depicting several different images of men and women. The general feel of the room was one of inner peace and tranquility.

Finally, they entered the congregation room, and promptly stared upward in awe. And it was for good reason, too.

In the room, at the other end of the room, was the biggest statue of Althena they had ever seen, in a dress style reminiscent of ancient Greece.

"That's incredible," Patamon said.

"I know what you mean," Gatomon stated.

T.K., Kari, and Rini stared upwards at it. "I'm going to say this again," T.K. noted. "I want to be a few feet taller, so I won't have crane my neck so much."

"I go with that." Rini looked at the Digi-Destined of Light. "So, what's your story?"

"Crest of Light. Yours?"

"Princess of Crystal Tokyo."

"Cool. One question; what's Crystal Tokyo?"

Nash finished speaking to the cleric situated near the shrine, and turned around. "Guys, I'll speak with Phacia. . Wait right here." With that, he went into the back of the temple.

For several minutes, the lot of them milled around the room, making small talk, catching up with each other, or trying to learn more about Rini's time. "What they learned was very impressive.

Finally, though, Nash came back out, grinning from ear to ear. "Ladies, Gentlemen, and sentient creatures, I give you the head of Althena's Shrine." With that, he stepped aside, and waited patiently.

Slowly, with a grace that belied the bulky priestess robes, a woman walked forward into their line of vision. Her hair was braid into two pigtails, both going down the front of her robes. The robes in question were truly magnificent, and made of what appeared to be cotton. She seemed to radiate peace from every pore of her being.

"Good day to you all," she said in greeting, her voice with a musical lilt to it. "I am Phacia, Head Priestess of the temple of the Goddess. I have received word that you are on a journey to become the new Dragonmaster, Alex, as well as helping these children find their way to their homes." She clasped her hands together. "Oh, I pray that you choose to stay in Vane, and become the guardians of Althena, for as you know, we haven't had a Dragonmaster since the days of Dyne came to an end."

Alex looked in amazement at Phacia, part of his mind cataloging that Phacia was extremely good-looking for a woman of her years. The rest of it was fixing on what she had said. _'Stay in Vane?'_

"Since Dragonmaster Dynes passing," Phacia continued, "no one has proven worthy of the title. Perhaps you would be better served studying magic at Vane, Alex, alongside your friends. That is a much more certain path than becoming Dragonmaster."

"But Alex doesn't want to enter the Guild!" Nall protested, before Alex could even open his mouth, "He's looking for the other three Dragons! Quark sent him!"  
Gatomon saw Phacia's eyes widen in surprise, as if she hadn't expected to hear that. _'Interesting.'_

Phacia quickly composed herself quickly. "Becoming a Dragonmaster is much more difficult than you might imagine," she said. "Again, why not stay in Vane for a while, and see all that the Guild has to offer? You might find a career in magic much more rewarding…and much less dangerous. And don't forget," she added, "that two of the Four Heroes call Vane their home."  
Nash perked up. "That's right, Alex! You'll never find a more exciting place than Vane. And while you'll never be as skilled in magic as I am, I'm sure you'd enjoy learning it, nonetheless…"

Nall looked at his friend. "I dunno, Alex…"  
"At least think about it, Alex. And please accept this application, and at least visit Vane." Phacia handed them an application.

"Thank you." Matt put it in his backpack. "And we were planning to visit Vane before we continued. And we seem to be taking these two with us."

"Feel free. May your journey be without incident, Moon Princess."

Mimi looked at Luna One. _"Moon Princess?"_ she mouthed.

The feline sighed. "I'll explain later," was all she said before she turned her attention back to the Head Priestess. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was my pleasure." As they turned around, though, Phacia suddenly called out, "Excuse me…Luna, wasn't it?"

"Yes?" Both called out.

"Well, that was inevitable," Phacia muttered, before pointing at the human. "Luna, I'm told that your singing is absolutely beautiful. You must return and sing for me some day."

Luna Two stuttered in amazement. "I…I'd be honored, Phacia. But I still need a lot of practice first."

"I understand. Just remember, they're is nothing the Goddess loves more than a beautiful song. I look forward to your return, as well as the sweet sound of your voice. And good luck to you all," she stated, looking at them all. "It is heartening to know that, even when as the Vile Tribe moves closer to our borders, there are brave heroes such as yourselves willing to protect us. I wish you all success on whichever path you choose to travel. And please, give my regards to the warrior of Courage."

Tai walked into the library, and immediately headed over to the librarian. "Excuse me," he called out, "but could you tell me where I can find information on the last warrior of Courage?"

The librarian turned around, and stared for a moment. "Second shelve, C-section," was all he said.

"Thank you." Tai walked over, and skimmed the covers until he found the book he was looking for. Heading over to a table and sitting down, he opened the book, and began to read.

Ten minutes later, Tai closed the book, unable to believe it. He had only read the first few pages, but what he had read had definitely surprised him. _'Dad, why didn't you tell me?'_

"Tai, we're leaving now."

"Huh?" His head shot around to stare at Kari. "Oh, sorry. I guess I got lost in my thoughts." He got up, and walked back over to the librarian. "Is it all right if I take this book?" he asked.

"Go right ahead. You will of course want to read about everything your father has done. Though I figure he must have told you about his adventures"

"Thank you. Come on, Kari."

As they walked, Kari looked up at her older brother. "What's wrong, Tai?"

"It's about…nothing, Kari. I really don't want to talk about it right now. I just have a lot on my mind, is all." Tai looked up into the sky. "When I have finished reading this book, I'll tell you."

"Oh, okay. Just remember, you're not alone. You've got me, and Agumon, and everyone else."

"I know. But I…have a lot on my mind, as well as my own mystery to solve." He patted her on the head. "Thanks, though, Kari, for reminding me."

Smiling, brother and sister walked out of the temple to rejoin the others.

Several minutes after they had left, Phacia returned to her chambers, thinking of everything that had just transpired. In fact, she was thinking so much about it, that she was surprised to walk in and find Sere sitting in a chair near her bed, gaze intent. "Must you do that, milady?" she asked. "You can walk through the front door like everyone else."

The silver haired woman didn't even bat an eye. I've noticed that you seem a little more…reluctant than Royce when dealing with them," she said, forgoing small talk all together. "And you two are constantly in contact with each other."

Phacia sighed. "The time is fast approaching. Soon, I will have to make a choice."

"Join us! Fight with us!"

"And turn my back on my family!"  
"No! So you can save them! There need not be any bloodshed! The Goddess will allow you back into the lands!"

"My sister does not think so."

"Then perhaps it's time to stop thinking about what your sisters think, and start thinking about what you want. After all, if your exiled sister could, then so can you."

Phacia was silent as Sere put a hand on her shoulder. "Now, I'm your friend, and ally. So at least think about it. If not for yourself, then for me." With that, she walked out of the room.

Phacia sat down on her bed, watching the woman walk out of her room, her gaze thoughtful. But she knew what her fellow sisters would do if she backed out now. She knew what they would do if they knew that she was in contact with Sere. _'I don't want to, but I must.' _

'I must stand by my people.'

What does Phacia mean? Is there more going on, and is it somehow connected to the Uruk-Hai attacking? What of the rumors of the Magic Emperor? Could they be true? Continue reading to find out.

Now the authors note: A new character, one of my creation, will be making her first appearance in the next chapter of this story. Also, Sailor Moon sees action for the first time in this story. Finally, Mercury's weapons of choice will soon be revealed. Keep reading to see what I mean. As always, review. You comments will be appreciated, as well as any suggestions as to how I can make these chapters better.

Chapter Four of Captain Planet: Armageddon will be put up as well. Please read and review that too.


	20. Episode Eighteen: The Trial

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Eighteen: The Trial

"Hello again, Nash," the Cleric said in greeting at the Transmission Spring. "Do you have the Application for your friends?"

"Of course. Matt?"

Matt rummaged through his backpack for a moment, finally emerging with the Application in hand. "Here you go," he said, handing it over.

"Thank you. Nash, I assume you've told your friends about the Trial?"

Everybody turned to stare at the magician. "Trial!" They exclaimed all at once.

Nash raised his hands. "Calm down, everybody, and I'll explain! Now," he began, "the first time you travel to Vane, you'll be tested in the Cave of Trial. It's basically an entrance exam to keep magic-fearing peasants out of Vane." He grinned. "Anyway, I have to run."

"What?" The flying fur ball shot off Alex's shoulder. "Aren't you coming with us, Nash?"

Nash chuckled. "I'm an apprentice to Ghaleon, remember? I have things to do!" He laughed outright at the looks on their faces. "Don't worry, I'm sue you'll do fine," he said, giving Joe a pat on the shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you all at the Magic Guild. Good luck!" With that, and one final wave, he stepped onto the teleported, and vanished.

"Well, that was encouraging," Joe muttered. "He's got a lot of faith in us."

"And his faith is well placed. Though I see a problem." Nall turned in the air. "Alex, you don't know any magic, and the rest of you are still brushing up in your respective areas of combat…so how are we going to do this?"

"At full power," Tentomon replied immediately. "Which means that Serena is going to have to transform."

"And besides," Luna Two threw in, "Alex is good with a sword, and I can use my songs…we'll be fine, Nall. Let's go, Alex, everybody…Vane awaits!"

Sora giggled. "You sound like Tai."

Serena pulled her broach off. "I just hope there's nothing icky down there," she said, holding it up. _"Moon Crystal Power!"_

Almost fifteen seconds later, Sailor Moon stood where Serena once was. Her uniform was very similar to Mercury's, though her bows and boots were red instead of blue. She had some sort of decorative jewelry set in her meatballs, and a crescent moon symbol on both of her boots and her choker. The broach with the Silver Crystal in it was once again situated on her bow.

Gabumon gave her one look, then began to clap. "Nice, nice," he decided. "Hair style's a bit risqué, though."

"And personality," Matt threw in.

"Hey, I heard that!"

Amy and Mimi giggled. "She's still a ditz," Mimi whispered theatrically.

"For sure."

Moon turned to look at them. "Gee, thanks for the show of loyalty, girls," she muttered good-naturedly. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Be failing in school?"

"Ames!"

"Yes?"

Alex chuckled. "Can we go already," he asked, "before I die from my humor?"

The teleportation process was unlike anything Biyomon, or the others, was unlike anything they had ever experienced. It also reminded her of something that Sora had once watched, something involving 'starships,' or other, though without all of the equipment. It was also a lot faster, because one minute, she saw lush green, then several circles of light, then suddenly, the were in a cave, all in the blink of an eye. _'Thank goodness I didn't eat,' _she thought, slightly off balance.

Tai whirled around and around. "Who? What? Where?"

Izzy also looked around. "Prodigious," he muttered. "A form of matter teleportation, capable of transmitting instantaneous movement. I would love to meet the person who came up with that."

"Yeah. You do that, buddy. Hello," Tentomon suddenly said in greeting to a large, imposing-looking mage.

The mage returned the greeting. "This is the Cave of Trial," he continued afterwards, his voice deep, and booming. "This chamber is a sacred place for testing your magical strength. Thus, the use of healing or other items in the cave are forbidden." He paused, waiting for an explosion of exclamations. When none became heard, he continued. "You must survive using nothing but your own abilities. When you have defeated enough monsters, and have exited the other side, the trial is over." He bowed. "Good luck to you all."

Tai unsheathed his new katana. "Let's go."

Luna One looked up. "Your friend, Tai reminds me of Sailor Jupiter," she said.

Biyomon looked down. "You don't say. Is she hot headed?"

"Yes."

"I was afraid of that."

"Just tell me she's nothing like Nash," Agumon threw in. "Otherwise, the creep dies."

"I'm not sure I want to answer that without an appropriate sacrifice. Artemis?"

"Not a chance, fur ball."

Kari looked at them, then turned to T.K. and Gatomon. "They're worse than Miko and the alley cats," she conceded.

Gatomon chuckled. "And I've seen Miko and those jackasses fight. Man, did they ever win?"

"Nope."

T.K. winced. "That's bad."

Tai chuckled as well, though he was still a little unnerved by the fact that there were two talking cats amongst them. Lunar, he could understand. After all, he was beginning to think that there was no animal that wasn't able to talk back. However, the fact the cats were from Earth brought in a whole new equation. _'Oh well, might as well get used to it,'_ he thought.

(That would be most prudent,) the sword put in.

Izzy was itching to get his computer out, but he was under the impression that it would be classified as an item. The he checked his arrow cache. _'Still plenty of arrows,'_ he thought, removing one arrow and notching it. _'Thank the Goddess I decided to replenish my supply in Meribia.'_

A slice in front of him interrupted his thoughts, and he saw Alex dodge what looked to be a cousin of the Scythe Spore. Only this one seemed to be a lot meaner. He immediately released his arrow, aiming at it. As always, he hit his target. "This place is going to be interesting. Maybe when the trial is over, I'll be able to use my computer."

"One can only hope. SUPER SHOCKER!"

For more then fifteen minutes, the group fought their way through what seemed to be an endless number of creatures. Creatures who could shoot lasers from their eyes, insects, and more of those mushrooms, appeared in ever growing numbers. However, the time on Lunar had toughened them up considerably, with even Agumon becoming like a one man wrecking crew, so they emerged relatively unscathed. Because of this, they came to the unspoken decision that Luna would not use her songs for the minor aches, cuts, and scratches they received.

"Sword Dance!" Alex roared, then preformed an Explosion Point on a small group of enemies, taking them down.

PEPPER BREATH!" Agumon fried another one, then sliced a third one a new smile.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon blasted another one back, then took a look around, checking to see if anyone else needed help. One glance told her that she didn't need to worry.

Incredibly, one couldn't tell from Sailor Moon's appearance that she was a crybaby, and extremely prone to bursts of irrational behavior by the way she was facing off with one of the Cyclops type monsters. She was instead using him as a punching bag, adopting a pugilistic view to combat. Normally a foolish gesture for a young lady, but the pink bird Digimon noticed that when transformed, Serena packed a great deal of strength in her punches, almost flattening the creature with a well placed right hook before whirling around to catch another one by surprise.

Rini was also faring rather well. It was easy to underestimate the young, pink haired girl, as she was only as old as T.K.. However, she was also apparently capable of firing pink rays of light from her hands, and she used this to great effect, striking monsters left and right. She also almost hit Artemis, but it missed by a fraction of an inch, instead hitting a mushroom's left root. The mushroom soon learned what it was like to walk with two roots. Not exactly tap dancing in any case.

"Moon…Tiara…Magic!" Sailor moon cried out, throwing her charged tiara through the air, slicing the last creature between them and their goal in half. After she got it back and de-charged it, she turned to the others. "So…anyone up for lunch?"

Tentomon looked at her in disbelief. "Are you always like this after a fight?" he asked.

"Yep."

Amy laughed. "It reminds all of us of the future, and that Serena can eat all of us out of house and home, all in the course of one day."

Mimi began giggling. "Still the terror of the grocery store, I see."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Oh, yes you are!" Mimi and Amy asserted together.

Tentomon chuckled humorlessly. "So, does this mean that we must guard our food stores diligently?"

"Or I can buy my own food!" Moon retorted. "Does anyone know why these things fill up with money?"

"Not really." Biyomon flew ahead for a moment. "We aren't complaining about it, either."

They reached the exit of the first section to find a female cleric waiting for them. "Well done," she said, slightly surprised. "I can heal your wounds once, but that is all. Do you want me too?"

Everyone nodded, all of them grateful that they had held off from having Luna heal them. A few minutes later, feeling significantly better physically, they entered the second section, and looked around.

"This has got to be a rest stop," Biyomon said thoughtfully. "A place for potential magicians to rest for a bit before pressing on."

"Well, let's rest, then." Tentomon landed, letting wings retract back underneath their thick shell, then went into some sort of trance. The group followed his example in various ways. Matt and the majority just dropped where they stood, letting out small sighs as they did so. Mimi found a small rock standing about four feet into the air, and sat down, pulling out her deck of cards and leafing through them. The Digimon and the two cats formed a small circle, and started talking about the Digital World. Kari, T.K., Amy, Greg, Kari, and the two Digimon of purity formed a small circle, set a little apart from the rest of them, and started to talk in hushed tones. Tai began to go through a series of movements that everyone noticed was a kata, seeing as they all either watched martial artists on television or at demonstrations, or were trained in them themselves.

After several moments of rest, the group got up, and started to head to the exit of the area. Upon leaving, they immediately found themselves under attack once again.

"Geez!" Tentomon electrocuted yet another one in exasperation. "Talk about monsters up the whasoo! Where are they all coming from?"

Mimi put her hand to the wall. "Some kind of replication spell, set in the walls. It's really powerful." She turned to see all of them staring at her. "I can feel it," she explained, before she threw several darts at one particularly gruesome looking beast.

T.K. nodded. "I thought I had felt something. I thought it was something bad."

"I felt it, too," Luna Two murmured. "It feels ancient. Real ancient."

Luna One looked at her. "You could feel that? Impressive. I certainly didn't feel anything at all."

"I felt it," Kari suddenly stated. "It felt…really familiar."

Greg and Amy looked at her. "You too?" Greg asked, noted really surprised.

Kari nodded, catching another monster with her scepter. "I hope we're near the exit. Otherwise, my hands are going to fall down to my feet."

"That'll be interesting to watch," Gomamon said, slapping one monster in the vines, and then backing up, allowing Tai to turn it into twins.

Biyomon groaned, then released another Spiral Twister. "Gomamon, if Kari's hands fall to her feet, then she won't be able to use her scepter!"  
"Oh."

Gomamon, please move."  
The aquatic Digimon did so, as Matt stabbed another monster, giving a whole new meaning to the term a new navel. "Looks like we're near the exit to this area," the Digi-Destined of Friendship said, looking in one direction. "Everybody, start hoping that it's the way out of here."

"I hope so." Moon shivered. "I really hate dark, dank places."

"You also don't like thunderstorms," Mimi stated. "Better get used to them real fast. I throw lightening bolts from my hands."

Palmon giggled, as Luna One turned to look at her charge. "Oh, Serena. I do you would act like a princes once in a while."

"Not down here!" Gabumon exclaimed. "There's a time for that type of behavior, and this isn't it!"

Luna One conceded that point as they headed for the exit. Biyomon noted that the feline was shaking her head slightly in amusement at the fact that Sailor moon, leader of the Sailor Scouts, and apparently goddamn royalty, was afraid of thunderstorms and didn't really like dark caves. Deciding that staying right there was probably not a good idea, she flew forward to the point.

Upon entering, they realized that it was not the way out, but instead was another rest area. Not that any of them were complaining, but they were really hoping for daylight.

Joe groaned. "I want the sun, because I feel like I'm going to have a rash soon."  
"Oh, Joe! Lighten up already!" Gomamon looked as optimistic as ever. "We may be near the end of the trial!"  
"Oh, really?" Biyomon pointed in one particular direction. "Would you like to explain that to them, then?"

Everyone turned to look at what she was talking about. One look was all they need.

"He looks like he's been there since the Stone Age," Greg mentioned quietly, his gaze crimping in sympathy for the elderly man they were watching.

Luna Two looked around. "And look, there are other's all over the place. Some of them look like they've been here for years."

"Okay, I'm officially spooked," Moon stated, shivering a little.

"You're not the only one." Sora looked like she was ready to cry. "Those poor people. How long have they been down here?"

"I don't think I want to know."

Izzy looked around. _'Probably mentally counting how many people there are here,'_ Biyomon thought. It was confirmed when he said, "There is about forty some people in this area from what I can see. And we'll come back for them after we've finished the Trial. After all, it doesn't make any sense for us to try and do anything if we don't the way out ourselves."

Everyone agreed with him on that, and with a few encouraging words to those all around them, continued on their way. They encountered another mage, who after healing their various cuts and bruises, told them that it was high time those still down there received medical attention. He also warned them that there were stronger obstacles in front of them.

They looked around upon entering the final stretch of the Trial, all rather surprised that they hadn't immediately been set upon by monsters. "What's going on?" Gabumon asked, perplexed. "Where are all the monsters?"

"Mimi?" Biyomon asked.

Mimi put her hand on the wall. "There isn't a replication spell here," she reported. "I think the stronger monster might be a boss type."

"You're probably right." Alex sheathed his sword. "So now we can put our weapons away, without fear of retribution."

"A boss monster. Great, just great." Joe threw his hands into the air. "So does anyone have an inkling as to where to go!"

"I might know."

The keeper of Reliability turned his head around, as the voice was not one of his friends. It was also timid, reminding him of himself when he was unaccountably shy. And it was female, too. He found himself staring at two of the bluest eyes he had ever laid eyes on. After a moment of simply staring in surprise, he gave her a once over.

The girl in question was around Joe's age, with brown hair flecked with white, cut to the just underneath her shoulder blades. She was petite, like Sora. And she was quite possibly the most gorgeous thing Joe had ever seen. "Hello," he said, blushing slightly.

The girl bowed, her bangs covering her eyes for a second. Biyomon noted that the same weird color combo was absent there. "Hello. My name is Lilika. I am also attempting to get to the Magic Guild, but I have seemed to run into an obstacle. I can help you guys out, if you can help me."

"Okay. So what's your problem?" Biyomon asked.

"The way out is guarded by a very powerful creature, and I don't know any really powerful magic. I am also a little scared of this place."

Moon chuckled humorlessly. "Boy, do I know the feeling," she said.

Gomamon was chuckling as well, but with some humor to him. "So does Joe. He's scared of just about everything!"

"Including little aquatic digital monsters with big mouths," Joe growled.

Lilika giggled before becoming serious again. "I can show you the way out…if you want me to."

Tai, Alex, and Serena considered it for about a half second, reaching an agreement a half second later. "Sure," Alex said. "The more, the merrier, I always say."

"Don't say that!" Nall shouted. "At least, not until we're out of here!"  
"I second that!" Tentomon buzzed around. "So if you know how to get out of here, please show us the way!"

"Those two," Artemis whispered to Gatomon, "are as bad as Lita is sometimes."

"I'll agree with that, if I knew who Lita is."

"No," Rini murmured, joining the conversation, "I think she's worse."

Tai gestured. "Lead the way," was all he said.

Lilika bowed again before taking point, the others following behind her at a distance. They kept their eyes open, in the off chance they came across a monster or two on the way.

After several minutes of walking, they came across an intersection. "Which way, now?" Biyomon asked.

The new girl thought for a moment. "This way," she finally decided, pointing to the left. "The monster is there, so you might want to get ready for a fight."

"Good idea. Thanks for the warning." Tai's sword was out immediately. "Alright, guys, here's the plan. Myself, and the rest of those who have only close range attacks will attempt to get in close, and do our impression of coleslaw. Izzy, you, Luna Two, Sailor Moon, Rini, and Kari attack from afar. Try and keep…whatever this thing has. Luna One, Artemis, Nall, and Gomamon you three just stay out of that things way."

"A polite way of saying 'Don't get underneath out feet,'" Nall said.

"Damn straight. Sorry, Sora. Agumon, Gabumon, digi-volve. I feel a lot better if we have two champion level Digimon out there. Biyomon, you and the others, do…what you do so well."

"We will all try our best." Biyomon flew upward. "Go on, you guys."

"AGUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…GREYMON!"

"GABUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…GARURUMON!"

Moon yelped as Agumon and Gabumon went from cute and cuddly to large and ferocious. "Don't do that so fast!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest in surprise.

"So sorry, 'your majesty." Greymon rumbled, putting extra emphasis on the last part of his reply. "Let's go, already."

The group walked down the intersection, every muscle tense and ready to uncoil. They were prepared for anything. The only thing unsure was what the monster was.

They found out soon enough.

"Alex! Do you see that!" Nall shouted.

"Be still, Nall! I'm not blind…or deaf!"

"That…thing is blocking the exit!"

Lilika looked at it. "It's called the Mushmare," she said, her voice deathly quiet. "It is the strongest member of the mushroom breed of monsters, as well as it's rarest. It possesses no real poisonous attacks, and the one it does have only hits one out of a hundred people. It can hit multiple targets with the vines it has buried under the ground. My suggestion would using fire spells, though I don't know any."  
Mimi looked at her. "What spells _do_ you know?" she asked.

"The only spell I know is a weak earthquake spell."

"Good enough," Biyomon flew up. "Greymon!"

"NOVA BLAST!"

The Mushmare stood there passively for a few moments, seemingly watching the fireball approaching it, then moved it's giant head to the side, letting it pass by. The attack broke against the rock face, leaving a scorch mark in it's absence.

Tai and Alex were already moving forward, their swords up and ready. A small army of vines were already rising out of the ground, heading right at them. Rini, however, had fired a blast of pink energy at the creature. The blast intersected with the vines, blasting a hole right through the middle of them, allowing Tai and Alex to continue, unopposed.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!"

"BOOM BUBBLE!"

Mercury…Icestorm….Blast!"

"HOWLING BLASTER!"

Biyomon, Patamon, and Garurumon unleashed their signature attacks, all aimed at the monster spore. Mercury conjured up a large number of compact ice balls, which she sent in the same direction with a wave of her hands. Izzy and Luna unleashed their arrows.

Patamon's attack blasted a hole right through the left portion of the vines, while Garurumon's attacks froze the right side, creating a hole in it's defense. Mercury's and Biyomon's attacks struck the Mushmare itself, with the two arrows right behind them, embedding themselves right into the side of it.

Mercury got ready to attack again…and suddenly went into a trance like state. Something hit the back of her mind with the strength of a hundred bolts of lightning. She snapped out of it, then dodged as one of the surviving vines struck at her. She rolled to her feet, the decided that that vision had given her an idea. Closing her eyes, she began concentrating. Following Ami's movements precisely, she then held her hands out, collecting the water particles from the very air.

Biyomon turned from the fight to see Sailor Mercury begin forming some type of object into her hands. She stared as Mercury created a set of identical blades, the symbol of Mercury standing out on the handles. The little bird watched as Mercury nodded in satisfaction, before turning her attention back to the fight. She noted that the two boys had almost reached their objective, but the number of vines seemed to be growing much more numerous, and much faster in their deployment. She also saw Lilika trying to get closer to the action, and flew over to her, a half baked plan forming.

Lilika looked up to see Biyomon approaching. "I thought you needed to help with the long range attacks."

"I am, but I'm wondering, can your spell cause the ground to shift enough to make something unsteady?

"Yes. Why?"

"Because it will the job of beating this thing easier," Biyomon said. "Can you do it?"

Lilika pondered it for a moment, dodging a vine as it came too near. "I think I can. But I must concentrate. No interruptions."

"We'll take care of that." Biyomon flew back into the fray, firing another attack.

Lilika locked her eyes onto her opponent, then brought her hands down to the ground. _"Let's rock! Earth Shake!"_ With that, she brought her fists down onto the ground.

Immediately, the ground began shaking throughout the immediate area. The Mushmare found itself hard pressed to remain steady. It finally did so by plunging several of it's vines into walls, thus anchoring it in place.

However, it also served to distract the creature from it's attackers, and gave Mimi a chance to get in range. And she took that chance.

"Fire's Rage!"

From her hand, a stream of fire erupted from her hand, this time under her control. It burned through the vines holding it in the left wall. The Mushmare staggered to the right, it's orientation off now.

Tai and the others gave themselves a few minutes to adjust, then continued moving in the direction of their objective. Greg empathized this by launching a Lightning Blade at the remaining vines that were free, finishing them off.

However, a new series of vines appeared out of nowhere, aiming at the whole lot of them. One stabbed Tai's leg, another giving Sailor Moon a nasty gash on her arm. The other's fared better, getting only small cuts.

"Vigor!" Alex roared. _"Sword Dance!"_ He succeeded in destroying every last vine in his way, then performed an Explosion Point on the Mushmare and the vines closest to it, allowing the others to get in closer to attack.

Alex roared. He succeeded in destroying every last vine in his way, then performed an Explosion Point on the Mushmare and the vines closest to it, allowing the others to get in closer to attack. 

The Mushmare had other attacks, though. And it prepared to use them.

As soon as Sora got in range, the boss's head started glowing. A half second later, a bolt of lighting lashed out at the Digi-Destined of Love. With a yelp of surprise, she dropped to the ground as it sizzled overhead.

Greymon wasn't so lucky. The attack, having missed Sora, flew through the sir to strike the champion-level Digimon in the chest, knocking him off his feet. Luna One and Artemis barely got out of the way when he hit the ground on his back, causing the tremors to increase in strength for a second before subsiding. Artemis looked up, just in time to see another group of vine appear, aiming at their temporarily incapacitated comrade.

Matt sliced one in half. "Where's he getting all these things!" he called out.

"I don't know!" Lilika answered, not taking her eyes off of the monster. "I think he may be able to regenerate them at a moments notice!"

"That sounds sensible. Biyomon, Tentomon, cover me!" Sora shouted.

"You got it, Sora!" Biyomon flew forward. "Tento?"

"Coming!"

As Biyomon and Tentomon covered her, striking any vine that came too close to her or themselves, Sora managed to get in range of the Mushmare, an delivered a fighting kick to it. It was effective, too, forcing the creature to break off it's attack, and also opened it to a counterattack.

And counterattack they did, with all of their might.

A deluge of physical, magical, and digital attacks fell upon the giant toadstool as it tried to defend itself. The shaking of the ground continued to hinder it, though, thus making it's defense somewhat ineffective.

Lilika grunted, a light sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead. She had never cast a spell before, having avoided the monsters by simply sneaking past them. Already, she could feel herself growing faint from the effort. Still, she held on, casting a glance at Joe, who was dodging several vines and shouting warnings to the others. _'He is reliable in a fight like this,'_ she thought, before turning her full attention back to her task.

Sora, the rest of the Digi-Destined, Mercury, Moon, Rini, and Greg continued their attack. Already, Sora saw that the boss had numerous cuts, bruises, and lacerations all over it's massive body, and a part of it's top had been ripped off by Garurumon. _'This is going to be over soon,' _she thought in relief.

Then one of the remaining vines struck her without warning.

Biyomon struck another vine with her beak, and was turning around to attack the Mushmare, when a cry of pain sounded off. Turning her head, she felt the blood leave her face. _"Sora!"_

Mercury was slicing through a group of vines when she heard Biyomon's strangled cry of shock, and turned around. "Oh no," she gasped.

Sora still stood, but it wasn't under her own power. A vine had entered through her back, and exited through her stomach. Her face had a look of shock on it, and she was becoming drenched in her own blood.

The vine exited, and she remained standing for a half-second longer. Then she crumpled into a heap, and lay still.

The vine tried to strike at Mimi, but she burned it to ashes, and made it to her friends side. She felt for a pulse, found it weak. _"Luna Two!"_ she hollered. She could not afford to get them mixed up at this moment. _"I need you!"_

The blue-haired woman sprinted over to them, Izzy giving her cover as she did so. "Oh, my Goddess," she gasped upon seeing the wound. "My spells aren't enough to heal her, and the same spell cast by two different people will cancel each other out!" A sharp gasp of pain brought their attention back to Sora's prone body. "We're losing her!"

Mimi's mind raced. "See what you can do, if anything! _Kari!_"

Kari began fighting her way over, clubbing every vine that came her way. "Yes…I see." Casting her scepter aside, she rolled up her sleeves, and put her hands over Sora's exit point. Taking a deep breath, she began concentrating.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the exit wound began closing up. Sora's breathing became slower and deeper, and she began to relax. The wound eventually vanished, leaving a thin scar in it's place. Gently, the three girls turned Sora over, and Kari repeated the process. The same thing happened, leaving a scar running perpendicular over her spinal cord. Kari finally stopped, breathed in for the first time for over five minutes, and immediately whirled around, grabbed a vine that almost happened to turn her into a shish-ka-bob, and ripped it in half. Grabbing up her scepter, she vaporized a whole flurry of them. "Anybody with a long range attack, not to sound like my brother or anything, but…_fire in the hole!_"

While she said that, a thin beam of power emanated from Sora's Digi-vice, heading in Biyomon's direction. Biyomon felt a brief surge of energy, and knew what it meant.

Mimi also knew what it meant. Name a Digi-Destined who didn't. "Biyomon, how's about giving the Mushmare a piece of your mind?"

"BIYOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…BIRDRAMON!"

Lilika finally had to quit, her magical energy spent completely. She sat down, exhausted to the extreme. As if in a dream, she saw several of them get in front of her, stopping every vine that was coming in her way. She saw a few of them get through, and head in her direction. And, try as she could, she couldn't seem to move. _'It was a pleasure to have met you,'_ she thought faintly.

"METEOR WING!"

Spears of flame, seemingly made from the very air itself, came out of nowhere, destroying the vines, even as Joe scooped her up, and got out of the way. "Are you okay?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.

Lilika nodded faintly. "Thank you," she whispered. "What destroyed those vines?"

With that, Joe grinned. "Lilika, meet…Birdramon." Looking up, Lilika's eyes widened fractionally.

In the place of the little pink form that was Biyomon, a giant, red orange feathered bird was now in her place. Her talons were large, and decidedly sharp. Her beak had a series of teeth sticking out of it. Despite that, Birdramon was beautiful.

Sora stirred, her eyes opening. Almost immediately, she sprang to her feet, those same eyes sparkling in anger. _"Mushmare!"_ she roared. _"Stab me, will you!"_

Mimi and Luna Two backed up rather quickly. "She sounds a little upset," Mimi noted.

"She ain't the only one!"

Luna Two looked at Mimi. "I think this is where we say, Oh shit."

Greymon was back up, and standing tall There was a black mark on his chest where the lightning bolt had struck. But it didn't seem to be affecting him any.

And he was angry. Smoke was pouring, literally, from his ears. His eyes spoke of death by fire. His three fingered hands clenched into weapons that were terrible to behold. And he roared, shaking the very infrastructure with the vibrations. He released a Nova blast that was, for a time, hotter than the outer surface of the sun. He charged forward, following his own attack. Birdramon stepped forward, as the cavern was nowhere near large enough for her to fly.

The Mushmare responded by releasing another deluge of vines, trying to stop them from reaching it.

"NOVA BLAST!"  
This, it was Tai who unleashed the attack, his sword channeling it through it's tip. It struck the vines, allowing Greymon's attack, and the beast himself, through safely. The other attack struck the Mushmare, putting it on fire. Two more Nova Blasts, another Meteor Wing flew through the air, causing the fire to turn into an inferno. Sora's feet slammed into the creature, knocking it off it's proverbial feet, and Mercury put both of her swords through it, the blades strangely not melting into puddles of water.

"Moon…Scepter…Activation!"

Sailor Moon had pulled out her scepter, did the appropriate movements, and unleashed a beam of power that turned the Mushmare into a pile of dust, like so many monsters before it.

"Way to go, Sailor Moon!" Luna One shouted.

Almost immediately, there was a blinding flash of orange light, and just as quickly disappear. And it left behind a parting gift for the group.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Gatomon shouted, unable to believe it.

The Mushmare was back, whole and unharmed.

"Here we go again," Kari muttered.

'No, that will not be necessary. You have beaten me, and are now free to continue on.'

Luna Two blinked. "Did we…just pass the Trial?" she asked.

'Yes, child. You did.'

Everybody heaved a sigh of relief as hearing this. "I hope you're the last monster," Nall said, fluttering over to land on Alex's shoulder. "I barely have the strength to stay in the air!"

'There are no monsters after me. You may also get the other's who are still in these tunnels. Many of them do not have the strength to continue.'

"Thanks." Birdramon de-digivolved back into Biyomon. "Garurumon, let's go get them, and lead them out of here."

"Okay. Matt?"

Coming," Matt said, following his partner back to the other area.

Alex sheathed his sword, staggering a bit in exhaustion, finally falling down to rest for a moment. "I am wiped out."

"We all are." Tai sat down too, wiping his brow. Thank God we didn't run out of magical abilities." However, Alex could see that he was shaken. He even knew why. Death had been very close, but never before was one of them injured in the manner Sora had been. It had hit them all rather hard, Sora most of all.

A couple of scuffling sounds broke their concentration, and they all looked up to see the three return, a large number of people behind them. "This is everyone," Biyomon said, letting them know that there would be no return trip. "So, let's get going.

"Yes. Let's head for the exit. And.." Luna Two paused. "Let's hope for daylight."

(A wise idea.)

'Oh, shut up,' Tai thought back.

They have succeeded in defeating the Trial, and now Biyomon can digi-volve. What awaits them in Vane? Continue reading to find out.

After several mishaps, all of which shall remain nameless, this chapter is now up and ready for your reading pleasure. It's been a year since I started this, and the amount of pain my finger feel bear testament to that. However, I'm going to tell you all, it's been worth it. Also, if my updates are somewhat long, it's because it usually takes me two to two and a half weeks to type, and then I take a week off to work on my other fic, which I would like you R&R as well. I'll begin working on Episode Nineteen next Wednesday, and I'm already beginning to tweak on Chapter Five for Captain Planet: Armageddon right now, so it will be up at around the same time as Chapter Nineteen, so bear with me, please.


	21. Episode Nineteen: Looking Around

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Nineteen: Looking Around**

"That's it," Luna Two murmured, leading an elderly man out of the Trial area. "It's this way." She passed him to an awaiting cleric. "He needs food, water, and somebody to just talk to him."Another elderly man walked by. "Thanks for helping us out there, kids. I didn't think any of us would ever see sunlight again!"  
Sora sighed. "Neither did we." She staggered. "I'm going to go find a place to sit down. Getting stabbed takes a lot out of you."

"Be our guest." Alex handed a teenager with a broken leg over to a cleric. "But first, you better go to Althena's Statue, and see if you can get rid of that scar."

"Good idea. Where _is_ Althena's Statue, anyways?" she asked.

A cleric pointed in a certain direction. "It will be over there, in the park."

"Thank you." Sora began walking in that direction, Biyomon right behind her.

Lilika gave a small child a little pat on the head. "There you go," she said, finishing a bandage on her arm. "You're a very brave girl. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you."

The kid sniffled. "I don't have any parents," she said. "They both died a year ago."

Lilika hugged the child. "I know the feeling. I don't have any parents either…but you have to have faith, faith that the Goddess Althena will look over you, and give you guidance when you need it."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, go and get something to eat." Lilika laughed as the child ran out of the door.

Luna One walked up, her tail twitching. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Children. They have such sudden mood swings, and have an innocence when dealing with the world around them. It reminds me of my childhood, before…" Lilika couldn't finish the sentence, as it brought back too many painful memories. So instead, she said, "I never met my father, and my mother…well, my mother died a long time ago. I was adopted by a tailor when I was ten years of age. She tried to spend time with me, but her job made it almost impossible. So when I said that I expressed a desire to enter the Magic Guild, we both agreed that it would be for the best."

The feline nodded. "Some of my friends have the same problem. But they have each other, so they aren't alone in this world. And you're not alone, Lilika. Serena and the others would probably welcome you as a friend."

The white streaked girl felt a shiver of happiness go through her. "Thank you. I would be honored to be called your friend."

T.K. led the last one out. "That's the last of them," he said, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Now, how about we go and see the City of Vane?"

Heeding his suggestion, the collective group of Digi-Destined, Sailor Scouts, adventurers, felines, and the resident Seer all piled out of the small room, stepping out into the sun.

"Wow…" Nall seemed to develop a sudden speaking block.

Rini looked around. "This place is almost as beautiful as Crystal Tokyo," she said in amazement.

Nall recovered. "Here we are, Alex!" He landed on Alex's shoulder. "The Magic City of Vane!"  
Luna Two stepped up. "It's beautiful, Alex," she whispered to him.

"I know." Alex looked around, taking in every sight he saw. "So, how does one find Nash?" he asked cheerfully.

"Well, Nash said we could find him at the Magic Guild," Greg supplied.

Nall nodded vigorously. "Now all we have to do is find it!" He took off. "So, let's go!"

"Yeah, let's!" Serena echoed, walking forward…and promptly collided with someone.

"Yeow!" The woman yelped. "Watch where you're going, you clumsy oaf!"  
"Well, excuuuusssseee me, Pyro!" Serena retaliated automatically.

Violet eyes blinked, as if she had heard something she hadn't expected. She looked up. "Sorry, Serena."

Serena's own eyes widened. "Rei…_Rei!_" Squealing, she wrapped her arms around Rei Hino, squeezing.

"Can't…breathe…" Rei managed to choke out.

"Oops. Sorry about that. I'm just so glad to see you. And look, I brought others! Including someone you know, apparently."

"Who?" Rei looked behind Serena. "Oh, hi, Mimi."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "'Oh, hi, Mimi,' she says. And here I thought I knew you. Oh, by the way, congratulations on being Sailor Mars."

"Do you have to? Wait…how did you-?"

"I find," Greg interrupted, "that it is a good idea not to ask how she does that. Also, tiaras don't make great masks."

"And she's perceptive," Amy added. "I mean, she I was Sailor Mercury because of my computer, and Serena because of her hair style."

Serena laughed at the expression of Rei's face. "I wish I had a camera, so I could take a picture."

"I'll picture your ass to the nearest wall!" Rei roared.

Mimi blinked at the outburst. "Are they always like that?"

Amy sighed. "Yes…"

Greg shook his head. "I think it's a miracle that they haven't killed each other yet."

"You got that right, Greg."

"Hi, Darien."

Izzy and Mimi's head snapped to the side. "D-Darien!" Mimi sputtered.

Darien stared at her for a second. "Mimi?" He began grinning. "Mimi, is that…you?" Mimi's vigorous nod answered that question. "Well…you're almost as beautiful as Serena."

"Thank you."

Izzy sidled up to him. "Nice save, Mr. Endyimon."  
"Hello, Izzy. You're looking fit."

"Thank you. But, may I ask how you came to be here?"

"Big bright flash of light, fall through a dimensional hallway of some kind, fell a good dozen feet. Sound about right?"

"Definitely. Oh, by the way, this is Tentomon."  
"Hi," Tentomon said in greeting.

"Hi."

Introductions were made, much faster than they had done the last few times. "So, you've been here in Vane all of this time?" Patamon asked.

"Yep." Rei smiled. "We've learned how different Lunarian magic is from our own. We also learned how to cook."

"Or rather, they tried to," Darien interjected. "Mina still is unable to boil water."

"And Lita is a better cook than all of us put together." Serena's grin was almost Cheshire in it's size.

Mimi nodded. "Bring her on. I can take her."

"And have," Matt stated. "You faced her at the clash of the junior high schools."

"_She_ was the Juuban Junior High School cooking champion!"  
Serena stared. "_You're_ the Nagano Junior High School's champion cook!" she exclaimed.

"She owes me a rematch!"

The conversation was halted when Luna Two held up her hand. "Excuse me, not wanting to change the subject and all, but what are you people talking about?"

"We'd like to know that as well," Gomamon added.

Serena sighed. "Long story. Where are Lita and Mina, anyway?"

"They're at the item shop, trying to get supplies." Darien turned back to the Trial exit. "How'd the Trial go?" he asked.

For a long time, no one spoke. "It was long," Rini finally stated. "How about you guys, Darien?"

"It was very bloody. Lita and Mina were particularly vicious in that regard. Quite frankly, I've never seen Lita, Mina, _or_ Pluto use such vulgar words, and in such rapid succession."

Tai winced. "I'm going to take a lucky guess, and say that those two girls are Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus."

"Yeah, actually. How'd you know?"

"I didn't, but it's always the story."

Mimi giggled. "I knew."

"Don't ask," Greg said, at Darien's surprised glance. "She's as perceptive as Hell. Now then, shall we split up, or shall we referee Meatball Head and Pyro?"

"Hey!" Two indignant voices shouted at once. "We're not that bad!"

"We say you are! Now get outta my way!"

Matt and Greg moved immediately as Joe tore out of the little room. He was moving so fast, that they thought he had been shot out of a cannon.

"Geez, Joe. You don't have to sound like…_Son of a bitch!_" Matt shouted as a small army of kids came out of the place, all looking like they had just finished the Trial. Agumon soon found himself flatter than a pancake. Gomamon's fin resembled a shape similar to that of a paddle. Palmon had found sanctuary in Rini's arms.

"Children!" Luna One shouted. _"Halt!"_

Luna One shouted. 

Immediately realizing their faux pas, the children came to a halt, and turned around. "Sorry," they mumbled before heading for the public dining hall for a well deserved meal, heads down. None of them had a doubt though, that the minute they were out of hearing range, they would be tearing down the road at full warp.

Gomamon shook his flattened fin. "Ouch," was all he had to say.

Palmon ran over to Agumon. "Agumon! Please, speak to me! Where does it hurt!"  
"Everywhere but my earlobes."

"You don't have any earlobes," Gabumon pointed out.

The Orange Lizard groaned. "Now you know why."

Gatomon winced. "Talk about being flattened by a litter of kids. Want me to find you an air pump?" she asked.

"If they make them. Either that, or move me…slowly…to Althena's Statue."

Deciding that the first option was probably not available, as they had yet to see bicycles anywhere, Palmon and Gatomon slowly picked up the orange lizard, set him on his feet, and helped him walk in the same direction as Sora.

Izzy shook his head. "Can I ever sympathize with him," he muttered quietly to Mimi, referring to the Goddess Festival. Mimi nodded, wincing.

Tai chuckled. "Boy, did Joe fly out of there, or what?"

"Joe didn't fly," Lilika said, confused.

Luna Two giggled. "They mean he moved so fast, it looked like he had taken off. Give it some time. You'll figure out how to understand what they're trying to say."

"Ah. So, shall we go exploring?"

"Yep. How about we split into several groups?" Nall suggested. He flew around in circles above Alex's head. "I'm with Alex and Luna!"  
"Which one?" Artemis asked.

"Human one!"  
"Thanks for the clarification. Digimon, please follow me. I think I know where to find Lita."

"Good to know." Gabumon walked next to the white cat. "What about Venus?"

"Follow the trail of destruction."

Mimi sighed. "That bad?" she asked Rei.

"I swear she's as bad as Serena, if not worse."

"Rei!"

Laying down on a bench, Sora closed her eyes, almost asleep.

She had changed out of her blood soaked blouse, and was now wearing a short sleeved shirt. She had made her way to Althena's Statue after that, feeling slightly better afterwards, though not as much as she would have wanted to feel. Now, she lay there, oblivious to the world around her.

As she dozed, she let her mind wander back into the past. Most notably, Tai. She didn't know what she was going to do. She, unlike Mimi, had become very good at hiding her emotions. She couldn't do it forever, though. _'How do you tell the boy you love that you love him?'_

A small grunt of pain interrupted her, and she sat up, blinking to clear her vision. When it cleared, she saw Gatomon and Palmon half supporting, half dragging, Agumon in the direction of the Statue. "Good Lord, what happened to you!" she asked.

Agumon gave a small groan, then collapsed against the Statue. Gatomon answered for him. "He was run over by a bunch of kids. And it made us all aware as to how dangerous children can really be."

Agumon straightened up as she said this, stretching his arms. "So, did you get rid of that scar?" he asked.

Sora's hand immediately reached for her shirt, rubbing the small scar fretfully. "No, I didn't. The Statue can't seem to do anything if you have a scar of some kind." She sighed. "Looks like I'm going to keep it," she finished.

Don't worry about it. I have enough scars on my body to make a maze." Gatomon batted her eyes challengingly. "Dare ya to catch up."

"Maybe later. Right now, all I want to do is rest."

"Having a slow day?" Palmon asked.

"Yes." Sora closed her eyes. "I really want to go to sleep. But then, I'm no better than Tai or Matt."

"You haven't changed, Sora. Good to know some things never do."

Sora's eye, which were at half mast, shot open again in surprise. "Mina!"

Mina Aino, who currently was upside down due to how Sora was laying down, smiled. "Hey there, girl. So, how have you been doing?" she asked cheerfully. "Besides enjoying the sun?"

Sora jumped up, barely missing Mina's head with her own. She turned around, grasping her old friend in a bear hug. "It's great to see you! And I've been doing great! How ya doing, Sailor V?"

"Doing great. And I'm Sailor Venus, now."

The effect was instantaneous.

"You're Sailor Venus?" Agumon grinned. "So, you're with the one they call Meatball-Head."

"Sailor Moon? Yeah, actually. I'm Mina Aino. And you are…?"

"I'm Agumon. This is Palmon, and Gatomon."  
"Hello."

"Hi. Did you know that Artemis talked?"

"Oh, yes. But hey, you know what they say. 'That which annoys you makes you stronger.'"

"That's, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'" Sora shook her head. "Honestly, you screw up every last quote out there on a daily basis."

Mina rolled her eyes. "Everybody's a critic."  
"With you, that's not criticism. It's fact."

The whole lot of them enjoyed a good laugh at this. "So, you've been here with the rest of the group?" Agumon finally asked, after they had calmed down. "Well, now the Sailor Scouts are now five once more. We bring Serena, Amy, Greg, the two cats, and Rini."

Mina took off like a bat out of Hell, sprinting in the general direction of the main group, a huge smile on her face.

"Well," Agumon stated, as the dust began settling, "she's fast."

"She's also the stereotypical blond. Apparently, being Sailor Venus hasn't changed that."

Agumon nodded. "Well, we might as well head for the general direction of that building," he said, pointing at the largest building in the area. "I think that might be it."

T.K. and Patamon observed the newest situation with a wary gaze. "Do we dare interfere?" the flying Digimon asked.

"I don't think Althena could end this conflict," T.K. replied.

The conflict was simple. Mimi had finally met her nemesis. "You owe me a rematch," she growled.

Lita Kino grinned fiercely. "You'll get your rematch, as soon as I find a free kitchen stadium."

"Serena started giggling. "Well, it's confirmed. They're _both_ my friends."

"Now that that's settled…" Patamon stepped forward again. "Now, if the two of you can shelve your competitive spirits for a moment, though the fact you _have_ one is beyond me, Mimi, so we can introduce ourselves to each other."

"Oh, sorry. I'm Makato 'Lita' Kino, resident cook, fighter-"

"-And having the largest number of boyfriends in Juuban High history," Rei said humorously, " all who look like her first boyfriend." She returned Lita's glare. "Oh come on, you know it's true."

Lita began chuckling. "Good point. And what?" she asked Mimi irritably.

Mimi didn't back down. "If your enemies saw you now, they'd probably start laughing."

"What do you-?"

"Umm, Lita?" Serena said quietly. "She knows we're Sailor Scouts."

"What!"

"Neither myself or Serena said anything," Amy said soothingly, trying to quell the savage beast. "She figured it out all by herself."

"Well, if that's all." Lita didn't sound convinced. "I'm sure that she'll make a good detective for the powers of darkness someday, if she isn't already."

"Hey, I'm not one of fucking enemies!" Mimi roared. _"I am a member of the Digi-Destined, not the Negamoon, not the Negaverse, and most certainly not a Sailor Scout!"  
_The glass shook. The town grew quiet. Tai backed up several feet.

Mimi roared. The glass shook. The town grew quiet. Tai backed up several feet. 

Lita, on the other hand, didn't even blink an eye. "How do you explain the fact that you know who we all are! How do you explain that!"  
"How do you explain acting like a bitch to someone who you apparently don't like?" Mimi asked in a voice of iron, and with no fear in her stance. "How do you explain that?"

Lita took a step forward, what she was planning to do obvious.

Amy, T.K., Patamon and Greg immediately got in between the two, becoming a wall. "Lita, Mimi is right!" Greg said desperately. "You go ballistic on someone who you think is an enemy. And Mimi figured it out all by herself. She saw Serena's broach, and Amy's computer!"

"That's not enough!"

"It is for her," Amy said quietly. "And she knows me and Serena well enough to make the connection. And she does know that there are five Scouts."

"And are you always this paranoid?" Tai asked. "Because quite frankly, we get enough of it from Joe."

"Bring that up again, Tai, and the first person I hit will be you."

Patamon fluttered up to Lita's eyes. "Lita, Mimi hasn't given us any reason to suspect her of wrong doing. She's Sincerity, for crying out loud. Izzy, please step away from her. I think she's going to be calm for now."

Lita turned to stare in Izzy's dark eyes. "What is your problem?" she asked.

Izzy stepped closer. "Allow me to make one thing perfectly clear," he hissed. "I don't care if you're Sailor Jupiter, because if you ever try to hurt Mimi for any reason, you will regret it."

"Are you threatening me?"  
"No, I don't threaten. I promise. And I will back it up."

Lita turned her glare back to Mimi. "Fine, but don't think I'm turning my back on her for one second!" With that, she turned and stalked away, almost running over Mina in the process.

Mina turned to watch her friends retreating backside. "Okay, what just happened?"

"Same as always." Greg sighed. "She is paranoid because someone figured out that you guys were Sailor Scouts, and that there was no telepathic powers involved.

"Lemme guess; Mimi Tachekawa."

"Amazing. You're not all ditz after all."

"Good to see you too, Artemis. Serena! Amy! Rini! Greg."

Greg face faulted. "They get the usual exuberant greeting, and all I get is a measly 'Greg'! I'm hurt!"  
"That's just to remind you where you are in the grand scheme of things," T.K. stated, laughing.

"Thanks, midget. Nice to know where I stand."

"Yes it does," Rini added, giggling.

"Well," Kari stated, looking up in surprise, "that's a use I would have never suspected for magic."

"Shows what you still need to know," Artemis replied, eyes fixed on it as well.

What they were witnessing was something that was so mundane, that children, or any other sentient creature, would not have stopped to look at, had it not been for one minor detail. It was being done with magic. The mundane task was the repairs to a particularly large building. Fire and Water spells were being applied to great effect, welding steel girders together. Levitation spells brought mages up and down

"I wonder what Mommy and Daddy would have thought of this place."

Gomamon grinned. "I'd say your Dad would wonder what they'd do without magic, and your mom would poison an ungodly number of people with her cooking. How did you and Tai survive all these years?"

"Tai learned to cook, and dad showed me what spices to use on her food."

"Oh."

"How did Agumon survive?" Gabumon asked, curious.

Kari giggled. "Tai swears Agumon's stomach is like a furnace."

"That sounds about right," Biyomon stated.

"Hey, watch out below!"

Kari and the Digimon looked up to see a giant two by four suddenly drop. With a yelp of fright, Kari and the others all tried to jump out of the way.

"Deadly Scream!"

In the instant that Kari and the others had leaped, an enormous purple sphere struck the girder, turning it into so much fine debris. Nothing larger than a dust mote remained in it's place. And a number of relieved sighs filled the air as the construction crew looked downward.

Kari's leap took her about a dozen feet before she landed. Not hearing the tell tale thud of a heavy object slamming into a cobbled street, she turned around.

Artemis got back up on his four feet, and turned around as well. "Sailor Pluto, nice shot."

A powerful looking Sailor Soldier, one who Kari had never seen before, ran up to them. "Are all of you all right?" she asked.

Upon closer inspection, Kari noted that the Scout stood slightly taller than Jupiter, with green hair, and red eyes that seemed to look into a persons soul. Her hair, extremely long, almost reaching the ground even, was a deep forest green, styled into a bun. Her uniform was definitely familiar, a dark green skirt and bowtie as well, but with a few cosmetic changes. She was currently carrying a giant, key shaped staff in her hand.

Kari nodded. "We're all okay." She held out her hand. "Kari Kamiya."

Pluto smiled. "I am Sailor Pluto," she returned, shaking the young girls hand. "It's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kamiya."

Kari laughed. "Nice to meet ya, Sailor Pluto. I didn't know there were more Sailor Scouts out there. Are you reincarnated like the others?"

Pluto shook her head. "No, I am not. As the Guardian of Time, I am in fact the last surviving member of the Silver Millennium." Her eyes crimped a little as she said this.

Kari read her expression correctly. "Sorry for being presa, presac-"

"Presumptuous," Pluto said for her gently. "And don't worry about it. I am not offended. It's just not something I speak about readily. A lot of unpleasant memories."

"So I gathered. Were you a princess too?"

"Yes, I was."

"Okay."

Pluto chuckled warmly at the offhand manner that she used. "Very astute." A thought occurred to her. "You know, I feel the same energy coming from you that I felt coming from Amy and Greg."

"And I have been having dreams, and flashbacks, of people and events that I've met before, but for some reason, should know," Kari continued, grasping onto the topic immediately. "How'd you know?"

Pluto hesitated, before deciding that it wouldn't really hurt to tell this child. "I tried to trace the source of Greg's power," she explained. "I found in his subconscious mind, a powerful sphere of energy, emanating more power than the combined power of the Sailor Scouts. It's something I have never felt before in my entire life. And that life is considerable." She stopped or a moment to catch her breath for a moment before continuing. "After we arrived, the two of them began developing super-senshi strength, and the access to abilities that they shouldn't have been able to use."

"Same thing for me, T.K., and our Digimon partners!" Kari gasped. "Now I know there's some connection between Lunar and our dreams!"

Pluto nodded. She had come to that same conclusion. "Well, maybe you can start looking for answers over there," she suggested, pointing to the largest building in Vane. "I find that there are those who know something about the history about this world. It might prove beneficial to you and the others." She gestured with her gloved hand. "Come. I'll show you the way."

"Thank you." Kari's eyes showed a great deal of curiosity as she followed Pluto down the street.

The two Luna's walked down the main street of the city, taking in all of the sights as they did so. Already, they had found the library, and had browsed through the various sections, enduring the teasing of Nall and Alex as they did so.

As they looked around, Luna One said, "The city of Vane is aesthetically pleasing, and clean. And the fact that it has a veritable ecosystem here is nothing short of impressive. I wonder though, how did the Guardians of Althena raise this thing into the sky?"

Luna Two had been asking herself that same exact question for several hours now, and she had just come up with an answer. "I think they used a very powerful levitation spell. Then they put some power source of some kind into the interior of the rock face to help maintain it. They must have hollowed out the interior, and put all the rock over with the Goddess Tower."

Nall laughed. "Yeah. They're probably hiding some sort of super fortress underneath the mountain."

Luna Two laughed. "Yeah, that must be it," she said, outwardly showing no distress. Inside, though, she had the funny feeling that Nall wasn't that far off the bat.

Alex, who had been silent for that period of time, looked up from the silver map. "Well, does any of you have an idea as to where the Magic Guild is?" he asked. "Because it isn't on this map."

Luna Two was about to answer, but a young man around her age slammed into her. Stumbling, she managed to right herself relatively fast, then she turned around.

Unaware, the student picked up his books. "Move it! Get outta the way!" he stated unnecessarily. "I overslept again…and if I'm late to one more class, I'll be held back a year!" With that, picking up the last book as he did so, he took off like a long distance runner, heading in the direction of the largest building in all of Vane.

Nall and the others watched him go. "I think we've just found the Magic Guild," Nall pointed out lamely.

"So we have," Alex replied, just as lamely.

"So you have," a voice called out from behind them. They turned around to see a brunette Amazonian looking girl walk up to them. "And what a building it is."

"Hello, Lita. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. Who're they?"

"I'm Alex." Alex shook Lita's hand. "This is Nall."

"Hiya!"

"And I'm also known as Luna." Luna Two walked up and shook Lita's hand.

"Want me to call you Luna Two?" Lita asked.

"We'd both appreciate it. I'm going to take a wild guess, but by any chance, are you Sailor Jupiter?"

Lita's smile, which had been present since she had met them, darkened almost immediately. "Did Mimi tell you?" she asked frigidly.

Luna Two's smile faltered at the look on Lita's face. "No, I took a wild guess. Tai actually had figured it out. Are we right?"

"Yeah."

Luna One sighed. "I'm going to assume you really don't like her?" she asked knowingly.

"Damn straight. She could be an agent to some whacked out evil being!"

"Lita, this is the girl who matched you, ingredient for ingredient, at the local clash of the junior high chefs last year! And let's face it, your powers don't exactly hide your personalities. Yours, least of all."

"And besides," Nall said enthusiastically, "she's got a lot of magic in her as well, and she hasn't used it on any us! That's gotta count for something."

Alex looked at Lita. "Don't mind him, he's just enthusiastic about speaking."

"Actually, he's got a good point. I've never thought about it that way." Lita was looking thoughtful. "But I know that she's hiding something."

"And what do you base that assumption on?" Luna One asked.

Lita stared at her.

"Rather than explore that," the feline said hastily, "I think it would be best if we go get everyone else, and let them know that we've found the Magic Guild. Nall?"

The white fur ball saluted, then turned around, jetting in the direction that Artemis and the Digimon had taken.

Luna Two looked down at Luna One. "Why did you say that last part?" she asked.

Luna One sighed. "Because the Sailor Scouts hide their identities from the rest of the world. And add in the fact that Lita is fiercely protective of them, and you have a good understanding as to why she's like this."

The blue-haired woman nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I do," she murmured.

"Hey, look who I found!" Nall's voice sounded off behind them. They all turned to see the rest of the coven standing their, looking at the Magic Guild in awe.

The first words out of Lilika's mouth were, "Well, it's certainly…bigger than I originally assumed."

Joe nodded. "Eight stories makes for a good sized building."

Alex grinned. "Let's go in," he suggested. "Nash should be inside, waiting for us."

"Oh, goody," Agumon grumbled. "Why is that not a comfort?"

Sorry for the slight delay in this chapter, but the computer I'm working on has decided to have a slight fit on me. That and the slight fact I had a slight decline in my interest. However, I have gotten over it, and am now back on all thrusters. So I wish for at least three reviews from all of you.

Now then, on to something else; I am planning on adding another show, or book to Captain Planet: Armageddon. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but hey, I'm going to try anyways.


	22. Episode Twenty: Meeting Mia

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Twenty: Meeting ****Mia**

Nash finished up his preliminary report, and handed it to the mage. "Here you go. A condensed version of everything I have seen, and everyone I have met. I hope it'll satisfy Lady Ausa until I file my primary report."

The mage previewed the document carefully. "This is satisfactory," she finally said. "Lady Ausa will be pleased to see this."

Nash bowed. "I aim to do my humble best. But now, I must check and see if my friends have made it."

As if to oblige him, the great doors of the Magic Guild opened, admitting a large number of kids and teenagers. The kids were all looking around the hallway in amazement.

The mage asked, "Friends of yours?"

"Yes." Nash stepped forward. "Hello everyone," he said, shaking Alex's hand. "I'm glad to see that all of you have made it…except for you," he added, looking at Agumon.

"Nice to see you're concerned for my well-fare. How's about I cut ya a new navel?"

"Perhaps when I tire of the one I've had since birth." Nash turned away from the orange lizard. "So, what do you think of Vane? Breathtaking, isn't it?"

Lilika nodded. "It's more magnificent than I had imagined it to be," she said. "Oh, my name is Lilika. I really look forward to learning here."

"My names Nash. And I'm sure the Magic Guild will welcome you with open arms." He shook Lilika's hand, the turned to Alex. "Ghaleon is occupied at the moment," he explained, "so he has asked me to escort you to the parlor."

Nall was hesitant. After what Nash had said in Meribia, he was a little reticent in speaking to him where magic was concerned. "Actually, we'd rather look around the Magic Guild…wouldn't we, Alex?" he asked timidly.

Alex chuckled. "Actually, yes. Do you have a problem with that, Nash? Because if you do, I think Nall will faint from sheer fright."

Nall shook his head. "I see no problem. Suit yourselves. Though be on your best behavior. Luna? Would you also care to wander the Guild?"

"Perhaps later," she replied, stretching her arms out, "but right now, sitting down and getting off of my feet sounds wonderful."

"Then I'll just have to give you a private tour of the Magic Guild some time, Luna. And no, Alex," he added, correctly reading the expression on Alex's face correctly, "I am not hitting on Luna. I'm more partial to raven-heads." He looked at the rest of them. "The rest of, I'll come look for you, or when you tire of looking around, come to the sixth floor whenever you're ready to meet with Ghaleon. And if you see any of my friends, _don't _barbeque them, lizard."

"Don't worry. My beef's with you."

"Of that, I have no doubt." The magician held his arm out gallantly. "Shall we, milady?" he asked Luna Two. The young woman giggled, and took the proffered arm. "Well, don't worry, Alex," Nash said. "I will be a gentlemen, and not risk bodily harm from you." With that, he escorted Luna Two down the hallway.

Nall took off. "This place is _huge_!" he exclaimed. "I hope we don't get lost!"

"That's our fondest hope too, Nall." Tentomon buzzed a bit until he was next to Izzy again. "So, Lilika, are you and Joe going to stay attached to the hip?"

"Why? Are we stuck?" Lilika asked confused. She looked at Joe. "Why are you blushing, Joe?"

"Um…you don't want to know."

Nash held the parlor door open for Luna, still being the gentlemen. "I'll come for you when Ghaleon is ready," he said. "If you need anything in the meantime, Luna, please let me know."

Luna nodded. "Thank you, Nash. I will." She waited until Nash had closed the door, the headed over to one of the couches, sitting down in it with a sigh of relief. _'Finally, peace and relaxation,'_ she thought. _'How Alex can stand being on the move all the time is beyond me.'_

Alex…the very thought of him sent shivers down her spine. It seemed that every adventure brought them closer together, and had allowed her already substantial feelings for Alex to grow. She didn't know everything, and had, at the beginning of their adventure attempted to understand this feeling, and she had figured it out. It was frightening, but wanted as well.

As she pondered about her love, a soft sound approached her ears, breaking her trail of thought. She sat up in surprise, as she immediately recognized the sounds as music. "That song…it's…Alex?" she asked in confusion. There was no way she had been waiting _that_ long.

Getting up, she headed over to an open window, and looked out. Looking back behind her, she climbed out that window.

She found herself in a small courtyard, one designed so as to give a person privacy from the rest of the world. A small pond was in the middle of it, rippling as little minnows swam in it. Trees of every kind and variety lined the outer rim of the area, with flowers surrounding each of them.

'It's an arboretum!' Luna realized. _'A place of natural beauty, and of order.'_ She even saw a redwood, which towered over the majority of the garden, planted near the edge. She forced herself back on track. _'Now, where is that song coming from?'_ Closing her eyes, Luna began to listen carefully.

Luna realized. She even saw a redwood, which towered over the majority of the garden, planted near the edge. She forced herself back on track. Closing her eyes, Luna began to listen carefully. 

When Luna and Alex were younger, they had played a game where either Alex would play his ocarina, or Luna would sing, and the other would try to find them by only using their ears. Their hearing had become so good, so precise, that they were able to pick up sounds from over a mile away, and that was without the wind blowing.

And after several moments of listening, Luna realized that the song was not even twenty feet away. And it wasn't being played by an ocarina. Looking to her left, she finally put an instrument to that sound. And a person was currently looking at her.

It was a male, around forty years of age. He was almost as white as a sheet, though not because of fright. His ears were pointed, showing that he was an elf. But the one thing that caught Luna's attention were his eyes. They were blood red. And they were currently staring at Luna with an expression of curiosity.

'He's a member of the Dawken Elf clan,' Luna thought, pleased that she remembered that there were four different species of elves out there, and each of them had differences that set them apart from the rest of them. The Dawken's were recognized by their red eyes, and pasty skin.

Currently, all she felt was an acute embarrassment for interrupting his music. "Oh, I'm so sorry I interrupted. You see, I heard the music, and…well…I thought it was Alex playing."

The man smiled softly. "It's…no bother," he said gently, his eyes roving over Luna for a second. Luna felt her cheeks heat up at the scrutiny.

"Um, you play beautifully, sir," she said, in a desperate attempt to divert her attention back why she had come out here. "But, may I ask how you came to learn that melody?"

His smile faded. "Dyne composed that melody when he was a boy…before he became the Dragonmaster." He sat back, his eyes becoming distant for a moment, before refocusing.

"Dragonmaster Dyne wrote that…?" Luna was speechless, then she became incensed. "Alex never told me. Why am I always the last person to know these things!"

"Now, now, I'm certain that the 'Alex' was just unaware of the piece. No need to become unnecessarily upset. It doesn't become you." He got up from his seat, looking her over again for a moment. "You must be a new student here at the Guild," he finally said. "And quite a fetching one at that…"

Luna was struck dumb for a second. "What? Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I don't have any magical abilities! I've traveled here with Alex. He's on a quest to become the Dragonmaster. We've already met Quark, the White Dragon, and we're here to learn the locations of the other three." She was babbling, and she knew it, but she was extremely nervous. For some strange reason, she felt like she had met this man before.

The man's smile returned. "And what about you?" he asked gently. "Perhaps you're on a quest of your own. You may not even realize what you're searching for…" at that, he paused for a second. "At least, not yet," he amended.

"Oh, no, I'm not…Wait…The dream…"

"Hmm?'

"I keep having this dream, over and over again," Luna explained, feeling like she could trust this man, that he knew what she was going through. "Only, it doesn't feel like a dream. And it doesn't make any sense…"

Abruptly, she realized that she wasn't talking to Alex, and was in fact speaking to an absolute stranger. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to ramble on to someone I've just met."

"The man chuckled. "Don't apologize. Everyone wants to understand themselves, and to know who they are…but not everyone is prepared for what they ultimately discover."

Luna was speechless as she stared at the man.

"Are you prepared for your journey of discovery?" With that last question, he picked up his instrument, and headed back inside, via a door located at the other side of the garden. He gave her one last glance before vanishing inside.

Luna swayed, feeling light headed. "I…I think I need to sit down" she murmured to herself. "I feel weak…" With that, she headed back to the parlor.

"Alright, guys! See ya later!" Nall called out aloud, waving one diminutive paw to add meaning to his farewell, before returning his attention to Alex. "Where should we go first, Alex?" he asked cheerfully.

Alex ponder the possibilities, while thinking that Nall never stayed down for very long. "How about we go right?" he finally replied.

Lilika smiled. "I like the idea." She began walking in that direction, Joe and Gomamon right behind her. Shrugging, Alex and Nall picked up the rear.

"Classroom, classroom…" Gomamon muttered. "Do they even know the meaning of a main office?"

Joe sighed. "They probably do. It's just not on this floor, though. I mean, this building has what, eight floors?"

"You're probably right. Just one question; What's a main office?"

Lilika giggled. Joe felt she had a nice giggle. "I'm going to take a guess, and say that it's the center of your guilds back home."

"For starters, we don't have Guilds. We have schools. Second, you are absolutely right."

Lilika smiled. "I'm glad that I understood something about your way of life."

"Yeah! Now you can begin understanding what they do on their spare time!" Nall added enthusiastically.

Joe once again blushed crimson. Alex also realized what Nall was talking about. "And what do you think Earth folk do on their spare time?" he asked sweetly.

Nall read the underlying threat, and shut up immediately. Gomamon, Alex noticed, just gave the two of them a very sly glance. He realized that the little creature was very interested in taking Sora's job.

Gomamon, unaware that he was being watched, looked around. "Oh, look!" he exclaimed, pointing. "Stairs!"

Joe groaned, this time in real despair. _'God, Althena, whichever of you is watching, and if you have the proverbial gun, just shoot me now.'_

Tai and Sora entered a lone hallway on the third floor, having had explored the rest of the third floor. Behind them, Agumon and Biyomon spoke in subdued tones about something or other. The two humans had told them, several times in fact, that they could go and be with their boyfriend or girlfriend, but the two Digimon had told them that they were supposed to protect them from any danger that may come their way.

Sora, after the tenth attempt, had simply sighed, and took Tai's hand in her own. "They're as stubborn as us," she murmured.

"Tell me about it."

After wandering for half an hour, which was seeing the different designs of classrooms, and small displays of magical prowess, they reached a hallway that seemed to be devoid of anything but windows, all overlooking a lush garden of bushes, trees, and flowers. Then they reached a stairwell.

"This looks like someone's living quarters," Biyomon noted, "or, at the very least, a stairwell to someone's living quarters. I wonder who they belong to."

Agumon walked forward. "Let's find out." He started down the stairs, with the rest of them behind him. When they reached the bottom, Agumon knocked on the door.

"Come in, children."

'Now why does that voice sound familiar?' Tai asked himself as they accepted the invitation.

Two seconds later, he found out why.

"We meet again, Courage and Love," Royce said in that throaty, seductive voice of hers.

Agumon scratched his head for a moment, looking at Royce. "You're that spooky chick we met on Black Rose Street, and who got pumped out by Greg. What was your name again? Rice?"

"Royce, you disgusting creature! _Royce!" _

"Do I look like I care what your name is!" Agumon roared. _"And I am not an animal!"_

"What are you doing in the Guild anyways?" Biyomon asked. "Don't they have an anti-skank policy?"

Sora found that extremely telling. Biyomon never said anything negative to anybody unless they had done something that was extremely wrong. _'I guess trying to scare Mimi qualifies.'_

"Not that it's any of your business, but the Guild is my workplace and home!" Royce spat out, staring at the two Digimon with a look of extreme displeasure.

"You _live _here!" Sora's voice held such disbelief, it would make a non-believer turn tale and run.

Royce ignored her, instead reaching out with her hand. "Give me your hand, Courage…" she said, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality, "don't be afraid of what the future may hold for you…or the one you love."

(I would advise against it,) the katana urged, sounding fearful. _(If she truly is a Seer, she could learn of what you may become. If that happens, then all shall learn of it, and try to stop you.) _

'Thanks for the reminder.' Tai steeled his resolve. "The only thing I'm afraid of is wasting my time on someone like you. I have better things to do with my time than worrying about the future."

the katana urged, sounding fearful. Tai steeled his resolve. "The only thing I'm afraid of is wasting my time on someone like you. I have better things to do with my time than worrying about the future." 

"You shouldn't be so narrow-minded, young man." Royce's eyes narrowed into slits. "Skepticism can be dangerous…even fatal."  
Sora saw the look she had seen on Royce's face in Meribia come over her once more. _'There's more to her than meets the eye,'_ she realized. _'But what?'_

Biyomon turned around, fluttering impatiently. "Come on, guys! Let's get out of here!"

Agumon nodded. "I don't think I can breathe in here anymore." With that, he turned on his heel, and marched out of the room, Biyomon and Tai right behind him. Sora took one last look at Royce, before heading out as well.

Royce's grin faded, and she stared at their retreating backsides for a few more seconds. "I must admit, I am impressed," she said. "He wields the Katana…and his will is strong."

Racc appeared, glaring at the door murderously. "I should have finished off that blasted boy when I had the chance," he growled. "That Katana should belong to us!"

Royce nodded. "Yes, you should have. However, judging from what your report stated, that young woman who interfered threw the whole equation out of proportion. And it is not important. What of Lady Tachekawa?"

Racc nodded. "Her power is growing, just as you have predicted," he reported. "However, she is nowhere near strong enough to take one of us on. She has already mastered fire and lightning magic. However, she has begun opening up to her friends again." His gaze became thoughtful. "If she tells them as to what she is…?"

"She won't. She doesn't even know what she is." Royce grinned for a moment, before frowning. "But they have been joined by another. This will complicate matters even more. I have seen the bond that will grow between her and Reliability."  
"And Phacia didn't try hard enough to sway that blasted boy down another path," Racc snarled. It was no secret that he, indeed the entire Uruk-Hai ninja group, thought Phacia was too soft.

Royce shook her head. "It wouldn't have mannered if she gave it her all. Alex's mind was made up many years ago. And that is considerable." She stared at the wall. "Then there is Greg Urawa," she murmured.

The ninja's golden eyes perked up. "What of that Guardian?" he asked.

"As a Seer, his mind is closed to me. He is the wild card of the future I have witnessed." She stood up. "I must report to Lady Ausa. Continue your surveillance of them, especially Urawa. If I cannot see into his future, then I shall analyze his behavior, and find his weakness.

Racc bowed. "As you command." With that, he melted back into the shadows. Royce smoothed out her robes, then headed out the door, closing it behind her, and locking it.

After all, she had a great many secrets in there.

T.K. held a door open for the other five people with him. "I think we've reached the top floor," he said. "Doesn't look like much."

Greg also looked around. "I think you're right. The only thing here is…a set of sliding doors." He glared at it. "What the Hell is a set of automatic sliding doors doing in a Magic Guild?"

"Maybe Vane's got an elevator to the underground?" Mercury suggested.

Greg grinned. "Knowing you, you're probably right." He walked up to it. "Well, let's see what's behind them."  
As if to encourage them into doing so, the second Greg's hand touched the wall next to the door, the door it self opened, giving the six a glimpse of a large, circular room. Curious, the group stepped in.

What they entered made Gatomon gasp audibly. "Whoa, talk about Sci-Fi!"

What they six were watching was a bridge, utterly reminiscent of a cross between Star Trek and Star Trek: TNG. Consoles were lined up against the wall, the majority of them unmanned, though there was one that had someone working on it. Two more stations, mounted on support struts, were stationed at the front if the bridge, manned by two serious looking mages, and a station was mounted on an archway of some kind, swooping around a central chair. That chair was occupied too, by a mage who was obviously in charge. Still, aside from the mages themselves, T.K. felt like they had taken a trip into the future. And the weird thing was, those mages knew what they were doing.

"It kind of reminds me of the bridge of the _Enterprise_ from Star Trek," Amy whispered.

"The original, or the _D_?" Greg asked.

"Both."

"Ah."

"Is that even relevant?" Patamon asked, a little louder than he intended. "It looks out of place in a Magic Guild."  
"Yeah, well, remember what Nash said about there being technological defenses and weapons? I would say that this is the technological nerve center of Vane."  
"Thank you, Amy," Kari gushed. "I didn't wanna explain that. I don't that many big words."  
Gatomon chuckled. "And those you do know, I forbid you to say."

The mage in the center chair stood, having heard their good natured banter. "Excuse me," he called out, getting their attention, "but this area is off limits to civilians and students. Now, how you got in is beyond me, because only the Guardians of Althena and qualified personnel can enter here, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Greg held up his hand. "Sorry about that. We were exploring, and the door just opened for us, and-"  
The mage wasn't listening, instead looking at the scepter that was currently sticking out of Kari's backpack. "No, I must apologize. I had no idea the Guardians were training replacements. Please, feel free to look around. And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

Gatomon smiled. "I've got one right now. Does that other door lead down below Vane?"  
"Well, yes, actually. The subterranean levels not only holds the Trial area, but also a complex system of decks, which hold environmental, weapons, sickbay, and engineering, where the heart of Vane's mobility lies. We also have two cargo bays, and a torpedo room."

Mercury nodded. "Just as I suspected. Thank you for the information."

The mage nodded, before sitting back down, and picking up a piece of parchment."

"Well!" Gatomon rubbed her paws together. "Shall we go explore the lower levels?"  
"You read my mind." Patamon flew over to what they now knew was a turbolift. "I really want to know what the subterranean levels look like.

They didn't even get a chance to find out.

"Hey, guys!" Nash shouted from the other side of the bridge. "I don't know how you got in, but I'm here to tell you that Ghaleon is ready to see you."

Gatomon groaned. "Talk about bad timing," she grumbled. "I really wanted to see the rest of this ship-like place."  
T.K. looked around. "Well, maybe we'll have a visi-"

…_Takeru crawled out from underneath the science console, wiping the sweat off his brow, then massaging one of his shoulders. "I don't care what everyone says," he grumbled, standing up. "Guardians are still capable of getting cramped muscles, and little electrical shocks!" He looked to the front of the bridge. "Hope to Knight. Ryo, have you finished loading all the programming for the Guidance System?"  
"Just about." Ryo looked up from the Operation console. "A couple hundred years from now, we might be able to create a program that'll connect us directly to Zion, allowing for automatic updates."  
"Do not remind me," Althena groaned in mock despair. She had tried to help, only to be told by Angelus to stop after she had accidentally set one of the consoles on fire. "I think the other Guardians would have a serious problem giving new information to 'mortals'." _

Oh, that's just the newest group," Hikari grunted, her voice muffled because of the fact she was down the turbolift shaft, putting one of the emergency brakes onto the roof of the 'lift. "The First already said that it was a great idea."

"That's the first. She thinks everything is a great idea."

"And that particular Guardian is proven right in the end. Ami?"

Ami finished putting in the last of the commands, then sat back. "Bringing on main power…now."

Almost immediately, every console lit up, going into stand by mode. Angelica looked up, pumping her fist into the air. "Yes! We are the bomb!" she crowed.

Althena smiled, enjoying her friends enthusiasm, before asking, "How long will it take to get it into the air?"

Ami checked her mini computer. "Well, the six of us have to go outside, and cast the spell that will raise Vane into the sky. It shouldn't take any longer than two or three hours. Afterwards, the systems, as well as the energy core we installed in Main Engineering, will keep the levitation spell strong and constant."

"And afterwards," Ryo continued, "We train the mages how to operate and maintain the systems. We'll also have to-"

Althena held up a hand to stop the flow of information that she knew was coming. "You know technical babble gives me the proverbial headache."

Hikari laughed. "You're no fun."

The rest of them chuckled as they headed for the door…

T.K. blinked. "Did you all…just see that?" he asked hesitantly.

Greg looked down at him. "You were saying something about a vision?" he asked, smirking.

The little boy sighed. "Me and my big mouth," he muttered. With that, he led the way off the bridge.

Mimi stood in the back of one of the classrooms, listening to the teacher, jotting some notes down on a piece of parchment. As she wasn't planning on staying for a large amount of time, she decided that it would be prudent to take what little information she could before leaving.

"…And hence, you now see how magic users are capable of using their powers to better effect through practice and learning. Now I want an essay on the magical properties of a particular charm of your choice, it's uses in life, and how it works in conjunction with your magic spells. It will be due in one week, and it will account for half of your grade for this semester, and will have a purpose for later. That'll be all."

With that, the class got out of their seats, and headed for the door, chatting about everyday things, or what charm they would use for their report. Mimi watched them go, a pang of wistfulness and envy going through her. _'They're so carefree, so completely ignorant of the world outside, that they have no idea what dangers there are out there. Just like I used to be.'_ Shrugging, she walked out of room. _'Oh well. I'm not going to burst their bubble.'_

"So, found out anything useful?" Palmon asked, having stood outside the classroom.

"Yeah." Mimi folded the piece of parchment, putting it into one of her skirt pockets. "I've learned how I'm able to use my magic, as well as a book that I'm going to purchase before I leave."

"Lemme guess; a magic book."

"You guessed it. I've already gotten the hang of two different elements of magic. Now I want to understand recovery magic, and how powerful it can be."

"Well rounded magic user?" Palmon queried.

Mimi nodded. "You better believe it," she asserted.

"But that's not all is it."

"No." Mimi took a deep breath. "I have so many questions that I want answered," she confessed. "Lunar reminds me of the stories that my mom and dad used to tell me when I was younger. I want to know why that is."

Palmon nodded. She could understand that. "Well, while you're pondering the little facts of life, how about we go and wait with Luna?"  
"Okay."  
"Hey, Mimi!" The two turned their heads to see Serena standing there, catching her breath. "Ghaleon's ready to see us!"

"Thanks, Meatball Head!" Mimi turned to Palmon. "Guess not," she muttered.

Palmon giggled.

Izzy walked into a large room at the end of a hallway on the fifth floor, looking at the murals in it in amazement. Tentomon, buzzing right behind him, was trying to show his support for Izzy's enthusiasm by keeping silent.

The murals in question seemed to capture a battle in expressive detail. He saw armies clash over a vast plain of rock, fighting with weapons and magic, lightning bolts coming from the sky, fire and rocks erupting from the ground, and great winged warriors flying through the air.

"A bit over dramatizing, if you ask me," Tentomon mentioned. "Kind of like 'here ye be dragons.'"

"Um, Tentomon? Here, that is an actuality."

"Good point there, buddy."

The insect Digimon buzzed away to look around the room some more, letting Izzy have some time alone to observe the murals. He buzzed around, looking at the murals on the other side, trying to discern what they were showing. He turned around.

"Hey, Izzy!"

"What?" Izzy walked away from one particular picture, one depicting a man holding the remains of a sword.

Tentomon pointed with one claw at a monument of some kind. "What world in their right mind would keep a busted sword?" he asked.

Izzy looked at it more closely. "And keep it sharp," he stated. "It looks like they keep this in pristine order…well, as pristine as you can possibly keep a sword in this condition." He spotted something above it. "Hey, Tento, look at this."

Tentomon did so, looking surprised. "This sword is supposed to be a blade of royalty, something of great power." He looked at the hilt. "And it has the Crest of Knowledge on it," he added.

Izzy's eyes fixed on that as well, his eyes widening. "It must be a sacred weapon!" he exclaimed. "But why is it like this!"

"Because it was stepped on by a very powerful witch," Sere stated. "And it was enshrined here in memory of Isildor, it's last bearer."

Izzy jumped and turned around, all at once. "Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Sere smiled, holding up a hand. "Sorry, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. You asked a question, though, and I answered it." Her smile grew. "Not what you were expecting to see. The weapon of Knowledge in pieces, I mean."

Izzy shook his head. "Isildor?" he asked. "Did _Lord Of The Rings_ take a detour or something?"

"First off, I don't know the name of the book. And second, Isildor was not a knight. He was the ruler of the Kingdom of Kemeka."

"Oh. What's Kemeka?" Tentomon asked.

Sere's smile faded. "Kemeka is a kingdom at the far borders of Lunar. It's also one of the largest kingdoms on Lunar today. However, it's also the closest nation to the Frontier."

"And that's a bad thing?"  
"Well, the Frontier is where the Vile Tribe, a group of extremely powerful demons, has their home. They've been attacking the Kemeka borders on and off for the last decade or so."

Izzy winced. "Bad luck," he said. "But it does bring up more questions than it answers."

Now the woman's brow arched up. "My, do you want to know more?" she asked.

"No." Izzy's own brow furrowed even more. "I want to know how in the name of Hell my Dad knew about this place, and whether or not my biological father knew about Lunar. And for my continued sanity, I hope I find out soon."

Matt and the remaining Digi-Destined climbed back down to the first floor, all at ease with their surrounding environment. After all, what could possibly happen to them in the Magic Guild?

"And Seadramon has the audacity to call me fat!" Gabumon exclaimed, recounting an experience to the rest. "And one thing I'm not is fat! I almost digi-volved into Garurumon right there and then!"

Matt chuckled. "Well, it's not like you're like any of the Sailor Scouts. They are all perfect…well, in my eyes anyways."

"You reaaaaaalllllllyy show some real loyalty, Matt."

"But of course."

Rini sidled up next to Biyomon. "He really doesn't like being called fat, huh," she whispered.

Biyomon giggled. "The last virus type rookie that did that, Gabumon almost decapitated him."  
"There was a point to your story, wasn't there?" Luna asked, reluctantly not going after a mouse that had just crossed her path.

"Do we really have to ask?" Sora replied.

"In his case, yes," Darien replied.

Gabumon chuckled at this.  
"Hey, guys!" Everybody turned to see the six walk up. "Ghaleon is ready to see us now."

"Wow, that was fast," Artemis said. "Apparently, Ghaleon didn't have that much work to do after all."

"Oh well." Matt followed the six to the nearest stairwell. "Look like we can finish looking around later."

Alex's group walked up one particular stairwell, chatting amiably amongst themselves, trying to figure out what they would see at the end.

"I say that it's a three headed dog, guarding some kind of Sorcerer's Stone," Nall stated gleefully.

"Or maybe it's Royce kissing Kris Kringle under the mistletoe," Joe replied jokingly. "As sick as it is to even comprehend."

What they saw at the end of their journey threw all of their theories out of the window. "It looks like someone's personal sleeping chambers," Lilika said. "Probably Lady Ausa's."  
"How can you tell?" Nall asked.

"Because I have the weird suspicion that the students bedroom's wouldn't have a bodyguard in front of their door."

Nall looked, taking off from Alex's shoulder. "By jove, I think you're right!" he exclaimed. He flew forward. "Let's ask anyways!"  
"Nall!" Alex hissed, knowing it was useless. He took off running, cursing himself as he did so. _'You know, I wanted to get a collar, but nooooo…Mom said I shouldn't do that to such an innocent creature. It's unethical!'_

Nall flew within a few feet of the guard, and promptly recoiled as the guards gaze snapped in his direction. "Whoa, I wasn't going to do anything! I was just going to ask who's quarters these are!" he said, fronts paws out in front of him.

The guard relaxed, though only fractionally. These are Mia's personal quarters!" he snapped. "No visitors are permitted…at least, that's what Lemia ordered." His gaze roved over each and every one in turn, apparently making a decision. "But why don't you all go in and say hello?" he finally suggested decisively. "I think she could use some company right now."

Alex nodded, turning the door knob. "We'll do that. Thanks." He stared at the guard like he had grown a second head.

"Wow," Nall said, as the rest of them followed Alex in, "he might be a lousy guard, but he sure is nice."

"I'll go with that," Joe whispered.

Inside, the room was extremely well furbished, feeling of indescribable luxury to it. A vanity, situated near one side of the room, had little trinkets and photos situated on it in an orderly fashion. A plush sofa was put on the wall to it's left, complete with an end table and a reading lamp. There was also a desk near another opening, running parallel with the vanity.

Gomamon realized what it was. "It's a combination of a study and living room," he realized.

"Yeah, but why the vanity?" Nall asked. "And where's the bed?"  
Lilika sighed. "You must ask a question that's painfully obvious." She gestured. "Follow me."

Nall did so, wondering why she had said that. Then he saw why. "Oh."

The bed was located in a separate room, one that was occupied by only a bed and a dresser. No closet,

Alex and Joe followed showed up behind them. "Well, that answers your question, right?" Gomamon asked Nall.

"Whose there?"  
Alex's eyebrow arched. "And it's occupied."

Mia had looked up, having been expecting someone from the Guild to come and inquire as to why she was not present in class. Hastily wiping a few stray tears from her face, she mentally composed herself, then got off her bed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I cannot go to the Magic Guild today. I'm…not feeling well…" Her gaze fell upon her visitors, and her eyes widened fractionally.

Alex observed the girl in front of her. She was a looker, no doubt about it. She was around the same age as Luna, as well as the same height. Her eyes were brownish, and her hair was the color of a raven. _'Raven hair,'_ Alex thought, remembering what Nash had told him. _'And she has a very noble demeanor.'_

Mia snapped out of it, remembering her manners. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I mistook you as a messenger of my mothers!"

Alex held up a hand. "That's quite all right," he said. "I'm guessing you don't get that many guests, though."

The girl nodded, smiling slightly. "My name is Mia, Mia Ausa." Her eyes observed them all with a curiosity that was almost genetic. "May I ask what your names are?" Her eyes widened again in fright. "Oh, I hope I haven't asked anything too personal of you. It's just that it's been a long time since I've met anyone who isn't part of the Magic Guild…so hopefully you'll forgive my curiosity."

Joe chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Curiosity…man, which I had some of that!"  
"I'm Nall…this is Alex, Joe, Gomamon, and Lilika!" Nall said, pointing to each person in term. "Sorry about barging in. Your guards nice, by the way."

"Just don't attempt to do anything inappropriate," Mia replied, giggling slightly. "His casual demeanor hides a very vicious warrior. So, how did you come to find this place?"

"Well, we came to see Ghaleon, who's going to tell us where to find the Dragons!" Nall flapped harder, something Nall did when he was getting excited. "He couldn't talk to us right away, so we decided to explore…and then we found you!"

"Sad, really," Joe whispered, looking at Alex. "Nall meets a pretty girl, and he proceeds to talk her ear off."

Mia gasped in delight. "You're searching for the Dragons! Oh, how exciting!"

Alex grinned. "Now that I think about it, it'd probably do her some good to have someone talk her ear off. Now, if I can only survive it…"

"It is!" Nall agreed. "But we only found the White Dragon so far." Suddenly, the proverbial light bulb turned on over his head. "Hey, why don't you go with us? I know you'd have a lot of fun!"

"Adventure? Me?" Mia's smile faded. "No…I…I'm sorry…it's not permitted, I'm afraid."

"You can't." The winged creature looked disappointed, but he shrugged. "Oh, well…I had to ask! I mean, what adventurers wouldn't want a beautiful woman by their side?"  
Mia giggled, blushing bright red. "Thank you, Nall! I'm flattered!"  
Nall's grin grew. "Wow! You're even cuter when you're smiling! Isn't she, Alex?"

Alex began chuckling. "No argument from me, my pint-sized little friend," he said.

Joe started chuckling as well. "Oh, yeah. I'd say she is as pretty as…well…Lilika here.

Lilika blushed as well, giggling a bit as well. "Oh, stop that!"

"Hey, hey, _hey!_"

Joe jumped up about several feet into the air, almost shrieking in surprise. He whirled around, now absolutely furious. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Nash!" he shouted, his face now turning bright red as well.

Nash wasn't intimidated, as his own face was already purple. "How dare you enter Mia's room without permission!" he roared, not caring that Joe was now being restrained by Lilika and Gomamon. "Who do you think she is?"

"A lonely girl who's looking for someone to talk to," Nall replied.

"You're not allowed to speak to her, much less violate the sanctity of her bed chamber! Mia is the daughter of Lemia, and the future leader of the Magic Guild!"  
"Nash!" Mia exclaimed. "These people aren't…"  
Nash whirled to her, his gaze becoming beseeching. "I apologize for this! I should have never let these slovenly hicks to wander around the Guild unsupervised! I take full responsibility for this invasion of your privacy, and I beg for your forgiveness!"

"Nash! Will you please-!"

"Ghaleon will see you now!" Nash said, his eyes blazing once more. "Come! Quickly!"  
_'He didn't even give her a chance to talk!'_ Alex thought, appalled at what had just transpired. His opinion of the young magician went down a notch.

"Bye, Mia!" Nall said for all of them, trying to keep his enthusiasm. "Take care!"

Nash turned around quickly. "Do I have to spell it out for you all? Quickly!" With that, he stormed out of the room, the rest of them following him out.

Alone once more, a tear slid down Mia's face. "Good bye," she whispered.

"You didn't even give her a chance to talk!" Joe yelled. "She was trying to tell you something, but you plowed right over her!"  
"I know, I know, but you should have known better!" Nash retorted, as they entered a now deserted hallway. "But then again, I should have known better than to believe that a group of commoners would try to behave--"

Nash was cut off when Alex grabbed him by the lapels of his robes, and slammed him into the wall. "Insult me, and the rest of us like we are inferior, and I will not complain. Lord knows that your mindset is pretty much locked into position." His eyes blazed. "But don't you ever, _ever_, interrupt a woman when she is talking. Because Miss Ausa doesn't need you chauvinistic attitude. Got it?"  
Nash squirmed, but he couldn't dislodge the young man's hold. "Got it," was all he said.

"Good." The green eyed man released his hold, then straightened his shirt. "You know, I'm starting to understand why Agumon doesn't like you at all."

With that, he walked on, the others behind him, leaving Nash to brace himself against the wall, looking at them.

Wow, fastest time in which I've ever completed a chapter. My writing zeal has returned. Now, I'm doing another divergence next chapter, as well as the first meeting, (or in Luna Two's second meeting,) with the great Ghaleon. Also, you shall learn a little bit about Mimi's past, which will give an idea as to what I've got in store for her. Stay tuned. And as always, please review.


	23. Episode Twenty One: Lightning Strikes

**Digimon: Silver Star Story  
**_(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)  
__(Digimon Theme song)  
_**Episode Twenty One: Lightning strikes  
**Everyone congregated to the floor where Ghaleon's office was located, coming in groups of two, or more, all wondering what Ghaleon looked like, and a few of them anxious to meet such a legendary person. All except the Six, who had a fairly decent idea as to what he looked like.

"Hey, guys!" Nall said in greeting. "So, how long have you all been waiting."

"Not too long. Alex, where did you go?" Luna Two asked. "Ghaleon's been waiting for several minutes."  
"They wandered into places they should not have been, Luna!" Nash replied for him.

"Oh, can I add that unless the guy is mute, don't answer for him!" Alex snapped.

"But where did they go?" Agumon asked. "Your bedroom? Wait, do you even have a bedroom?"

The glare Nash threw at him was so vicious that, if looks could kill, Agumon would have been deleted many times over the course of a second.

"We made friends with a girl named Mia!" Nall explained cheerfully. "We'll introduce you to her if you like!" "Well of course, Nall! You know I love meeting new people."

"Why don't you people focus on the business on hand!" Nash exclaimed in aggravation.

"You've been granted audience with Ghaleon, the great sage of the Magic Guild! Why don't you meet him first!" He opened the door, and gestured all of them to enter.

Patamon fluttered up to Lilika. "What's with him?" he whispered.

Lilika sighed softly. "I'll tell you later," she replied.

Patamon shrugged, intrigued, as everyone entered the room single file. He noted Joe and Alex glaring in Nash's direction, but decided not to comment on it, though it was extremely telling. _'Now I'm getting observant. Oh fun.'  
_

Nash had them stand right in front of the desk, then turned around. "Master Ghaleon! These are the adventurers I told you about…"

For a moment, the man didn't move, as if he hadn't even heard him speak. The only sound and movement in the room was the grandfather clock that was ticking next to him. The room itself seemed to be blanketed by a mute spell of some kind. Then, slowly, oh so slowly, he turned to stare at them with eyes of red.

Luna Two gasped. "It's…you…" she whispered.

T.K. suddenly felt like he was staring into the eyes of a demon. The expression looked like it was carved in stone, the eyes as hard as diamond. Not one single muscle twitched underneath the pale white skin.

Ghaleon's gaze went over each and every one of them, his gaze lingering on first Mimi, then Luna Two, and finally the weapon on Tai's waist, before settling on Alex's face. "Welcome to the Magic Guild of Vane, Alex of Burg," he said, in a monotone, even voice. "I am Ghaleon, Premier of the Guild. My apprentice Nash speaks quite highly of you, boy. He says that you passed the Trial of the White Dragon." His eyes narrowed. "If…that's true, perhaps you can help me."

Alex was nearly bowled down by those words. Ghaleon wanted his help?

"Nash also says that you seek to become the next Dragonmaster," Ghaleon continued, giving the green eyed boy a look over. "Looking at your frail form, I frankly say that I cannot imagine it…"  
Everyone who had only heard of Ghaleon through the local folklore bristled at this. Luna Two's eyes widened. Nall became incensed. Alex's own gaze became as hard as diamond.  
"What do ya mean!" Nall exclaimed. "Alex is more than strong enough!"

"And he's definitely more than capable," Tai added.

Ghaleon held up a hand to halt the flow of exclamations. "But," he continued, "I can feel the magical ability lurking inside yourself…and within Luna as well. Why don't you give up your misguided quest for the Dragons? You are far better suited to taking up the study of magic here at the Guild."

Alex almost groaned in frustration. _'What is it with everybody this week!'_ he thought. _'Royce, Phacia, Ghaleon…it's getting really annoying!'  
_

Apparently interpreting the expression on Alex's face correctly, Ghaleon allowed his expression to soften slightly. "It might not be as exciting as roaming the land, but you'll certainly live longer…"

Now Alex understood why Ghaleon was trying to change his mind. He read right between the lines; _So you don't end up like Dyne…_"That's a kind offer, sir," he said, struggling to maintain a respectable voice, "but I haven't spent my entire life dreaming about becoming a student. I've dreamed about becoming the next Dragonmaster…and now I can realize those dreams."

Nall's chest puffed out in pride. Luna Two's face lit up with a great deal of warmth. Greg chuckled inaudibly. Artemis looked around, and slapped Gomamon's fin in a high five motion.

Ghaleon's mouth twitched a bit. "You certainly seem to have made up your mind. I applaud your determination." He stepped forward a bit. "But I have heard rumors that a Dragonmaster has already been born in the town of Lann."

The Six's eyes widened. Alex's narrowed. "How is that possible?" he asked. "The only way a Dragonmaster can be born is if they have gone to the Black Dragon's Cave in the Stadius Zone! And that's only if he or she could find it!"

"Precisely. Therefore, I would like you to investigate this Dragonmaster for me, and determine his legitimacy." He paused for a second. "Or lack thereof," he added as an afterthought.

Alex nodded. "A fraudulent Dragonmaster could poison the name for years to come."

"The Guild's top mages agree with you." Ghaleon sat down behind his desk. "My steward will give you all the pertinent information that you will need. Nash, you shall accompany Alex and his group. Assist them in any way you can."

Nash bowed. "Yes, Master Ghaleon."

Rini looked up. "We're going to need supplies," she said.

Serena nodded. "And lot's of food too. Because I get the feeling Rei and the other Sailor Scouts are going to want to come with us."

Tai finished speaking with the steward. "I'll brief you all after we join up with the girls and Darien," he said. "Better start making a list of what we need now."

Everybody turned to go…except for Luna Two, who asked, "When we met before…why didn't you tell me who you were?"

Surprisingly, Ghaleon smiled for the first time in front of them. "Because there was no need, Luna. Besides, it was a pleasure to speak with someone who had a real appreciation for my music." He bowed once. "For once, perhaps you will allow to listen to yours…"

Luna Two smiled as well. "Perhaps…"

"I think he really meant that," Alex mused, grinning slightly. "But what did you mean by meeting him before? You were down in the parlor when we were looking around.

Luna Two smiled slightly. "I heard a song in the wind, and went to investigate, thinking it was you. Instead, it was Ghaleon, playing a song Dyne composed before he became Dragonmaster." She stopped suddenly. "Alex," she began, "your song is actually Dyne's song. Did you know that?"

Alex's eyes widened in surprise. "Dyne…wrote that song! No, no I didn't know that."

"You didn't? Then how could you put it down on paper so quickly?"

"It…came to me in a dream when I was younger," Alex explained, "right after my eighth birthday. I didn't put it down until I was twelve, when we started performing at the Goddess Festival." His eyes focused on the ground for a moment, as he was lost in thought. "Could it be that Dyne didn't create the song either?"

Izzy, apparently listening in on their conversation, turned to them. "It would explain a great many things," he said. "I mean, two Dragonmasters being able to play the same song without any altercations, and playing them on an ocarina. Perhaps it's a song that those who are destined to become Althena's most powerful warrior know instinctively."

Nall smiled. "Now that sounds sensible! Whaddya think, rabbit?"

Rini glared at him. "I think Izzy's right. Oh, yeah, don't call me rabbit!"

"Okay."

Tentomon reflected on their change of fortune as he hovered in midair. Not only were they hale and hearty, as well as being able to enter and leave Vane without going through that damn Trial again, they were also on a mission that would either save or destroy the legacy of the Dragonmaster, and all those who had held the mantle over the years. Still, no Trial ever again. Once was enough in his opinion.

Palmon sidled up next to him. "So, what do you think?" she asked quietly. "Is the time right?"

Tentomon pondered the question a bit. "No," he finally replied. "I mean, you have noticed the very simple fact that we only have three Digimon who can digi-volve to champion. For some reason, I don't think that that's going to be enough."

"What do you mean, digi-volve?" Mina asked. "And what are you two talking about?"

Tentomon sighed. He had met little kids who were less nosy than Sailor Venus. "We have the ability to evolve into stronger creatures by manipulating the digital data in our bodies. And we're trying to get Izzy and Mimi together. We've finished developing the plan, but we've run into a small problem. You see, Mimi is quite deadly with magic, as well as one hell of a punch, and Izzy is very proficient with a bow and arrow."

Mina grinned. "Ah, so you're playing matchmaker. Can I help? This my area of expertise."

"Feel free. Now, if you'll excuse me." Tentomon buzzed over to where Sora was standing. "How can you stand her?" he asked. "I've only known her for two hours, but she's already getting on my nerves."

Sora giggled. "It's a long story. Suffice to say, when my mom and I visited London a few years ago, we were set upon by…something. It said something about wanting our energy. Mina came and stopped it before any serious damage was done. That was back in the day when she was Sailor V. Then, she moved here to Tokyo. So I got to know her very well over the next year."

"So, you knew she was Venus?"

"Well, it took me a while," Sora replied, "but I eventually figured it out. It wasn't exactly difficult, but Mina just can't be…sad."

"So I've noticed. It just seems like she's a tad…loopy. Nowhere near Gomamon's level, just…loopy."

Biyomon began giggling. "Nice way of putting it," she said.

Sora smiled. "Well, look at it this way; She's still alive, so she must be doing something right."

"Good point." Tentomon looked to her right. "What about Lita and Mimi?" he asked.

"They're not speaking to each other," Biyomon replied, "so we don't have an all out war erupting right now."

"Hmm, progress already," Sora muttered. "I didn't expect that so soon."

"Oh he…heck yeah," Tentomon chimed in hastily.

Sora grinned. "Nice save, Tento."

"Thank you."

Tentomon buzzed on, locating Matt and the majority of the now extremely large group. They had just finished getting their equipment repaired, and in the most part, purchased new armor and weapons for the new members of the group.

It constantly amazed Tentomon how the armor would mold itself to their specific body structure, especially over their clothes. However, it no longer surprised him, so he didn't give any more attention than usual.

The Six, as the group of them had begun to call T.K., Kari, Mercury, Greg, Patamon and Gatomon, were speaking to Tai. Tentomon guessed that they were asking him about Racc and the Katana he now possessed.

Looking up, he saw Mimi practicing aerial maneuvers several feet above the air, apparently pushing her magical powers to the limit. It looked like she hadn't reached those limits, though. _'Makes you wonder if she has any limits,'_ the insect thought.

Mimi had become a mystery to him, as well as to the rest of them. Mimi had always been a cheerful, easy going, emotional, and extremely unwilling to fight. She had also been the stereotypical spoiled airhead as well, which didn't really surprise them in the least. She was, after all, the daughter of a businessman.

That had vanished, slowly but surely, over the last month and a half.

The new Mimi was a bit more somber, the enthusiasm and endless good charm tempered with a touch of pessimism. The flakiness had disappeared entirely, being replaced by a perceptiveness that was equal to Izzy. She didn't speak of home as much as the rest of them, but her expressive eyes spoke of a secret. A secret that even she didn't know. But they also spoke of other secrets, secrets that she did know. It also was surprising to see her with an extremely formidable temper.

_'Oh well.'_ Tentomon shrugged. _'We Digimon have a secret as well, one we don't remember.'_ He noticed Izzy staring at Mimi with the eye of someone who hadn't even blinked for a few minutes. Tentomon chuckled for a few moments before buzzing on.

Ghaleon walked out of the Magic Guild, his ever present monotone expression on his face. He stepped up to Sailor Pluto, and began speaking with her. Pluto nodded once, before turning to head over to Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. She spoke to them for a moment, which ended with Mars and Sailor Moon nodding once. They also began turning around, preparing to head over to Sailor Jupiter.

"Help!"

Everyone's heads snapped around at that desperate voice. Tentomon turned one eighty in the air. His eyes widened at what he saw.

A mage, battered and bloody, his robes torn, fell to the street, unconscious. Another mage, in slightly better condition, went to his knees, trying to cushion his fall. Both looked like they had been to Hell and back, which was reinforced by the broken arm that the conscious one was cradling to his chest

Tai and Sailor Mercury ran up to them, with the others not far behind them. Mercury immediately pulled out her computer, and began taking readings on the two of them. "They have taken a great deal of damage. I'm getting readings of cracked ribs, and some hairline fractures in their rib cage. And of course, the broken arm." Tai kneeled down next to them. "What happened?" he asked.

The mage looked up, and grunted. "We were…attacked…by some kind of monster. He kept…" He bent over in pain.

The next sequence of events happened all at once.

Mercury swiftly gathered the conscious one up, and tore for the Statue. Tai picked up the other one, and followed her. Izzy headed in the opposite direction, an arrow notched in his bow. Matt and Mars followed him. Sora ran to tell Joe, who immediately followed Tai and Mercury.

Tentomon buzzed around, completely confused. What had just happened? What had done that type of damage to them? How did they manage to escape? He watched as Izzy, Matt and Mars reached the Transmission Spring, and teleported down to the surface.

Mimi touched down. "What the hell just happened?" she asked.

Gabumon shrugged helplessly. "We don't have a clue, except that two mages were seriously hurt. Izzy, Matt and Rei went to check it out."

Mimi's gaze flew to the teleported. _'Izzy, please be careful,'_ she thought.

As if to soothe her, the three of them rematerialized, and ran back in their direction. Izzy had a look of extreme concern on his face, while Matt and Rei had grim expressions.

"Well?" Alex asked.

"It was definitely a monster of some kind," Mars reported. "Izzy was unable to get any confirmation as to what it may be…but, he thinks it may have been a Digimon."

Tentomon almost fell from the sky. "What! More Digimon, here!"

"Yes. Here." Izzy turned to stare back at the Spring. "And it looks like it's a big one." Gomamon groaned. "Great. More good news! And I thought we had enough problems!"

For a moment, silence reigned as everyone thought of the ramifications of what Izzy had told them. A renegade Digimon, on Lunar. It brought a whole new set of questions and problems.

"Let us hope," Pluto began, using the same even tone she always used, "that it isn't a Digimon…for all of our sakes."

"It was…huge," the mage explained, drinking a glass of water, "about the size of a gulag giant. It had pincers on both sides of it's mouth, as well as razor sharp teeth. It had a peculiar pattern on it's exo-skeleton, and was mostly reddish pink in color."

After he had been healed, Joe had wanted him sent to bed immediately, but Tai had stated that they needed to know what exactly they were dealing with. So they were now sitting in the Guild's cafeteria, listening to his report. And it confirmed Izzy's assessment of the situation.

Izzy got his computer out, and typed in a request. When the picture and bio of what he wanted came up, he turned it around so the mage could see it. "Is this the monster that attacked you?"

"Yes! That's exactly it!"

"Thank you." Izzy turned around. "We are dealing with Kuwaguamon, ladies and gentlemen," he stated turning his computer around so they could see.

Kuwaguamon: A champion level virus type Digimon. It is primarily located on File Island, although members of it's kind have been reported on the continent of Server. Strong physically, and packing exceptional defense due to it's exo-skeleton, it is a formidable warrior against creatures of equal level or lower.

Agumon sighed. "Guess we'll have to allow Birdramon have a go at him."

"Does…she possess any type of lightning or thunder attacks?"

"No. She's a fire/wind type."

"Then she would be wasting her time. The creature is invulnerable to all types of attacks and magic with the exception of lightning spells. And mine weren't strong enough to do any lasting damage."

Jupiter grinned. "Mine are," she said.

Mimi stood up. "So are mine."

"I'm a lightning elemental Digimon," Tentomon threw in.

"And my element is electricity." Nash turned to Ghaleon. "Request permission to delay our mission to Lann to deal with Kuwaguamon, sir."

"Permission granted. I suggest that only lightning based beings head out, though. There will be fewer bodies that this monster can go after, and it will allow all of you to strike more frequently."

"Good idea." Tai spoke a little louder. "Izzy, you'll be in charge."

Izzy sputtered. "W-what! Tai, I'm no leader! I don't know the first thing to being a leader. I don't even have one quality to being a leader!"

Rini giggled. "Don't worry. Just be like Sailor Moon, and make decisions based on your instincts."

"And get some leadership qualities on the road," Alex added. "Tai thinks you can do it, and so do I."

Nash thought about it, and reluctantly deciding not to challenge their decision, decided to give Izzy some encouragement. "Well, if you don't think you're up to it…" he began.

""I'll do it! Thanks!" Izzy stated quickly. "Now, which way did he go?"

"He went Southeast, heading for a forest near the mountains."

"Then that's where we're going. Alright, everyone with a lightning spell come with me. Bring snacks and other supplies."

Jupiter nodded. "And lets send that piece of crap packing," she threw in.

Racc stared as Knowledge, Sincerity, Sailor Jupiter, Ghaleon's apprentice, and Knowledge's Digimon stepped out of the Magic Guild, all of them speaking in subdued tones. He silently approved. You never knew if someone could be listening in. 'Knowledge is learning fast. Just like his predecessor,' he thought. 'He's more dangerous than Royce believes. And Sincerity! Why my brother finds her attractive is beyond me. She's too…soft.'

Suddenly, as if she knew they were being watched, Mimi's head slowly rose up, looking around. Racc immediately melted back into the shadows, closing his glowing eyes so he was completely submerged. 'She has developed her sixth sense, and more rapidly than anyone could have anticipated.' Still, he kept his eyes closed. His own senses were highly developed, but he wanted to open his eyes so he could actually make sure that they were gone. However, his eyes glowed, and were even more pronounced in dark places, even through the mask.

He felt their magical and digital signatures fade away as they moved farther away, and then suddenly stop. He took that to mean that they had teleported to the surface. He opened his eyes, and stepped out into the sun. Pulling out a communicator, he toggled it on. "Kuwaguamon, Knowledge and Sincerity are heading in your direction, alongside Sailor Jupiter, Nash of Vane, and Knowledge's Digimon. Give them a painful death if possible, but kill them, nevertheless."

'Got it, boss!"

Racc turned off the communicator, then activated it again. "Mistress," he said. "I have some news for you and our allies. Mimi's powers are becoming refined at an accelerating rate. The prophecy surrounding her is true. Will continue my mission until I have enough knowledge on Koushiro Izumi to make an accurate judgment. But I believe that he is the other one. Have our benefactors begin a scan of the Big Ten to find this 'boy who lived,' and that blasted genius girl that they say is as intelligent as a Guardian. Racc out." Snapping it shut, he grumbled, "This job is starting to become aggravating. All the more reason to find this boy, and kill these Digi-Destined before they become too much of a nuisance."

Somehow, though, he figured that it wasn't going to be that easy.

Two hours later saw the lot of them, with the notable exception of Tentomon, were on horseback, heading in the general direction of the Digimon contact. As they rode, all of them had personal thoughts that they entertained on the way.

Sailor Jupiter's thought were surprisingly simple. Her butt was already starting to kill her. "Why couldn't we have walked?" she grumbled. "I feel like I'm riding a donkey."

Mimi didn't say anything. She wasn't going to get into an argument over this. It wasn't worth it.

Nash turned around. "Are you always judgmental?" he asked. "It's just a simple creature."

"It isn't just a 'simple creature,'" Mimi interjected. "It can be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. Once you get to know your horse, it can also be the most reliable creature you can count on to see you out of a jam. It can also understand it's rider's emotional stress, among other things. And it's a great creature to talk to."

The brunette turned her head to stare at Mimi. "How do you know so much about horses?" she asked.

"Yeah, Mimi." Tentomon slowed down until he was right next to her. "How do you know so much about horses?"

Mimi hesitated before answering. After all, what would they think of her? Would they laugh, or would they not believe her? Finally, though, she decided that she should answer that.

"When I was younger," she began, "I used to volunteer at a horse ranch that used to be near Highton View Terrace. Of course, they only had ponies, but I didn't complain. My mom taught me everything I needed to know on horse handling, and the owner of the ranch showed me how to treat a horse. I even learned how to ride one. She was spirited," she added, her gaze wistful. "Then the Highton View Terrace battle took place, destroying the ranch, and Dad decided to move us to another part of the city. Afterwards, the only time I ever set foot on a ranch was when Dad took us on a business trip to America."

Izzy was wide eyed when she finished speaking. "I never knew that about you," he said quietly. "You never told us."

Mimi sighed. "I know. It's just a small bit of the past that I think about sometimes, when I'm alone. I never told any of the girls I went to school with, because I wanted to fit in."

Nash grinned. "Well, I'm glad you told us," he declared. "It shows maturity, and a great deal of trust in your friends. Maybe, as you all grow closer, you'll tell them more about yourself."

Tentomon felt a feeling of happiness go through him as Mimi smiled. "So, now then, we're in agreement that the mystery surrounding Mimi has decreased a little?"

Everyone else grinned at this. Mimi felt a surge of real jot going through her.

"I've got a question," Jupiter said suddenly, "and it has nothing to do with horses. How'd you figure out that we were Sailor Scouts? I mean, myself and the other girls."

For a few moments, Mimi was silent, but it wasn't because she was trying to find an answer. "I didn't immediately, and no one told me. After a few weeks, I began noticing similarities between Sailor Moon and Serena, as well as Mars and Rei, so I began putting the pieces together. And when you girls were on the television, I recorded your images, and began looking through my old school photos. You, I have to admit, show the same joy in your cooking and fighting. Mina…well…I would have to dumb and deaf to not make the connection. And let's face it, battling you for the title of Junior High champion of Japan is a highlight of my recent life."

"Aside from being a Digi-Destine?" Nash asked.

"Aside from that, yeah."

Izzy immediately realized something. "You're not really a ditz, are you?"

Mimi shook her head. "No, I'm not," she replied. "It's really a disguise that I use in public, and around the other rich snobs."

"But why?"

"Well, you know what I mean when I say this, Izzy. Try having an I.Q. greater than most children your age, which is about age nine. Try reading a book when the other children play on the playground, and the boys bully you. I was also a tad bit pessimistic toward life. Still am, now that I think about it." She hesitated. "Then there are the body defects," she added quietly.

Tentomon perked up. "Body defects?" he asked.

Mimi hesitated once again. " I have a series of different colored lines going all over my body. Don't ask me if they form any patterns, because I haven't looked at them in a long time. This isn't my natural hair color, either. And no, I'm not a demon…at least, I hope I'm not. I was born and bred on Earth. I don't want to show them, either." She bowed her head. "I also have reading glasses," she added quietly.

"That's what you're embarrassed about?" Tentomon asked. "I'd be more embarrassed if I had acne."

"Well, I don't, so I must be embarrassed about something." Mimi stuck her tongue out at him in mock annoyance. "So don't criticizing me!"

Jupiter laughed, her hostility for the younger woman disappearing." Now, about that hair…"

"Not a chance in Hell, Lita."

Nash chuckled. "That was fast," he murmured to Izzy.

"Better sooner than later," Izzy replied.

Tentomon felt his blood grow cold as glacier ice. "It was definitely Kuwaguamon," he said. "No other Digimon's pincers could cause this much damage."

Before the small group was the remains of a large number of monsters, as well as a large number of trees looking like they had been physically uprooted. The monsters themselves had been sliced in half, or crushed like a bunch of crackers. Some had their limbs knawed off, and one didn't even have a head.

Jupiter gagged. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Nash looked nauseous. "I'm going to be nauseous, and then I'm going to be sick."

"Izzy, why couldn't you be wrong for once?" Mimi asked.

"I share the same thought. And I don't have any really good plans of attack." He looked up. "Okay, Kuwaguamon is a flying type, so he'll attack from the air as his first strike." He turned his attention to the others. "Mimi, I want you and Tentomon in the air for reconnaissance. Nash, you and Jupiter are going to be our heavy hitters on the ground. I'll try to hit him in his throat, as a Digimon normally has to shout out his attack before it can be used multiple times. It will also neutralize his primary mode of attack. Any questions?" he asked.

Tentomon raised a claw. "I do; What am I supposed to do him? Annoy him to death?"

Izzy grinned. "No, I expect that at the right moment, you'll be able to digi-volve. Until that happens though, annoying Kuwaguamon seems right up your alleyway."

"Glad to be of help." Tentomon looked up. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'd say that he was waiting for us."

"Huh?" Mimi looked up as well. "Oh, shit," she muttered. "Get out of the way!"

Immediately, the others heeded her warning, and urged their horses into a gallop. Even Jupiter, who was now holding on for dear life, was moving…just as the giant insect in question slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dirt into the air. A second later, Kuwaguamon got back up on his two clawed feet. "Hello," was all he said. "Glad you could come, boys and girls."

Mimi glared. "Glad to be here. You do realize that we are going to have to kick your giant insect ass, now."

"Feel free to try!" Kuwaguamon lunged forward instantly after saying those words.

Jupiter immediately kicked the sides of her horse, and jumped off. Startled, her mount tore off in one direction. Now airborne herself, the Senshi of Jupiter waited until the Digimon's head was underneath her, then brought her feet together. Falling straight down, she drove herself like a spear down upon Kuwaguamon's head. With a roar, Kuwaguamon slammed into the ground quite against his will. Jupiter leaped up again, landing a few feet away from where she had drilled Kuwaguamon.

"Nice," Tentomon stated. "I don't think I could have done as well."

Jupiter nodded, then turned around. "Jupiter…Thunder…Crash!" she intoned.

A small lightning rod appeared on her tiara, extending upward. It's purpose; to collect the charged ion particles in the air, concentrate it into one area, and transform it into a powerful attack. One that was so powerful, that only Sailor's Moon and Pluto were stronger.

And at that particular moment, it was solely concentrated on the cloud of dirt where Kuwaguamon was currently residing in.

The attack released itself in the form of a lightning bolt, collecting power as it flew through the air. Nash's hair actually crisped for a moment.

Kuwaguamon exploded into the air, as the blast struck the spot it had originally occupied, causing the cloud to expand by factor of two. Kuwaguamon immediately flew at Jupiter. She jumped out of the way, causing him to collide with the ground. "Hey! Stand still!"

"Not a chance in Hell!" Jupiter shot back. She leaped again as Kuwaguamon snapped at her again.

Izzy released an arrow at the Digimon, who simply let it bounce off his shell. "Gotta do better than that, Digi-Destine! SCISSOR CLAW!"

"Aw, Hell." Nash once again urged his mount into a gallop, heading in another direction. He turned around as Kuwaguamon's pincers snapped closed, missing Izzy by an inch. "Alright, if that's how you want to play. Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"

"SUPER SHOCKER!"

Kuwaguamon, who had just leaped, got the collective attacks in it's leg, causing it to spasm uncontrollably for several minutes. He let out a slight grunt of pain.

Tentomon gave a shout of surprise. "Well, looks like the information was right. This one's weak against electricity!" Outside Kuwaguamon's range, Mimi dismounted. "Everyone dismount!" she shouted. "Tentomon, drive them away from the battle!" With that, she shot into the air, heading right at their much larger adversary.

"And how'd ya like me to do that! Feed them hay? Shoot lightning at them…hold on. SUPER SHOCKER!"

Tentomon, acting on his accidentally realized idea, shot his attack at the ground next to the horses, forcing them into a panic. And as all animals do, they ran for their lives. Another Super Shocker stopped them when they reached the new edge of the forest. "Now stay," he said, heading back to the area of battle.

"Lightning Strike!"

"Jupiter…Thunder…Dragon!"

Mimi's lightning bolt was even more pronounced than before. Sailor Jupiter conjured up a massive Japanese-style dragon, completely made of electricity. Both flew through the air with authority.

"Whoa! Massive Charge!" Kuwaguamon, knowing that if they hit he was toast, practically sprinted into the air again.

Mimi's attack split into multiple strikes, forcing the Digimon into evasive maneuvers, while Jupiter's struck him in his shocked leg. His grunt of pain was more pronounced than before.

Tentomon flew back into the fray, preparing to make a flying pest of himself, pun and all. He brought his own diminutive pincers down upon Kuwaguamon's head, and started to pick.

Kuwaguamon's fist caught Nash in the side of his head, throwing him several feet through the air into Jupiter. Both fell to the ground, stunned. Then the Digimon try to grab his small counterpart, though with no success.

Izzy notched another arrow, and took careful aim. 'I only get one chance at this,' he thought, his mouth becoming a thin line. One eye closed, and he concentrated with every ounce of his being.

"SUPER SHOCKER!"

Kuwaguamon barely flinched as Tentomon hit him with another attack. "What was that! A mosquito!"

"Yeah!" Tentomon retorted. "You got a problem with that? You're welcome to try and shut me up!" Kuwaguamon turned, and in that one moment, his throat was exposed.

Izzy released!

Like a hawk, the arrow flew through the air, hitting it's target perfectly. Kuwaguamon gagged for a second, before pulling the little weapon out of his throat. "No fair!" "Hey, we're not the ones who attacked first!" Izzy shouted. "Jupiter, teach him what it's like to be a cripple!"

Jupiter obliged, ramming her fist into the Digimon's leg. Her Amazonian like strength, and sheer nastiness in battle allowed her to do a considerable amount of damage. In this case, it involved the snapping of Kuwaguamon's leg.

Now the first shriek of pain in the entire battle was heard for miles around. Travelers stopped in their tracks, looking around in confusion.

The pain quickly turned to rage, the shriek into a roar, and Kuwaguamon, now hobbling on one foot, turned his attention to Lita.

The next sequence of events were almost too fast to see.

All Lita knew was that one moment, Kuwaguamon was trying to clutch his broken leg, the next, she was caught in his pincers. 'Oh, boy, I'm in trouble,' was what she thought.

Kuwaguamon growled. "I may not be able to use my attacks," he rasped, "but I can still crush you like a can!" With that, he began to squeeze.

Now, any ordinary person would already be dead now. However, Jupiter was anything but. Her enhanced endurance allowed her to take more punishment, and thus, make it more difficult to kill her. Still, it would also make it more painful as well.

Izzy's mind raced as he tried to come up with a half workable plan, some last ditch solution to save his new friend. However, every plan he did come up with was useless against this type of monster. Kuwaguamon was too large to try and attack head on, and with Jupiter in his grasp, it would be impossible to shoot an arrow into his mouth.

Jupiter grunted as her body began to compress slightly. She put more of her power into her frame, but it wasn't going to last.

Izzy looked at Tentomon, then back at Jupiter, then back at Tentomon. Suddenly, something clicked, and he pulled out his computer. 'Of course! Tentomon digi-volved the first time when I boosted his electrical power using a power core! And that was powered by electricity!' A quick plan began forming, and it was so crazy, that he didn't even believe that he was considering it. But it was all he had.

"Nash!" Izzy shouted. "Hurtle a Thunder Bomb at Tentomon!"

"What! Have you lost it!" I'll destroy him if I do that!"

Mimi landed. "Nash, Tentomon is an electrical type Digimon," she reminded him. "He can use the power to digi-volve to Champion, and save Jupiter!" Her head snapped around as Jupiter groaned in pain. "She won't last much longer! Just do it!"

Nash nodded, his eyes conveying what he actually thought of the plan. However, he agreed with them. They had to do something. The use of a spell like that, one which was created solely for combat, for another use was extremely difficult. And even Nash wouldn't brag about doing that, even if he could. Muttering a quick prayer to Goddess, he braced himself.

"Check this out! Thunder Bomb!"

Once more, a powerful sphere of electricity formed above their heads, crackling with unleashed power. However, Nash, applied his will power to it, and forced it to move to a different target.

Tentomon, instantly realizing what Izzy had planned, held his wings protective covering up like a set of lightning rods. 'Izzy,' he thought uneasily, 'if this doesn't work, I'm never speaking to you again!'

The Thunder Bomb hit Tentomon's wings, followed by the usual explosion. Tentomon was near Kuwaguamon, so all Kuwaguamon thought about it was that Nash had lousy aim at that time. He glared at them. "You missed."

Nash grinned. "Actually, I didn't!"

Izzy's Digi-vice activated.

"TENTOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…KABUTERIMON!"

Kuwaguamon's pincers separated, dropping Jupiter in surprise. Then they were closed forcibly by a giant blue insects fist.

Nash looked up. "Whoa."

Kabuterimon stood up, tall and proud…well, as tall as an insect could on two legs. His color had changed to, becoming a deep blue. His head was now protected by a hard blue skull helmet, complete with a giant horn on his head. And he was now the same size as Kuwaguamon.

And he was currently staring at his fellow insect with a look of irritation on him.

Jupiter stretched every muscle out of her body, feeling every ache. "Talk about the big squeeze. Any problems with me deleting him?"

Mimi gestured. "Give him Hell."

Jupiter's feral grin appeared on her face as she turned around, her hands crackling with electricity. "Jupiter…Thunderclap…Zap!"

Using her hands this time, she created a sphere of energy, made more potent by her irritation. With an underhand motion, she tossed it at him.

Kabuterimon slammed himself into Kuwaguamon, forcing him to stagger, then flew up into the air, out of the way. Jupiter's attack slammed into the Digimon, not only knocking Kuwaguamon back several feet, but also electrocuting him so badly that, if he actually had a skeletal structure inside his body, it would have been visible for a moment.

Kuwaguamon shook it off, before taking off into the air, aiming at the hovering Kabuterimon. Kabuterimon went into motion as well, heading at his opponent.

The two insects collided head on, not even bothering with finesse. Kuwaguamon's pincers snapped around Kabuterimon's neck. Kuwaguamon's fists were slamming into Kuwaguamon's face.

For a few seconds, the two monsters fought viciously in the air, disengaging and doing an awkward fist fight. Izzy and the others watched from the sidelines, wishing they had some popcorn

"Do we help them?" Nash asked nonchalantly.

"Not really. I'm kinda enjoying this," Mimi replied.

"SCISSOR CLAW!"

Kabuterimon grabbed the two pincers before they could close, holding them open. Then he pulled…hard.

Kuwaguamon practically screamed in pain as his pincers were literally torn off. He was silenced when Kabuterimon slammed both of his feet into his face. He plummeted to the ground.

Kabuterimon brought his hands together. "ELECTRO SHOCKER!" he roared, creating a sphere of energy, similar to Jupiter's, though not as powerful.

It served it's purpose.

With a growl of exertion, he released it, hurtling it at Kuwaguamon's falling form. "Have a jolt, punk!" he smirked.

Kuwaguamon's roar of pain echoed as his already frazzled nervous system took another giant shock, decimating most of it's power, and almost destroying it right then and there. He slammed into the ground, half dead and looking like a cooked lobster.

For a moment, the small group was tense, as they waited for the Digimon to get back up. Kabuterimon was hovering above Kuwaguamon, waiting for him to try and attack again.

But there was nothing. Their fallen enemy breathed in and out raggedly, trying to push himself up to his feet, but falling back down. He turned his head to glare at them.

Izzy stepped forward, another arrow ready. "Alright, we know that you couldn't have gotten here by yourself. So you tell us how you did get here, and I'll ease your suffering."

Kuwaguamon laughed, wincing every other chortle. "How I got here is none of your business, Izumi," he spat. "Why I am here is obvious."

"Actually, it isn't. So why don't you enlighten us?" Kabuterimon landed, keeping his gaze on Kuwaguamon.

"You mean, you don't know?" The Digimon laughed again, beginning to cough up blood. "Gennai didn't tell you, Izumi, or you, Tachekawa? And here I thought he would have told you two the second he met you. I mean, any Digimon with a stitch of intelligence saw in the two of you." He managed to get himself up to a kneeling position.

Mimi stared at him. "Saw what?" she asked

"That you're not exactly…normal. Even for Digi-Destined."

Mimi's eye's widened, then narrowed. "You're lying."

"Am I?"

Jupiter stepped forward. "Gee, what was your first clue?" she snarled. "I'm not exactly normal either! Now why are you here?"

Kuwaguamon finally staggered to his feet. "To kill you!" With that, he lunged, mouth open.

Izzy, moving faster than he had ever moved before, had rolled out of the way, landed on one knee, had aimed his bow, and released. Nor was he the only one. The others also had struck, a deluge of lightning that rivaled that of a small thunderstorm.

For a second, the enemy was like a transparent version of himself, as more than ninety thousand volts ripped through his body. Izzy's arrow embedded itself deep in his windpipe, acting as a conductor.

Kuwaguamon was out before he hit the ground, quite dead, before disintegrating into a billion shards of data, vanishing into the lunarian air.

Nash was unnerved upon watching this. "Umm, where's the body?" he asked shakily.

"Being reformatted," Izzy replied.

"When a Digimon is destroyed, their digital data is returned to Primary Village in the Digital World, where they're reborn," Kabuterimon explained. "Though, now that I think about it, they just come back, ready to kick our asses."

"Now that brings new meaning to the term 'never ending war," Jupiter stated grinningly.

"Pretty much. Right, Izzy…Izzy?"

Izzy was silent.

"Yo, Izzy!"

Izzy snapped out of it. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking. Let's get our horses, and head back to Vane."

Nodding, Kabuterimon de-digivolved, rather perplexed. 'Wonder what he meant by that,' he thought. 'I mean, Izzy is as normal as everyone else. And Mimi knows for a fact that she isn't normal. So what's the big deal?'

Tentomon shunted that thought to the back of his mind. It wasn't even worth considering. After all, Kuwaguamon was nothing more than a creep who loved to hurt people. Lying was right up his alley.

"Hey! You coming?" Jupiter shouted. "Or do you happen to like it here?"

Tentomon snapped out of it. "Sorry, coming!"

The shadow watched from afar as they began their long trek back to the magic city as he pulled out a communicator. "Racc, they have defeated Kuwaguamon. Tentomon has regained the ability to digi-volve. We will need to observe them more, though he did place doubt in their minds. I shall call Kiurk to observe them as they head to Lann. I am returning to the Frontier. My services are required."

He shut off his communicator, staring at them for a few seconds longer. "Impressive," he murmured. "Most impressive."

Racc growled, deactivating his communicator. "I hate those Digi-Destined and Sailor Scouts," he growled.


	24. Episode Twenty Two: The Nanza Pass

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Twenty Two: The Nanza Pass**

Tai kept his gaze on the small group that was standing in front of him, Sailor Moon and Alex beside him. "Kuwaguamon said _that_?" he asked, incredulous. "He might as well have said I was a piece of cheese!"

"And apparently, any Digimon with a stitch of intelligence is supposed to have seen it," Tentomon added. "But why, I don't know. I've never noticed anything different about Izzy, and I'm beside him almost every day."

Alex nodded in agreement. "And no one why he said that to you?"  
"Someone does," Izzy replied. "Gennai."

Serena noted the bitterness Izzy's voice. While she was as dense as a door nail, she could tell that this Gennai person and Izzy had a fondness for each other, and didn't keep anything from each other.

Everyone's attention focused on Izzy. "You think Gennai knows what Kuwaguamon meant by that?" Agumon asked.

"It doesn't matter." Tai waved a hand dismissively. "Kuwaguamon is nothing more than a liar. He'd do anything to cause discord."

Mimi shook her head. "He was telling the truth. I could feel it. He didn't have any reason to lie. We had him beaten, and at our mercy. And who would lie, then attack in a final, suicidal attack, that he knew wasn't going to succeed? It just doesn't add up."

"Hmm, good point. So, any ideas?"

Izzy shook his head. "I'm going to try and figure it out on the way."

"Then please do," Nash suddenly stated, speaking for the first time in the entire conversation. "Our mission waits for no one."

"Agreed." Alex turned to Tai and Sailor Moon. "Get your teams together, and tell them to get enough provisions to last several weeks. We may not see a stop point for a long time."

The two other leaders nodded.

"Antidotes?"

"Check."

"Healing Nuts?"

"Check."

"Cleansing Water?"

"Check."

"Small, winged creature?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, T.K."

"I aim to please, Patamon."

As the two of them chuckled over their little joke, Kari and Rini observed them from a short distance. "Ya know, T.K. is kinda cute," Rini mentioned, then rethought that. "Wait, he's not kinda cute. He's really cute…in a nine year old sort of way."

Kari giggled. "Yes, he is."

"And what are you two looking at?" Gatomon asked, walking up.

"T.K." Both girls answered at once.

"Why are you two doing that?"

Both girls blushed. "Ummm…no reason," Kari stammered.

Her Digimon partner didn't look convinced. "Uh, huh. Kari Kamiya, do you have a crush on T.K.?"

"No!" Kari's blush went even darker. "T.K.'s my best friend!"  
"Right. Well, see you around, lover girl." With that, Gatomon walked away, chuckling to herself.

Kari sagged as her partner walked away. "Wonder if mommy and daddy ever had these problems?" she asked.

"I know mine did, 'cept they were always at each other's throats."  
"I still can't believe that you're from the future."

"I still can't believe I'm in the past. And I've been here for a full year."  
"Good point."

Rini giggled, then looked. "I think the air and meatball head is finally ready."

T.K. walked up. "And why do you call Serena meatball head?" he asked.

Now it was Rini's turn to blush bright red. "Um, because of her hair style, and because she lets me."

"Ah."

Tai and Darien observed the three children from a distance. "Now there's friendship," Tai noted. "Your kid and my sister being embarrassed being around T.K."

Darien laughed. "Well, Rini's very lonely in the Twentieth Century, because she doesn't have that many friends in her age group." He stared at his future daughter with a wistful expression on his face. "You know, it's like you think you know everything about your life, and what your future will bring…"

"…and then you find out something that you never knew about yourself," Tai finished, his gaze darkening.

The Prince of Earth caught his expression. "This isn't about the future, is it?"

Tai shook his head. "Darien, have you ever have a day where you think you knew everything about someone, but suddenly found out something about them that blew you away?"

Darien thought about the day he had learned that Sailor Moon and Serena were one and the same. "Oh, I have had a few of those days. Why do you ask?"

Tai took a deep breath, not knowing how to answer that. "I found out something about someone who I thought I knew," he finally settled on. "I thought that he was a simple man, living a simple life…well, as simple as a life in Tokyo is." He looked at his sword. "Now I learn that not only was he from Lunar, but that he was a great warrior. Makes being a businessman seem rather tame in comparison."

"Guess the saying's true; We learn something new everyday."

"Did it have to be so late, though?"

(Better late than never, people always say.)

'Thanks for your two cents.'

Darien chuckled. "Well, we better get going. From what I've read, Dragonmasters are notoriously difficult to defeat…or even find."

"Which means that either he's a fraud, or extremely incompetent. Neither really bodes well with me," Agumon stated, walking up. "We're leaving now, so you two better get to your horses."

"Alright, then. Let's go."

And with those words, so began one of the largest alliances of heroes ever conceived.

If an observer was watching the roads at noon, he would have seen one of the most amazing sights that would ever graced the land of Lunar.

Eight Digi-Destined, six Sailor Scouts, eight Digital Monsters, six ordinary people, and three felines, one who possessed the ability to fly, were now making their way steadily to the Nanza Barrier. No one had ever seen such a group before. Certainly, people of various strengths, personalities, and civilization had banded together to defend, or to simply have a great adventure. Never before had they ever banded together in such large numbers, or in the presence of monsters. Granted, people did keep monsters as companions, but most of them were kept on leashes. And none of them had the ability to talk.

"We must look like we're out of our minds," T.K. grumbled, sitting on top of Garurumon, Matt right behind him.

Pluto shrugged from her mount. "I've seen weirder things," she said. "And let me tell you, in all my long life, this isn't so bad."

"We don't doubt it." Serena shifted slightly in discomfort. "I must have gotten the toughest saddle, and the roughest horse."

"Now you know how I feel," Joe grumbled.

Lilika smiled. "Oh, I don't know," she said shyly, scratching the top of her horse's head, before looking at Joe with very open eyes.

Joe blushed. "Um, sure," he stammered slightly.

Rini giggled as he said this, before turning to Kari. "Lilika's sure getting Joe wrapped around her finger," she whispered.

Kari laughed.

Greg listened as Lita and Mimi argued over various little details about cooking. "Geez, what happened?" he asked Amy. "Lita is quick to suspicion, quick to lull?"

Amy giggled. "I think Jupiter got a measure of Mimi on their mission, and found it to her liking. Faster than usual."

"Is that all?"

"Pretty much."

Gatomon grinned. "Mimi does have that effect on people."

Amy's grin became wistful. "I know. And so does Serena and Rei, all too well."

All conversation halted as they did, almost two days after they had ridden from Vane. Nash rode up to the front, gesturing grandly. "We have arrived at the Nanza Pass," he proclaimed. Everyone crowded around him to look.

Patamon looked somewhat crestfallen. "Well…that's different." He kept what he really wanted to say to himself. Telling Nash that he was exaggerating a great deal didn't seem like a good idea at the moment.

The Nanza Pass was in actuality a vast range of mountains, with a single path in the center of it. It wasn't very elaborate, nor did it house the ancient remains of a civilization. It was simply…there.

"Was the mountain path made?" Izzy asked. "Or is it the natural result of erosion?"

"Who knows?" Nash made an indifferent gesture. "The point of that matter is that it's there. And it's crawling with monsters."

Izzy's computer was out in an instant. "Well, let me see what we have in here." He typed on his keyboard for a moment, his narrowing. "Wait a minute. Something in the mountain is blocking my sensor!"  
"Now you're naming your functions. Oh, goody. Can you name one of them, mini Nall?"

"Quiet, and let them man work," Alex hissed.

T.K. and Kari looked at each other, and then nodded as one, agreeing on an unspoken revelation. Izzy still spent too much time on his computer.

Thirty seconds later, the reason behind the interference became perfectly clear, as the Digi-Destined of Knowledge rode over to the side of the mountain, and took a closer look. "Hey, Alex, Nash. Could you two come over here, and tell me what this rock is?"  
Alex and Nash approached, looked at the rock that Izzy was talking about, and practically breathed in sharply in surprise.

"Kelbonite," Alex whispered. "Pure, unrefined, kelbonite."

The others stared at them. "What's kelbonite?" Darien asked.

Surprisingly, Pluto was the one who spoke. "Kelbonite is an extremely rare substance in our universe that can block scanning equipment and most forms of teleportation, be they magical or technological. It's also very difficult to refine and put into practical use, but when it's possible, it can make a person stronger, faster, and tougher then most of his peers, and with no lasting side effects. However, it is, as I said, extremely rare…well, in our universe, anyways."

"Well, it's actually quite common on Lunar," Nash stated. "It can be found in just about every rock and mountain throughout the Silver Star. It's the refined form that's very rare. Only the most powerful of mages can successfully purify it. The only other beings I've read about that can do that are the Dragonmasters, the Goddess Althena herself, and her six Guardians."

"It's refined form is rare?" Alex seemed very surprised. "I thought it was very common. I have a piece of it with me." With that, he pulled something out if his pocket, showing it to them. Curious, everyone crowded in around him to see.

What it was became clear as they stared at it; A single crystal, as clear as glass, though with a bluish tint to it. It was cleverly shaped, like someone had cut it like a diamond. It was also developed in exquisite detail, down to the wings, which actually seemed life-like.

Nash rode in, shocked. "I would never have thought that a commoner would get his hands on a piece of refined kelbonite," he whispered. "Where did you get this?"

Alex shrugged. "I found it at the bottom of the lake back home. I was swimming one day, and saw something shimmer in the light. When I went to investigate, I found this. It's shaped like a Dragon," he added unnecessarily.

Luna Two nodded. "I remember that day. You showed it to me. It was last year, if I recall correctly. You came up to the shore, and handed me it, then went back to swimming." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Several minutes later, you got out. You didn't know I was still there, at least, you didn't until you turned around."

"And we'll leave it that!" Nall suddenly shouted hastily. "These guys really don't need to hear the gory details!"

"Gory details?" Nash echoed, perplexed. "What gory details?"

Luna Two blushed. "Well, let's just say that I learned more about Alex in those fifteen seconds than I did in the last fourteen years."

The females immediately grasped what she meant by that, except for Kari and Rini, of course.

"We'll have to talk to you about that later," Trista remarked casually, smiling wickedly.

Tai turned to look at Alex. "Do we want to know?" he asked.

"Not particularly," Alex replied, squirming a little bit.

Mimi grinned for a moment, then said, "Well, getting back to the topic at hand, I was always wondering what this was." And with that, she pulled a necklace from underneath her shirt.

Nash almost pulled a Peter Pan, flying off his mount in shock. "You…you have…a piece of refined kelbonite?" he stammered.

Pluto was also shocked. "How is that possible!"

Mimi shrugged. "My mom said that it was a family heirloom, being in the family for several generations. She never told me what mineral it was." She took a closer look at it. "Now that I think about it, this kind of looks like it molded into some form of a family crest," she added.

Upon closer inspection, they realized that it did indeed look like a crest; The Crest of Sincerity, overlapping another shape. They couldn't tell what it was, though.

"Oh, well." Nash, having recovered, shrugged. "I can tell you this. A piece of kelbonite, refined and made into something, is worth more than all the Dragon Diamonds on Lunar right now. And I know how those are made." He looked at them both. "Remember this well, you two. Tell no one of this. Everyone will want to get their hands on those, and some of them won't care if they have to kill to obtain them. Be on your guard."

Alex and Mimi nodded.

"What is it with all of these treasure chests just laying all over the place!" Izzy finally shouted. "The Dragon Cave, the Weird Woods, the Old Woman's Forest, the sewers of Meribia, the Magic Guild Trial, and now here! What is going on here!"

"And Izzy explodes," T.K. murmured to Rini, who giggled softly. _'She has a really nice giggle,'_ he thought to himself absently. "I thought it would have been sooner."

Kari stared at them, not knowing what she was feeling at that particular moment. It lifted when T.K. looked at her, holding her gaze for a moment, and winking, before turning to see what Nash's answer would be.

Nash stared at the chest speculatively. "You know, I have no clue on this one," he finally said.

"Do you ever?" Agumon grumbled, glaring back at Nash, who had turned to give him a piercing stare.

"Oh, great. Who would know?"

"Althena," Artemis and Luna One said at the same time.

"Are you glad that your Kari's partner?" Tentomon whispered to Gatomon. "I mean, having a partner who asks questions is alright, but the way Izzy pursues it is absolutely scary."

Gatomon looked at him. "You're telling me."

Alex stepped up, getting ready to open it. "Oh, well. Let's just open it, and get whatever it is out of it."

And Greg, who suddenly had a burst of caution, ran for Alex, shouting, "Alex, wait-"

He was a tad too late, as Alex had already opened the chest, trying to see what was inside. He found out soon enough.

A pinkish colored cloud suddenly shot out of the chest, enveloping Alex and Greg, hiding them from view. The others backpedaled immediately, trying to see if they were still in there.

"What the hell! Sorry Sora." Tai dismounted, walking to the edge of the cloud, trying to peer in.

(Don't enter the cloud.) His sword shouted.

'Gee, like I needed the warning!' Tai replied. _'But someone needs to get in there! They could be hurt!'_

Tai replied. 

Suddenly, as if to help him relax, Greg suddenly walked out of there. "Everyone, stay back! It's confusion dust!"

"Phercia Flowers!" Amy spat, getting off her horse. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but Alex sure isn't!"  
As if to add strength to his remark, Alex suddenly emerged from the cloud, sword swinging. And he was heading for Tai.

Tai immediately had his katana out, blocking Alex's downward stroke. He immediately pushed back, making the confused man stumble a few feet back. "Everyone, stay back! I want him focused on me only! Keep your eyes open for any monsters that might show up!"  
As if to punctuate his orders, several giant bugs suddenly shot out of the chest, hovering for a few minutes, then dived.

Izzy opened his computer, noting that the monster identification function was still working. He pointed the screen at the attacking bugs.

Slumber Moth: A moth whose power rivals that of the Giga Wasp, the Slumber Moth is more dangerous. It's greatest power is it's sleeping powder, which is strong enough to put a beastman to sleep for several hours.

"Ooh, boy." Izzy put his computer away. "And Alex is out of it," he added.

T.K. jumped off of Garurumon, heading in Alex's direction. "Kari, Patamon, Gatomon! Deal with the Slumber Moths!" he ordered. "Greg, Mercury, you're with me! We need to knock some sense into Alex!"

Kari blinked. The way he issued orders, with such confidence and strength, made her think of Tai. However, she reacted instantly, sliding off of Tai's horse, and heading into the thick of the battle.

The Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined reacted as well, without spoken orders, and began striking at the Moths as they came within range.

Darien, having transformed into Tuxedo Mask, produced what looked like a whole garden of roses, and let them loose. Jupiter released a powerful Supreme Thunder. The two of them created a slight distinction of being electrifying, and rather thorny.

Venus forced her mount to be still, so she could aim. And aim she did. _"Venus…Crescent…Meteor!"_

From her finger, a series of pure gold blasts erupted, striking with unerring accuracy upon a group of Slumber Moths.

"Mars…Fire…Ignite!"

Mars unleashed a hellion of flame, one that made a bonfire seem positively tame in comparison. It scorched through the sky, taking out any flying creature that didn't have a right to be there.

The Digimon made themselves very well known, methodically taking them out one by one.

Tai continued to defend himself admirably, never launching an attack of his own, simply content to let Alex tire himself out. There was only one problem with his strategy; Alex didn't seem to be tiring.

"Sword Dance!"

"Oh shit. _Flaming attack!"  
_Tai, having uttered a phrase off the top of his head, suddenly became a blur, as his sword blocks became much faster, enabling him to block Alex's attack with ease. Still, he kept him at bay. Still, he did not press his advantage.

T.K. came in, his sword out of it's scabbard. "Alex, Snap out of it! It's us, your friends!" he shouted.

Alex's head snapped around, and he disengaged from Tai, instead swinging at the little boy. T.K. blocked it, and then pushed back. Alex stumbled backwards, falling right into Mercury's arms, who soon had him pinned. "Greg, sometime this year!" she shouted.

"Light Scepter Activation!"

Kari's scepter lit up, releasing it's attack in a blast of power, obliterating a clustered group in mere moments. She saw Patamon blow another group away with his Boom Bubble, and Gatomon simply sliced them into several different pieces as they came into range. _'Not much of a challenge.'_

Greg absently swatted another moth as he reached the struggling form of Alex. He stared at him for a moment, then slapped him hard.

Then again.

And again.

On the fourth attempt, Alex's hand snagged his in midair. "I think," he rasped, "you convinced me. You can let go of me now." Mercury did so, allowing Alex to rub his wrists. "Did you have to slap me so hard?"

Greg grinned. "Just be glad that you can be brought out of it. You need to slap someone several times to accomplish it, though."

"That's good to know. Were those Slumber Moths I saw?"

"Yep."

Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon worked with an ease that none have seen from them before. They were so in tune that when one ducked, the moths actually hit themselves. In fact, in the time that it took to restrain Alex, the moths had all been made extinct.

"All right, guys!" Kari high-fived first Patamon, then her own Digimon partner. "Patamon, I never knew that you could bend like that."

"Neither did I," Patamon replied, grimacing. "I think I'll wait until I've digi-volved into Angemon before I do that again."

Gatomon removed one of her gloves, rubbing the paw underneath it. "That makes two of us. Trying to hit two Moths is no fun." She rubbed for a few minutes more, before realizing what she was doing. She looked up.

Kari was staring at her paw, more noticeably, the red, ugly scars that adorned that paw. She looked at Gatomon. "Gatomon, did Myotismon…?"

"Yeah," was the brusque reply she received as her partner shoved her paw back into her glove. "Let's get going."

Kari stared at her partner as she walked away, trying to figure her out. Whenever Gatomon talked about her former master, she got that hard, ice-cold gaze, and her answers were brusque, to the point of being rude. And she kept her hands covered, to keep her scars hidden from view. In fact, when Gatomon began shedding, Kari wouldn't be surprised if she saw many more scars on her body.

'Why? Why doesn't she want us to see her scars? Why doesn't she want us to see her weak? I mean, we all have our moments of weakness. Why should she be any different.'

Rini walked up next to her. "What was that all about?" she asked, confused.

Kari shrugged, knowing one thing about Gatomon. She didn't know a thing about her friend. She didn't know her at all.

Greg had made a small container appear out of thin air, was busily scraping a bit of the remnants of the gas from the side of the chest. He capped it, and handed it to Amy. "Here ya go, Ames," he said. "Maybe you'll find an effective method to combat it."

Amy nodded, making her sword evaporate into the air, before turning around. "I'm training to be a doctor," she explained, answering their unspoken question.

Joe understood. "So am I. Maybe I can help."

"The more the merrier, I always say. Well, let's get going."

Venus laughed. "Yeah, I think we've wasted enough time."

The Six rolled their eyes at this.

A blast of fire erupted from a mud cyclops, only to be stopped by Agumon's own fireball. The orange lizard took the two second delay that came afterward to move as Garurumon's attack destroyed it.

Patamon blasted another one into the rock face, yawning after he did so. "This is soooooooo boring," he said.

Gatomon slashed at another one, turning it into three separate pieces. "Two hours of this. These guys aren't exactly unpredictable."

"But a great way of getting money," Kari added, turning another one into a mud pancake. She could feel her money bag come close to exploding. "These Antorions ain't got nothing on us, either!"

Pluto finished another mud cyclops off. "We really need to get moving. Otherwise, we'll be here all day."

"Good idea." Alex put his sword away. "I want to complete this mission."

They didn't get their immediately, to say the least.

"Why are leader-type people have to be so optimistic!" Artemis shouted, as he jumped off the horse he was sharing with Mina, trying to spot their new opponent.

They had reached the near end of the Pass, when they were attacked by a group of dog type monsters. Not a largely surmountable problem, except for one thing…they were _fast!_

What else they could do became apparent during combat.

Death Mutt: A member of the chira monster family, the Death Mutt is extremely fast. It's attack strength is decent due to it's size, and it's speed, while nowhere near as fast as it's smaller cousins, makes it the most dangerous beast in the Nanza Pass. However, what makes it dangerous is it's needles, which hold a powerful toxin, capable of paralyzing it's prey for several minutes.

"Move, move, move!" Tai shouted, urging his horse into a gallop, his katana out. The others heeded his advice. Joe waited for a few seconds, allowing Lilika and Venus to go past him, then he began to urge his horse to go.

He wasn't fast enough.

One of the Death Mutts bristled quickly, and unleashed a bunch of needles. They flew through the air, hitting Joe in the arm. The effect was instantaneous. Joe fell off of his horse, hitting the ground with a thud.

The Death Mutt paid for it, as Tai brought his blade down, catching it in one of it's legs. Then he reached out, snagging the reins of Joe's horse as he did so.

"Hang on, Joe! I'm coming!" Gomamon jumped off of the horse, and ran to where Joe was laying, unable to even stop the slight drool that was coming out of his mouth.

Mercury looked around, trying to track the movements of the other Mutts. She heard a cry of pain as Luna Two was cut in the waist, another grunt as Jupiter blocked one with her arm. Finally giving up, she shouted, "Gatomon, Luna One, Artemis! You three are the only ones who can track these things! See if you can catch them, then direct us where to strike!"

Gatomon nodded, understanding, before starting to look around. All they needed was one of them to stop for half a second, and their hyper sensitive feline eyesight would lock on.

"Pluto, Patamon!" Luna One shouted. "Coming in at eight o'clock…mark!"

"Jupiter, Greg!" Artemis roared. "Two of them at two o'clock…now!"

The four immediately uncoiled. Pluto and Patamon blasted theirs into so much dust. Jupiter and Greg sliced him into three separate parts.

Gatomon finally caught a glimpse of one of them. Immediately, she locked in on it like a homing beacon, watching it move, waiting for the right moment to strike.

That moment presented itself in a slight shift, as the Mutt slowed down a hair to turn.

"LIGHTNING PAW!"

T.K. recoiled as the Death Mutt's head rolled right in front of him, severed from it's body due to Gatomon's expert aim. It's eyes were portraying it's shock.

Rini, also spooked, turned to look at Gatomon. "Remind me to never get on your bad side," she said.

"Ditto." Nall was shaking. "Man, I didn't even see you move!"

Gatomon grinned. "When one hunts wild game, one must have lightning fast reflexes."

"Agreed." Mercury immediately stabbed backward, catching a Death Mutt unawares. The creature dropped, mortally wounded. She looked up. "If there are any other out there, I got some advice for you; Don't push your luck!"

The sudden silence, and the lack of new yelps of pain, attested the fact that they were now alone in the ravine.

Gomamon finished giving Joe a Cleansing Water, waiting until Joe's mouth started working again, before sighing. "He'll be okay," he said. "Though I'll never look at monsters the same way ever again."

T.K. nodded, re-sheathing his sword. "That was fun."

"Yeah, if you really like fighting monsters, and not having any feeling from the hair down," Joe grumbled, getting up. He looked at Garurumon. "Why didn't you do anything?"

If at all possible, the giant champion level Digimon was able to show pity. "Joe, I'm a giant dog. What was I going to do? Breathe really loudly?"

"Hmm…good point."

"I like fighting monsters," Jupiter stated, applying a herb to her bite wound. "It's great exercise, and a hell of a way to release your anger productively."

"Damn straight, sister. And no, I'm _not_ apologizing, Sora," Mimi threw in.

Sora sighed. "I've stopped trying a while back. Of course, I've never pegged you as the free spirit type."

"I'll keep surprising you, so stay tuned."

Kari giggled. "Like we have a choice in the matter. We're stuck with you."

The whole lot of them laughed as they began moving again, heading for the light at the end of the tunnel…figuratively speaking, of course.


	25. Episode Twenty Three: The Drunk

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Three: The Drunken Master

After another half hour of traveling, they reached the gate to the Nanza Pass, and met their first man made obstacle; the Nanza Pass guards.

"Now, Nash," Joe said. "Be gentle."

Nash, of course after hearing this, took the direct approach. Apparently, he had missed the course on being polite, and being gentle.

"We come on behalf of the Magic Guild of Vane!" he declared forcefully. "We have been ordered to travel to Lann by Ghaleon himself! Let us pass!"  
"That was gentle!" Venus asked, incredulous.

"If that's the case, then I don't want to know what his idea for forceful means." Serena replied, shuddering. "It's not worth thinking about."

The guards eye widened. "Oh, man, we don't wanna get mixed up with the Guild!" He opened the gate. "Go on through…quickly!"

Nash nodded, satisfied. "Lann is west of here…and this place is teeming with the criminal element," he said speculatively. "So I suggest that we pass through here as quickly as possible."

Agumon nodded. "For once, you and I are in perfect agreement." He gestured. "You first. If your head rolls back out here, we'll know not to enter."

Nash grumbled as he took a step forward.

"C'mon, Jess! What'd I do? Gimme another chance…c'mon, please?"

Nash's one step became two steps back. "What the Hell…?" he asked.

Nall looked around. "D-did you guys hear that?" he asked, bewildered. "Please tell me I'm not going crazy!"  
"If you are," Gomamon informed him, "then we're accompanying you to the funny farm."

The guard sighed. "You lot aren't crazy. Our boss is just drunk out of his mind, and screaming himself hoarse…again!"

"What happened?" Luna Two asked.

"Another fight." The guard sighed. "I love the man, but he can be a huge pain in the butt sometimes."

Nash sighed as well. "How lovely," he muttered. "Can we please go now? Lann isn't getting any closer!"

"Good idea." Alex took a wary step forward. "Still…let's stay on our guard…just I case their boss gets extremely vicious…"  
Moving very cautiously, the group took their first step into the Nanza Outpost. All around them, they saw the guards eyeing them with an interest, and mild alertness. They also saw the Outpost itself.

The Nanza Outpost was almost completely supported by wooden pillars, each one about fifteen feet high. A walkway was being partially supported by those pillars, partially supported by the mountainside itself. The walkways connected to three towers, each of them slightly shorter than the peaks. Each tower had cannons, sticking out in all directions.

Serena shuddered. "This isn't an outpost, it's a fortress."

"No argument from me," Lilika replied, looking pale. "Isn't this a tad much for an outpost?"

"Not when you take in it's exact location, which is precisely the reason for it's armaments." Izzy looked around. "From what I've read, the Nanza Outpost is the crossroads to Lann, and to the Stadius Zone, the heart of Lunar. Due to that, it has to be armed to the teeth."

"Oh, well, that makes me feel nooooo much better," Mina grumbled.

With those wonderful thoughts to nurture them, they made their way to the other side of the outpost without incident…only to try for a repeat performance.

"We come on behalf of the Magic Guild of Vane!" Nash boasted. "We have been ordered to travel to Lann by Ghaleon himself! Let us pass!"

Slowly, the guard looked up at them, then stood up….and up.

"Oh, my god," Rei gasped, looking upward.

"We're in trouble," Gomamon muttered quietly.

T.K. simply gulped.

"Listen up, kid!" the guard bellowed. "I don't care if you were sent here by the Goddess herself! I don't care if you're bringing milk and cookies to my dear sweet mother!" He jabbed a meaty finger at Nash. "No one gets through this gate without Kyle's permission!"  
"Without Kyle's permission. Got it," Nash echoed nervously, looking at the finger like it was a weapon. "Can we speak, then, with Kyle?"

"Alas, I think the poor man is drunk off his arse at the moment."

"Great," Tai groaned. "So he won't understand us."

Darien smiled helplessly. "That's usually what happens when a person is drunk."

"Yeah, yeah. Can we talk to him anyways?" Nall asked impatiently, not the least bit intimidated. "We're kinda in a hurry!"

The guard frowned. "The last I saw of him, he was enjoying a cup of our finest brew in the North Tower."

Serena looked around. "I think that's it," she said, pointing to the lone tower to their east at that particular moment.

Rei looked as well. "If you're right, meatball head, I'm buying you lunch when we get back home."

"You're on, Pyro."

The two cats sighed. "Will they ever give it a rest?" Luna One asked.

"No," Artemis replied. "And there isn't a thing we can do about it."  
"The day those two stop bickering, is the day Jaedite becomes a good will ambassador," Darien noted.

"Hey!"

Darien tied the last horse to one of the poles, grumbling to himself as he did so. "I just had to say that out loud, didn't I?"

Tai chuckled. "I didn't know Rei could breathe fire. I mean, throwing fire, sure. Breathing it , now there's a classic."

"You're not helping here."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Darien! Even I know when to keep my mouth shut around a girl. And you know Rei is someone who takes just about everything seriously."

Tentomon buzzed up to them. "She's fiery, no doubt about it."

"'Fiery' doesn't even begin to describe her," Lita stated. The only one more vicious then her is me."

"Though your temper isn't nearly as explosive," Mimi interjected. "I've _seen_ Rei blow up at someone who tried to prove his superiority." She grinned. "Never saw a man run so fast before in my life. It wasn't very pretty."

While she said this, the woman who was the point of their conversation walked up, smiling sweetly. "I forgive you," she said. "But Serena is going to need some convincing."

Rini began laughing. "Good luck there, Daddy."

Kari began giggling. "Yeah. And remember to make it good!"

Darien groaned, before making his way to where Serena was.

Joe almost sagged. "Good God, does Kyle hate us or something?"

"He probably does," Gomamon replied. "I mean, people who like us don't try to avoid us for whatever reason."

After they had handed their horse over to a grumbling Darien, Tai had assigned Joe over to Alex, wanting a Digi-Destined to help with the search for Kyle. Lilika had immediately joined with them as well, so as to give Luna Two some female company.

And at that moment, she looked at the blue haired woman in amusement. "Then again, he could be drunk-"

"-just like any other man," Luna Two finished, smiling wickedly.

"Encouragement, girls. We boys need encouragement."

Alex laughed. "On your world maybe. Here on Lunar, getting drunk has become an art form. Most men, and some women, mind you, try to out drink each other for just the hell of it."

Gomamon smiled somewhat. "Must be reeeaaallly laid back here."

Nall laughed outright. "Yeah, you fit in perfectly!"

"You've got a good point," Gomamon conceded as they walked up the stairwell to the upper pylons.

"Excuse me!" Nall called out, the second they stepped outside of the North Tower. "Have you seen a man named Kyle?"

"Have I seen Kyle?" The man, middle aged, and with a bald spot, thought for a second on that question. "He was stumbling to the East Tower with a mug of ale the size of my head."

"Thank you. Let's go find him, Alex!" Luna Two exclaimed.

"And what are we! Cannon fodder?" Joe asked.  
"Maybe."

Gomamon chuckled. "You ask, you get answer."

Alex laughed outright. "Well, let's go to the East Tower, cannon fodder."

"Oh, you're sooooo much help." Lilika walked up next to Luna Two. "Girl talk as we search?"

"Most definitely."

Nall looked at the boys, then at the girls, then at the boys again. "Makes you wonder what they're talking about," he mentioned.

"No, just worried," Joe stated.

"Everything worries you," Alex noted.

"I ignore that."

"My friend Kyle was here," a little eight year old girl stated, "but he went to get some food 'cause he was hungry!" She looked thoughtful for a second. "I bet he went to the cafeteria in the basement! That's where I go to get ice cream!"

Lilika perked up. "They have ice cream? Young lady, you have made my day. Thank you!" With that, she stood up to her full height, and headed down the stairwell to where the others were waiting for her. "Kyle is now down in the cafeteria, getting something to eat." She smiled, like a little child. "They also have ice cream," she added.

Gomamon grinned. "You like ice cream," he noted.

"Oh, yes."  
Joe smiled as well. _'I'm friends with an ice cream lover. Very interesting.'_

Lilika's head turned sharply. "Did you say something, Joe?"

"Um…no," Joe replied, confused.

"Oh."

Nall looked back and forth between them. "Weird," he murmured to Alex.

"You said it."

Joe pulled out his newly acquired D-Terminal, toggled it to short range speech, and activated it. "Tai, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Loud and clear," Tai replied. _"What ya got?"_

Tai replied. 

"Kyle moves more than a flock of geese. He's now in the cafeteria." Joe sighed. "Better tell everyone to get comfortable. This could take a while."

"Understood. I'll pass the message along. Tai out."

"This isn't a cafeteria, it's a mess hall!"

Nall's statement hung in the air for a few minutes as the whole lot of them took in the large, cavernous room, complete with a massive kitchen, and over several dozen tables set up in rows.

Joe groaned. "This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"A very large, very dangerous haystack," Alex added.

Luna frowned. "Honestly," she exclaimed, "you'd think you were afraid or something!"  
"Not afraid, worried. They are many, we are few."

Lilika frowned. "Fine. I'll ask." She headed into the cafeteria.

For a moment, silence reigned. "Well, Joe," Gomamon finally said, "If you ever have a relationship with her, you can be sure that it'll never be boring."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Her, too?"

"Shut it!"

"And Nall, don't you say anything!" Alex warned.

"Rats."

"Excuse me," Lilika said, waiting until the young lady's attention was no longer on her meal. "Could you tell me if Kyle is still here?"

The young lady didn't even have to hesitate. "He _was_ here. What happened to Kyle today?" She shuddered. "He came in really angry…and _really _drunk!"

"Something about an argument with an old friend. Do you know where he went now?"

"I saw him stumble off to his bedroom after his twentieth drink…do you think he's all right?" she asked.

"Probably…not. Thank you." Lilika bowed, then turned on her heel, walking back over to them. "He's now in his bedroom," she reported, "getting some much needed sleep."  
Alex groaned. "Like we don't have enough problems! Where's the bedroom?"

"That way." Lilika pointed North to empathize her point.

"Well, let's get going." Alex marched off, with Nall, Joe, and Gomamon right on his heels.

Luna and Lilika looked at each other, then at their retreating forms. "Men!" Lilika declared in exasperation.

"Yeah. But Joe's cute…in your opinion?" Lilika nodded. "Don't let Sora…or Mina know of this."

"Will do, ma'am." the stripe haired girl saluted. "But let's get going. Because I get the feeling that the boys might just kill Kyle while he's sleeping.

Alex began beating his head against the wall in frustration. "Why…can't…he…stay…in…one…place!" he ground out between head butts.

"Bad luck?" Gomamon suggested. "I thought he went to sleep."

"He did go to sleep…right?" Luna asked the man standing nearby.

The man sighed in relief. "Kyle did fall asleep, thank the Goddess! When he gets drunk, he's completely out of control…so we lock him up in a jail cell until he dries out!" He wiped his brow. "Pretty bad too, if you want my opinion."  
"So Kyle's going to stay put. Good." Joe halted Alex's forehead before it went forward again. "Alex, you can stop beating the wall, now. Our chase is nearing it's end."

Alex rubbed his head. "It better be. Otherwise, Master Mel is going to have to find a new head of the Nanza Barrier, cause I'm going to put him in the hospital if he moves again!"

Once more, they set off in search of the man named Kyle.

Sora stared at the small card board, lost in thought. "Not bad," she finally said to Izzy. "I'll play…'Justice Knight' in attack mode." She looked at it for a moment. "Who in their right mind calls a card 'Justice Knight?'"

Izzy grinned. "A card game creator," he replied. "I'm switching my 'Dark Mage' into defense mode, and then, I play the enhancement card 'Grant Shield,' which increases it's defense points by two hundred points. I also play 'Lunar Guardian,' in attack mode."

Tai looked over Sora's shoulder. "Now, why'd ya do that?"

Izzy chuckled. "Well, Grant shield two hundred defense point increase now makes my Dark Mage strong enough to withstand any attack from her Justice Knight. And I put down my Lunar Guardian down because it equals the Justice Knight in both attack and defense power, effectively creating a stalemate." He looked at Sora. "Part of my overall strategy," he added matter of fact.

Mimi nodded. "And it's a good strategy too. However, I can see a very fatal flaw. Do you, Sora?"

"Um, there's a flaw?"

"Guess not."

Izzy sighed. "Well, if you find it, you'll know how to counter it."

"Oh."

Gomamon looked around in interest. "This place reminds me of the prison complex I saw in a strange looking fortress," he noted. "It was kind of built like a shoe, now that I think about it."

Alex turned to look at him. "Why do you tell the rest of us things that we have no idea about?"

"To confuse you."

Lilika leaned over to Luna and Joe. "It's working," she whispered. "I'm confused."

"So am I," Luna whispered back.

"Ditto." Joe stared at his Digimon partner. "And I've known him longer than you two have."

They headed over to the lone guard who was sitting in the area, looking bored out of his mind. "Excuse me!" Nall exclaimed in his usual manner. "But, is you boss here…and wasted?"

The guard groaned. "My boss is most definitely wasted," he replied gloomily. "He is becoming this way every time he's speaking to Jessica." He looked at the cells. "I am wishing they would make up and start boxing their tonsils! Oh, yes!"

They all looked at each other. "Roughly translated," Joe stated, "Kyle is here."

"And he's not going anywhere," Alex added thankfully. "Good." He turned to the cells. "Which cell?"

Nall flew to the cell's fluttering from to the next in rapid succession. He stopped in front of the middle one. "It's this one…I think," he said, dropping a bit from the air.

"You think?" Alex came over, and took a peek. "You think." He took a step back. "Um, guys," he said, a sickened expression on his face, "We have found him." Everyone clustered around him to see.

In the jail cell, was quite possibly, the most pitiful sight that any of them had ever seen in their entire lives. A man, several years older than Alex, lay on his side on the hard bunk, snoring and belching in a particularly sadistic fashion. A bubble, quite possibly moving in the same sadistic pattern, was growing from his exhales, becoming larger and larger with each passing moment.

Alex had the urge to throw up. "My Goddess," he whispered.

The bubble reached the breaking point, and promptly popped, the sound echoing in the small cell. And then, Kyle woke up. He sat up, quite a feat for a man who was drunk off his ass.

"What a night!" he slurred. "Kyle had himself another night of wine, women and song! Just between you and me, I think I had a little too much of the wine!" He burped rather loudly. "But the women didn't complain!"

And as suddenly as he regained consciousness, he promptly passed out.

Alex and the others backed away really fast. "That was…scary," Alex said, green around the gills.

"I think 'pitiful' is the term I choose to describe him at this particular moment," Joe stated, throwing in his two cents.

Lilika opened her mouth to reply.

"You are being quiet, kids!"

In their collective nausea, they had forgotten about the guard, who had literally jumped out of his chair, and was in front of them, looking absolutely terrified. "Kyle is sleeping most calmly, and you are stoking him into furious anger!"  
Nall looked at the guard, taking his gaze off of Kyle's prone form. "That sloppy drunk is the in charge of Nanza?" he asked in suspicion. "So what's he doing drooling over the floor of this jail cell?"

The man turned to observe the prone form of his boss for a moment. "When Kyle is getting worked up, he is becoming most entirely berserk and uncontrollable. When he is having a disturbing battle with his old girlfriend, we are knowing what is coming." He sighed in pity. "So," he continued, with another glance at Kyle, "we are encouraging him to drink most excessively, and throwing him into the brig." He shrugged. "It is being for the best, we are thinking."

Alex nodded. "Guess even leaders have bad days, though if I'm reading between the lines correctly, these are very frequent."

Joe looked at him. "Define 'frequent' in your terms."

"At least once a week."

"You are being very correct."

The conversation would have continued, except for the fact that Kyle decided to make his presence known. "Waz gode on out dere?" he asked, slurring every word.

Luna shuddered. "Disgusting."

"Definitely," Lilika replied.

The guard turned around, absolute terror on his face. "Kyle!" he exclaimed. "It is being nothing! Nothing at all! You are going back to sleep now!"  
Kyle yawned, apparently liking the suggestion. "Ooooookaaay…sleepy." With that, he passed out once again.

Everyone sighed in relief. "That was being too close," the guard said.

"Definitely." Luna headed over to the exit. "I guess we'll have to wait…"

"Wait! I will make you a deal! If you are not disturbing Kyle again…I am ordering the guard to open the door most swiftly!" The peculiar man let them think about for about half a second. "I am suggesting that you accept my offer before I am throwing you into the cell with Kyle, and devouring the key!"

"Okay, okay! We'll go already!" Alex turned around. "Let's go before Kyle wakes up again, and we incur this guys wrath."

Joe agreed with him whole heartedly. After all, he didn't want to touch Kyle at that moment with a ten foot pole tipped with acid.

The guard waited until they had headed up the stairs, then brought his hands down to his feet. He pulled up…revealing Sere under a very unique cloak, designed to make her appear like anyone she chose to be. She sighed in relief. "Thank the moon. Geez, what I have to do to help them sometimes." She frowned. "Jessica just had to come today, didn't she? She couldn't have held off another day!" She turned around. "Okay, they're gone," she called out.

The actual guard appeared from underneath an invisibility cloak. "Good. Are you having to copy me most accurately? It is sounding sad and pathetic coming from you, Lady Sere."

Sere chuckled. "Well, when you're desperate, you do what you can. And I find the way you talk to be amusing." She looked at Kyle. "When he sobers up, tell him to find another way to relieve his stress, and to lay off his fees for a while. I would like to keep my traveling salesmen employed, ya know."

With that, she put the Invisibility Cloak on, and headed for the exit.

Sora groaned, putting her cards down. "You're good, Izzy," she said. "How'd you get so good?"

Izzy chucked a finger in Mimi's direction. "I've been playing her. She's extremely talented in the game."

"Good to hear." Mina walked up. "Are you sure-?"

"Yes!" Izzy interrupted, burying his head in his hands. "My, god, why are you doing this?"

"They're bored." Jupiter was currently sending a glare in the giant guards direction, not even intimidated by his size. If it weren't for the fact that there were a large number of men around them, she would have pounced. "And Mina's always trying to this person together with that person at any given point of time."

"Thanks for the information. It is most enlightening. Go bug Matt or something!" Izzy snapped at the Senshi of Love.

"Bug him about what?" Mina asked sweetly.

"About girls! I don't care!"

Rini burst into giggles. "Talk to Matt about girls?"

"Better than bugging me about it!"

Alex and his group arrived at the tail end of their conversation. "Leave the poor boy alone, Sailor Venus," the green eyed boy said. "We have gotten permission to travel to Lann, and I personally don't think that Serena would want you strangled."

Luna Two finished talking to the guard, who nodded, then opened the door. "Alright everyone," she said, gesturing. "Let's go!"  
Agumon grinned as they began walking. "You see, Nash," he said smugly. "Not everything can be settled with simple aggression."

Nash growled, but there was nothing he could do. Agumon had upped him for once.

And awaaaaaay they went!

Ladies and Gentlemen, and children of all ages! This episode is the shortest I have done in a while. However, it may be a little longer than usual before my next update, as me and my Playstation Two are having a bit of a disagreement over whether or not a saved game stays, or goes. Really irritating. (We now know who is the master in this household, and it ain't the people.)

How about that interesting glimpse in _Secar Triad_? Telling, isn't it? If all goes well, at some point of the story, I'll get a tournament going, which will introduce to other cards. I'm actually compiling a list of monster names for it right now, as well as enhancement cards. Who knows, maybe I'll slip a few actual cards into the story.

Due to the fact that every time I double space under the new rules of Fanfiction Net, it doesn't appear on my quickedit. So, I'm using exclamation points to point out where a new paragraph is. Thought I'd tell you all now.

Next chapter is a pointless chapter, written to give Matt the beginnings of a storyline. It's nothing serious at the moment, but it will have far reaching consequences in the future.

I mean, the Six have a storyline, Izzy and Mimi have a storyline, Tai has one, and so does Joe and Lilika. Now all I have to do is find a storyline for the Digimon, the Sailor Scouts, and Sora, and I'll be all set. Matt's will involve a certain red haired witch with freckles, who has six brothers, is friends with a certain famous being, and had had a problem in her first year at school. Name that witch if you can! And please, review, review, review!


	26. Episode Twenty Four: Dreams abound

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(To Maithus and TheWiseOne , you are absolutely right! It is indeed Ginny Weasley. Let me know if I'm doing all right.)

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Four: Dreams Abound

The way out of the Nanza Pass was just as irritating as the way in, though this time, it was because of those damn flies. Once more, Matt was thankful of Luna Two's healing voice, and the power of their healing items. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they didn't. _'Probably be dead, or worse,' _he thought.

Finally, after a good thirty minutes of traveling, complete with more flies, the group made through the Nanza Pass. All of them with various minor wounds, and Matt sporting a small cut on his forehead. He applied pressure to it. "Boy, is this fun, or what?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Mimi and Jupiter replied together.

Palmon looked at her partner. "I thought that you didn't like fighting, Mimi."

"I don't like fighting anything that can think for itself, and has feelings," the Digi-Destined of Sincerity explained. "I don't take a great deal of pleasure when I help defeat someone like Kuwaguamon, for instance, and I'll mourn them." She gestured. "These monsters, on the other hand, are cannon fodder."

Matt chuckled. "Mimi, you bring new meaning to the term 'born to be wild. Born to be wild, when you want to."

"Why thank you, Matt."

Garurumon smirked. "Love how you carry on a conversation, Matt. Short and sweet. Not as well as Tai, mind you, but impressive nevertheless."  
Biyomon fluttered up next to the giant dog. "Like you, dear," she said sweetly, giggling when he turned a bright red.

Agumon and Palmon started laughing out right. "Biyomon's got you there, buddy!" Agumon stated.

"And might I add that you two are cozying up to each other rather fast," Biyomon threw in casually, enjoying the sight of the two Digimon blushing bright red.

"Three out of four." Darien commented, riding next to Serena. "Not bad."

Sora smiled. "Biyomon can play with the best of them. And she can hit hard and fast."

"Oh, yes." Tai looked up. "It's getting dark, and I'm hungry, and tired. Let's set up camp tonight." He turned to Nall. "Hey, you still have the giant tent, Nall?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Nall asked suspiciously.

"Because the girls are going to take it, while we boys do the chivalrous thing, and stand guard."

Luna Two and Mars stared at him. "And do the boys stand guard?" Mars asked.

"So we boys can ogle you while you sleep." Gomamon looked confused when all the girls turned to stare at him. "What?" he asked blankly.

Joe shook his head. "I would run."

"Why?"

"Because the girls will murder you while you sleep."

"As we all know." A yawn overtook Matt. "Well, if it's alright with the rest of ya, I'm going to do the un-chivalrous thing, and go to sleep after dinner. I was the pincushion this time around."

"Feel free. Just remember to put your sleeping bag outside the tent," Alex said. "You know how crowded it gets in there." That was a bald face lie, but Matt would understand.

Dinner was normal. Jupiter, who knew from experience Serena's eating habits, remembered to make more than enough food for everyone. This proved fortuitous, as Rini, Serena, and Mimi went for seconds and thirds. In Rini's case, it was obvious, as she was still growing.

Matt had one serving, said good night, then plopped down on the sleeping bag, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"Wow," Gabumon said, staring at Matt's prone form, "he must have really been tired."

Tai grinned. "He has a right to be."

"Good point."

Imagine, if you want to, a series of realms endlessly circling around and around in a protective orbit around a central realm like a barrier. Energy is constantly shifting between them, creating a field of power, impenetrable to all. These realms are considered by all who know of them, as the Big Ten. Now, imagine that each of these realms were parallel realities, each with similarities to them, but at the same time, differences that made them unique.

Now, allow your gaze to shift to one realm in particular, where you would see a school in the swirling mists. A school that isn't known to the majority of the world. It was a school similar to Vane, but different, because instead of technology and magic working side by side, this school was very much grounded, and had a technological level reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century. However, it was school of great renown in it's secret world, as it has shaped the greatest of wizards and witches on that Earth, as well as some of the most legendary…and terrible…people of all time.

Now, we must turn our attention to one of the dormitories, one situated at the top of a tower, where a group of young girls are speaking in a group. As you watch them, you find that your gaze inevitably shifts to one witch in particular. She has the most vibrant red hair, freckles adorning her face, and blue eyes. There was also a somewhat mischievous expression on that face.

"Night girls," Ginny Weasley said, getting up from her seat. "I'll see you all in the morning." She heard the other girls bid her good night as well, before whispering amongst each other once more, giggling slightly. Ginny even knew why. _'Ah, the joy of knowing that I'm not the only one with a crush on Harry Potter,'_ she thought, yawning as she did so. _'Even though I don't speak of it to the other girls. Even though I don't really speak to other people at all.'_

Ginny was a second year student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding, an elite magic school hidden in the highlands of Scotland. Here, aspiring wizards and witches were trained in the magical arts by people of the highest caliber. Because of this, Hogwarts had achieved a reputation of being the greatest magic school on the British Isles. And almost everyone who was here loved it.

Ginny reflected on the other reason that for being here. She had four of her brothers here, her parents fully supported her, even after everything that happened during the previous year, and the best thing was that she didn't have a magical diary from a powerful dark wizard to worry about. All in all, life was good. _'Well, except for the fact that I don't really have any friends here, Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban to try and kill Harry, and that the Dementors are here, which suck all the happiness out of you.' _Living through the Chamber of Secrets once was enough in her opinion.

Banishing those thoughts from her mind, as they would inevitably give her nightmares, Ginny climbed into bed, content in going to sleep. With a soft smile on her face, she closed her eyes…unaware that her dreams were about to take a detour into total weirdness.

Sudden brightness stabbed at his vision through his eyelids.

Slowly, Matt cracked open one eyelid open, then opened the other. Slowly, he sat up, eyes widening in surprise. "What the hell…?" he managed to get out.

All around Matt, as far as he could see, a forest, all lush and green, was his current place of occupation. He saw ferns and bushes, set in what appeared to be a predetermined pattern. The ground, he felt was devoid of sharp rocks, and debris. The sky was blue, and the trees, which made the Californian Redwood seem small in comparison, stretched into the sky like skyscrapers. Their upper branches created a canopy, allowing sunlight to come in in dapples. Matt had been unfortunate to be situated in one of the sunspots.

Matt was utterly confused. _'Unless Tai and the others decided at the last minute to keep moving, which I highly doubt…'_ On a sudden suspicion, he observed himself. He was still garbed in the light blue shirt and matching trousers that he had been wearing for the last two days. They were clean and whole, though, not bearing any of the cuts and grass stains that are commonplace with travelers. He felt his forehead, noting the absence of the small cut, as well as the pain associated with having a cut like that. _'A dream,'_ he realized, mentally smacking his head in irritation. _'And much more peaceful than the dreams I'm used to.'_ It sure as hell felt real. The ground was solid, and the air as fresh as Lunar's. He let a small smile light up his face for a moment.

'Oh, well. Might as well have a look around,' he thought getting up, and brushing off the back of his trousers. He then decided to head for the sound of the stream. It seemed like as good of a place as any to start exploring. For all he knew, he might find someone who would tell him his destiny.

If only he knew.

Sudden brightness stabbed at her vision through her eyelids.

Ginny groaned, cracking one eye open, then sitting up suddenly, eyes wide as she looked around. "Whoa, did I sleep walk into the Forbidden Forest, or something?" This also brought on memories of Tom Riddles Diary. She quashed them immediately. They weren't worth the time.

Upon closer inspection, though, she saw that she was not there. _'This place doesn't feel like the Forbidden Forest,' _she thought. _'It's too…peaceful. Everything the Forest is not.'_

She stared, uncomprehending for a moment more, until she realized exactly what was happening, and mentally kicked herself. _'A dream.'_ Then she smiled. _'It's a very peaceful dream. And it feels real, too.'_

Deciding that it was good idea to explore, Ginny got up, and brushed the back of her pajama bottoms off. Then she headed in the general direction of the stream. It seemed as good of a chance as any to start exploring. Who knew? Maybe she would even meet someone who could tell her what her destiny was.

If only she knew.

Matt was getting rather frustrated.

After he had reached the stream, he had chosen a certain path. However, it looked like the stream went on into eternity. Knowing the state of his dream so far, that probably was true. _'What I wouldn't give for a faster mode of transportation,'_ he thought irritably.

To pass the time, he began observing his surroundings. He noted that there were no land animals in sight. He also saw that the leaves were of various different colors, though in such a way that it seemed like a masterpiece. He looked up, seeing that similar leaves were on the tree tops. Every so often, he would see a normal, white colored cloud float by, adding to the scene of serenity.

The birds were also as unique. Some were familiar to him, like the hummingbird, though they were uniquely colored as well. Looking up, he saw a bird fly overhead, one whose size equally rivaled that of Birdramon, and was a bright purple. Gawking at it while walking, he was understandably not watching where he was going.

Ginny stared in amazement at the types of birds she was seeing, especially one that looked like a phoenix. She saw the various colored leaves all around her, and had found herself entranced with a flower that rivaled the rose in it's redness. So she was, understandably not paying attention to what was right in front of her.

And thus, as the law of nature dictates, two beings who don't watch where they are going, are running against each other on the same place, will collide. And two different masses cannot occupy the same space.

Ginny collided with something with enough force to knock it off it's vertical base, and fall into the river with a horrific splash. She, in turn, stumbled back a couple of feet, tripped over a tree root, and fell, unceremoniously, to the ground. She struggled to sit up, rubbing the back of her head. "What in the world?" she asked aloud, looking in the direction of the stream. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Matt sat up, wiping the water off of his face. "Alright, whatever just pushed me into the stream is about to get it's ass whipped!" He looked around the area for moment, trying to see if the creature was still in the area. Then his eyes landed on one particular area…and promptly widened in surprise. He got back up to his feet, getting into a defensive position. Ginny staggered back up to her own vertical base, then took a step back.

The first words out of both of their mouths were, "Who are you!" These were quickly followed by, "I asked first!" Then absolute silence, as they stared at each other.

Matt observed the girl in front of him. He made note of the bright red hair that reached somewhat below her shoulders. He saw that she was presently clothed in what looked like well worn pajamas, and had, quite possibly, the most expressive eyes he had ever seen. And at that moment, he found himself staring at them. He saw a little bit of fear in her gaze, but only a little. He didn't see any malice, or hatred. Satisfied, he lowered his hands, his expression softening.

Ginny watched the boy as he lowered his hands, assuming a non-threatening stance. She noted the natural colored blond hair, and the blue eyes. _'He's putting his trust in me,'_ she realized, smiling softly. She had never met someone who allowed her to make the first move. So, she did what her mother always told her to do. She took a step forward, and deliberately relaxed.

Matt bowed, upon seeing her relax her body. "Hi. My name is Yamato Ishida, though my friends call me Matt. Sorry about that earlier comment." He stepped forward. "What's your name?" he asked.  
Ginny curtsied, curious as to why he didn't already know his name. "My name is Ginevra Weasley. My friends call me, Ginny." She took a step forward as well, so that she was standing in front of him. "Could you tell me where we are?" she asked.

Matt looked around. "No clue," he replied. "I thought you could tell me."

Now Ginny was surprised. "That's what I was thinking! Are you…dreaming, too?"

"You mean…you're not a figment of my imagination?"

"I'm guess not. You're real?"  
Matt looked himself over. "Last time I checked."

Ginny groaned. "Wonderful. And I thought Tom Riddle was confusing."  
"Who?"

Tai yawned, fighting to stay awake. "Why do I get all noble around Sora?" he asked. "I mean, I don't do this around Mimi or the Scouts. Why did I make the suggestion for the guys to stay up?"

Izzy chuckled. "Because we're men," he replied. "Whenever a man sees a beautiful woman, or in our case, Sora, Mimi, and Luna, who are infinitely better, in our humble opinions. We become willing slaves to them."

Alex chucked a rock, watching it disappear into the darkness. "You've nailed it on the head there, Izzy."

"What did he nail?" Lilika suddenly asked, coming out of the tent, clutching a travel robe tightly around her. She sat down next to Joe. "I don't see any nails."

The boys all looked at each other, all thinking that they had never met a person so literal minded before in their lives. "What Alex meant by that," Joe explained, "is that Izzy stated something that was so obvious to us, that we don't even need to correct him." He gestured to Matt's prone form. "Kind of like Matt."

Lilika nodded once, smiling. "I wonder what he's dreaming about," she said.

"Knowing Matt, probably beautiful women…naked women, I might add."

"Probably," Izzy replied, laughing.

Lilika giggled a moment too, before looking at Joe. "Is it all right if I stay here for a moment?" she asked. "Serena's snoring woke me up."

Joe blushed. "Sure." He blushed even more when the striped haired girl snuggled up to him, sighing contently.

Darien grinned. "You're going to have so much fun teasing him, aren't you?" he asked Gomamon.

"Oh, yeah!" Gomamon replied gleefully.

Matt and Ginny walked side by side through the forest, silent. This was because neither one knew what to say to the other. The fact that they were interacting in their dreams added to the tension, as they didn't even know each other.

Ginny observed Matt through the corner of her eye. His hair was somewhat unkempt. His eyes held a maturity in them that she had only seen in Harry. And he was cute.

She also noted that he seemed…preoccupied. _'He's brooding!'_ she realized, her smile starting to reassert himself. She knew what to look for. The fact that she could see it in the facial expressions of someone she had just met was very funny. She began giggling.

Matt was torn from his reverie as his companion started laughing quietly for whatever reason. He turned to stare at her. "Is there something funny?" he asked. "Or do I even want to know?"

Ginny managed to stop giggling, though her smile remained. "It's just that you remind me of someone I know…though you're a little taller then him.

Matt began grinning, feeling the tension drop. He saw that her eyes showed real mirth, as well as curiosity. He decided that this was as good of a place as any to break the ice. "So, Ginny, where do you live? And what school do you go to…that's if you're not home tutored?" he asked.

Ginny looked at him fully. "I live in Saint Otterypole," she replied. "It's several hours away from London." She hesitated. "I go to a…special school."

"Special? You mean, like magic?"

"Yes. How did you know? Are you a wizard?"

"Me? No." Matt shook his head. "I'm just a regular schmo. Let's just say I know a few magicians."

"Ah." Ginny could understand that. "So, where do you live?"

"I live in Odaiba. I go to the Juuban Junior High School."

"Odaiba? Is that a muggle place in Japan?"  
"'Muggle?'"

Now Ginny was confused. "Did you hit your head, or something? If you know any wizards or witches, then you know that muggle is a wizarding word for non magic folk."

It was Matt's turn to be confused. "What magic guild do you go to?"

"Guild…oh! Actually, it's not a guild. I go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding."

"Where's that?"

"Somewhere in Scotland," she replied.

Matt suddenly had a suspicious feeling as to where this conversation was going. "So, the London we're talking about isn't on Lunar?" he asked heavily.

"Lunar?" The redhead echoed.

Sighing, the Digi-Destined of Friendship sat down on a large rock, and gestured for Ginny to do the same. "Might as well get comfortable," he said. "What I'm going to tell you is going to sound crazy."

Ginny nodded. "Before you say anything, I'll tell everything about my world."

"You're right, it does sound crazy."

"Told you so." Matt chucked a rock into the stream, slightly amazed that it produced a couple of ripples. "I can't believe it sometimes myself."

Ginny shrugged. "It can't be any crazier than what I told you," she noted.

"For me, not so much. You've seen one parallel dimension, you've seen them all." Matt grinned. "Grant you, this is a first, even for me."

Ginny returned the smile. "Me, too. But I get to make a friend, so it must be a good dream."

"Yeah, it is," the blonde stated, starting to chuckle. "Grant you, I could become a pink, fluffy dragon with doe like eyes."  
Ginny started to laugh. "And I could become Professor Snape in a pink tutu!" she retorted.

The two of them looked at each other for a second, then promptly cracked up at the mental images they conjured up of each other. They were so cheerful, that for a moment, the entire forest seemed to fade into the background.

Finally, after a few moments, the two began to calm down, if only to obtain some needed oxygen. "God," Matt gasped, "haven't laughed like that in a while!"  
"Me neither!" Ginny finally got herself under control. "Though it does make one wonder how we can still think while we're sleeping."

"I'm not thinking about it." Matt got up, still chuckling, and extended his hand. "Well, shall we explore?" he asked cheerfully.

Giggling, Ginny got up as well. "Yes, let's."

The forest gave way to a meadow of rolling hills, and flowers that were exotic. Ginny seemed particularly taken by one flower that resembled a flower one would find in a rain forest. On a whim, Matt picked one, and handed it to her. Giggling, Ginny took it.

The meadow eventually gave way to a beach, with white sand that seemed to stretch on for miles. Knowing the state of their dream world, it probably did.

"How does a meadow park itself next to a beach?" Ginny asked.

"Dreams aren't supposed to make sense," Matt replied, sifting some sand through his fingers. "There supposed to look weird."

"Oh, yeah. So, you know how to use a sword. But you're only a year older than I am."

"Really? My birthday's the Fourth."  
"Okay, you're only a few weeks older that I am. Mine's the Twenty Fourth. Imagine that."  
"Like this place?" Matt asked innocently.

Ginny turned to glare at them. "That was a figure of speech, Ishida," she growled, her lips twitching slightly.

"Oh, I had no idea," Matt deadpanned. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

Ginny giggled. "So," she said, changing the subject yet again, "what's the Digital World like?"  
Matt was definitely surprised by the sudden change of subject, but decided to answer. He was extremely intrigued by the girls drive for knowledge. "Well, the Digital World is very much like what Earth was like about a few centuries ago. It's comprised of forests, jungles, and deserts, with oceans surrounding the various islands and continents. They do have villages, though. I think they even have a city, according to Biyomon."

"Biyomon?" Ginny echoed.

"She's a Digimon, and the partner to one of my friends. Her name is Sora." He paused. "And to answer your unspoken questions, no, Sora is _not_ my girlfriend, and Digimon is an acronym for digital monsters."

"Those _were_ my next questions. And the Digital World is made with muggle computer technology?" Ginny's smile grew mischievous. "My dad would have a field day. He finds muggles fascinating."

Matt's grin grew even bigger. "That's good to hear. I'm beginning to find wizards just as interesting." He sat down in the sand. "For starters, are you born with your powers, or do they develop over time?"  
Ginny sat down, making herself comfortable. "We're born with them," she replied. "However, we don't get formalized training in controlling them until we're eleven years old. And whenever we feel a very intense rush of anger of fear…we kinda lose control over them, and make things disappear, or destroy something."

Matt winced. "The repairs must be atrocious," he said.

"Well, most wizards and witches learn repairing spells in their first year, so any damage done can be instantly repaired. So we don't have repairmen."

Matt was wistful. "Imagine that, a world where repairmen aren't needed. It's almost too good to be true." He looked at Ginny, and suddenly realized something. "Hey, we can understand each other!" he exclaimed.

Ginny stared for a moment, before it dawned on her as well. "You're right…oh, wait-"

"-a dream." They finished in unison.

Matt chuckled. "Well, I guess it's safe too assume that you can understand Japanese, and I can understand English. Sure beats a translator screwing up half of what we're saying."

Ginny nodded, then opened her mouth to say something.

Ginny. Time to get out of bed.

Oh, Matt! Time to wake up! So much traveling to do, so little time.

The two of them stared at each other. "That sounded like Tai," Matt said.

"And that sounded like Hermione," Ginny noted, looking around. "But where-?"

Sudden realization hit the two of them before Ginny finished her sentence. "Time to wake up," they said in unison.

Strangely, this was not a pleasant thought for either of them.

"Well." The redhead stood up, holding out her hand. "It was certainly a pleasure to have met you, Matt."

Matt shook her hand. "Likewise, Ginny. Let's do this again some other time."

"Hopefully, tomorrow night."

"I agree." Matt stepped back. "Well, good day."  
"Good bye."

Matt smiled, then closed his eyes-

only to open them again, and shouting in surprise less than minute later. "Tai, back away, man!" he shouted.

Tai stepped back, laughing as he did so. "Sorry, Matt," he said in apology, "I just couldn't resist."

"Resist what? Almost giving me a heart attack! And stop laughing, Alex! It's not funny!"  
Sora smiled. "If you want to hit him, Matt, feel free. I've already done so." She got out the food bags. "Let's eat, and head out. We've still got a long way to go, even on horses."

Matt sighed, getting up. He personally wished he was still asleep, as that was preferable to waking, and seeing Tai's face first thing in the morning. That was the singular scariest thing there ever was.

Of course, he could wait until tonight to see if he would be able to talk to Ginny again. After all, Matt always did enjoy making new friends.

"So, Matt," Lilika asked, breaking through his train of thought, "what were you dreaming about?"

Matt opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself short. The term 'strait jacket' came into his mind for a second. "A girl," he settled upon.

The striped haired girl turned to look at Joe. "I guess you were right."

"Actually, I said that he would be dreaming of naked women, not one girl."

"Well, the girl was clothed, for your information." Matt got up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going over to those bushes in the distance so I have some privacy, and relieve myself. Then I'm going to eat breakfast. Any objections? No? Good." With that, he turned around, and headed off.

Joe and Lilika looked at each other. "Was it something we said?" Lilika asked.

Joe groaned. "I think Matt was a tad upset with that observation."

Rei nodded. "Tai, you want Luna Two ready with a healing item?"

Tai sighed. "Yes."

Once again, a short chapter. Sorry, but it's difficult to fill up paper space sometimes. Like I have stated, this chapter is pointless, though it establishes something that has never really been established before. I will be expanding on this 'dream world,' in later chapters. Coming up next, Jessica de Alkirk returns to the story for the first time since… I believe her guest appearance in Episode Eight.

If this chapter is a little late, and a little rough around the edges, my most sincere apologies. To put it bluntly, our computer was experiencing technical difficulties. But now it's up and running normally again, and I can continue typing. Oh, joy!

Another side note. In order to keep this story attached to it's Japanese origins, all the monsters will be named by what they would be called in Japan, as will Sailor Mars. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I am now.

I wish to note for the record, that I am a supporter of the Harry/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, and Ron and Hermione relationships. But I'm also a fan of certain crossover couples, so I've decided to try my hand at one. It'll certainly prove interesting. Please review, as always.


	27. Episode Twenty Five: The Priestess Speak...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Five: The Priestess speaks

A days journey was all that separated them from Lann. After Matt had thoroughly beaten Tai's head in, and after Luna Two had healed him, they had breakfast, then saddled up, with a few snide remarks from Rei, Nash, and Nall about Tai's bad judgment. Tai almost sliced them into pieces, but was stopped by Agumon, who told him that killing them would serve no useful purpose.

They reached the outer skirts of Lann as the sun was going down, all of them exhausted, hungry, and saddle sore."

"Alright, how much food do we have?" Tai asked.

Rini looked at her bag. "Probably a day, maybe more."

Serena looked at her bag. "Well, if worse comes to worse, you guys can have food from my bag. There's got to be another week's worth in there."

"Which bag?" Rei asked. "One, or two?"

"Two. One's empty already."

Mimi chuckled. "Still haven't lost that empty leg, I see," she mentioned.

"Still making observations about my eating habits, I see," Serena retorted. Especially since you're no better."

Mimi laughed. "Point taken."

Sora smiled. "Well, we won't get any provisions if we stay here, so let's get going."

Gatomon, Nall, Luna One, and Artemis began chanting, "Fish, fish, fish, fish…"

"We get the point, fur balls!" Everyone roared at once.

The fishing village of Lann had the same emotional temperament as Saith; total, utter, depression. The air

was thick with it.

Sailor Moon looked around, seeing the fish racks with no fish on them, noted the sour dispositions, the fishing boats parked on the beaches and the docks, and the fish traps that were broken. "What happened here?" she asked rhetorically.

Nash also looked around, observing his immediate environment. "I think we can safely say that this Dragonmaster has successfully decimated their way of life."

"And with it, their main source of food," Sora added, pointing at the racks. "Their food supply is dwindling. Soon, it'll be gone."

Gomamon waddled over to one of the nets, and began inspecting it. He noted that it looked like it had had been torn apart.

"Good lord."

It was Biyomon who said this, looking over in one place in particular. The Goddess Statue. It had a rather large number of people, waiting in line to use it. All of them had numerous cuts, bruises, and broken bones. One man even looked like his leg had been sent through a mulcher. That was how badly it was mangled.

Luna Two broke into a run, Mimi right behind her. Joe and Mercury immediately took off as well, their bags clinched tightly. Nall also followed them, as he had all of the healing items.

"The statue's overworked," a voice said behind them. They turned around to see an elderly man.

"The statue's overworked?" Izzy echoed.

"Yes. Because of this 'Dragonmaster,' we have had an influx of injuries. Day and Night, we try to fish, but he always comes around, and destroys our nets. We always get away, but it has become difficult.

"We see what you mean. But…have you tried to do anything to stop him?" Mars asked.

The old man nodded. "The village elder has called a meeting at the Village Hall in half a hour. We will decide on a course of action then."

"Good. We'll be there." Tai cracked his knuckles. "And we may be able to help you with this 'Dragonmaster.'"

The old man stared at him for a second, then slowly smiled. "Yes…perhaps you will," he murmured, walking away.

Tai sat down, and detached his digi-vice. "Alright everyone, set your method of time keeping to alert when half a hour has passed. Until then, I say we all relax, or find some evidence that might help prove that this guy is the real deal. Team leaders?"

"No problem," Alex replied.

"Ditto," Serena threw in.

"Okay. See you all in a half hour then." Tai sat down as the group dispersed, pulling out his book, and opening it. Frowning a bit, he began reading again.

"Tai, what are you reading about?"

Startled, Tai's head shot up, eyes locking with the soft brown ones of Sora for a second. "Just a book that I got from Althena's Shrine," he replied automatically, returning to the book. He had thought everyone had left.

"Oh? What's it about?"

Now Tai connected with the fact that Sora was here, sitting down next to him, and inquiring about what he was reading about. He looked into Sora's eyes again. With those eyes, he could never really keep a secret. And he discovered, to his everlasting surprise, he didn't want to in this case.

Setting the book down, he turned so he was facing Sora. "Well, I guess I can tell you, even though I don't know the whole story myself. It started back at the cave, where I got my sword…"

Luna Two wiped the sweat off of her brow. "That's the last of them," she said, tiredly. She started rubbing one of her shoulders.

Mimi sagged. "Good. I think I used up every last erg of magic. I hope that guy's leg finishes healing up."

"That makes two of us." Mercury leaned against Althena's Statue, putting her hand against it. She blinked. "I don't feel anything," she noted, concerned.

Mimi put her hand on it as well. Her eyes widened. "There's a little bit left. Just enough to recharge it, I'd say." She stood up again. "Anyone want a Starlight?"

Luna Two nodded, taking a bluish sphere from Mimi, and holding it to her chest. She felt a slight surge of mystical energy, renewing some of her magical power.

Joe looked at the depleted statue. "Makes you wonder what the Statues were like during the war."

"I'd rather not think about it," Luna Two replied, sitting down.

"Rather not think about what?" Izzy asked, walking up to them.

"The status of Goddess Statues during the Heresy Wars." Luna Two got up. "Well, Mercury is going to look over the wreckage of the boats, and I'm heading over to where Nash is. Joe?"  
"I'm going over with Mercury. Gomamon is already checking out the current emotional behavior of the fish." He shrugged. "Don't ask me how he does that."

"Oh, well. See you guys later." Izzy opened up his computer, and began typing.

Mimi groaned. Whenever Izzy opened his computer, and began typing, he went into Technoland, a place no one could go in after him.

That trail of thought lasted all of thirty seconds, when Izzy suddenly said, "Mimi, could you come over here, please? I want to show you something."

Mimi blinked once, the only sign she showed of being surprised by his speaking to her, then got up. "What?" she asked, stopping in front of him.

Izzy got up, gestured for her to sit down in his place, and when she did so, kneeled behind her, putting his hand on the touch pad, leaning in. Mimi shivered a bit as she felt his breath on her neck, before focusing her attention on the computer screen. Once again, she blinked in surprise. "Kemeka Kingdom; A history." She looked up at Izzy. "What's this all about?" she asked.

Izzy ran his finger over the pad, moving the arrow to the first icon, and double tapping to open it. "Well, you and I have a great deal of questions about the similarities between Lunar, and the stories that our parents told us, so I thought that you'd like to help look for clues on them." He blushed a bit. "I also know that when I start typing, I tend to ignore everyone around me, and I don't want to ignore you, Mimi. Not anymore."  
Mimi blushed a little as well, smiling. _'Our Izzy is growing out of his isolation.'_ She turned her attention back to the screen. "So, where do we begin?" she inquired.

Izzy grinned. "The beginning."

Amy inspected the torn traps, noting the size and shape of the holes with an introspective eye. She looked at the boat. It showed visible damage as well, though it was more to the rear than the front. For some reason, that didn't seem right to her.

Greg walked up. "Did you find any clues?" he asked.

"Only that a dragon didn't do this." Mercury stood up, ignoring the fatigue and soreness. "This doesn't even have the decency of being called a dragon attack."

"Why's that?"

"Because a dragon wouldn't have allowed anything alive to leave that way," she replied.  
Greg grasped onto what she was saying. "Instead, the boats are here, though damaged, and the nets are torn, and the crews, though hurt, are alive." He stamped his foot in absolute irritation. "That son of a bitch!"

Lilika smiled. "Well, the rest of the village shares your opinion of this man. He has been doing a great deal of damage.

Amy turned around. "Gomamon, do you have anything?" she shouted.

Gomamon resurfaced. "Well, I can't communicate with these fish, but their emotions are easy to read. They're scared of something. And it ain't the fishermen."

"Which adds proof to the table that this isn't a Dragonmaster we're dealing with." Joe stepped out of the water. "And I think my feet are almost ready to become prunes."

Gomamon grinned. "Oh, I don't think Lilika will mind too much."

"Why?" the girl in question asked. "Is Joe ticklish?"

Joe turned to his partner. "Answer that," he hissed, "and you will never swim again!"  
Lilika smiled once more. "Guess so."

Greg grinned. "For the love of God, Joe, don't be so paranoid," he said. "Get to know her a little bit."

Joe looked at him. "I learning more about her at a pretty good pace," he said. "Why ruin it?"

"You're scared," Mercury threw in. "You're scared of getting close to her. You've only really known her for a week, I know. And when we find a way home, you may never see her again. But, it'll be good for you to have a friendship outside of our three groups. Who knows, it might lead to something more," she added in a whisper.

Joe turned to look at her, then sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"I know I am."

Sora's eyes were as wide as saucers as Tai finished speaking. "It's…almost too much to believe," she said quietly.

"You're telling me." Tai patted the book on his lap." But everything I've read points in that direction. I'm trying to figure out why my dad never told me."

Sora nodded. "Does Kari know?" she asked.

Tai shook his head. "All she knows is that something's bugging me. She'll let me try and figure it out, first, _then_ interrogate me."

Sora nodded again. Tai obviously had a lot of questions about his father. Now he wanted to find the answers to those questions. She could understand that.

A high pitched, electronic beeping interrupted their thoughts, and they looked down at their digi-vices.

Sora giggled. "Meeting time," she said, "and just when we were beginning to bond."  
Tai chuckled as well, getting up. "Shall we?"

"Let's."

They met outside of the meeting hall. "So," Alex said in greeting, "did any of you find out anything?"

Mercury scowled. "We were able to find some evidence. For starters, the fact that the nets have holes in them is very telling. Second, the fact that the boats are here. And finally, the lack of fatalities. It's just not enough to prove it."

"Not enough to prove that it wasn't a Dragonmaster, but enough to show that it wasn't a dragon," Serena stated. "Ames, you haven't let us down yet."

T.K. grinned. "Well, let's go in. The meeting should have started by now."

Tai nodded. "Good point. Ladies first."

"You have to be reasonable!" Jessica deAlkirk exclaimed frustratingly. "The Dragonmaster who is causing all of the trouble must be an imposter!"

The village elder held up his hand. "We understand the seriousness of the situation," he said calmly, a sharp contrast to Jessica's fury. "But what if the Dragonmaster is real? We would never be able to stand up to such a being."

Jessica almost bellowed like a true beastman, but reigned it in with difficulty. Now was not the time to go ballistic on anyone. "The true guardian of Althena would never bring harm to you! To prove it, I will personally investigate this on your behalf. Now, if you will excuse me." She jumped off of the podium, and pushed her way through the crowd amid murmurs. She headed for the exit.

"Nice speech, Jessica," a voice muttered next to her.

Jessica turned around, her mace raised…and then she lowered it. "Oh, when did you guys get here? You weren't here before." She looked at the Digi-Destined. "And who are they?" she asked.

Pluto gestured o them. These are the Digi-Destined. Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, T.K., and Kari. Those are their Digimon partners. You can ask for their names as we walk." She shook her hand. "It's good to see you, Jessica."

"Likewise. It's nice to meet you guys. And it's good to see you again…Amy and Greg, right?"  
Mercury nodded, impressed. "You've got a good memory, Jessica," she said.

"You too. And, you are…?"

"I'm Alex. This Luna, who we call Luna Two, for identification purposes. The walking mass of testosterone over there is Nash."  
_"Hey!"_

Nall laughed for a second. "I'm Nall!"

"And to your original statement," Lita began, eyes twinkling, "we heard about the problem here, so we came to help. We also heard about your little tiff with Kyle. You inadvertently made it very difficult for us to get here."

Jessica winced. "Sorry, guys. If I had known you were coming, I would have held off for a week." She frowned. "As a matter of fact, I did have a fight with that jerk in Nanza…and I really need to blow off some steam!" She chucked a finger back at the thronging mass. "But the elder of this village is too stubborn to listen to me. I don't know what to do!"

Nall grinned. "Alex…this girl is really hyper!" he exclaimed. "We were sent here by Master Ghaleon of the Magic Guild to check out this Dragonmaster."

"And," Mercury threw in, "we have some evidence that shows that this guy isn't a Dragonmaster."

"Really?" Jessica barely restrained herself from jumping up and down in in glee. This was the break she needed. A group of people who were also going after that man. "You must let me come along with you!" she stated. "I'm a student of Althena's Shrine, and I'm quite skilled with healing magic. I know we can find this guy if we work together!" she stopped for a second to catch her breath. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I'm thinking that the team leaders need to huddle for a moment. Tai, Serena."

Tai, Alex, and Serena went into a huddle for a few seconds. They broke apart almost instantly. "Sounds like a plan," Alex stated, grinning.

"Great! We're getting along already! Let's go!" The priestess walked by Luna Two, stopped, turned around, and snapped her fingers. "Hey! I know you!"

Luna Two stopped in her tracks, looking at her in confusion. "Who, me?"

"Yes, you! I swear I've seen you before!"

Now the blue haired woman was really confused. As if she wasn't already. "N-no," she stuttered after a moment. "I'm sure I would have remembered it…"

Jessica frowned. "I guess you would've…oh well," she said, shrugging. "When I remember where I've seen you, I'll let you know."

Mimi grinned. "I like her already," she declared.

Palmon sighed, shaking her head. "Mimi, you like everyone," she reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah."

Jessica grinned. "I like her already!" she replied, mimicking Mimi to a tee.

Alex chuckled. "Matt, could you get a boat for us? 'Cause this town isn't big enough for Mimi, Jupiter, and Jessica."  
Jupiter glared at him. "Leave me out of this!"

Jessica laughed. "Well, at the risk of casually dismissing Jupiter here, the so-called Dragonmaster out on Lann Island."

Serena nodded. "Matt, could you go get us a boat now? Because we need to beat the stuffing out of him."

Matt nodded. "I'll certainly try." With that, he walked out.

Ginny entered Professor Snape's classroom, ignoring everything around her as she always did those days. One or two people tried striking up a conversation, but they eventually gave up on the attempt, as her answers were curt. Even Snape, who had no real love for the Gryffindors, tried to strike up a conversation that had nothing to do with Potions, and took off ten points when she refused to answer him. Not that it mattered to her anymore.

All around her, her fellow Gryffindors sat down, all of them looking spiffy in their new school robes, complete with a new color inseam. Even the jumpers had had a color change, going from gray to a deep black. Even her brothers were given new robes for free. Unlike her, who still wore the old black school robes with the gray jumper. And it was something she didn't really care about anymore. She had refused.

For forty long minutes, the entirety of the class worked on the potion that the Potions Master had put on the board. It was complex for their level, and required that they perform the instructions correctly.Ginny had no problem with that.

She worked her way through the class, measuring each ingredient with care, then putting it in her cauldron. When Snape came around to check her work, he found no flaw, and didn't say anything. Which was saying something. He did say that she was doing a good job, having a slightly sour look on his face.

She had just finished her potion, and had put a sample on Snape's desk for grading with almost three minutes to spare, when she suddenly felt a sudden surge of anger and frustration go through her. Confused, as this was different from the constant melancholy mood she was in ever since she came back to school, she sat back down in her seat, and concentrated, frowning for a moment in concentration. When the anger grew, she grew even more confused. It was almost like it was occurring from an outside source…

Suddenly, the answer came to her, and she restrained a groan. How _did_ he do it? And how could she still feel him?

Forming a hypothesis around a thought she had, she decided to test it, if only to get him to calm down a bit.

Otherwise, Snape was going to have her hide for disrupting his class.

"Look, man!" Matt almost shouted, gesturing furiously with his arms. "We really need a boat to get to the area of attack! If you don't want to come, fine! But, could you please lend us your boat!"  
The fisherman didn't even give it any thought. "Look, I need my boat to fish, and I can't spare it. And there's no way I'm going to give it to a bunch of punk kids who keep monsters as pets!"

Gabumon's eyes narrowed. "Et tu, asshole?" he growled. "Matt and I have been nothing than courteous to you up to this point. And you, and all the other fishermen, and women, have been nothing but rude to us. Do you have a problem with monsters?"  
Matt was about ready to lunge, his frustration were on the brink of exploding outward. His fist clenched painfully.

(Matt, I don't know how I'm feeling your presence, but unless you have a good reason for being angry, calm down this very instant! Or you're going to get a feel of my anger!)

Matt froze in place for a moment, unable to believe what he was hearing. (Ginny?) he asked cautiously.

(You know any other redheads?)

(Izzy.)

(Oh. What's the problem? Your frustration is starting to affect me, and I'm currently in Professor Snape's class. I do something very stupid here, and I'll get in trouble. Then I'll have to hurt you when I see you next time!)

(That's so lovely the way you put it,) Matt sent back sarcastically. (I'm presently trying to get a fishing boat for my friends, but every fisher here won't give one to us because of the fact we travel with 'monsters.')

Ginny was silent for a moment. (Have you tried asking?) she finally asked.

(Asked, begged, cajoled, demanded, and a few others that I cannot bring myself to mention at this particular moment. Excuse me.) "Gabumon, get Tai and the others. I'm going to need some serious backup here."

(On so many levels and thoughts.)

(Thanks, Gin.)

(Gin?)

"You got it." Gabumon threw one last look at the man, then walked back over to the main group. Matt headed over to a free standing rock, and sat down on it. (Okay, Ginny. You have any suggestions?) he asked.

(Hold on thirty seconds. Class has just been dismissed…okay, I'm out. Now, tell me exactly why you're trying to get a boat.)

For the next minute, Matt told her everything that happened, from the moment that they had set foot in Lann, all the way up to the meeting in the Village Hall that lasted all of five minutes. Afterwards, he sat back, waiting for her response.

Ginny laughed. (That Jessica has a lot of spunk.)

(I like to think so. So, whaddya think?)

Ginny was silent for a second, thinking. (Well, I'd say just take one,) she began, (but that won't endear you to the village. So why don't you let Jessica deal with this?)

(Good idea. Excuse me.) "Hey, Tai. Alex."

"Hey, Matt," Alex returned. "Gabumon tells us that you have a problem."

Matt chucked a finger in the direction of harbor. "Nobody is going to give us a boat, because of the fact that we travel with monsters."

"Yes, so your partner informs us."

Jessica grinned. "How's about we let Nash take a crack at it?" she asked. "It'll prove entertaining, to say the least."

Matt shrugged. "Be my guest."

(Is that safe?) Ginny inquired.

(Probably not. But it'll as funny as hell to watch. He's an overbearing student who thinks he's the greatest thing in the world. She's a half beastman.)

(Beastman? Is that a species?)

(Apparently, from what I've heard.)

(Hmm…I know a half giant…) Ginny cut off for a second. (Sorry, I just reached my next class. Charms, with Professor

Flitwick. I'll talk to you later. And do try and be calm.)

(Will do. Bye.) Matt hung up…well, you know what the storyteller means…and immediately turned his gaze to

Gabumon, knowing that he was looking up at him. "Yeah, buddy?" he asked.

Gabumon grinned. "Nothing. Just thinking about what Agumon is going to do to Nash if he puts one more toe out of line. You?"

Matt grinned mysteriously. "Oh, this and that," he replied.

"Ah."

"Hail, sir!" Nash declared. "On behalf of the Magic Guild, I order you to lend us your boat!"

"What!" The fisherman declared. "I'm not about to give my baby to a total stranger! And definitely not to a jerk!"

Jessica noted how Nash comported himself. The insult didn't seem to faze him any. She saw that Nash felt like he was inherently superior to everyone else. However, they had all agreed to give him a little leeway. They had to appeal to Agumon's compassionate side, but they all agreed.

"I've come to fight the Dragonmaster who is holding your village!" Nash continued, ignoring the orange lizards lethal look. "If you don't want to be zapped into the Frontier, you will lend us your boat!"

"Hell, no! This boat is my baby. You put so much as a scratch on it, and I'll…"

'Of all of the obstinate, stubborn…' Jessica finally stepped forward. "Quit yammering, you fool!" she bellowed. "Didn't you here him? We're here to save your village! Now shut your cakehole, and give us your damn boat!"

The fisherman stepped back in surprise. "Uh, sure!" he said after a moment. "Of course! Get in!"

Now it was Jessica's turn to be surprised. "Really? Hey, thanks! And sorry about yelling at you like that…I have a bit of a temper."

"A bit?" Mimi echoed, eyebrow quirking in amusement.

Jessica grinned. "Got it from my dad!" she said. "He's an ex-pirate, remember?" He taught me everything he knows…and that's a lot!" She hopped in. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Question: How are we all going to fit in there?" Matt asked.

Izzy sighed. "I have already scanned the boat, and it is large enough for all of us. And if it isn't, we have two Digimon who can fly, and one Digimon who can swim."

"Oh…I forgot."

Gabumon rolled his eyes. "He forgot. You've been riding on my back for the last eight days, and you forgot!"

T.K. began laughing. "Wow, Matt! Whatever you were thinking about must be really distracting for you to forget something!"

Matt managed to stop himself from blushing. "Sorry about that, Gabumon," he said, making a mental note to speak to Ginny as soon as he could. This was already getting ridiculous.

"Forgiven, Matt. Now, let's get going. The sooner we find the Dragonmaster, the better."

Artemis nodded. "And the sooner we can get some food. Rini and Lilika were able to get their hands on a few fishing poles so we can fish. Apparently, it'll take a day to get to Lann Island, so we're going to need some sustenance."

Izzy nodded. "I'll check and see if there's a spell that can de bone a fish relatively well."

Jupiter and Venus ran up, the groups water bottles in hand. "We won't run out of water, that's for certain," Venus said. "We were able to refill the bottles at the well. Wonderful place, Lunar."

"I agree." Jupiter began handing the canisters out to the others. "Are we ready to row?"

Nall looked into the water. "We get to be over a lake. Oh, joy," he muttered.

Luna Two laughed. "Oh, come on, Nall!" she exclaimed. "This is a good way to see how a fisherman lives. And besides, you get fish."  
Nall smiled.

Boy, oh boy, another short chapter. This is three in a row. The next chapter should be longer. If not, and it turns out to be shorter, I'll combine it with this one, and make one chapter out of it.

In Harry Potter and the POA, very little was done with Ginny, especially on how she dealt with the events of her first year, so I am making this up as I go along. If you think it's a bad idea, let me know, and I will change it.

Apparently, double spacing has no effect if you're doing a story in a html format, so I have no real way to separate the paragraphs. I am going to try various other formats to find out which one will allow a double space between paragraphs.

Due to a problem with one of my files, I will not be updating on Captain Planet: Armageddon any time soon. I am currently re-typing the whole chapter now, so it should be done within the next couple of weeks. I'm not holding my breath, though.

In terms of the next chapter, Gomamon will digi-volve! And how Kuwaguamon managed to get to Lunar will be revealed, so stayed tuned. And, as always, review.


	28. Episode Twenty Six: Water's Might

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Six: Water's Might

Racc stood before the device, his hand stroking the strange controls with an almost reverent touch. It was a device that a civilization had built eons ago, and had put it on Lunar. It was truly a magnificent device. It had taken his best Uruk-Hai five hundred years to figure out all of the hieroglyphs that were on it, and what they meant. And the control panel was a work of ancient art. Similar symbols were adorned on it, and a giant orb in the middle acted as the ENTER button.

The Uruk-Hai's face split into a maniacal grin. This device would be the doom of the Digi-Destined/ Sailor Scout Alliance, as well as their aspiring Dragonmaster and his friends. And all he had to do was dial.

In a blaze of energy that blasted from the device, then retreating back into itself, a portal of pure white was opened, rippling like water in a pond. With a smirk still on his hooded face, he sent a signal through it with his communicator. Then he let the device shut down , and waited.

Almost two minutes later, the device exploded into life again in a similar fashion as before. Racc checked his scanner. Something was now in transit. _'Excellent,'_ he thought in triumph, _'Kuwaguamon was the first. Now these creatures shall be the second. And this time, I shall not fail.'_

Kamiya's team was doomed. And he would finally lay claim to the Katana.

He began laughing.

Until he saw what came through. And then he yelled, "Oh, you must be joking!"

Gomamon yelped as a fishing hook barely missed hitting him. He resurfaced, a little irritated. "Joe, watch it!" he shouted. I'm trying to swim here!"

Joe grinned. "Sorry, Gomamon."

"On second thought, go back to being paranoid." The aquatic Digimon dove back underneath the water away, once more riding the currents a ways, then swimming back towards the boat again. This was the thing he loved most, because it gave him a challenge that he knew wasn't insurmountable. It was also one of things that made him…him. That, and the fact that he was everything Joe was not. He was carefree, while Joe was paranoid. Or should he say, was once paranoid. Lilika had helped change that somewhat.

Agumon's line grew taut, and he pulled up. "I've got one!" he shouted, showing a decently sized fish, wriggling madly on the hook.

Tentomon, who was ill equipped for fishing, simply popped one of them in his mouth. "You know, it's times like this that I am grateful that our appetites decrease when we digi-volve to rookie level."

"Ditto." Gomamon dropped another one into the boat. "At least we can get enough food for the night."

"So long as we all have something to eat," Tai amended, checking over what they got. "There's at least enough for each of us to have two fish. If someone can hold back Mimi and Serena, that is."

"Don't worry," Mimi informed him. "I caught seven fish for myself."

"And I'm allergic to fish," Rini informed, diving into her mom's food bag for a bag of salad. "How do they do that?" she asked. "Make a bag of salad, I mean."

"Welcome to Lunar, where anything is possible," Jessica said. "Now we need a fire to cook the fish."

"I agree." Alex turned to Rei. "Want to take a whack at it?" he asked.

"Only if you want the boat burned down," Rei replied, straightening her tiara a little.

Tai sighed. "Guttle's Maw. I'll do it." He stepped up to the fire pit on board, and pointed a single finger at it.

That was all that was needed.

"Nice," Agumon commented, grinning. "I guess that it's a side effect to having that katana."

(Your Digimon partner is very perceptive.) The sword chose that moment to say.

'Tell me about it. He gets more perceptive every day.'

Venus looked at the small stash of fish in front of them. "Well, we have enough food for supper. And that Dragonmaster hasn't attacked us." She turned to the others. "Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?" she asked.

Lilika nodded, her striped bangs swishing a little. "One would think that he would be lying in wait, ready to attack."

"Which means," Nash supplied, his customary smug expression on his face, "he's not really a Dragonmaster. He doesn't know we're on the premises."

"Or he saw the fact that it was one lone boat, with monsters on it, and decided to leave us alone." Pluto leaned back against the rail.

Kari nodded. "Which adds to the conclusion either way." She frowned. "This Dragonmaster is a very bad man!"

Gatomon chuckled. "Haven't heard you say something like that in a while."

The little girl giggled. "Well, I've been sounding like mommy for so long, that it surprised me too."

Tai gestured. "And there you have it, folks." He looked out over the water. "We are about four hours away from the island. So how about we have dinner, then get some shut eye."

"Mmmm…delicious." Mimi finished off her last piece of fish, which was her fourth. "Boy, fishing sure can make a girl hungry."

Palmon sighed. "Mimi, in your case, _everything_ makes you hungry."

"Oh, sure, remind me of something I already know."

Gomamon finished off his fish, then jumped onto the rail. "I'm going to swim for about an hour," he said.

Joe nodded. "Don't be too long."

Matt grinned. "So!" he called out cheerfully. "Who wants the Captain's Quarters?"

From his position on Lann Island, Racc observed the boat with a rather surly air. He wanted a damn army of invincible soldiers. What he got were very little, though numerous in number. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of their great victory.

Shaking off his mood, he roared, "Bara!"

A shadow, female in shape, appeared behind him. "Yes, my love?"

"Do you have the 'package' that came through the portal?"

"Right here. They are all present."

Racc nodded, irritated. "I wanted a very powerful force, but nooooo…we have to be silent for now! Royce's command's. So we get these runts!"

"What did you expect? Courage was able to survive against you long enough for help to arrive. Other usefulness is being questioned now." Bara sighed. "Perhaps we are to gather information about them. And these creatures, despite their size, are champion level. They might be able to do some damage."

The Uruk-Hai leader nodded again, appeased slightly. "Kuwaguamon has failed. I have suffered a setback, which I am eternally irritated about. This ends here, if these creatures are up to the task." He turned around. "Let them loose."

"As you command."

Gabumon, who was taking first watch, suddenly stood stiff, his ears perking. "What the-?" he muttered, then said, louder, "Hey, Gomamon!"

The aquatic Digimon surfaced. "Yeah, Gabumon?"

Gabumon looked across the water. " I thought I heard something. It sounded like a splash, like something had just entered the water. Now, I maybe a little paranoid, but I think something maybe coming this way. Could you check, please?"

Gomamon dived without replying, looking in the same direction as Gabumon, though under the water. His eyes caught several shapes in the water immediately, more behind them. He strained his eyes to get a better look, saw one of them become more focused as they moved closer, and felt his blood grow cold. _'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!' _He resurfaced. "Divermon on the attack!"

Matt grinned as Ginny tried to capture a creature that neither of them had ever seen before, though it did have four legs. Tried, but failed. The creature was too fast. "Come on, Gin!" he said. "It's just a tad faster then you, and much smarter than the two of us put together."

Ginny smiled. "Well, I think it's cute, and this place is so…new. I mean, talking to you is fun, and I'm learning a lot about you and your friends, but-"

Matt looked at her. "What?" he asked.

Ginny looked at him hesitantly, not sure on how to answer that…

Divermon on the attack!

Great, just great! Tai, Serena, get everybody up! We are under attack!

Matt sighed. He should have seen this coming. "Ginny, I'm going to have to wake up. I think there's a problem on my side."  
"So I'm hearing," Ginny replied, looking up sadly. "You better get going, then."

Matt closed his eyes…and opened them again, some grit stinging his eyes. _'Yup, I'm awake,'_ he thought. _'And I'm going to kill whatever it is that woke me up!'_

"Shit!" Mimi swore. "Somebody wake up Matt. When he goes to sleep, he's harder to wake up than me."

"Don't bother," Matt grumbled, getting up. "Did Gomamon say that we're under attack by Scubamon? If so, I'm going to kick some Divermon ass!"

"How'd you hear that?" Sora asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I heard it. I was…dozing."

(You call me dozing?) Ginny asked incredulously.

(Now's not the time, Ginny. We're under attack.)

(Tai, did you notice how Matt seemed to lose some focus there?) Tai's blade inquired.

'Now's not the time.' "Alright, Tentomon, Biyomon, digi-volve to champion. Gomamon, try to digi-volve. Everybody else, stand by at the sides of the boat. Be ready for any of them trying to get on board. Lilika, take the wheel, and get us moving. Rini, do you have any way to fly, and have room for two passengers?"  
Rini created a pink disk with her fingers, then made it larger by a factor of three. "Now I do."  
"Nice," Alex said. "You, T.K., and Kari are going to be our aerial support. Jessica, get ready to hoist anchor."

"Alright, Tentomon, Biyomon, digi-volve to champion. Gomamon, try to digi-volve. Everybody else, stand by at the sides of the boat. Be ready for any of them trying to get on board. Lilika, take the wheel, and get us moving. Rini, do you have any way to fly, and have room for two passengers?"Rini created a pink disk with her fingers, then made it larger by a factor of three. "Now I do.""Nice," Alex said. "You, T.K., and Kari are going to be our aerial support. Jessica, get ready to hoist anchor." 

"You got it, Alex." Jessica ran over to the anchor brace.

BIYOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…BIRDRAMON!

TENTOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…KABUTERIMON!

GOMAMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…shit, I still can't do it!"

Joe nodded. "Well, you're still the best in the water, and you're much more agile this way! So start swimming!"  
Gomamon sighed. "If I'm deleted, I'm coming back to haunt you, Joe." With that, he dived…and propelled himself through the water like a torpedo. Not difficult, as he was going with the current. And he had the desired effect. The Divermon scattered in every direction, immediately fighting to right themselves in the currents.

Divermon: A Digimon at the Champion Level, Divermon are among the deadliest hunters in the oceans. In massive numbers, they are a match for any Champion or Ultimate level Digimon. They use an attack called Striking Fish, as well as a chain to tie up their prey, and drag them into the ocean.

Gomamon, remembering everything he ever learned about water combat, managed to grab one of them by his oxygen tank. "How ya doing, asshole?" he asked pleasantly.

With a little effort, the Divermon dislodged one of his fins, so he could turn around, harpoon raised. "Just fine," he replied, then tried to stab him. "Now, delete!"

Gomamon dodged, then grabbed it with his mouth, and pulled. Surprised, his opponent didn't tighten his grip. Now with the harpoon in his mouth, Gomamon took advantage this, and jabbed him in the stomach.

The Divermon looked down at the newest addition to his abdomen in surprise. "Crap," was all he said, before disappearing.

The little aquatic Digimon breathed a huge sigh of relief, then turned around to get another one.

_"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" _

"Check this out! Thunder Thrust!"

"Lightning Blade!"

Lightning Strike!"

Four attacks, each striking the water in the same exact spot, caused a huge gout of water to rise to the sky. In it, four Divermon flailed about, trying to escape from it. Four arrows, each fired in rapid succession, signified the end of their attempts. "Nice shot, Izzy!" Jessica shouted, clubbing another one with her mace, and crushing it's skull in. It fell back towards the water, though it disintegrated before it actually hit. No remains for the world of Lunar to get out of the water.

Mimi electrocuted another one, though she had to duck as a third one tried to decapitate her. Taking advantage of the slight lessening of the impenetrable wall, four Divermon climbed on board, harpoons at the ready. As one, they charged.

Matt, Tai, and Tuxedo Mask met them head on, swords and a cane meeting a fisherman's version of the spear.

Rini roared past with T.K. and Kari, pink energy blasting from her fingers like bullets out of a gun. T.K an Kari were using their weapons with deadly precision, striking any Divermon stupid enough to go into range. They also acted as rudders, evading Striking Fish attacks like they were missiles.

Tai's Katana, stronger than any known metal out there, sliced through his opponents harpoon. Another slash, and that Divermon joined his compatriots in their defeat. Tai returned to his position on the boat.

Mask was having a little more trouble. His weapon, unlike the others, was blunt and straight. As such, all he could do was use as a baton. However, he was a skilled fighter, and held his own rather well. He knocked the harpoon out his Divermon's hands, then finished it with a roundhouse kick. It flew off the boat, unconscious. _'Hopefully, it'll drown,'_ he thought.

Matt managed to get the upper hand in his fight, slicing the Divermon's hand off, which was currently holding the harpoon. As both items disintegrated, the Divermon looked at him in shock, then jumped back into the water. Matt turned around…just in time for the other Divermon to jump him…or, should we say, try to.

The second his hand touched Matt's arm, he vanished into thin air. He wasn't hit or anything. He simply…vanished in a slight burst of light.

Matt was confused for a second, but realized that this wasn't the time or the place to think about it. He returned to his position, knocking another one out with the hilt of his sword.

He didn't think about it any further until he 'felt' Ginny's fear. Then, he heard Ginny go, (Umm, Matt?) In that moment, he realized where the Divermon had gone to. It was the one place that he _didn't_ want him to be.

(Ginny!)

(Matt, help!)

"Did you see that?" Bara asked, amazed.

Racc nodded. It was very informative to him. "So, Dreamscape still exists. And Friendship is capable of entering it." He paused, thinking about it for a moment. "I wonder who is in there with him when he sleeps?"

Bara smiled. "Whoever it is, he…or she…won't be there for much longer. In fact, I think that person will be nowhere in a few minutes."

Racc laughed.

Ginny had finally caught the creature, and was currently petting it behind it's ears, waiting for Matt to return, cooing gently, when a bright flash of light caught her attention. Looking up, she was startled to see something that hadn't been there before.

"What the-?" Divermon turned around and around, trying to get his bearings.

Ginny felt a spurt of fear go through her. This was not a person. In fact, she had a feeling that it was one of those Digimon things Matt told her about. And, judging from how it was acting, it wasn't friendly. "Umm, Matt?"

The Divermon's attention focused on her. She could almost hear the neurons of his brain put the pieces together. She took a step backwards in fear.

The Divermon was indeed putting the pieces together. He smiled. "So," he said, "you're a friend of Matt Ishida's."

Ginny looked around, trying to find a way out. "Umm, yes?" she managed.

"Good. STRIKING FISH!"

Ginny gasped in shock, then ducked as the harpoon flew overhead, embedding itself into the nearest tree. She turned around again, just in time to dodge another attack.

(Ginny!)

(Matt, help!)

(I can't be in two places at once!)

(Well, I don't know how to fight!) Ginny dodged again. (Any ideas!)

(Well, just the painfully obvious; Don't get hit!)

(Great, just great!) Ginny didn't bother him again, as she understood that he was busy. Then, so was she, as she was trying to survive.

Divermon, becoming rather frustrated by the fact that this little girl was evading him, decided to try something new. He did a side swipe maneuver, almost catching Ginny in her gut. She managed to get out of the way, though the attack sliced through her pajama shirt. She stumbled, tripped, and fell to the ground. She scrambled backwards, trying to get some distance between her and her opponent…

…and her hand brushed something very familiar. Startled, she looked down at what her hand had hit. _'My wand!'_ she thought, a desperate plan forming.

Divermon easily reached her, and had his harpoon at her throat before she could get out of the way. He smirked. "Geez, kid, what were you thinking? An ordinary kid, trying to take on a Digimon?"

Ginny jabbed her wand into Divermon's chest. "I'm not an ordinary kid!" she hissed. _"Stupefy!"_

The Divermon was thrown back several feet, and hit the ground, feeling like he had been hit with a sledgehammer. He gasped for a moment, trying to get his senses back under control.

Ginny, for the first time that year, was grateful for trying to learn a spell that was set for fifth year. After the Chamber, she wanted to be prepared. And at that moment, she wanted to be armed with something other than a wand.

Spotting the harpoon still embedded in the tree, she went for it…just as the Divermon go back up. His eyes had instant realization all over them. "Witch!" he bellowed.

Ginny pulled the other harpoon out of the tree. "So glad you noticed!"

With a high pitched screech, the little Digimon charged forward.

Under the water, several Divermon went into a triangular formation, harpoon's pointed up and ready. "At my command!" the lead Divermon ordered. "And…_now!_"

"STRIKING FISH!" Several voices sounded off as one. Simultaneously, eight harpoon's shot out of the water, reaching a good height in the air, before angling downward to the ground, as sharp, pointy things are wont to do. And, like sharp, pointy objects are wont to do, the sharp, pointy end was pointing down.

Alex looked up, saw the falling objects heading for them. In that moment, an idea formed in his head. "Darien!" he shouted. "Can your roses stop those things?"

Darien looked up as well. "We're about to find out." He stepped away from the edge, and drew his hand back to him. With a slightly dramatic flick of his wrist, he sent over a dozen roses into the air on a collision course.

It seemed almost idiotic. These little, ordinary roses deflecting several very large, very heavy objects that were the fisherman's idea of a javelin. However, Tuxedo Mask's roses were anything but ordinary.

The rose connected, diverting the harpoon's enough so they would miss everyone in the boat. Four fell back into the water, while the other three embedded themselves into the boat's floor.

"Alright!" Rini shouted gleefully, blasting another one in the face. "Way to go, Darien!"  
Matt caught another in the chest as it tried to board the ship. He shook his arm a bit. "We can't keep this up indefinitely!" he shouted. "We need Ikkakumon!"

"No shit, Matt!" Joe shouted. "But for some reason, we're not getting him!"

Racc nodded with satisfaction as the Divermon laid siege on the boat. He saw the Digi-Destined and Sailor Scouts defending themselves admirably, watched as Jessica used her mace like a bat, bashing the Digimon like they were balls. "Well, I do have to respect their spirit," he said. "They fight, even when they know there is no way to hold them off forever."  
Bara smiled. "They can only have two champions out there, and their rookies are already tiring." She frowned. "I don't see the aquatic one, though."

Racc did a double take. Now that Bara had mentioned that… "He's in the water," he said, suddenly seeing a very large problem in all of their carefully laid plans.

"And if he digi-volves…" Bara didn't even need to finish her sentence.

"…Then we lose." The Uruk-Hai leader pulled out his communicator. "Attention, all Divermon. Do not attack Reliability. Concentrate your attack's on Gomamon. We don't need him digi-volving in the water!"

The Divermon were on another attack run when Racc's instructions sounded off in their earpieces. They stopped, listening to them.

That was a major mistake.

Gomamon barreled into one of them, knocking him into another's harpoon. Then, as the Divermon was vanishing, he grabbed the harpoon, and used it to stab another one in the chest. "Here ya go!" he crowed, back pedaling out of range of the others.

The head Divermon, one with a series of scars intersecting his chest and head, turned around to glare at him. "Alright, boys!" he snarled. "New plan; Get the midget!"

"Oh, crap." Gomamon hurdled himself to the surface.

"STRIKING FISH!"  
"MARCHING FISHES!"  
Gomamon's many colored fish appeared out of nowhere, as they always did, giving him an additional boost of speed, allowing to break shoot out of the water, and make like Free Willy. Though in his case, he was jumping over a boat, and not a cairn of rocks.

Almost twenty Divermon jumped up after him, harpoons ready to skewer him. After all, what went up, must go down as well.

That was their first mistake, following him out of the water. Their mistake was not checking to see if there was anything up in the air already. And Birdramon and Kabuterimon were ready for them.

"METEOR WING!"

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"  
A deluge of electrical sphere's and fire spears rained down upon the now helpless Divermon. None of them made it back to the water. At least, not in one piece.

Sora kicked another back into the water, then punched a third full in the face. "Lilika!" she shouted, panting slightly from the exertion. "Can you use your powers to force them back?"  
Lilika shook her head, using her stave to smack another in his face. "I don't have precise control like that!" she replied. "If I use my powers, I could end up reversing the flow of water, or even halting it altogether! Either way would prove disastrous!"

"Well, we don't want that!" Joe shouted from his position. "Hey, Gabumon! How are you doing?"  
"I'm tiring, I'm cranky, and I'm a rookie! What does that tell you!"

Joe chuckled. "I get the point!" He grabbed a rope, one with a blunt, metal portion attached to it, and swung it around, catching a Divermon in his tracks, and knocking him several feet away from the boat. "Looks like I'm good with a weapon after all," he commented, amazed.

Mercury, with sword in one hand and computer in other, scanned their trajectory, the speed they were approaching, and how many there were still coming at them. She blinked when a power signature came up as well. Swinging her blade and catching yet another Divermon, she turned around. "Guys, I found where all of the Divermon are coming from. I also found a very familiar power."

"And where are they coming from?" Jessica asked, caving in one's head. "And what familiar power

"Lann Island. And it's Racc."

"Racc!" Tai couldn't believe it. "Man, he really wants us dead!"  
Pluto looked down into the water. "Hey, where's Gomamon?" she asked. "And why aren't the Divermon laying siege to the boat at full strength?"

Like a well laid sequence, the realization hit them all quickly. "Gomamon!" Joe shouted.

Gomamon dodged another harpoon, slowing slightly to get his bearings. _'Geez, they don't like me at all!'_ he thought. _'And it's probably because of my sparkling personality!'_ He swerved to the right, as three Divermon blew by.

While fifty Divermon remained to lay siege on the boat, the other eighty decided to play a little game; Pin the Spear on the little furred swimmer. So far, none of them were successful, which was gratifying. However, they were clearly enjoying themselves.

He dodged another harpoon, coming up with a hair brained idea. Calling his fish friends to him, he sent them at the Divermon. The swarmed over them for a moment, then dispersed. The Divermon looked around, confused, then with a sense of concern. Where had the runt gone?

Then Gomamon plowed through their ranks from behind.

The one he rammed himself into slammed into another one's raised harpoon, deleting him instantly. His harpoon rammed itself into another one's leg. Gomamon grabbed the destroyed one's weapon, then slammed it into a third with extreme prejudice. _'Two out of three. Not bad!'_

The leader growled again. "STRIKING FISH!" he roared, throwing yet another one at him.

"Oh, shit." Apparently, the games were over. Not that Gomamon minded too much. He was already to make his move.

The second it came within range, he moved, grabbing the spear in his mouth. It's inertia dragged him back a few feet, but he held on tightly.

One Divermon came in, harpoon driving forward in a stabbing motion. Gomamon dove underneath him, appeared behind him, and rammed his weapon into the oxygen tank. In a gout of pressurized air, the Divermon flew out into the distance, yelling in a panic.

The leaders eyes widened in surprise. _'How is this rookie doing this!'_ he asked himself in surprise.

Racc stared in amazement. "Gomamon lives! I have underestimated the runt."

Bara smiled slightly. "So have the Divermon. He has taken out a number of them through strategic thinking."  
"Brain's over brawn." The Uruk-Hai leader sounded impressed. "Never thought he had it in him," he admitted.

"Neither did I. Still, the Divermon are at Champion level, and are much more numerous. Eventually, he will tire.

Racc grinned. "Of that, I have no doubt."

In the broad expanse of Dreamscape, the clang of metal against metal echoed through the air.

Ginny and the Divermon fought viciously, both of them using their weapons like swords. And surprisingly, Ginny was still alive and unharmed. Her pajamas now sported several cuts in them, but thankfully, no blood.

However, she was sweating a great deal, and she was trembling with the Dreamscape version of exhaustion. She was also inexperienced, and knew it.

However, the Divermon also had a disadvantage. On land, it wasn't as graceful. It's arms and limbs were designed more for combat in water than on land. Apparently, even in Dreamscape, the rules were the same.

Finally, the Digimon went on a furious offensive, battering the young witches weakening defenses. Desperately, Ginny held on, but her grip on her weapon was weakening. What was worse, she couldn't get her wand out of her pocket. Coming up with a desperate strategy, she suddenly relaxed every muscle in her body, collapsing to the ground.

Taken by surprise, the Divermon staggered forward, his momentum unobstructed. He was soon almost on top of his prey…and Ginny brought her own harpoon up, driving directly into the Divermon's chest. Then she pulled back, leaving a gapping hole.

The little Digimon looked down at his own chest, then at her in amazement. "Nice shot," was all he could up with as he was deleted. But before that, he hit a small button on his wristband, which projected an image directly into Racc's own communicator.

Ginny, unaware of this, simply stood there, leaning on the harpoon to keep her upright. "Now, that was different," she gasped, taking in deep breaths. (Matt, I kicked his sorry butt.)  
(Nice. You did a great job,) Matt sent back.

Ginny wiped her brow off, pushing her hair out of her face. (All part of the service.)

The newly handicapped Divermon clutched the stump from which his hand once was part of, glaring up at the boat. He resurfaced. "You'll pay for this, brats!" he hissed. "And I know just how to do it!" Reaching behind himself, he removed his chain from it's place on his oxygen tank. Twirling it around for a moment or so until he had sufficient velocity, he let it loose, then grabbed the part of it.

Lilika knocked another one off the side of the boat, and was about to go after another, when a long metal chain wrapped itself around her waist. With only enough to let out a startled yelp, she was pulled off the boat, and into the water. She surfaced briefly, getting a breath of air, and then was pulled under.

Joe looked up, and saw what had happened. "_Lilika!_" he shouted, heading over to the edge. Taking a deep breath, and thanking the gods for allowing him to take swimming lessons, he jumped into the water. He slammed his fist into one of the Divermon's faces, then dove under the water.

Gomamon evaded another harpoon, and saw, directly in front of him, Lilika with a chain wrapped around her waist, being held under by a one handed Digimon. Realizing what that meant, he immediately began swimming his way there, three Divermon in hot pursuit.

Joe looked around, spotted Lilika, and swam over to her. When he had reached her, he began tugging at the chain around her waist, trying to loosen it. Unfortunately, it was being held taut, and he didn't exactly have any experience fighting underwater. Nor did he have a reserve supply of oxygen. And neither did Lilika.

Lilika stared at Joe, her eyes conveying her relief and thanks for coming in after her, then fear at the sight of a Divermon coming in, spear up and ready. _'Joe, save yourself! Don't worry about me!'_ she thought desperately.

As if he had heard her, Joe turned around, his eyes locking on the Digimon as he brought his harpoon up. Making a decision, he placed himself in front of Lilika, eyes as hard as diamond. _'Goodbye, Lilika. And thank you for being a friend.'_

Gomamon pushed himself harder, watching the scene unfold as if it were happening in slow motion. _'Come on Gomamon!'_ he told himself. _'Digi-volve, even if it's only this one time, digi-volve!'_ He closed his eyes, and concentrated harder than he had ever concentrated before in his entire life.

GOMAMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…IKKAKUMON!

Racc's golden eyes widened in surprise. "He managed to digi-volve! But how!"

Bara's own eyes had widened as well. "I do not know…unless Joe deliberately put himself in danger to protect that young girl!"

"And that triggered the digi-volution process!" The Uruk-Hai leader threw his hands into the air. "Is there no creature that can stop them?"

"Unfortunately, no. We will need to kill the humans, when we get them away from their partners."

Racc had to concede that one. "You are right," he growled. "Let us depart. We will need to come up with another plan."

"Of course, love."

They vanished.

All the Divermon turned around, temporarily blinded by the bright light that was emanating in the water. Their eyes narrowed as it vanished, then widened in absolute terror. And for good reason.

Where Gomamon, a small, pathetically weak rookie once was, a large, walrus like Champion now occupied. His fur, a pure white, covered his entire body. Two massive buck teeth were on either side of his mouth. The look in his eyes was now predatory, the look of one of the most powerful aquatic champions in the Digital World. A horn which measured three feet in height, was the only discerning feature on him. And it was quivering.

"HARPOON TORPEDO!"

Just like that. No snarls, no attempt at bantering. Just two words, bellowed out there for all to hear-

and the enemy immediately found themselves on a first class ticket to Hell.

The horn launched, emerging from the water, and soaring through the air. Once it reached a certain height, it split open. Almost instantly, a barrage of missiles rained down upon the Divermon.

They never stood a chance. The majority were hit almost in the space of a minute. Several of them managed to dodge around for a time, but they too succumbed to it. The boat, surprisingly enough, wasn't touched. Talk about the luck of the devil.

While this was going on, Joe finally managed to extricate Lilika from the now loose chain. The Divermon that had been holding onto it had run the second Ikkakumon had appeared, so it was no longer an impediment.

However, he had used up all of his oxygen doing that, and they were too far down for him to make it. _'Sorry, Lilika,'_ he thought, beginning his descent to the water bottom.

"Oh no, Joe. You're not getting out of it that easily."

Of the one hundred and eighty eight Divermon that had laid siege to the boat, only five, one of them the one handed one, were able to escape.

Ten seconds later, Ikkakumon roared to the surface, laughing heartily. On his head, Joe and Lilika waved to them. "I'm back!" Ikkakumon roared. "And I ain't going nowhere!"

The boat erupted into cheers, hugging each other and clapping each other on the back. With six Digimon capable of digi-volving to Champion, or were already champion, there was nothing they couldn't take on.

Joe coughed, then sat up, looking around. "So, Gomamon digi-volved?" he asked.

Lilika nodded, smiling. "And he's rather powerful, too."

"I like to think so. Are you okay?"

Lilika's smile grew. "You save my life, Joe," she said, swooping down and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Of course I'm alright."

Joe blushed, but he was elated. "Just being 'Good Old Reliable Joe," he muttered.

"And I like 'Gold Old Reliable Joe.'"

(So, Matt, is this what your life was like in the Digital World?) Ginny asked, still sounding somewhat exhausted.

Matt grinned. "Guys, I'm going back to sleep. Wake me at your own discretion." (I'll tell you when I get back.)

(I can hardly wait.)

After everyone else had fallen back to sleep, Gomamon remained awake, thinking back on the attack. He didn't think that this was a coincidence for some reason, and in fact, it fit in with Kuwaguamon's attack. It was too sudden, too well thought out. And after Mercury had found Racc, he began to get the sneaking realization that someone out there could open a portal to the Digital World. And if that were the case, then they could also open a portal to Earth. Now they had to figure out if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

He was up for the rest of night, thinking about it.

Racc reappeared in the Stadius Zone, scowling. He had taken the time to check the image that had been sent onto his communicator at some point or other, a little surprised to see a red head appear on the screen. He took all of seven minutes to figure out who it was exactly. _'So, this is the little girl that opened that Chamber in the other target world.'_ That did nothing to elevate his anger. Two damn attempts to destroy the Sailor Scout/ Digi-Destined Alliance, an utter failure due to something that could not be stopped. And now, they were almost to full champion level strength.

"Another failure?" a shadow hissed, one so terrible that it had most humans, and Digimon, cowering in fear.

All the Uruk-Hai leader felt was a minor irritation. "Do not remind me of my failings, Digimon. And before you say anything, remember, I answer to the Magic Emperor, not you."

"You need me."  
"Shall we see how much?" Racc's hand reached for his katana. A subtle reminder that he was quite a powerful individual himself. "Now get out of here. Your time is better suited in the Frontier, and I don't want to be seen here with you."

No answer was forthcoming, which meant that he had left. Satisfied, Racc turned his attention back to the device that he had used. He then summoned one of the demons on duty to him. "Make sure that nothing comes through this gateway unless I say so. Understand?"  
The demon bowed. "By your command, my lord."  
Racc looked at the device for a moment more, once more impressed by the level of technological achievement.

A rough circle, with alien symbols on them, and a device that acted as a DHL. It was a device that an ancient people had left. A device with the power to connect with other worlds, and the ability to allow people to go to those worlds.

The people of Lunar called it Althena's Gateway.

The people of Earth, and a dozen other worlds called it a Stargate.

And here we are. I have suddenly obtained a massive obsession about finishing these chapters. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm aiming to take advantage of it. So here we are. Another rough around the edges chapter.

For the last Twenty Six Episodes, I have maintained a PG-13 rating due to the fact that it is primarily PG-13. However, there will be some chapters that I will add that little extra spice In cases like that, I will upgrade to Rated R. So, I am going to give you all warning now, and then again before a Rated R chapter. Hell, I'll even put a warning on the chapter in question, so everyone who is below the age of sixteen doesn't read it. Just thought I'd tell you now.

Now, on to this chapter. The Stargate is actually something that I decided would explain Kuwaguamon's appearance, and other Digimon through out the story, and will have a positive use in the future. _How_ the Stargate can transverse dimensions is going to my little secret for now, as is how the Divermon managed to breach Dreamscape. I'm going to fine tune my ideas a little bit. Of course, review.


	29. Episode Twenty Seven: Fists of Fury

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Twenty Seven: Fists of Cactus Fury**

Episode Twenty Seven: Fists of Cactus Fury 

"Well," Jessica began lamely, "here we are…"

Palmon looked around. "So we are, Jessica."

All around them, not surprisingly, was a swampland. Wild grass grew in large fields all over the area, giving it a feeling of definite isolation. The water bubbled and hissed in a way that reminded the little cactus of acid. And the air that they breathed was an almost poisonous fume. All in all, Hell's Outhouse.

Agumon clapped his hands together, rubbing them briskly. "So, where do we start looking for this 'Dragonmaster?'" he asked. "Because I want to find out if he's real or not."

Nash grinned smugly, falling into 'Nash Mode,' as they were all calling it. "I already know that this Dragonmaster is an absolute fraud!" he declared.

"Oh, really?" Palmon stared at him beady eyed. "And how would you know that, oh great and powerful one?"

"Well, of course I've yet to see a real Dragonmaster, but I'll know it when I do."

"And how will you know?" Rini asked, her gaze becoming as hard as diamonds.

Nash's chest elevated a bit. "The Dragonmaster's sworn duty is to protect Althena and her people from harm. So why would he be living in the middle of a swamp?"

(Tell him it's because he loves the scenery.) Ginny replied to Matt.

Matt decided to do that. "He loves the scenery?"

The apprentice stared at him for a moment. "It's absolutely ludicrous!" he exclaimed. "It's only because of ignorant hicks that the rumor spread as far as Vane!"

Palmon's already narrow gaze narrowed even further. "And that would be your opinion, maggot," she growled, vines flexing menacingly for a moment.

Jessica's glare just as fierce. "Just because you think he isn't the real thing, doesn't mean we shouldn't check him out," she informed him. "After all, this guy is using his power to steal food from 'ignorant hicks.'" She gave him a glare worthy of her powerful father. "You have a nasty habit of talking before thinking."

Nash bristled. "And you have a bad habit of scolding powerful magicians!" he retorted angrily.

Jessica, un-intimidated, stepped forward a bit. "Is that a threat, Nash?" she asked quietly, her hand inching over to her mace threateningly.

Electricity started crackling around Nash. "Want to find out?"

Palmon became slightly alarmed. Angering Nash was something that Agumon could do on a daily basis. Matt's little jest, however, may have been a little too much for the prideful magician to handle. She started moving forward, ready to stop Nash from using his powers, and Jessica from using her mace.

Thankfully, before intervention of the physical kind was required, the situation was defused by Luna Two, who got in between them quickly. "Please, you two! Let's not fight with each other! We came here to find out why this man is doing what he is doing!" She smiled. "So let's go ask him!" she said cheerfully.

Venus looked around. "If we can find him," she said.

"Hmm…good point. Mercury, Izzy?"

Izzy pulled his computer out of his backpack, as Mercury activated her visor and mini computer. The two began scanning the entire island. As they were looking for a human, they immediately blocked any other life signs that showed up. It was a feasible idea, so long as there wasn't any kelbonite in the area.

Two minutes later, Mercury had him. Her cry of victory got their attention. "Find him?" Palmon asked rhetorically.

"Oh, yes!" Mercury crowed. "He's Northwest of our position, holding steady! We can reach him in two hours time."  
Gabumon grinned. "And what does brainiac number two say?"

"Brainiac number two concurs, so long as we don't stop to fight any of the indigenous life here." Izzy snapped his computer shut. "And I am detecting four different species of monsters here, all of them with the ability to poison or paralyze." He turned to Nall. "Do we have sufficient Antidotes and Cleansing Waters?" he asked.

Nall felt into his subspace pocket, nodding affirmatively. "More than enough."

"Good." Izzy put his computer back into his pack. "But be on your guard. One of these monster's can absorb your life force directly."

Palmon grinned, stretching her vines out for a second. "We always are."

Joe finished off his antidote, grimacing at the bad taste. "You could have warned us," he grumbled.

"I did," Izzy replied. "My computer can only do so much, though. It has to be right in front of the monster for the information to process. And that is kind of difficult to do so when you are fighting for your life. Excuse me, but duck." Joe did so, and Izzy hit another Barrel Snake with an arrow.

Barrel Snake: A much more powerful cousin of the Grog Snake, the Barrel Snake uses the same attacks as the Grog Snake, though they are much more potent. It is also much faster, allowing it to evade certain attacks. However, it is weak defensively, meaning it can be killed with a single shot.

"I think that one got the point," Palmon noted. "Is everybody okay?"

Tai massaged his shoulder for a second. "I think one of them got a good bite out of me," he said, groaning in pain. "A herb, if you please?"

Sora looked at him. "Tai, you already had one," she said.

Alex pulled out another herb, tossing it too his fellow leader. "Maybe next time, you should use a Healing Nut," he suggested.

"I agree. It will prove more beneficial to you."

(Almost sounds complicated,) Ginny noted. (I don't think Hermione could say it any better.)

(Well, I don't know this Hermione, but I think those two would get along juuuuussssst fine. Don't you need to get to the library, now?)

(I'm there already, so I'll let you go...for now. I'll talk to you later.) Matt could almost see Ginny's smirk. (Try not to break any bones.)

(Mine, or the enemies?)

(Yours. Bye, now.)

(Bye.) Matt's eyes widened. "Move, Luna One!" he barked.

"Wha-?" Luna One turned around, and then moved. A green, fishlike creature passed her, waddling rather fast on two little feet. It snapped it's jaws shut, obviously intending to take a bite out of one of them.

Palmon immediately grabbed it, holding it in place. "Izzy, name that monster!"

Nightmare: The cousin of the Death Carrison, the Nightmare inhabits the swamps of Lann Island. It is identified by it's green color, and can produce a debilitating poison. Capable of walking on two stubby feet, the Nightmare is a formidable being in the water, though a little bit of a pushover on land.

Palmon tossed it into one of the acidic puddles, watching sink underneath the water. "Well, we know what the Nightmare is, as well as the Barrel Snake. So, where's this powerful monster we're supposed to be worried about?"

Mimi pointed directly in front of them. "Right there," she said. "And I must say, it is definitely ugly."

Palmon turned around, shoulders slumping. "Me and my big mouth. And look, they brought some company, too."

Monoclop: The most powerful creature in the entire swamp, the Monoclop's eye also doubles as it's mouth. A member of the Ghoul monster species, it possesses sheer physical strength, and an ability to paralyze it's intended prey.

The Deep: A monster with no discernable body, The Deep is little more than a floating bloodsucker. It's one ability is to drain the blood from it's intended victim, making it stronger while weakening it's victim for other monsters to finish off.

"Another monster with an eye/ mouth combination. And a creature that sucks the blood out of a person." Izzy sighed. "Here we go again."

Mercury observed the small group of Monoclop's that were approaching, counting them in her head. "Okay," she said. "I see six of them. Everyone, choose one, and advance."

Palmon nodded. "I get the one on the far right."

Fifteen minutes later, the little cactus help Lilika sit up. "Told ya not to look," she informed her.

Lilika glared at the monster corpse. "I wasn't. I was looking at one of the Deep's, which was behind me at the time. It isn't my fault if the Monoclop's ability doesn't require eye contact."

On that, Palmon had to concede to her logic.

A long, very vicious battle erupted the second Mercury had handed out instructions. By the end of it, several of their number, including Lilika, had been paralyzed, requiring one of the others to use a Cleansing Water on them. And that hadn't been all. The Deep's had proven extremely difficult to kill, each one requiring two blows to destroy them. To make matters worse, they had managed to latch on to the same person, taking their sweet time draining him. Matt now sported several teeth marks on his head to account for that.

And finally, all of that fighting had drenched their clothes with sweat and water. Mimi's arm now had a nasty acid burn on it, and all of them were covered in blood and slime.

Alex administered a Cleansing Water to Luna Two, watching as her eyes began to track movement, and her left arm began to twitch. "They'll all be alright. They're just a little stiff."

"'A little stiff?'" Luna Two echoed, slurring slightly. "Alex, someone could have buried us, and everyone would believe we were dead!"

"But you weren't," Mimi replied as she took her frustrations out on the last Monoclop, beating it into a bloody pulp. Then she let Kari waste it. "You were paralyzed."

Luna Two groaned, getting up, and observing herself. "We really need a river."  
Tai shrugged. "What did you expect? That this was going to be a walk in the park?"

"Yes, actually. But this…this is normal."

Palmon looked at her. "You live in a world of monsters, and you consider fighting them normal?"

Jessica looked at her. "You're a talking monster. Mimi finds you normal?"

"Girls!" The boys all shouted at once, before the two of them could drag it out any further.

The two winced. "Sorry."

Alex sighed. "Now that the two arguing females have stopped their pseudo-fighting, may we continue on?" He shifted some grass out of the way. "Hey, I think I've got something."

Serena stepped up to him, taking a look at what he had found. "I think Alex has found the 'Dragonmaster's' domicile," she said. "If it's even good enough to be called a domicile."

Everyone walked forward warily, stopping only when they reached the residence. And Serena was right…it didn't even have the right to be called a residence.

"It's a tent. A very poor tent at that." Sora practically groaned in irritation.

"And a fire." Palmon stretched her vines out, then quickly pulled back. "A fire recently started."

"Which means he's around here somewhere," Artemis added, "waiting."

Tai nodded. "So, I guess we wait, then. Maybe he'll come back."

They didn't even have to wait at all.

"Hey, you brats!"

The second Tai had said that, a new voice uttered those words imperiously. A second later, a flash of steel suddenly came out of nowhere, barely missing Matt's nose. The boy in question jumped back in surprise, his own blade out in reflex. He barely deflected the second slash, got shoved back, and almost fell into a puddle of acidic water. He was able to right himself quickly, just several inches from the water.

However, in that amount of time, he had had time to observe the weapon in question. Not exactly something someone would normally be afraid of. It was nicked, the blade was rusting slightly, and it looked like he had gotten it off of the same person who gave Jason Voorhees his machete.

The man was also something of a wreck. His clothes were threadbare and covered in slime. His hair was haphazard, resembling a rats nest, and there was a dirty bandage on his arm. In fact, the only two things good that could be said was that he kept extraordinarily good care of his teeth, and that he wasn't crazy.

He was, however, extremely arrogant, which was dictated by how he stood in front of his tent, chest puffed out in pride. "What business do you have bothering me, the great Dragonmaster Zoc?" he bellowed, then noted the fact that he was, in fact, talking to them. "And how did you battle through the swamp monsters to find me?"

Palmon sighed. "We had numbers, and brains," she replied. "And we're here to take you down. That should answer both of your questions efficiently."  
Zoc took a step back, but it was in surprise. "What!" he shouted. "You're here to take me down! How delightful!" He laughed for a second in mirth, abruptly stopping and glaring at them. "How dare you invade the home of the protector of Althena, and doubt his ability to smite you!"  
"Oh, shut up!" Greg snapped, already tired of the creep. "We know for a fact that you aren't the real Dragonmaster."  
"And here's some advice," Sailor Moon added. "Leave, or we will to have to hurt you."

Zoc raised his blade.

"Hold on," Nall suddenly said, in a very calm voice. "If you're the real Dragonmaster, then you must have met the four Dragons, right?"

"You insult me brat! Of course I've met the four Dragons!"

"What are their colors?"  
Rini turned to Luna Two. "Has Nall lost it?" she asked. "I mean, why would anyone care what their colors are?"  
Luna Two grinned. "I can safely surmise that Nall has found a way to determine this man's legitimacy."

Zoc thought hard for a moment. "The White Dragon, the Red Dragon, the…uh…Mauve Dragon, and the…uh…Teal Dragon!" He stared at Nall. "_Now_ do you doubt that I am the true Dragonmaster, children?"

"No…yes!" Nall smirked. "Alex, this guy is even fuller of it than Nash!"

"Hey!" Nash shouted indignantly. "For your information, I may be arrogant, but I have good reason to be, because I am what I say I am! All this guy has a blade that looks like he bought it from a thief, and one hell of an imagination!"

Zoc's eyes bulged, and a vein throbbed in his head. "That's quite enough of your verbal abuse, brats!" he hissed.

Jupiter's glare rivaled his. "Oh, we have only begun to verbally abuse you!" she retaliated. "And let me add on that _Nash_ would be a better Dragonmaster than you!"

The aforementioned magician winced. "Ouch."

"You said it," Rini said, whistling. "Man, Lita can sure dish it out."

Zoc turned purple with rage. It was obvious that he was going to deal with the situation quickly, and brutally. "You have left me no choice but to teach you a lesson!" He turned around, and held his hands out, palms outward. "Witness my command over the Dragon of Lann Island, and regret your infernal curiosity!" He began emitting a high octave trill.

Garurumon took a step forward. He didn't know why, but that sound was giving him th eimpression that something was going to happen. Something very unpleasent. "What do you think you're doing?"

Palmon was about to ask the same question, except for one thing. She felt the ground begin to shake underneath them. It was rhythmic, which meant it wasn't a earthquake, or Lilika using her power.

Lilika must have also sensed it, because she looked around as well. "What the-?" Then she saw what was making the tremors approaching rapidly. "What on Lunar is that!" she exclaimed in surprise.

Greymon shook his head. "Not a Dragon, that's for sure."

What approached was not a dragon, so much as a giant toad. It's skin was a brownish gray, with horns sticking out all over it's back in a haphazard pattern. It had a hinged jaw, and as was absolute in it's species, no teeth. It looked hungry, though, which was not a good thing. And a thing that size was not something to trifle with.

Frog Lizard: The strongest of the amphibious monsters, the Frog Lizard is powerful enough to be considered a boss, though it is weaker than most of that category. It's skin can withstand multiple blows, and it's tongue more muscular than the average frog or toad. It has no debilitating attacks, though it is strong physically, and quicker than a creature it's size. It does possess the ability to regenerate, though that ability is not as developed.

The Lizard, stopped right next to Zoc, staying there for a good thirty seconds, as if trying to decide which one of them it would try to eat first. Then, faster than the eye could see, it's tongue shot out of it's mouth, striking Greymon dead in the chest. With a mighty bellow of pain and surprise, the giant lizard hurtled back about seventy feet before coming to a complete stop.

The Lizard struck again, this time hitting Garurumon in his leg, much faster than the dog Digimon could react. A sound of a breaking bone echoed over the island, and Garurumon was down, his front forward leg broken. He howled in pain as he de-digivolved.

Three seconds later, Kabuterimon and Birdramon took off, ready to attack from the sky. The rest of the group charged forward as well.

Mimi was ready to join the rest of them, but was stopped short when Zoc charged forward, weapon slashing at her. She ducked, hearing the blade rushing over her, then tried sweeping his legs from underneath him. He jumped to avoid it, and brought his sword down. This time, Mimi rolled out of the way, got up, and started to run. Zoc, not willing to let her go, followed her.

"METEOR WING!"

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

The two attacks dispersed on the Frog Lizards hide, leaving small dark scorch marks on the areas of impact. A small cloud of smoke appeared, enshrouding the Lizard. They hovered there afterwards, waiting to see whether or not they had done any damage.

The Frog, whose limitations involved the lack of a flexible neck, simply jumped up, reached a certain height, which was above the two Digimon, then, as the law of gravity dictated, he came down.

Crashingly.

All Birdramon knew was that some kind of mass had slammed into her back, forcing her to plummet back to _Terra Firma._ She tried in vain to flap her wings, only to be met with a great deal of air resistance.

Even that became moot, though, as Birdramon and the Frog Lizard hit the ground hard. The Lizards mass served as a secondary force, creating a sandwiching effect. Simply put, breathing became very difficult for the champion level Digimon, as all of her ribs were effectively crushed. Mercifully, she lost consciousness.

In the space of three minutes, an equal number of Digimon were removed from the equation.

Mimi finally halted, pulled her knife out, and turned around in time to block the next attack from Zoc, one that would have cleaved her in half. She pushed back, catching him off guard, then punched him in the face. When he stumbled back, she raised her hand. _"Fire-"_

The 'Dragonmaster', recovering faster than she thought possible for a person like him, came in, forcing her to stop. He aimed high, and when she went to block it, he kicked her in the stomach.

Hard.

Mimi literally folded in half, the air forced out of her lungs. She dropped to one knee, gasping.

Zoc raised his weapon. "Farewell, brat!" he roared, bringing it down.

Mimi, moving faster than she ever moved before in her life, rolled, the blade cutting several pieces of her hair off. She stopped, wiping some sweat off of her brow. _'I can't keep this up!'_ she thought. _'I need a sword of my own!'_

One of Mercury's sabers slashed out, missing the Frog Lizard as it leaped over her. She turned around, intent on following it, when her eyes fell on Mimi, and Zoc's blade barely missing her by an inch. Realizing that she was at a disadvantage, she yelled, "Mimi! Here!" and tossed her right blade to the young girl.

Mimi caught it with one hand, and turned just in time to block Zoc's next attack. She grinned at the look of surprise on the 'Dragonmaster's' face. "Now, we dance," she said, smirking.

The Frog Lizard once more leaped, this time aiming for Pluto and Mars. With equal yelps of astonishment, the two Senshi leaped as well, avoiding the fate that had awaited them.

"Mars Fire Ignite!"

"Pluto Deadly Scream!"

Their attacks collided with their adversary's back, causing a much more powerful explosion. But once more, the Lizard weathered them, virtually unscathed. It simply picked anothe target, and tried to strike that target.

However, in this time, Tai had managed to come up from behind. With no sound adhering to his arrival, he brought his katana, and swung. His aim was true, slicing off one of the man horns. Greenish blood began oozing out of the wound.

Sora dragged Gabumon away from the battle, then ran to get Biyomon. "Biyomon!" she yelled. "Please, say something!"

"Sora…" was the only reply she received, but it was enough. She picked her up gently, relieved that she had said something, and carried her over to Gabumon. "Use a Healing Nut on yourself, then help Biyomon take one!" she shouted.

The little furred Digimon nodded. "Nall!" he bellowed. "We need two Healing Nuts, now!"  
Nall flew in, dropping the aforementioned items, then headed over to the battle. "Jessica, Biyomon is going to need your help!"  
Jessica nodded, then bashed one of the Lizards legs with her mace, cracking the leg bones. She then turned and sprinted towards the two fallen Digimon.

Kabuterimon started beating the Lizards back, trying to do some serious damage.

Alex, and all the other's wielding swords began slashing at it.

Nash and the Scouts rained magic attack after magic attack onto it, hoping to weaken it enough for them to strike a final blow.

Izzy shot arrow after arrow into the Frog Lizards sides.

Palmon grabbed boulders and the like, tossing them at the Lizard quickly.

Greymon sat up, groaning. "What hit me?" he asked groggily.

"The Frog Lizards tongue," Nall replied, giving him a Healing Nut. "You were out for a while."

"Oh, okay." Greymon took it, and popped it into his mouth, chewing on it slowly.

Several seconds later, he roared, "NOVA BLAST!"

The Sailor Scouts and Kari scattered as a huge fireball flew on past, slamming into the Frog Lizard with extreme prejudice. Tai released one as well, which hit as well. The two combined attacks flung the boss almost twenty feet away. Along the way, it slammed into Zoc's haphazard tent, destroying it instantly.

Kabuterimon flew in after it, releasing Electro Shocker after Electro Shocker. Ten in all, and in rapid succession. A massive cloud of smoke appeared. Patamon followed, releasing a barrage of Boom Bubbles into the cloud.

The Frog Lizard hurtled out of the cloud, it's skin now black as pitch, and it's eyes having trouble tracking movement. It landed fifteen feet away, smoking. Undeterred, the group followed it, intent on finishing the job.

Jessica kneeled down next to Biyomon, checking her injuries over first. Then, she brought her hands down, until they were a few inches from her chest. "Althena, lend me your power! _Heal Litany!"_

A green field appeared from Jessica's hands, similar to the glow that appeared from Althena's Statue, and headed into Biyomon's chest. Instantly, Biyomon's breathing eased considerably, and she appeared to relax, entering a deep sleep.

Gabumon limped up to them. "That was incredible," he said quietly. "How did you do that?"

The Priestess grinned from ear to ear. "It's like I said. I am skilled in healing magic. There are few wounds and conditions I can't deal with." She looked up. "Like that," she finished.

Mimi and Zoc battled, their blades clanging against each other in a furious dance of steel. And surprisingly, Mimi was doing rather well. She seemed to know how to use a sword instinctively, and she proved it by meeting Zoc blow for blow.

However, the 'Dragonmaster' had a great deal of experience. His blade may have looked like it had been dragged through a bush of thorns, and his general appearance was that of a wild man, he comported himself like a soldier. He kept coming at her with a mathematical precision that was disconcerting. This immediately struck Mimi as extremely weird. And she began to suspect that there was more to Zoc than at first glance.

As she pondered this, Zoc suddenly went on a furious offensive, battering her defenses and almost dislodging her grip on her own weapon. Desperately, she tried to retaliate, but he gave her no space to do so. She needed to find a way to get some distance from him, and he needed to do it fast.

She still had her dagger though, and she brought it back into the fray, slashing at him. He leaped back to avoid it, and Mimi jumped up, kicking him dead in the face. He staggered back, clutching his face. Mimi back flipped, landed, and brought her hand up.

Zoc looked up, saw what she was going to do, and brought his own hand up, only his was in a throwing position.

"Fire Blast!" Mimi shouted. A plume of fire shot from her fingertips.

"Throwing Fire!" Zoc bellowed, a giant sphere of flame appearing in his hand. With a slight grunt, he threw it.

The two fire attacks collided in mid air. The result; a resounding explosion for all concerned. The resultant shockwave was powerful enough to knock both of them off of their feet.

"Ow," Mimi groaned, flipping onto her stomach, and started pushing herself up. She got herself onto her knees, when she felt cold steel touch the tip of her Adam's Apple. She looked up to see Zoc standing over her, a look of triumph on his face. Slowly, the blade pressed upward, forcing her to a standing position. He grinned. "You lose, brat," he said. "Now, it's time to die."

Greymon's fist connected with the fleshy underside of the Lizards throat, then grabbed it's tongue as it shot out involuntarily. With a grunt, he began twirling the Frog Lizard around like a ball and chain. After a few moments of this, he released.

At that same time, Palmon felt a surge of power go through her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"PALMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…TOGEMON!"

Palmon grew until she had reached the same height as any of the other Digimon. The flower shrank, until it was just a little thing at the top of her head. Her eyes and mouth became simple holes as her body became more cactus than desert flower. To top it off, two giant boxing gloves appeared on her hands.

The Frog Lizard began it's descent. Unfortunately for it, it was heading right for Togemon. And her fist was ready for use.

"LIGHT SPEED JABBING!"

Instantly, the boss was hammered by multiple blows, all thrown at the speed of light, and into every aspect of it's body. Togemon's power in boxing was well known in the Digital World, and now the Frog Lizard was feeling it first hand. It gave one last, painful croak, helpless…

…and it's skin cracked open like an overripe melon. The group took advantage of this.

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

"Check this out!_ Thunder Bomb!_"

"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"

All of the electrical power of the group was now concentrated on that opening. The second they hit, the Frog Lizard began frying like an egg. Togemon immediately used an uppercut, knocking the Lizard into the acid water. There, the corrosive liquid began eating away at it's skin, making it even more vulnerable.

"Moon…Scepter…

"Light…Scepter…

Activation!"

Add two attacks from their resident scepter holders, and the Frog Lizard was vaporized, with no fuss or muss.

Tai sighed. "Well, that was disappointing." He then tensed up. "Togemon, you digi-volved."

Togemon immediately turned around to Mimi's battle, remembering how that she had, in fact, digi-volved in the first place. She took in Mimi standing straight, Zoc's blade pressed against her throat. She saw Mimi tensing up, preparing to move. She saw Zoc starting to move his blade, and acted quickly.

"NEEDLE SPRAY!" she shouted, twirling in a circle. Several seconds later, a hundred needles shot outwards from her body, thrown by the strength of her momentum.

Her aim was perfect.

The needles slammed into both Zoc's sword and Zoc himself. The blade was almost knocked out of his hand, and he suddenly became a great deal more prickly on his right side. He gave a massive yelp of pain.

By this time, Mimi had moved out of harms way, and had brought her knife up again, pressing it against Zoc's throat. "Don't move," she hissed. "I may not kill you, but I will see to it that you _never_ use a sword again! Now drop your weapon!"

Zoc did so, keeping the rest of his body very still. He understood that he was beaten, and he didn't want to lose the use of his arms.

Then he looked around, noting something amiss. He realized what too quickly. "My dragon!" he cried out. "What have you done to my cute little dragon!"

Nall sighed. "That wasn't a dragon pal! Unlike you, we've seen the real thing!"

Jessica approached until she was standing next to Mimi. "That was a swamp monster called a Frog Lizard," she informed him archly, "and you're lucky it didn't eat you for breakfast!"

The man blinked, surprised by that. He had had no idea, apparently. "Really…uh…I guess you kids saved my life, didn't you?"

"You mean, _spared_ your life?" Nash bellowed. "You're lucky we didn't slay you along with your pathetic little beast!"  
"Try having it sit on you," Biyomon grumbled, "and maybe you will rethink your idea of 'little.'"

"And how dare you make the villagers of Lann suffer to fuel your ego!" Jessica roared, her beastman heritage showing itself in full bloom.

Matt felt Ginny wince. (I never realized that listening to your friends is like listening to a muggle music box,) she mentioned. (I'm getting a headache, and I'm not even there.)

(That's a stereo you're describing, and here's a suggestion. Take two Tylenol, and call me in the morning. How's your research?)

(Almost done, actually.)

(Thank you. And I'll tell them to quiet it down. _I'm_ getting a headache.)

(Thanks.)

Greymon had stepped forward . "For all of those reasons, we should let Mimi rip your arms off," he said calmly, quietly.

Togemon would have whistled, but her mouth muscles weren't designed to pucker. _'Never thought Greymon could be quiet when he was angry.'_

Zoc lowered his head in shame. "You're right, I deserve whatever punishment I get!" He sat down on the ground. "When I learned magic, I let it get to my head…and I used it to get whatever I wanted. I abused the power."

"Which was a bad move," Gabumon added, limping over to them.

The man nodded. "When I came here, and found what I though was a dragon, I decided to have some fun with the villagers. I know I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

Mimi put her dagger away, handing Amy's other sword back to her. "Yes, well, your fun almost destroyed Lann. By attacking their boats, and destroying their nets, you cut off their only supply of food."

Zoc's head slowly came up. His face was set in a mask, but his eyes betrayed him. They were surprised. And not surprised that they had found out that he was one doing it. It was the surprise that came when out found out something you didn't know. And that immediately got Mercury suspicious. She started go through with all of the evidence that she had seen when she had inspected the boats.

Zoc recovered quickly from his surprise. "Well, I know I've learned my lesson. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Luna Two smiled. "Just…promise that you won't use magic for evil anymore."

"I promise! I'm going back home, and mending my ways!" Zoc bowed to them repeatedly. "Thank you for bringing me to my senses! Thank you so much!" Still thanking them profusely, he sprinted away from them.

Mimi watched him go. "You know," she said, something nagging at her. "For someone whose entire wardrobe consisted of that of a egotistical soldier in wild man clothing, he was entirely too well trained to be just that. He fought like a professional soldier…who was a tad rusty, I might add."

"What else?" Togemon asked.

Mimi was silent for a moment more. "I also got the sense that he was much more powerful than he let on."

Nash though about it. "Now that you mention it, he _did_ seem rather well trained. And he knew how to fight." He frowned. "I wonder…"  
Sailor Mercury suddenly gave a sudden exclamation of surprise. "Now I know what was wrong with the damage!"

Everyone turned to her. "Okay, you found out something," Tai said. "What?"

"The damage to the boats!" Mercury shouted. "It wasn't done by the Frog Lizards tongue, or Zoc, as we originally presumed. The wholes were too massive for that. It was done by a heavy object. A_ physical,_ heavy object!"

Izzy grasped the concept immediately. "A cannon strike," he muttered.

"Or a series of shuriken, coming in at regular intervals," Matt growled.

"Racc!" Tai's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Alex groaned. "Unbelievable!"

Togemon stretched her arms out. "Well, we can't do anything about that right now. And, let's face it, I get the feeling that Racc isn't going to be bothering these people anymore. They serve no purpose to him anymore. So, how about we get out of here, because we need to get the happy news to Lann." She turned around. "Nall, a set of Dragon Wings, if you please."  
Nall flew by, and dropped one in Rei's hands. "Here ya go!" he sang.

"Thanks." Rei held them up. "Everyone, please crowd around me."  
Everyone did so, vanishing a mere second later.

'Zoc' came to a halt several miles from his former tent, breathing heavily. "I am out of shape," he muttered to himself, his voice now holding a British accent. "Out of a coma after almost thirteen wizarding years, and my first assignment after my debriefing is to ruin my reputation." He flung his arms out exasperatedly. "I'd rather fight Voldemort again!"

Finally catching his breath after several minutes,and deciding not to rehash on ancient history, he pulled out an extremely advanced communicator from his belt. "Black Knight to White Queen. Alania, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear. Did you complete your assignment?"

"I did. And I am never going to do something like that again!" 'Zoc' informed her.

"Don't worry. I won't ever give you an assignment like that again. However, we have some new information." The voice paused. _"You are being reassigned to the Big Ten, realm 3689._" Another pause. _"We've found her, my friend,"_ Alania finished.

The voice paused. " Another pause. Alania finished. 

'Zoc' held his breath, daring to hope. "Lily…?" he asked.

"Yes. She's been working at a New York Hospital under an alias, taking care of a fallen Planeteer. Also, the prophecy of Fire and Wind has been initiated. I'll send you their crests when you have reached the dropout station. You will need to train Wheeler, though his father may have already given it to him." She seemed to sense his sudden change of mood. _"Don't worry, my friend. You will see your son again…someday."_

She seemed to sense his sudden change of mood. 

'Zoc' sighed. "I hope so." Abruptly, his tone became businesslike. "I'll head to the rendezvous point…after I get a shower and a shave…and my weapon and uniform. I feel like a horses arse."

Alania laughed over the comm. _"Understood. White Queen out."_

'Zoc' put his communicator away, breathing in deeply. "Well, thank God I never have to do that again. But now I have to get to the portal zone."

He started running again.


	30. Episode Twenty Eight: Jessica's Discover...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Eight: Jessica's Discovery

Matt's harmonica and Alex's ocarina echoed in the quiet of the night.

The group, with the rest of afternoon to kill, had done a bit of fishing, this time so the village had some food for another day. When night fell, they kicked back and relaxed in their own ways.

Tai was singing, badly the omnipotent one must add while he plugs his eardrums, much to the hilarity of the kids, while Jupiter and Jessica arm wrestled in an attempt to see who was stronger. So far, they were still at round one.

T.K., Kari, and Rini were dancing around in circles, laughing like the children they were, as Serena and Rei went into a who-could-blow-the -biggest-raspberry contest. So far, Serena was winning by a tongue.

The felines were guarding the fish stores diligently, though they were sending them tortured glances every once in a while. The gates of kitty Heaven, and they were denied access.

Joe and Lilika were looking at the stars, laying side by side, pointing out various constellations, and making up new ones as they went along.

Mina and the Digimon were busy contemplating their collective navels, or would be, if they had not fallen asleep. Nash and Greg were busy debating over the various versions of magic that there were, as well as who was more stubborn. At that particular moment, Nash was.

Mercury and Sora were presently congratulating each other on their deft handlings on the Koumi- Joe/ Lilika relationships. Sora's gratitude was to Amy for helping crack Joe's shell even further. Amy's was for waiting until they were fully prepared to deal with Mimi's volatile temper.

Pluto meditated, brought out of it by Luna's challenge. She set up a chess board, and proceeded to lose horrifically to the blue haired girl. It was almost as bad as losing to Amy.

Finally, they all turned in for the night, going to la la land, though in Matt's case, he went into Dreamscape for another well rounded chat with Ginny, and to learn exactly how she beat that one Divermon. It would prove extremely funny, to say the least.

Morning came none too quickly, and was greeted by a bleary eyed Jessica and Luna Two, both of who were shivering the cold morning air. And neither one had a blanket with which to cover themselves up with.

"Geez, it's cold!" Jessica chattered. "I'll never understand how boys can find this type of air invigorating."

"Neither will I." Luna Two rubbed her arms quickly. "Boys blood is warmer, though. For us girls, it's going to be a looooonnnng morning."

The priestess grinned, showing slightly pointed, but very white teeth. "Well, salt air is a very good way to wake up in the morning. You don't need coffee if you're at sea." She chuckled. "I just wish you could have that, and warmth at the same time."

"On that, you'll get no argument from me," Luna Two replied. "Actually, salt air kind of reminds me of…boys. Always constant, slightly irritating, but always there for you."  
"Oh, please! Most boys are pigheaded, stubborn, and unable to listen to reason if their lives depended on it." She paused for a second. "Okay, maybe Alex is reasonable, easygoing, and humble…"

"I wasn't going to tell you what I thought about Alex. I was going to ask you about Kyle."

Jessica growled. "Has a very weird sense of humor, and is as egotistical as they come. Nash would have some stiff competition in that department." She sighed. "He also charges so much for his protection on the defenseless businessman that he might as well rob them at sword point."

Luna smiled, giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Well, there must be something about him that you find endearing," she pressed.

Jessica sighed, this time in exasperation. "Well, he has a sense of honor, which, at this point, is worth as much as a horses ass."

"But what do you see in him? I mean, why do you constantly argue with him?"

Jessica groaned. _'Talk about persistent! I've met beastmen who were less persistent.'_ "I just see a lot of potential in him!" she finally burst out. "He could be so much more than a warrior. I mean, he's got a degree in the arts, he has a bookcase of books…and I mean classics. He's intelligent, and one hell of a diplomat. He doesn't charge women or children protection fees, and…" she paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, I've never seen him hold another girl in an intimate embrace once. He just…draws women to him like a magnet."

Luna now laughed. "Boy, can I ever sympathize."

"Alex?"

"Mother swears it's genetic," the blue haired girl said. "Father seemed to do the same thing when he was younger. Both are oblivious to it."

"Lucky you." Jessica suddenly grinned. "So, when are you two going to tie the knot?" she asked.

Luna looked at her in shock. "Alex and I haven't even been on a date!"

"Shouldn't matter. My dad married my mom, and they never went out."  
"Slightly different situation there. Your dad was a pirate at the time."  
Jessica waved that off dismissively. "Semantics. You don't need to date sometimes, when you know you're in love. But, a bit of advice; Give him a kiss. Give him a kiss that will knock the stockings off of his feet." She grinned at the look of disbelief on her friends face. "Come on, you know you want to."

Luna sighed, smiling slightly. "You're right…it's just that I'm…afraid. Afraid of what might happen if I get too close." She looked up at the sky. "We're going to have to wake them up soon."

Jessica saw it as the attempt to get off their line of conversation, but saw no harm in it. After all, it was high time that the others were woken up. "I'll take Jupiter and Mimi's side."  
"Which leaves me with Alex's side." Luna put hands together in a praying position. "May the Goddess protect us."  
"We're gonna need it," Jessica finished.

"…And then," Ginny said, almost to the point of babbling, "Professor McGonagall went ahead and transfigured herself into a cat. She does this every year for the students, from what I'm told."

Matt chuckled. "So, she's a shape shifter?"

"No, she's an Animagus."  
"An ani-what?"

Ginny smiled. "An Animagus. It's someone who has the ability to become a certain animal. Professor McGonagall, for starters, can transform into a cat."

Matt whistled. "Man, talk about interesting. I assume she doesn't cough up hairballs when she's human."

"I wouldn't know."

"Well, it must give you and your friends…well, the friends in your world…something to wonder about."

As soon as those words were uttered, Matt would have given anything and everything to take them back. Almost immediately, Ginny's features darkened slightly, and her smile vanished. "Umm…Ginny?" he asked hesitantly. "Did I say something wrong?"  
Ginny turned away, so her features were hidden from him. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just…I really don't allow people to get close to me. It's kind of a defense mechanism I developed from last year."

Now he was confused. "Ginny, what happened in your first year?" he asked, the one question he had wanted to ask for a while. He knew that something happened, but that was all. _'Probably this Tom Riddle guy. It sounds like she had a few problems with him.'_

Ginny didn't turn around. "I…" she hesitated. "I don't want to talk about it," she finally said. "It's too painful."  
Mat scooted a little close, putting a hand on her shoulder. He could sympathize with her on that. "Now, I'm not going to press," he said quietly, "but you can't keep it hidden inside forever. Sooner or later, you have to talk to someone about it."

Ginny chuckled darkly. "The last time I shared my feelings with someone, he ended up being someone else entirely. Someone…not entirely pleasant. So, I made a decision never to do that again."

'Mental note; if I ever meet this Tom Riddle, hurt him badly.' "And look where it got you," Matt retorted. "Look, all I know about you is what you have told me, and vice versa. We both have stuff that we want to keep hidden." He snapped his fingers. "Tell you what. I'll tell you my deepest, darkest, secret, and you can tell me yours. Deal?"

Ginny was ready to reply, when suddenly-

Matt, time to wake up.

Ginny looked at Matt in confusion. "Friend of yours?" she inquired.

Matt sighed. "Luna," he replied. "She's Alex's girlfriend."

"Ah." Ginny suddenly stretched. "Looks like I'm going to wake up, too." She smiled apologetically. "Guess we're going to have to finish this conversation tomorrow night."  
"Guess so," Matt replied, disappointed as always. He didn't understand why he felt that way, only that he did. "Well, see ya tonight."

"You two. Bye."

Hermione Granger waited patiently at the door to the second year's sleeping quarters, as she always did over the last month, waiting for Ginny to get out of bed. She had done this every day without fail, and with the same cheery expression on her face. It hadn't helped, but she was nothing but persistent.

The door cracked open, and a red head of hair popped out of the room. "Hermione, no," Ginny said immediately, knowing what the bushy haired girl was going to say.

Hermione smiled brightly. "Oh, come on, Ginny!" she said. "It's a beautiful day, and I know for a fact that you love sunny days. Besides, I thought you'd want to study with us."

"No studying!" Ron Weasley's voice sounded off at the bottom of the steps. "It's a bloody Saturday! And besides, Harry can't come, remember?"

Ginny sighed, looking Hermione straight in the eye. "It was a beautiful day when I got that blasted diary," she reminded her softly. "And I'd rather be left alone." She held up a hand. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. Really, I do. I'm…just not-"

"-in the mood," Hermione finished for her, her expression faltering a bit. "Well, I had to try."

Ginny nodded, then closed the door without a good bye. Hermione turned and headed down the stairs into the common room, shaking her head.

Harry Potter sighed. "Professor McGonagall said to keep trying."

"So did Mum," Ron said, sitting down. "Not that it's helped. Fred and George are going to be disappointed. They really wanted her to help them with their little 'project.'"

Hermione huffed, sitting down as well. "Their idea is to do something in Hogsmeade that would have Ginny laughing like a madwoman. I think they need to apply themselves on more serious endeavors than pranks."

"Right now," Harry said quietly, "their pranks may be the only thing that brings Ginny out of her funk." He got up. "I'll ask McGonagall when I plea my case to her."

The case, as he so eloquently put it, was an attempt to get permission from her to go to Hogsmeade. His only chance at getting the signature of a parental guardian went up in smoke, on the day when he accidentally blew up his Aunt Marge. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, though extremely gratifying.

Hermione sighed. "Perhaps we should ask Professor Lupin for help as well. He might-"  
"You remember what Dumbledore said," Harry interrupted. "Only McGonagall and Snape, though why Snape, I have no idea."

"Neither do I," Hermione admitted. "Neither do I." She got up. "Going to walk us to the entrance, Harry?"

Harry sighed, getting up. "Might as well."

Ron and Hermione walked through the streets of Hogsmeade almost two hours later, talking animatedly about the various things that they wanted to see. Hermione, obviously wanted to see the bookstore. Ron wanted to see Honeydukes. They settled on seeing both places, if only to have a single, solitary day of truce between them.

Finally, with purchases for not only themselves, but for Harry as well, they entered the Four Broomsticks to get a drink. Ron ordered two butterbeers, and they went to get a table. Sitting down, they drank in companionable silence for a moment.

Then Ron ruined it by saying, "So, now what do we do? About Ginny, I mean?"

Hermione paused through the book she was reading, giving the question all of the consideration it deserved. She wasn't surprised that Ron had asked that question. Hell, she had been asking that same question to herself for quite some time. "I don't know, Ron," she admitted. "I guess all we can do is keep trying, and just by being there for her." She paused. "Ron, did your mother say anything to Ginny?"

The red head frowned. "What that amounted to was a full blown argument between them. Or should I say, would have, had Ginny really given a care." He leaned forward a bit. "Hermione, Ginny was about ready to snap her own wand in half. She would have too, if Mum hadn't stopped her."

"What! But, Ginny always wanted to be in Hogwarts! What happened to change that?"  
"The Chamber," Ron replied bitterly. "She had nightmares throughout the entire summer, and her temper was constantly on a trigger's edge. Fred tried to pull a joke on her once. She almost pulled his head off."  
Hermione put her book down, digesting this revelation. Ginny…violent? It was possible, as she was a Weasley. But to almost attack her own brother…

"And let's add on the fact that the Chamber was never closed," Ron continued. "Dumbledore and Harry never saw any reason to worry. There weren't any other basilisks in there, though Moaning Myrtles bathroom is out of order…permanently. And then there are the dementors…"

She nodded absently. The dementors did bring up a person's worse experiences. Unfortunately, Ginny's experience were almost as bad as Harry's. Now was the time to tell Ron what Professor McGonagall. "Ron, your sister has been going down to the Chamber of Secrets," she said.

Ron almost tipped the table over, though he refrained. He didn't want to cause a scene. He settled for tightening his grip on his glass. "What! Why! How long? How do you know?"  
"I don't know how long, though I think since we got back to Hogwarts. As for why…I'd say that she can't let go of what happened to her, and what Riddle made her do. And as for how I know…Professor McGonagall just told me about it yesterday. She's been watching Ginny as she heads for the Chamber, every night, without fail." Hermione sank further into her chair. "She just stands there, looking at the basilisks nest for two hours, then turns around and walks away."  
Ron, who was, admittedly, not the smartest person in the world, figured it out quickly. "She's trying to get expelled," he whispered. "Maybe we should tell Harry to close it up. After all, we can't have Ginny breaking the school rules, even if she doesn't want to be here anymore."  
"Oh, and we're any better."

"But we've been justified almost every time," Ron reminded her.

On that, Hermione had to agree. They had been justified. In their first year, they had broken school rules when they had tried to find out about the Philosopher's Stone, and of course, last year, when they tried to uncover the identity of the heir of Slytherin. Almost every time, despite some early setbacks, they had ended up winning the House Cup for their actions.

However, this year, there was a good reason not to break the rules. With Sirius Black on the loose, they would have to be extra careful. Not only did the two of them have to stay by Harry as much as possible, the three of them had to find a way to keep Ginny safe.

Even if she no longer wanted to be protected.

Even if she didn't care anymore.

"People of Lann," Sailor Moon shouted from the ship, waving in greeting. "We have returned! We bring good news, and some fish for you all!"

The whole village was silent for a moment, and then cheers erupted from all of them. Then the other good news set in, and the cheering grew even louder.

The one fisherman stepped forward. "Okay, how bad is the damage?" he asked.

Jessica looked behind her. "You're going to need to replace some of the planks, but other than that, all it needs is a good cleaning."  
"Whoa, that's less damage than I thought." The burly man turned around, and yelled for eight men to help him unload the boat.

Jessica chuckled as Joe and Lilika, as was becoming customary for them, walked down side by side, talking animatedly. Gomamon was tagging behind them, grinning wickedly at their backs. "Wow, Ames," she said, "you make a pretty good counselor."

Amy smiled. "It's a gift. So, what do you think?"

"You did better than expected. How'd you guys become so proficient?"

Darien walked up, putting his cane back on his belt. "We've had about two years of practice," he replied. "And most of the warriors were very angry with us, which gave us additional incentive to be better than them."

"I believe I can accept that explanation," a voice said behind them. "Hello again to all of you!"

Everyone turned around. "Phacia!" Nash exclaimed. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

The Head Priestess, dressed in a far simpler version of her robes, smiled, all the warmth she had in it. "Visitors to the Shrine were constantly speaking of a new Dragonmaster in this region, so I took it upon myself to investigate the matter."

Nall landed on Alex's shoulder. "He was a fake," he said. "And even worse, he was a fish thief! So we took care of him for you! Didn't we, Alex?"

Alex grinned. "Actually, we let Mimi and Palmon take care of it. And they did a great job."

Palmon lowered her head to cover the smile growing on her face. "Stop, you're making me blush all the way to my roots!"

Phacia's smile faded, and she frowned. "I was so pleased to hear that a new Dragonmaster had been born…and now he turns out to be a common criminal." She turned to gaze at Jessica. "I pray that the rumors of a Magic Emperor also turn out to be spurious as well."

"Lady Jessica, I need to speak to you. There is a situation that requires your attention."

"Hmm?" Jessica said aloud. She was certain she had heard Phacia say something to her, though the woman was presently speaking to all of them. She shook it off. _'Anyways, why is she wearing those robes?'_

Alex sighed. "I guess my journey has become all the more important. A Dragonmaster is now a necessity."

"Agreed." Phacia bowed. "I must return to the Shrine with the bad news," she said. "Good luck on your journeys, young Alex." With that, she turned around, and walked away.

Jessica stepped forward. "Hey, who was that?"

Everyone turned around to stare at her. "You're joking…right?" she asked.

"Who was that!" Nash asked, disbelief in his tone. "That was Phacia, the leader of Althena's Shrine! The place where you study magic!" He smirked. "Or, should I say, the place where you're _supposed _to be studying magic?"

Jessica frowned at that. "Oh, hush up!" she snapped. "What I was about to say, before Nash's sad attempt of a slam…is that I have never heard of this Phacia woman.

Amy thought about it, blinked in surprise, and mentally smacked herself in the head. "Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing Phacia at the Shrine the last time I was there, either."

Nall was confused. "What do you guys mean?" he asked.

'Talk about dense as a doornail,' Greg thought, clearing his throat. "What they mean, is that there isn't anyone named Phacia at the Shrine."

"At least," Jessica amended, "not before I left on my adventure a few weeks ago."

Luna One, Serena, Rini, and Artemis looked at each other, nodded, and huddled into a group, whispering amongst each other quickly.

Luna Two was thoughtful. "Well, it looked like everyone in Vane and the Shrine seemed to know who she was."  
"Hmm…" Jessica muttered, thoughtful. "That's strange." Abruptly, she picked up her bag. "I'd better check this out. Alex, Luna Two…all of you…perhaps we'll meet again on a future adventure. Until then, so long!" She started to jog away, then stopped, turning around. "And…take care of yourself, Nash." With that last good bye, she ran for the village entrance.

"Wait!" Nall shouted, to no avail.

Nash sighed, though his eyes showed definite amusement. "What an impertinent girl…nothing at all like Mia!" He finally allowed himself to grin. "I like someone who can stand up to me!"

Agumon grinned. "Okay, maybe you're not so arrogant…though you're still an asshole," he said.

Nash looked at him viciously. "And you're still a little lizard!" he shouted, a little tinge of pink making itself known.

Nall laughed. "I like them both!" he declared. "And I think Nash does too!"

For a moment, everyone was silent…and then the whole lot of them broke out laughing. "Yeah, Nash is really a ladies man!" Lilika gasped out between laughs.

Nash wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Only, if I say something wrong, it would be the last thing I ever did!" He cracked up again.

After several minutes of hilarity, the group was able to calm down enough. "Well, whoever Jessica decides to marry, that man…or woman…is going to have their work cut out for them," Mina noted, smiling widely.

"Too true." Nall frowned. "But I'm still confused by what she said about Phacia. I mean, there's no way that Jessica could live at the Shrine, and not know who she is!"

Alex nodded, confused as well. He turned to the hush-hush conversation that was going on. "Ladies…and cats," he amended. "I assume that you have a theory about this."

Serena nodded. "We do. Greg?"

The Seer realized what they were talking about. After all, the Negaverse had employed that on many occasions. "Brain Manipulation," he said, unpleasant memories surfacing.

Alex was confused. "Mind Control?" he asked.

Rini shook her head. "No, more like suggestion. Planting a suggestion into someone's head, making them believe something that isn't true. For example, when I came back to the Twentieth Century, I brought a Luna Ball that could become anything I wanted. I changed it into a umbrella with a swirl pattern, and hypnotized Serena's family. Then I put in a suggestion that I was their niece from out of town, and I had come to live with them." She saw the Digi-Destined and the Adventurers staring at her, and put her hands up. "Hey, I was being chased by the bad people of the Negamoon!" she said defensively.

"We don't blame you," Sora reassured the pink haired girl. "We were just surprised."

Luna One jumped onto a fish barrel. "But for whatever reason, we can't figure out why Phacia would do this."

"Yeah…" Alex was silent for a moment. "Now that I think about it, despite her mild manner, she seemed quite adamant about me going to Vane, and not becoming a Dragonmaster."  
Greg nodded. "So was Royce, though her message was a little more sinister, and required a little more reading between the lines." He frowned. "That black hearted…witch!"  
"Nice save, Greg," Biyomon said.

Kari looked at her. "Oh, come on, it's not like I haven't heard the words before," she said. "Remember who I live with. I've heard them all."

Sora's gaze shifted to Tai. "Oh, really?" she drawled.

Tai shifted a bit. "Hey, it was that one time she was sick, and after I had gotten home. That was excusable."  
"He's got a point, Sora," Kari noted.

"I thought girls were supposed to stick together."

"Siblings first."

Jessica had reached the outer skirts of the Village, and had put her pack on her horse, when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Jessica yelped, turned around…and froze. "Great Goddess, Phacia!" she gasped. "Do you _want_ a broken nose!"

Phacia smiled. "Sorry about that, but I could think of no safer way to get your attention." Her smiled faded, though her gaze remained passive. "I shall be perfectly blunt. You have suspicions about me, and they are most likely correct. So, I want to clear the air."

Jessica's eyes narrowed. "Well, my suspicions are you used a form of hypnotic suggestion to make everyone believe that you were the Head Priestess of Althena Shrine, and that you're not who you seem."

"See, they were correct. Mel has raised a very intelligent young lady." Phacia gestured in the direction of the village entrance. "Let's take a walk, and I'll tell you everything."

Almost half an hour later, Jessica sat down on a rock near the entrance, digesting everything she had heard. "You're…an informant?" she asked.

Phacia nodded, her red eyes very serious. "Not happily, though willing. I was sent to gather information about Althena's Shrine, and it's present strength." She smiled. "I must admit, I am surprised by the level of trust they gave me."  
Jessica's hand reached for her mace. "You'll forgive me if I remain skeptical."

Phacia nodded. "I understand," she replied. "Look, I'm sorry, but I know of no other way."

The priestess thought about it for a second. "Okay. I do have one question, though; Why are you telling me this?"

Phacia opened her mouth to reply, then closed, looking around. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You must tell your father what I have told you. He can tell you more about the end of the Heresy War." Her gaze hardened. "And do not tell Lady Ausa, or Premier Ghaleon for whatever reason. Lady Ausa is not to be trusted in this time."

Jessica's eyes widened. Lemia Ausa, one of the Four Heroes, not to be trusted? Her very upbringing rebelled against it.

But then she remembered the boat attack, and knew that Ghaleon would have told his leader of Alex's travel plans. "Okay," she said, "I can't believe I'm saying it, but I believe you."

Phacia exhaled in relief. "Thank you." Then, her gaze sharpened. "An Uruk-Hai is approaching," she said. "I must depart. Remember what I said." With that, she began walking away.

Jessica stared at her retreating form, unaware of someone standing right next to her. "Well," she muttered, "that made my week understandable."  
Sere pulled her cloak closer to her body, walking quietly away from the half beastman. _'I need a better way to hide myself,'_ she thought, shaking one of her sore feet. _'Though, I wonder why Phacia said that Lemia Ausa is not to be trusted.'_ Though she knew that her friend's paranoia was justified, especially in light of what she had heard.

Over the last three months, Lemia had gone from being strict but fair, to extremely oppressive. The last report from her regional branch had been brief, but very telling. The head of the Guild had now begun to throw anyone who even said anything wrong about her into the dungeon for life. For that reason, she had had the store closed in Vane until further notice. However, she couldn't do that forever, as the employees there had families to feed. It was time for a more direct approach.

Spotting her traveling salesmen, she headed over to him. "Hey, it's me!" she hissed, getting his attention. "Don't turn around or anything, but I want you to get that pendent that your father made all those years ago out, and put it in your display case. It should come in handy for Matt."

The salesman tapped his finger once to let her know that he got the message, and started rummaging around for the little package. Satisfied, Sere walked away. Then, when she was out of the groups sight, she pulled her invisibility cloak off, and stuffed it into her back pack. She headed back over to Jessica, putting a scowl on her face. "deAlkirk!" she bellowed. "What are you doing here?"

Jessica jumped several feet in the air, turning around in surprise. "Lady Sere!" She groaned. "I forgot about our meeting, didn't I?"  
"Yes, you did , young lady." She walked up to her. "Get on your horse. You and I have a few things to discuss."

Jessica sighed. She was not going to enjoy this.

Lilika put the last of the supplies in her bag, then handed it to Mimi. "Here, you can carry this," she said, smiling mirthfully.

Mimi took it, shaking her head. "You're like the sister I never had."

"Or wanted," Palmon threw in.

"Hey, at least she isn't. I understand they're very dangerous." Matt looked around. "Hey, I think that's a salesman for Sere!" He walked up over to him. "Hey, man," he said in greeting. "So, what's good?"

The salesclerk smiled. "Well, my specialty is charms and pendants, which work about ninety five percent of the time. I ones I would not suggest buying are evil wards and cleaning charms."  
_'Honest salesman. I like that.'_ Matt began looking at the various charms in the display case. "Don't need it…don't need it…Hello!" Matt suddenly exclaimed, his eyes fastening on one particular pendant.

The pendent in question was apparently made of mythril, because it shined like it. It had been molded into the shape of a flower, with what looked like a diamond in the center. "What about this one?" he asked, pointing at it.

The salesman pulled it out, examining it closely. "Ah, this is one of my better pieces," he said. "I made it almost twenty years ago. Someone actually bought it's counterpart ten year ago. It's made of an alloy called mythril. It's light as a feather, but as strong as dragonhide. In fact, the only thing not made of mythril is the diamond in the center, welded into it when I put it through the purification process."

'Wow, Ginny will like this,' Matt thought. "Okay, how much?" He pulled out his money pouch.

"Now, according to everyone I've spoken to, this alone is worth five thousand silver." The salesman though it over for a second. "But, I'm not greedy. I'll sell it to you for…ninety silver."

Matt pulled the silver from his pocket, and handed it to him. The salesman put the pendent into a small box. "Thanks. I know someone who would probably love this." He bowed once in farewell, then walked back over to the rest of the group. "Hey, are we ready to go?" he asked.

"If there's a weapon store around, then we'll stay." Mimi searched the surrounding area. "Otherwise, we're just waiting for the food…and the horse feed."

"Good to hear. You ready, Gabumon?"

Gabumon nodded. "While you made your purchase, I decided that I'm going to carry the food bag. It seems only fair."

"Oh, trying to impress Biyomon?" Mat asked, amusement in his eyes.

Gabumon blushed. "That's what they said."

"Which means they're right."

"Some friend you are. You're supposed to stand beside me."

"I ain't suicidal."

Gabumon sighed. "Great."

Jessica and Sere tore through the Nanza Gate at top speed, slowing down enough so they didn't run into anybody.

The giant guard, who had single handedly terrified Alex and Co., stepped aside meekly as the two females entered the Nanza Outpost. And Jessica was yelling.

"You knew!" she shouted, eyes wild. "You knew Phacia was a fake!"  
"Yes, but I decided to befriend her!" Sere replied. "I also put her in contact with your father. So if she told you that something was up, then something must be happening in the Frontier!"

"So…the Magic Emperor is real?"  
"Yes, unfortunately. However, no one knows what he looks like! And, as you have already figured out, the Uruk-Hai force is on the move!" Sere's frown deepened even further. "Racc has never forgiven Althena or the Dragons!"  
"And he still wants that katana, apparently! How old is the motherfucker, anyways?"

"Watch your language, young lady! I don't know how old he is, exactly, but my sources tell me he is about five thousand years old!" The two stopped in front of the main tower. "I'll have Kyle put the Nanza Outpost at full alert status," she said. "You need to continue on to Meribia, and alert your father. Have him mobilize the National Guard. Time is of the essence, so stop for nothing!"

Jessica nodded, then urged her horse forward again. "Out of the way, Herb!" she bellowed.

Herb opened the door for her. "Sure, Jessica."

Without a backward glance, Jessica galloped at full speed through the Nanza Pass, knowing that what she learned had to reach Meribia.

Her father would expect no less.

Phacia reappeared more an a hundred feet away from the Shrine, smoothing her robes out. Almost immediately, Racc, who had been waiting for her arrival, bellowed. "What were you thinking, Phacia! Zophar's beard, you could have blown our cover!"

Phacia turned to glare at him, all the gentleness gone from her features. In it's place was a hard mask of anger. "The risk was minimal!" she retaliated. "And remember to whom you are speaking to, Uruk-Hai! I may still have some of my compassion, but you are moving very close to the point where that compassion, and restraint will no longer apply!"

Racc moved closer. "You take risks, my lady. Do not presume so much of your sister's good nature."  
The 'Head Priestess's' hand shot out, catching the Uruk-Hai by the throat, choking him. "You take risks, Racc," Phacia hissed, hoisting him up into the air. "Do not presume so much of _my_ good nature!" Abruptly, she released him, allowing him to fall to the ground, gasping for air. "If I hadn't told Jessica, she would have discovered all of out plans. At least, this way, she cannot warn Alex and the Sailor Scout/ Digi-Destined Alliance."

She left out the part of her telling Jessica to warn her father of this, as well as not trusting Lemia for whatever reason. She had enough on her plate at this particular moment.

Racc, his breathing normal again, took a step forward. "Then hope, for your sake," he said quietly, the hint of menace still there, "that she doesn't meet anyone, and warn them. Because if she does, then the consequences will be most…displeasing." With that final warning, he vanished in a blaze of fire.

Phacia stayed where she was, gathering herself. She understood all too well what would happen if the whole story got out. Treason, and working with the enemy, was punishable by death. She cared nothing for her own safety, though. She didn't really care for her families sake either, not even the leader of her people.

After all, it was her that sent Sheyra into exile.

Matt tied the final bag onto the ropes, then got on Garurumon, careful not to squash the fish. "You sure about this, buddy?" he asked.

Garurumon nodded. "Let's face it, the horses have had most of the heavy lifting all of this time, and all I've had to carry is you. I'm stronger than the mounts, and carry heavier loads than them. This way, I can be of more use, and they can get a rest. Also, if we need to separate for whatever reason, we won't have to try and determine how much food we need if everyone ha their own stash."

Lilika nodded. "It is sound," she said.

Mimi stretched a bit. "And so back relieving. I don't think I can stand having a big, heavy bag on my back for another day."

Serena could sympathize. After all, she had three bags to contend with; Her two, and Rini's. Speaking of which… "Are you ready, Rini?" she asked.

The rabbit grinned. "Yeah, let's go!"

Tai and Alex traded a look. "And while we're at it, we need to decide on a name for our little coalition," Alex added, "which we can do on the way to Vane."

Izzy sighed. "Let's just hope that we have enough Cleansing Waters for the return trip."

Everyone agreed with that."

I have some news for everyone. I have recently updated the bio's for this story, adding the six Uruk-Hai, and one of the Sailor Scouts greatest enemies from the past. Also, I wanted to do something more with Phacia than the game did, which basically showed her as a good person who made some bad choices. I want to show her as someone who is sympathetic, but reluctant to give her sisters away. I hope I did a good enough job of it. However, this is the _only_ time I'll do that.

Coming up is my first R-rated chapter, due to the fact the whole thing is going to be in a lake. It will probably be short, and rougher then usual. Probably a bit…steamy as well. And it will involve Mimi and Izzy. Full explanation in upcoming chapters. So, no one kill me.

I am presently tweaking Chapter Eight of my other fic, and am in the process of typing the mess that is Chapter Nine. So within the next month or so, expect an update on that. As always, review.

P.S.: I need some help on names, trap, magic, and enhancement cards, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. I have over a hundred names, but I've hit the brick wall that is my denseness.


	31. Episode Twenty Nine: A swim

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Due to a scene of nudity and sexuality, this chapter has been Rated R for Mature. Final warning.)

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Twenty Nine: A Little Swim

They were almost seven miles from Lann when Nash decided to bring up a topic of conversation that had to be brought up, for the good of the group. "I'm telling you," Nash insisted, "that you guys need a name. You can't just go around going by 'The Sailor Scouts and the Digi-Destined. It takes too long."

What the group was trying to do was think of a name for their conglomerate force, one that was easy to remember, but didn't sound sinister. Apparently, the group just wasn't a good enough name for the apprentice magician.

Tentomon thought about it. "He's right, you know. We do need to think of a name for us."

"How about 'Defenders of Justice?'" Agumon suggested.

"Or, 'Great warriors for the innocent?'" Garurumon threw onto the table.

"I have one!" Nash smiled. "The Great Warriors of Lunar."

"How about the Alliance?" Mimi suggested simply.

"That works."

Izzy chuckled. "Now that we have that settled…"

"We stop here," Alex finished, bringing his mount to a stop. "Let's set up camp, have dinner, and tell the most terrifying stories we have."

Joe sighed. "I don't need to tell a story," he said. "I'm living it. I mean, look who I'm partnered with."  
"Hey!" Gomamon shouted, incensed.

The aspiring Dragonmaster chuckled. "Good point."

"Alex," Nall began. "Weren't you the one who hid behind Luna Two because Ramus managed to get his hands on some old Halloween make-up, and decided to play a trick on you?"

"He looked like a rabid wolf." Alex shuddered. "I have a phobia for wolves, as you well know. But as you can see, I haven't been scarred for life."

Jupiter grinned. "And that's what counts." She got off her mount, and made to make a fire. "Hey, I'm going to see if I can finds some rocks!" she called out. "That way, we have a fire ring!"

Izzy nodded. It was going to be somewhat chilly tonight. He turned to Mimi, saw her watching him again. She blushed. "Sorry," she muttered.

Izzy chuckled. "Mimi, I think it's been made aware to us that we've been staring at each other for quite some time. So don't apologize for anything."

Mimi nodded, then realized something. "Umm, Izzy?"

"Yeah, Mimi?"

"For some reason, I don't think I'm the only one that looks older. You look…different, as well."

"Huh?"

Palmon took a closer look, then blinked. "You know, I think she's on to something. You _do_ look different." She frowned. "In fact, you look as old as Mimi does right now."

Now Izzy was extremely confused, as what they were saying was completely impossible. He turned around. "Anybody got a mirror?" he asked.

Tai turned around. "If they've made a discovery about you looking older than you actually are, then join the club."

Izzy's jaw dropped.

For the first time in the two months they had been on Lunar, he saw, really saw, how old Tai looked. His features were extremely defined, like a seventeen year olds. And the weird thing was, he hadn't noticed it before.

Venus pulled out a mirror, and handed it to him. Her own eyes widened in surprise as she took in Izzy's facial features. "Here you go. And just for the record, I agree with Palmon and Mimi."

Izzy took a look into the mirror, and promptly stared, like he was seeing the impossible. Which, in effect, he was.

Before he and his friends had been pulled into Lunar, he and Mimi had been both at the beginning of adolescence, like their friends. They both had had their birthdays, and had both decided to take the time to explore other things because of it. Hence, Izzy's sudden desire to learn archery, and Mimi's exploration of humor.

But now…Izzy's features were defined, with most of the last remnants of baby fat seemingly dissolving into thin air. He no longer looked thirteen, but almost four, five years older.

But now that he had noticed how he looked, he also noticed that his body had filled out as well. He had obtained a bit of muscle along the way, due to all of the walking and fighting they had done. It was very unsettling.

He handed the mirror back to Venus. "Thanks," he said automatically. "This explains a great deal."

Tai sighed. "Tell me about it. And the scary thing, is that Joe, Sora, or Matt haven't matured in the same way."  
Now that Izzy thought about it, Sora, Joe, and Matt were still looking like thirteen year olds, with all of their features the same as they were when they had left Earth. It didn't make sense to him. Why would three of them age faster than the others?

Apparently, he decided, it was a mystery that could wait until later. At this rate, none of them had any idea as to when they were going home. That was the mystery he was going to turn his incredible intellect towards solving.

"Hey!" Jupiter's voice suddenly broke through his trail of thought, "I found something guys!"  
Izzy turned around to see Lita run up the slope, the rocks she needed in her hands. "What?" he asked.

The Senshi of Lightning set the rocks done, not even breathing hard. "I found a lake down there," she said. "A nice, clean lake."

"Which means we can replenish our water reserves," Serena replied. "And we can get clean. Mimi, can you do a water purification charm?"

"Lemme look it up, and you're on, Meatball Head." Mimi pulled her book out, and started flipping through the pages. "Got it!" she crowed. "This one's strong enough to purify an ocean of everything that isn't supposed to be there! A lakes going to be no problem!"

"Great! Tomorrow morning, we can all get these clothes cleaned, and ourselves. Anybody got soap?"

Luna Two and Sora pulled out about eight bars. "This should be enough, right?" Sora asked.

Rei laughed. "Talk about being prepared for personal hygiene!"

Tai and Alex chuckled for a bit as well. "Well, let's get our water bottles replenished, and then get camp ready," Alex stated. "Otherwise, we'll go hungry, and be trying to sleep on empty stomachs because of it."

Everyone agreed. After all, what good were provisions if they didn't use them?

Izzy looked at Jupiter. "Did you know about this?" Lita's answering nod and grin made him slightly annoyed. "And you never said anything!"

Lita shrugged. "Why?" she replied. "It was nice looking at you. I found someone who didn't look like my first boyfriend, and is just there to be looked at." She grinned. "I think you'd find that Mimi will agree with this; You're a hunk."

Izzy decided not to answer.

After dinner, the newly dubbed Alliance got their bed rolls and sleeping bags out, setting them up as they always did. They also had a small contest as to whether or not the males could go first. They lost, of course. Then they had a contest as to whether or not to allow the Digimon in with them. The Digimon won, if only because Agumon threatened to set their clothes on fire if they didn't.

Finally, after several hours of chit chat and games, they all retired for the night, hoping to God or the Goddess that they weren't attacked. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow, and they would need all the rest they could get.

The Uruk-Hai watched from his vantage point, his eyes roaming the camp side until he found who he was looking for. He kept up a diligent observation, always awake, always silent, never moving from his lookout.

In truth, he didn't have to be here. There were no plans to enact. The leader had decided to allow them to return to Vane, where she could deal with them personally. So he had some free time.

And he spent it watching young Tachekawa.

From the first moment he had laid eyes on her, he had found himself unable to think of anyone else. She was like a slice of Heaven, the great gods gift to existence. Silky hair, golden like honey, brown eyes that expressed her every emotion. Features that were flawless, with no imperfections.

He found that he wanted her…no, _needed_ her in a way that transcended the physical. His dream were filled with her, and how she would feel. Even now, he imagined what it would feel like to run his hands over her soft curves, bury himself into her warmth…

And there she was, with that Digi-Destined of Knowledge, Koushiro Izumi, who was flirting with her!

The shadow could barely stand it. A vision of loveliness, in the presence of such filth! She deserved so much more. She deserved better.

Forcing himself to calm down, he refocused his thoughts, going through several calming techniques that he knew. It didn't matter if she was in the presence of filth at the moment. The reality of it was soon, she would join them willingly.

After all, soon, she would be his.

_His hands ran down her body, so gentle, yet so firm on her flesh, familiarizing himself of every aspect of her as he did so. It was an amazing feeling for her _

She could feel her body responding with desire as he kissed her passionately, taking his time, exploring her very crevice of her mouth. She returned the favor, battling his tongue ardently.

He caressed her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples gently, feeling them harden at the attention he was giving them. She cooed in pleasure, the sound muffled by his lips.

She moaned in disappointment when his lips left hers, then moaned again as he started planting little kisses over her neck and down her chest, doing it very slowly, before latching onto one of her breasts, suckling on her nipple for a moment before going over to the other one to give it the same treatment, while his hand went even lower, reaching the nest of curls between her thighs. He kissed her stomach, darting his tongue into her belly button, before heading back up. Looking up at her intently, he started to gently massage her groin, working the sensitive muscles there with care.

She felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. Her skin was on fire, her breaths were coming out in gasps. Delicious sensations coursed through her as he aroused her body, building her up to the point of no return.

Her hips started to thrust in an ancient rhythm as she felt herself approaching the brink. He responded to her growing excitement by removing his finger, and moving above her. She arched slightly, retching a groan from him. Her eyes were glittering with overwhelming lust, a gaze that matched his own in terms of sheer intensity. He thrust forward, impaling himself to the hilt.

She closed her eyes at the feeling of them being joined, a smile gracing her face. They stayed that way for a moment, savoring the sensations for as long as both could stand to. Then, wrapping her arms and legs around him, she began to move slowly, rocking against him. He began to move as well, pulling back out of her and thrusting back in. Their speed slowly increased as their passion grew, until…

Mimi shot up, gasping for breath, though it was not out of fear. She looked around for a second as she tried to regain her bearings, trying to calm her beating heart as she did so. When she saw where she was, and that she was, in fact, still at the camp sight, she let out a sigh of relief. _'Just a dream,'_ she thought. _'Just a dream.'_

It had certainly felt real, though. The feeling of Izzy's hands on her body, those kisses, the way her body had responded…

Hold on, her body?

Looking down, she could feel her nipples pushing against her clothing, and could feel the dampness between her thighs. Her breath was deep, somewhat uneven, like she had just run a marathon. She could feel a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, and an ache inside her that she couldn't explain._ 'Good Lord, am I maturing mentally as well as physically?'_ she asked herself rhetorically, as she already knew the answer to that. She already knew the answer to that question, anyways. She also knew that she had never had dreams like that before. Especially the ones that were so…erotic in nature. What she didn't know was _why_.

Laying back down, she tried to control her breathing so she could go back to sleep, but found it impossible to do. She groaned as her dress rubbed against her breasts, the pressure arousing her even further. She sat back up, slightly irritated with herself. "Goddess, I hope you're happy," she grumbled, getting up, and grabbing a towel from her back pack. "Guess I'll take a swim." With that, she headed in the direction of the lake. She didn't know if it was cold, or not. All she knew was that she needed to work some of her excess energy off, or she was going to go crazy.

When Mimi had first seen the lake that afternoon, she had noted how clear the water was, free of debris and algae, and how the sunlight reflected off the surface, making it seem like it was golden. Truly a beautiful thing.

Now, though, under the stars of the night sky, the lake now seemed ethereal, looking like a pane of glass. It was so still, that it was like a mirror, reflecting the Blue Star's image.

Reaching the lake, she set her towel down. Then she took a look around her. She saw that the ground was devoid of sharp rocks, and there were no upraised rocks for anyone to hide behind. Satisfied with that, she began to untie the string at the top of her dress.

Had Mimi paid more attention to detail, and if she could discern such things at night, she would have noticed that one of the rocks out there was not a rock, but in fact, a small pile of clothing. However, the cloth was dark, and thus hidden by the darkness. And besides, everyone else was still asleep. Who would still be awake at this hour? Normally not her. She was a very heavy sleeper.

Finally freeing the knot, she put her hands on her hips, and pushed down, letting the dress fall to her feet. She took another look around as she stepped out of it, just be on the safe side. Once more satisfied that no one was watching, she pulled her shift over her head, putting it next to her dress. She stretched her arms out, working the kinks out, letting the cool breeze wash over her naked body. Then, she started walking to the water.

The shadow had entered a meditative state an hour after the Alliance had gone to sleep. He came out of it almost six hours later, completely refreshed, and ready for anything. It was the middle of the night. The Blue Star was shining brightly in the night sky, and the stars were all out, giving an ethereal glow to the area.

Standing up, he was ready to head back to the Frontier to get his new instructions, if any, when something caught his eye. Intrigued, he let his gaze focus it on it.

What he saw enthralled him.

There, walking towards the lake, was a true vision of beauty in his eyes; Mimi Tachekawa, naked as the day she was born, was walking without a shred of modesty. He saw everything from his vantage point, from her bosom, which was swaying slightly as she moved, her nipples hardening in the cool morning air. He observed her legs, which were toned from exercise, and perfect in every angle. And he saw, between her legs, the nest of honey colored curls that hid her treasures from sight. The very sight of her, in all of her glory, made him ache for her even more.

He watched as she put a hand in the water, testing it's temperature. Apparently, she was satisfied with it, so she headed in, walking in until it covered her chest. Then, after a moment, he saw her dive under, and out of sight for a moment.

Deciding that he could stay around a while, he made himself comfortable. Voyeurism was something he had never done before, but he was the spy of the Uruk-Hai. This shouldn't be any more difficult. And infinitely more rewarding.

After all, this was something that no man, be they human or demon, would want to miss this.

Palmon slowly stirred, then cracked one eye open, sweeping the camp sight. She saw that Mimi's sleeping bag was empty, and assumed that she had gone to take care of her womanly needs. Satisfied with that, she took another look.

Izzy wasn't in his bedroll either.

The little cactus was confused for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face as she had a thought. _'Izzy probably asked Mimi if she wanted to take a walk. Not a bad thing.' _She almost giggled, but decided against it. _'I just hope they don't get together until Tento and I play matchmaker.'_

Pleased with her conclusion to the matter, she set her head back down, and went back to sleep.

Mimi moved like a mermaid through the water, enjoying the feeling of the water moving around her. Her body, like she had told Sora, had matured very rapidly, apparently stopping when she had all the curves of a young lady. She was perfectly proportioned, as sensual and beautiful as a vase.

She had been in there for what seemed like hours, though it had been almost thirty minutes, and she still was wound up. Her breathing had returned to normal, at least, so she didn't have to tell the others that she had decided to take a little jog.

Surfacing once more to get a breath of fresh air, pushing her hair back and wiping the water out of her eyes as she did so. Paddling water for a moment, she looked up to the sky. She saw the Blue Star, in all of it's beauty, and all the stars in the heavens were out. The sight of them enchanted her.

'It's never like this at home,' she thought, a pang of home sickness making it's presence felt. _'There, the lights of the city always block all but the brightest stars. Here, though…it's like I took a trip to the past. It's…breathtaking.'_

she thought, a pang of home sickness making it's presence felt. 

She continued staring at it for a few moments more before deciding to continue swimming. She was still wound up tighter then a clock, though it wasn't as bad as before. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt, she also decided to see how long she could hold her breath. With that in mind, she dove under the water again.

She had been at it for almost ten minutes, with no real need to resurface, when her hand brushed up against something. Nothing to be overly concerned about.

Then it moved when just before her fingers had passed by.

Mimi resurfaced quickly, thinking that she had brushed up against an animal. However, she remembered that Mercury had done a scan of the lake, and had declared it free of any form of life aside from plants on the water bed. So it left only one other conclusion.

There was someone else in the lake with her. And if it was Gomamon, she was going to do some serious damage to his ability to procreate. This in mind, she turned around, looking for the little furry digimon.

Her eyes, since they were looking at the water, fell onto a chest. A toned chest. A _human _chest. Slowly, her eyes rose, finally locking onto a set of black on black eyes.

Mimi was speechless.

So was Izzy.

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other in amazement. Neither one of them had expected to anyone else in the lake with them, let alone each other. And especially in such…compromising circumstances.

Every feeling Mimi had been feeling returned full force. Her dream came back to her, which had the effect of arousing her once again. Something, that at this moment, wasn't such a good thing.

Izzy strained to keep his eyes focused on Mimi's face, though he was applying all of his will power to do so. He was honestly not prepared for anything of this nature. Intellectually, he knew that there was no way to prepare for this. He had been unable to sleep, due to all of thoughts that were flitting through his mind. Namely, he was thinking about how his own apparent increase of age, physically, of course, as well as several fantasies about Mimi, all of them with her with nothing on at all. It was causing him physical discomfort, as these things usually do, so he had decided to take a relaxing swim. However, he had been under the impression that everyone else was asleep. And Mimi was notorious for being a heavy sleeper, unless they were attacked.

So, it came as no surprise that he hadn't been prepared for this. Though, logically, judging by the similar expression on Mimi's face, she had been thinking the same exact thing.

A near overwhelming wave of desire crashed through him, almost robbing him of conscious thought. He could feel himself responding, and struggled to control it. The fact that he was so close to Mimi was hindering it somewhat. He tried to play it cool, however. "So, Mimi, fancy meeting you here, and under such…revealing circumstances. _'Open mouth, insert foot!'_ he berated himself.

"Oh, yes." Mimi didn't say anything more than that. She knew that if she opened her mouth again, she was going to launch herself at Izzy, and plant a wet one on him.

The boy in question backpedaled a ways from her, trying to get some distance so as to regain some common sense. He smiled. "I guess neither of us were expecting to see anyone else here," he said calmly, considering the fact that he was applying all of his control to speaking normally.

Mimi sighed in relief, her surprise ebbing away as well. It was the only thing that went away, but it was a start. "So, couldn't sleep?" she asked, already growing comfortable with the situation, and regaining enough of her control in the process so she could speak.

"Not really." Izzy doggy paddled, his arm muscles showing little strain. He was a pretty good swimmer as well, among other things. "I had a great many things on my mind, mostly trying to figure out how you, myself, and Tai have aged almost four years in about two and a half months both mentally and physically, and not the others. You?'

The dream came back to her again, arousing her even further. She could feel her sheath moisten. "Oh…just a dream," she said, omitting the steamy details. "I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to take a swim." She blushed. "I guess I should have done a more thorough search of the area."

"My clothes are purple, Mimi. A very dark purple. You probably mistook them for a rock. And I decided to take a relaxing swim as well." He sighed. "I probably should have looked a proper form of swim attire," he added.

Mimi shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I checked as well. The only swim wear they have is something you would have worn in 1900. Not exactly a fashion bell ringer. And besides, most people swim in the nude here. They apparently have developed a very effective way of where it's okay, and where it isn't." She suddenly though of something. "What did I brush up against?" she asked, curious.

Izzy blushed. "My butt," he replied.

Mimi turned an interesting shade of red. She suddenly had an image of his bare ass. "Oh, your…"

"Uh, huh." Izzy, now that he knew who had brushed by him, was having a very difficult time concentrating. He was trying to stay in his present position, and that required all of his attention.

The young woman developed a sudden interest in the ripples on the water. "Well, I can't think of another way for someone to swim…aside from wearing swimwear," she stammered.

Izzy , his concentration broken, turned to stare at her. "Well, I though you would at least be wearing a shift, though judging from your bare shoulders…"

"It was starting to drive me crazy!" Mimi blurted out.

He arched an eyebrow. "How was it doing that?" he asked.

She thought hard for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. After all, she was the Digi-Destined of Sincerity. "Remember when I said that I had a dream?" A nod answered her question. "Well, it was a…very arousing dream. So arousing, in fact, that when I woke up, it had been translated by my body rather efficiently. I tried to go back to sleep, but the shift was rubbing against my chest, so I decided to take a swim to get my mind off of it." She looked up. "It's not working," she added sheepishly.

Izzy nodded, a little surprised by this. "Well, I too was not completely honest. I wasn't just thinking about our definitive increase in age. I also had a few…thoughts that were not exactly…scientific. I am assuming that your dream was much the same way." Mimi nodded. "Now, this is going to sound very… egotistical of me, but…was I in your dream?"  
Mimi nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She waited for him to tell her logically, that a relationship between them would not be a good idea, that they were too different for it to work.

Izzy's chuckle surprised her, and she saw humor, and another emotion that she couldn't place. "Well, I'll say that you were in my fantasies," he revealed. He smiled at her befuddled expression. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that…we really don't have anything to worry about, now do we?"

Mimi began smiling as well, moving a little closer. "Well, I don't know if we don't have anything to worry about," she said, "but I found that little admission very…liberating."

Izzy nodded. "I agree." He grinned mischievously, a though coming to him. "I have an idea," he said. "How about we tell each other what we are thinking right now. That way, we'll know if we're thinking on the same lines."

"Okay, you first then." She tilted her head slightly. "What are you thinking right now, Koushiro Izumi?"

He was silent for a moment. "I was thinking about kissing the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen, and how it would feel." He looked at her, the emotion sharpening in his eyes. "It's your turn now, Mimi Tachekawa?"  
Mimi smiled, finally recognizing the emotions in Izzy's eyes. Love, and definite need. "I am thinking about how it would feel like to be kissed by the most handsome young man I have ever seen, and kissing him back."

Izzy's smile became mysterious. "It appears we are on the same thought processes after all," he said hoarsely. "Do you think it will happen?"

Her heart was beating rapidly from nervousness. "Only one way to find out," she whispered, closing the distance between them. She put her hands on his chest, feeling the muscles tense beneath her fingertips. She slowly slid up, marveling at the feel, enjoying the sudden feeling of power she had.

Izzy put his arms tentatively around her, slowly running his hands up and down her back. He stared at her for almost a minute, as if reassuring himself that it was real, then slowly brought his lips down to hers.

The second their lips touched, Mimi was lost. It was like ambrosia to her. He was gentle as well, giving her the option of pulling back. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him as well, hands interlocking behind his neck as she began to kiss him back, just as gentle. _'Oh, this is amazing,'_ she thought, her mind hazy at the sensations running through her. _'Why was I afraid of this? It is so incredible.'_ She began to kiss him more deeply, the tip of her tongue running across his lower lip in a teasing gesture.

Izzy felt something shoot through him as he gave out a small groan, opening his mouth instinctively at the gesture. He felt Mimi's tongue enter his mouth, skimming the roof of it, and he shuddered. _'This is probably what joy feels like,'_ he thought, as his tongue went out to do battle. It was infinitely better than anything books or computers could ever tell him. He brought Mimi closer, until their bodies made contact.

Mimi moaned in pleasure as their bodies, especially their lower bodies, pressed together intimately, nothing separating them. She could feel his arousal pressed against her stomach, and it only served to fire her up even further. In a supreme moment of weakness, she slid one of her legs up, her foot sliding up his thigh, retching a groan from deep within him.

Izzy tore his lips away from Mimi's, stared at her for a moment, as if to reassure himself that she was real, then began planting little, arousing kisses down her throat, sucking on the skin for a second each time. He raised Mimi up, not difficult in this case, considering where they were, as he went downward. His mouth branded her as he finally reached her breasts, his mouth latching onto a nipple, and suckling.

Mimi threw her head back, a long, drawn out moan leaving her as she did so. This was more intense than anything in her dream. "Izzy," she said softly. "Please…"

Izzy, perhaps hearing her, and understanding what she wanted, kept one arm around to keep her aloft, letting the other one reach down between her thighs as he brought his lips back to hers, staring into her eyes deeply. He saw permission, and brushed against her curls. Mimi gasped, her eyes darkening. He began to slowly massage her sheath gently, leaning in to kiss her deeply, his tongue entwining with hers.

Mimi was now in pure bliss. Never had she ever felt such desire as she did now. Never before had she felt anything remotely like the sensations coursing through her as Izzy touched her. She moaned into his mouth as he worked her softness.

It didn't take a genius to realize that what they were feeling was stronger than what thirteen year olds should be able to feel. However, neither of them questioned it. Instead, they rode the wave.

Izzy could feel her approaching the edge, so he decided to try something different. He stopped his administrations, making her growl passionately. Whether it was because she had enjoyed the treatment, or because he had stopped, he didn't know. He wasn't going to keep her at the edge either. He waited for a few seconds more, then suddenly pushed one finger into her.

That was all it took.

Mimi's vision exploded into a million shards, and she arched, her mouth tearing away from his as a gasp ripped itself from her. For a moment, all she could see was the Blue Star, shining above her.

Then it was over, and she slumped, her head resting on Izzy's shoulder. She could feel his finger leaving her, and his hands running up and down her back soothingly as she came back down from her crest. She raised her head, and looked at him, smiling softly.

The shadow had seen everything.

'How dare he touch her! How dare HE!' he thought in outrage, every ounce of self control that he possessed being called upon to prevent him from launching himself at the Digi-Destined of Knowledge, and crushing him into dust. He had watched as Mimi allowed him to touch her, branding her body. He watched as she cried out in pleasure, and couldn't help thinking that she looked even more beautiful now, than ever before.

His communicator buzzed, startling him. He pulled it out, and activated it. "Yes?" he whispered.

"Return to Vane, J'onnro," Bara's voice said. _'Lord Racc and Lady Royce have everything in position."_

Bara's voice said. 

"Understood. I shall return then." J'onnro snapped his communicator shut, and took one last look at the couple in the lake. _'Soon,'_ he thought. _'Soon, lady Tachekawa, you will be mine. I promise you.'_

He vanished.

Izzy smiles at the look of bliss that graced Mimi's features, happy that he had been able to give her pleasure. "Mimi?" he asked, just to be sure. "How did it feel?"

Mimi looked at him, in absolute peace now. Her problems were now gone. "Izzy, that was wonderful," she whispered. "Thank you…" She frowned slightly. "What about you?" she asked. She could still feel his arousal, and that it seemed…harder than before. How that was possible, she wasn't going to take a guess.

"I'll be fine," he replied. "I may never sleep again, but I'll be fine." He grinned. "Needless to say, that was very…informative."

'Izzy talk for being…amazing.' She giggled. "Still," she said, surprised at her own boldness in this situation. "I think something should be done for you as well. You pleased, so I should please you in a similar fashion." She lowered her hand down his body, admiring the feel of his skin as she did so, until her fingers lightly touched him where it ached most. "Can I?" she asked shyly. They were both exploring new territory, after all. She wanted to make sure it was alright with him.

Izzy nodded once, incapable of speech at that moment. The feel of Mimi's hand touching him was like lightning striking him. He felt like he was going to burst into flames at any given moment, even in the cool water.

Mimi began kneading his shaft, finding out what gave him pleasure, and what didn't. She learned a great about what gave a male pleasure, and resolved to remember it in the future as she continued her administrations. She leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, swallowing his moans. She smiled as a particularly powerful sound issued from him when she started to speed up.

He suddenly wrapped his arms around her again, barely stopping himself from yelling out as he climaxed. He closed his eyes at the feeling, much like Mimi did, crushing her against his chest in reflex. Mimi gasped, feeling her own arousal begin to grow again.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, though in reality, it had been only a minute, Izzy relaxed. He looked at Mimi, whose eyes were questioning. "You didn't hurt me," he whispered, smiling slightly.

Mimi smiled, relieved to hear him say that. "Izzy…" she began, wanting to ask him something…and then looked up. "We had better get out," she said in alarm. "Otherwise, the others are going to wake up, come down here, and see us like this."

The dawn had come.

That took any and all thoughts of exploring their new relationship out of their minds. Presently, their biggest concern was that Sora was going to come down, see them, and explode at them.

Swimming to shore, with Mimi pausing only to purify the water, they ran over to their clothes. They dried themselves off, then hurriedly slipped their undergarments on.

Mimi looked up as she picked up her dress, noting how muscular Izzy 's chest seemed to be. "So, where does this leave us?" she asked.

Izzy put his pants on, then looked at Mimi, who was in her shift. He saw her nipples showing through the fabric, and struggled to focus on the question. It was a good one, anyways. They couldn't go back to just being friends after what had just happened. Then again, they couldn't just tell their friends what had just happened. Everyone would probably go ballistic on them. Tai would ask them why they did that. Sora would probably read them the riot act. And Sora reading them the riot act was something to avoid. The rest of them would probably stare at them ominously, waiting for their turn.

"Let's take this one step at a time," he finally replied as he put his shirt back on, then picking up his towel. "Also, let's let Tentomon and Palmon have their fun. That way, they're happy, and we get our date."

Mimi giggled. "I'm kind of wondering what they've got planned." She finished dressing, picking up her towel afterwards.

"So long as their plans don't involve us without our clothes," Izzy added.

Mimi smirked. "Too late, love."

"Good point." He gave her a quick peck. "Let's go."

Luckily, everyone was still asleep when they got back to camp, which eliminated one of their problems nicely. Quietly, so as not to disturb them, they headed over to their back packs, and put their towels back in. Mimi had performed a drying spell on them, so that they didn't collect mildew in such a confines space. Take that, dryer!

After that, Mimi walked over to Izzy, and took one of his hands in hers. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

Izzy gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I have never been so sure before in my entire life." He hugged her. "I think we can make this work."

He released her, and stepped back. And not a moment too soon. Palmon sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, you two," she said sleepily. "So, you two enjoy your walk?"

Izzy and Mimi looked at each other. "It was…invigorating," Izzy replied, while Mimi choked back a laugh.

"Oh." Apparently satisfied with the answer, she got up, stretching her roots out. "What say we get breakfast ready, and wake the rest of the schmo's up?"

Izzy grinned. "I'll take Luna Two's side."

"Great. I'll deal with Meatball Head and Co."

And, as always happens where the Alliance was concerned, it almost transformed into a free for all. Just business as usual.

Well, this is my first Rated-R chapter. I don't know if it's good or not, so let me know whether I did a good enough job, or whether I should be burned at the stake. (Personally, I prefer the former.)

In order to prepare typing this, I have read and re-read several rated R stories on Fanfiction Net. I have seen what they did, and how they phrased themselves in their stories. Also, I have actually read Romance novels as well. Most of them are very good. As I have stated before, I don't know how well I did, but I have given it my best shot. Hopefully, it's not too explicit for all of you.

Finally, on this chapter, I will have an explanation for the rapid aging that seems to have hit Tai, Mimi, and Izzy, so stay tuned. You may be intrigued. Also, the truth about Mimi will be revealed in future episodes.

Next chapter; The Six, Alex and Luna Two are going to start trying to uncover the truth behind the Guardians of Althena, and Lemia Ausa will finally appear. Let the games begin!

What I am looking for are names for Wind, Water, Shadow, Fire, Ground, and Holy Monster Cards. I have already started developing that which I have created for the fic, but I need a great deal more. What I hope to do, at some of Silver Star Story, is to have a _Secar Triad_ Tournament. Just a little fun in a story where the fate of three worlds, and more, hang in the balance. Then again…

Also, Arraine, the card name you sent me is pretty good. I'll find out a use for it. Thanks. You get full credit for it.


	32. Episode Thirty: Reversal of Fortune

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Thirty: Reversal of Fortune

The guards recognized the Alliance as they made their way through the Nanza Outpost.

Biyomon observed the guards give them nods of respect, though in Mimi's and Lilika's case, that respect was tempered with a certain…sexual interest. This was immediately remedied when Izzy gave them a glare that, if looks could kill, would have murdered those guards ten times over. Not a very easy thing, as humans only have one life.

The little bird Digimon giggled. It was so entertaining to see the Digi-Destined's of Knowledge and Sincerity interact these days. They still spoke normally enough, but if that little in Lann was of indication, they were growing much closer. Stolen touches when they thought no one was looking, small smiles to one another, especially in the last day. If anything, it seemed to become even more prevalent.

Tentomon buzzed up to her, insect eyes twinkling. "It's almost time," he whispered. "Let the planning commence anew."

"Good. The other Digimon are going to help us." Biyomon grinned. "It's going to be very interesting." With seven champion Digimon, they felt they were prepared to play matchmaker. Now, though, they needed the right setting.

Little did any of them suspect, that Izzy and Mimi were actually waiting for them to do that, curious as to what their strategy would be, and who they would ask for help.

The Six, who had a great deal on their minds, were the only ones who weren't asked. And it was for good reason, as they were discussing their latest vision, one that involved Lemia Ausa…

_"Takeru, turn around!" Lemia shouted. "You have one coming in from behind!" _

Takeru turned, his sword moving in an arc that made it seem like a natural extension of himself. It caught the enemy in his forehead, spinning him around for a moment before he fell to the ground, quite dead.

Takeru paused to catch a breather, and surveyed the area.

Over a dozen battles were raging in his immediate vicinity between the followers of Althena, and the forces of Queen Skarde. Almost a hundred battles were waging throughout the small village, as the attacking force was near to one thousand, five hundred warriors.

Lemia Ausa, the daughter of the Guild master of Vane, was assigned by her mother to lead an armed expedition of almost two hundred mages to lead the defense of a small trade village. An anonymous tip had alerted them of almost three hundred warriors marching in that direction. The village in question was an important stopping port for travelers and soldiers, as well as a population of almost three thousand. Almost two hundred of them were prepared to defend their homes, even if it was with pitchforks.

Althena, suspicious of the information, had immediately authorized her Guardians to accompany them to the village. Their orders; to aid in the defense of the village.

It proved to be a good thing, as the enemy attempted to surprise them. Ryo's own heightened awareness had alerted them, however, allowing them to begin wiping out the enemy forces with no casualties of their own. Angelus had immediately begun evacuating the population, getting them to high ground, and out of the radius of the demon's smell. Then, at Takeru's orders, he went to find help.

However, that hadn't been enough, as the first wave had merely been a diversion. The second wave had taken a circular route around the village, and had attacked from behind, catching them completely by surprise. And it also served to make Takeru angry.

Hikari kicked another one, sending him soaring like a football, as she made her way to her beloved's side. "The Guild forces are starting to buckle. There's only a hundred mages left!"

Angelica flew over to them, slamming both of her feet into another one's neck, and sending it's head rolling, literally. "And there's still around eight hundred demon troopers! We won't be able to hold off much longer!"

Takeru looked around. "Okay, then. Angelica, go and help Lemia! She's being besieged! Hikari, find Ami and Mage Ghaleon! Have them pull back to the food depot, gathering as many of the surviving mages as they can! We need to set up a defensive position!"  
Angelica took flight again, releasing arrow after arrow into the throng of demons, getting them off the mages back. She landed next to Lemia, who was still doing an impressive job of defending herself. "Lady Ausa, we need to pull back to the food depot!" she shouted.

Lemia nodded, then released a powerful holy spell, hitting four at the same time. "Agreed! All mages, pull back to the food depot! Fall back!"

Quickly, as the majority had found themselves near the area in question, the surviving mages began heading to the food depot. As the largest structure in the village, it boasted enough food for the villagers during winter time, and enough food to re-supply any wayward travelers.

Ryo turned to look at the retreat. "Ami!" he shouted. "They're falling back to the depot!"  
"Then so are we!" Ami sliced another demon in half, then jumped up, bringing her hands together. "PLANETARY LASER!" she bellowed, calling out her most powerful attack.

Instantly, a blast of sheer power, the collective powers of the five elements, issued from her hands, blasting downward to raze the enemy line. Almost fifty demons were destroyed instantly, vaporized by the sheer power of it.

Ryo merely picked one up, swung him around, then threw him into the thickest formation of demons. A strike, if there ever was one.

With the enemy halting temporarily, the five Guardians and Lemia ran into the depot, slamming the door behind them. "Barricade the door!" Lemia shouted. "I want five mages to the top of the tower, to pick off any flaming arrows that are shot!"  
Ami created a shield around the structure. "The only way they can get at this place now, is through that door," she said.

Takeru grinned. "You were always better at shields than the rest of us." He turned. "Hikari, go with them. Until Angelus arrives, we're just going to have to wait it out." He touched her lips with his briefly. "Be careful, and keep your head down."

Hikari smiled reassuringly. "I always do," she replied, flying up to the second story.

Takeru sighed, and leaned back against the wall, going into a meditative state. It wasn't as refreshing as sleep, but it would serve to keep his wits about him for the next several hours. Ami and Ryo would know to rouse him from it if the enemy should move to attack.

Angelica looked out the window, watching the thronging mass of demons outside begin setting up a perimeter around the depot. "At least Angelus managed to convince the villagers to evacuate," she said.

Lemia nodded. "I agree. Ghaleon?"

"Yes, Lady Ausa?"

A mage, pasty white, and bearing the pointed ears of an elf, had spoken. He was one of the more promising guild members, having shot through the ranks into elite status. There were those who said, that by the end of the year, he would become Vane's most powerful magician.

Lemia pointed at the door. "If anything that doesn't appear to be human, elf, or beastman tries to get through that door, kill it," she ordered.

Ghaleon bowed, then stood in front of the door, hand raised.

Angelica sank to the ground, rubbing her left arm fretfully. She still had the scars of her stay in a Vile Tribe prison camp. They had whipped her, tried drugging her, had cut her, and also physically beat her with their bare hands. One of the more sadistic guards had even tried raping her! Her, someone who could crush him like a bug! And which she did, though it only staved off the inevitable. One of them had finally managed to find a way to get her. They threatened to the same thing to one of the other prisoners. Angelica had been forced to beg them to take her, and not harm anyone else. She still remembered screaming in pain.

Angelus, acting without orders, had gone in to get her out. The other prisoners, who were all stout believers of the Goddess, had helped conceal her, and managed to smuggle her out, where the male Angelic picked her up, and flew her out of there.

That had been almost fifty years ago, and it had taken almost thirty of those years to regain her confidence. The Guardian government had cleared her for duty a year later, and had sent her back to Lunar. Three weeks later, she had helped liberate that same prison camp, cheering like she was still one of those prisoners.

And now she was here, hoping that her beloved would return with reinforcements…

"…The way I see it," Gatomon said, "there are two possibilities, both which are obvious to even Sailor Moon. One, Lunar has finally gotten to our brains, and we're making this stuff up. Two, we aren't making this up, and we are actually seeing the Guardian's life stories."  
Kari raised her hand. "I go with number two," she told them. "There's no way I can make this stuff up."

Amy nodded. "I concur. After all, I'm a reincarnated princess of Mercury, and Greg has visions of the future."

"And," T.K. piped up, bringing his pony to a halt, "the poster the four of us saw in Saith actually started our visions…and stopped that blasted dream in it's tracks."

Patamon nodded in agreement. None of them had had the dream in over three weeks, which was a very good thing. "I definitely feel a great deal better, now that I'm getting eight hours of sleep, and Gatomon is getting more than two hours of sleep."

Greg winced. "That bad, huh."

"Oh, yes." Gatomon closed her eyes. "Patamon had to do all of the work, because I wasn't exactly good company for anyone. I almost decapitated Elecmon one time."

"I've never seen anyone go so fast before in my life," Patamon added, chuckling. "Ain't that right, dear?" He laughed as the furred Digimon blushed.

Kari began giggling as well. "Well, there you have it. Patamon and Gatomon, sitting in a tree…"

"…K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" T.K. finished, laughing hysterically.

Patamon blushed an interesting shade of vermilion. "Oh, hush up!" he muttered.

Greg and Amy watched with identical smiles on their faces. Kids," Amy said quietly.

"And you still want them?" Greg asked.

She sighed. "They're so cute, Greg!"

"They're voracious monsters!"

T.K. and Kari stared at each other, then at the two teenagers. "What does 'voracious' mean?" Kari asked.

Gatomon started smiling again. "'Voracious' means you're totally wild."

"Ah."

"Yeah, they're voracious, but they're so cute when they're little," a new voice piped in.

Joe's jaw dropped. "K-Kyle!"

Standing in front of them was Kyle.

It was a different Kyle, though. Instead of the sloppy, drunken mess that had been sleeping in a jail cell. Instead, in it's place was a rather well groomed physical specimen of a man in his prime. His eyes, clear of alcohol related sleep, had a sharp, piercing feel to it. He exuded an aura that only Tai really had.

T.K. dismounted. "Nice to meet you," he said, keeping his eye on the katana that was strapped on his back. It looked like it was well taken care of, and in a sheath that was made of well used leather.

Kyle held up a hand. "Relax, kid. I'm not going to attack you or anything. I just wanted to meet the group that sent that fake Dragonmaster packing." He grinned. "Would've done it myself, but I was drunk off my ass."

"An honest man. I like that." Greg dismounted. "I'm Greg Urawa. This is Amy Mizuno, T.K. Takashi, Kari Kamiya, and their Digimon partners Patamon and Gatomon. You're Kyle, the man Master Mel wants to hurt."

Kyle fidgeted. "I made the mistake of courting his daughter, then being seen when another girl tried to make the moves on me. Beastmen are very much into loyalty and trust."

"Not to mention the fact that your protection fees equal highway robbery," Patamon added sharply.

"Everybody's a critic."

"Everyone's right." Amy sent him a look that would give Batman the willies. "I hear that some man named Laike actually beat the living crap out of some of your men when they tried to 'protect' him."

The other four grinned. "That definitely sounds like Laike," T.K. whispered.

Patamon sighed in amusement. "Laughs and all."

Kyle winced. "Yeah, I heard of that, and I had actually told the new guys that Laike didn't need protection. I mean, the guy fights really strong bosses for fun!" He looked up. "So, I'm guessing that you're all staying the night. Because if that's the case, I only have two pieces of advice. One; Keep all of your valuables with you at all times. Some of my men are thieves. Two; We are currently at full alert status, so if the alarm goes off, then we're obviously under attack." He squinted. "Look's like a storm's brewing," he added.

"I know. I've been monitoring the wind shift, and the change of the barometric pressure, as opposed to the…"

"Yo!" The others shouted.

Amy winced. "Sorry…anyways, it'll be here in about thirty minutes."

(Geez, she's as bad as Hermione!) Ginny lamented.

(That bad?) Matt returned.

(Oh, yes. If we don't say stop, she'll tell us everything in 'Hogwarts: A History!)

(She reads about the history of the school!)

(Oh, that and so much more,) Ginny replied.

Kyle pointed to one of the stables. "You can out your horses in there for the night," he said. "It's been cleaned out, and has fresh hay in there for them to eat."

"Good idea," Greg replied. "Don't want to know what wet horse smells like."

"Ditto."

In the middle of night, Luna awoke to a crash of thunder, gasping as she did so. The dream that had been haunting her had struck again. And it had chosen this particular night to strike.

Grumbling, the young woman got up, making sure to not disturb Alex as she did so. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she began stumbling to the door.

On the way there, she ran into an equally bleary eyed Amy, who was following a similar path. They said hello, nice running into you, that sort of thing. Then they headed out the door.

By the time they reached the mess hall, both were wide awake in shock. And for good reason.

"You've been having the same dream as us!" Amy asked in disbelief. "But how is that possible?"

Luna shook her head. "I don't know. The other five are having them too?"

"Big time."

The two girls pondered the situation as they opened the door to the kitchen…and stopped, staring.

"You took your sweet time getting here," Greg said, eating some ice cream, while T.K., Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon were scooping up some from a large container.

Amy sighed. "Did you use your powers?"

"No, just took an educated guess. If we're here, then you would be here as well." He turned his gaze to Luna. "I'm surprised to see you though, Luna. I'm guessing you've been having the same dream as us schmos?" he asked.

Luna sat down on a stool, and picked up a spoon. "Yes, and I'm really starting to hate it."

"Tell me about it," Kari grumbled. "I'm only nine year sold, and already I feel like I'm fifty. I want my own dreams back."

"Join the club." Gatomon spooned some more onto her spoon. "And things were going so well, too."

Amy said nothing, instead spooning some of the ice cream, and popping it into her mouth. "This is good," she mumbled appreciatively.

Greg grinned. "And should my girlfriend have any female weaknesses, it's chocolate ice cream."

T.K. had to chuckle at this. "Too true, but it's really a weakness all humans share."

"Not us!" the two Digimon sounded off as one.

"You've eaten more than we have!"  
"So, we found that we like chocolate! It doesn't mean-"

"Yes it does," Amy interjected, grinning widely. "You're hum-mon."

"Cute. Really cute," Gatomon growled mockingly.

Luna started giggling, enjoying the groups banter. "It really is incredible to be able to trust your friends so easily."

T.K. looked at her. "I'm guessing for you, it's a little difficult to trust anyone."

Luna got some more, putting in her mouth. "With the exception of Alex, it took me almost four years to trust Ramus with anything of mine. He was patient, though, letting me make the choice."

Patamon nodded. "He may have been a con artist, but Ramus was loyal to his friends, and had a sense of honor." He paused. "What about Nall?" he asked.

Luna's humor began to reassert itself. "Oh, I base Nall on my observations of all big mouths," she replied, grinning mirthfully. "I find him funny…and more of a mouthpiece for Alex."

"So we've noticed," Amy noted around another helping of cold delight. "Does he always hold the threat of death over the fur balls head?"

Luna's smile grew mischievous. "Yes, as T.K. and Patamon know all too well."

T.K. shook his head in amusement, remembering that day. "We had to stop him from killing Nall after the older boys…made a small mistake."

"They left you and the girls behind, didn't they?" Greg asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"  
"A very good guess."

"Sounds like you peeked," Gatomon decided to accuse him.

"I'll ignore that jab at my honesty."

Kari started laughing. "I'm soooo glad we're getting along."

Luna started giggling as well. "Yes. With friends like you, who needs enemies?"

"Me," Patamon replied immediately," if only to give me some variety in my opponents. Fighting you guys all the time would become very boring after a while."

Everyone erupted into laughter at that.

"Last night was good," Luna Two replied, stretching slightly. "The seven of us drowned our sorrows over chocolate ice cream. You?"

"Dreamed of a red head," Matt replied. "The woke up to the sound of six Digimon whispering excitedly amongst themselves."

Greg grinned, putting his saddle back on his horse. "Finalizing plans for Izzy and Mimi, no doubt."

"Oh, hell yeah." Matt looked at Garurumon. "And how are you this morning, buddy?" he asked.

"I'm feeling fine." He gave his right shoulder blade a small twitch. "Except for my shoulder blade."

T.K. looked at him. "What were you doing last night?" he asked.

Surprisingly, Garurumon and Biyomon blushed. "I'd…rather not answer that question, for fear of incriminating myself," the Champion Digimon muttered.

(And if _that_ wasn't enough proof for you,) Ginny said cheerfully, (I don't know what is!)

Izzy and Mimi keeled over in laughter. "Thanks for giving us our proof!" Mimi gasped out, leaning against a pole to stay upright.

Agumon frowned. "I was wondering what all of that grunting was in that one closet," he said. "But, how do a bird type and a dog type Digimon mate?"

"Verrrry slowly, I'd say." Palmon's eye twinkled. "Next thing we know, it'll be Izzy and Mimi."

The two in question turned to look at the walking cactus. "Care to repeat that?" Mimi asked.

"Not really," Palmon replied mirthfully.

"Didn't think so." Mimi looked at Izzy, who was busy looking at his computer. A quick glance at the screen saw that he was doing it so he didn't meet Mimi's gaze, for fear of erupting into laughter once again. Mimi grinned as well. _'Too late anyways, Palmon,'_ she thought.

Luna Two and Amy stared at Mimi, then each other. "Do you get the feeling that those two are hiding something?" the pure blue haired girl asked.

Amy shrugged. "Let them have their secrets. We need to get moving again if we want to get out of the Nanza Pass today. And Mimi isn't someone we really want to ask. We might not like the answer."

"I agree," Alex said, getting on his horse. "It is about time we returned to Vane. Is everybody ready?" A resounding "yes" answered his question. "Well, then, let's get going."

As one, with a few last farewells to Kyle, the Alliance began heading out of the Nanza Outpost, unaware o the eyes watching them from afar. Watching them all for a moment, then running at near light speed, heading for Vane.

The Alliance's luck was about to change for the worse.

Three days, and ten hours later, due to various stops along the way, the Alliance was trotting up to the Vane Transmission Spring, all relieved to be back, after spending almost ten hours on those blasted saddles. Didn't anyone, in any realm, know how to make a saddle that didn't bruise their asses as they moved? The consensus; Not really. Add the fact that Nash was talking off their ears, and they were ready to go ballistic.

"…And the Silver Spire is supposed to decked with pure diamonds!" Nash explained. "After all, nothing's too good for Vane!"

Alex sighed. "Wouldn't surprise me in the least."

Agumon turned to look at the magician. "Nothing's too good for Vane?" he asked. "So, what does that make you? The class clown?"  
"Wouldn't surprise me in the least," Greg whispered to T.K. T.K. stifled a laugh.

Patamon flew up to the guard. "Hi!" he said in true enthusiasm. "Remember us?"

The guard grinned. "It's kind of difficult to forget the only sentient monsters I have ever met." He gestured towards the Transmission Spring. "And this time, I won't stop you from using the Spring."

"Great!" Nall exclaimed. "This guy is pretty neat!"

Nash had to smile as well at the flying fur ball's exuberant behavior. "Well, I must say that it has been a privilege to be in such excellent company…and you, Agumon as well," he added.

Agumon sighed. "Likewise," he grudgingly admitted. "Likewise, Nash."

In small groups, due to the fact that they were taking their horses with them, the Alliance teleported up to Vane. Upon doing so, they immediately headed over to the stall sp their mounts could be registered, and taken care of for them. All this was done in about half an hour.

Nash shook Alex's and Tai's hands, then kissed the knuckle of Serena's hand. "I have to hurry to the Guild. Ghaleon will be wanting a full report on the mission." He looked at the sun. "Why don't you all meet me there after you've had a chance to look around the city?"

Greg grinned. "I like the sound of that," he said. "Unless the leaders have a different plan in mind."

Serena shook her head. "I'm spending some time with Darien…alone, I might add, so the Scouts and Rini can have some fun."

"And I'm going to keep reading this book." Tai held up the object in question. "So the Digi-Destined can do whatever the hell they want."

Alex shrugged. "The Six, myself, and Luna Two are going to the library to look up anything on the Guardians of Althena, seeing as how your briefing is going to take a while."

"Too true." Nash looked up into the sky again. "Let's say we meet in the Guild in about…one hour sounds good to you all?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, then. Until then." He turned, and headed for the Guild building.

Nall landed on Alex's shoulder. "Let's get going, Alex!" he exclaimed, pointing towards the library.

Alex groaned. "I can't get rid of you!"  
"Nope!"

T.K. chuckled, before extending his hand to Kari. "You ready to go?" he asked.

Kari blushed. "Yep."

_Ami jerked awake, scanning the depot quickly for signs of forcible entry. Finding none, she slowly got up, and headed over to Ryo, who was watching the enemy outside. She tapped his shoulder. "Ryo, it's time for you to get some rest." _

Ryo shifted, eyes drooping. "Thanks, Ames," he whispered tiredly. "I'm about ready to fall asleep here." He rose. "I'll go into meditation, in case the enemy decides to attack."

"Good idea," Ami replied, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll let you know if anything happens. Now, go."

Ryo stumbled over to an empty area, and sat down heavily, his blade back in it's sheath. He closed his eyes, and seemed to go still.

At the same time, Takeru stirred from his meditative state. He blinked once, and stood up. "What's the situation?" he asked.

Lemia, her hair frazzled, stepped from her defensive position. "They haven't made a move towards the depot. In fact, they seem to be waiting us out." She yawned. "I think they're waiting for us to lower our guard," she added.

Angelica looked out the window, arrow ready. "They're hoping to catch us alive."

"I don't believe so," Ghaleon instantly replied. "The non-believers are known for not taking prisoners of war. Their philosophy is total and utter annihilation-"

"Have you ever been to the Gallitep Prison Camp?" Lemia interrupted. "Did you know of the liberation of that camp?"

Ghaleon nodded. After all, who didn't know about it? It was one of the great things to happen.

"I was there in the end," Lemia continued. "I still have the scars on my back. A final tribute to the brutality of the Uruk-Hai."

"And I was there for almost ten years," Angelica put in bitterly. "I still have nightmares of that place, and what Thorak and Parrt did to me. So don't tell me that they don't take prisoners, because Lady Ausa and I know and say otherwise."

Ghaleon, wisely, didn't say a word. How could he argue against two peoples personal experiences?

Hikari floated down. "Well, Angelica, you'll be happy to know that Thorak is out there right now."

The angelic looked outside, and felt her heart swell with hatred. "He knew I was going to be here," she snarled quietly, her hand twitching slightly.

Takeru immediately realized what was going to happen. "You fire, and they will attack. You know that."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to attack. I will do my duty first before anything."  
The two Guardians looked at their companion in obvious sympathy. No Guardian had ever had to go through what Angelica had. They also knew that she found falling back on her duties to be soothing, as well as being around Angelus, or training.

Takeru also knew Lemia's story. She had been on a diplomatic mission, with a whole platoon of guards, when they had been ambushed. The guards were killed, and Lemia had been captured, sent to Gallitep until the leaders of the Demon nation decided what to do with her.

She was in that prison for two months, getting every accommodation they had, the whip, physical beatings, slash marks over her legs. She almost lost a leg due to gangrene.

Then Angelica had led a force to liberate the prison camp, where she had found the young Ausa, beaten within an inch of her life. She had helped keep her alive, staying next to the child as she struggled against infection and blood loss. She read her stories, kept giving her healing items, and kept her cool and comfortable.

The twenty five year old in front of her bore many pf the same scars that Angelica had, and that had brought them together. And she was now leaning back, her eyes drawing closed due to fatigue.

"Rest, Lemia," Angelica whispered, sitting down as well. "And pray for good dreams. I will as well."

She soon fell into a deep slumber…

"The Guardians of Althena were, quite obviously, the last and most powerful line of defense for the Goddess herself," Alex recited, reading out of 'Vane: A History.' "They were almost as powerful as her, capable of doing things that would be considered impossible for even the most powerful mages. In fact, due to their power, they were the only ones who didn't pay homage to the creator of our world." He shut the book. "Well, wasn't that a waste of my time?"

Mercury looked over another book. "It does coincide with what we've seen in our visions. "Powerful, but not gods themselves."

Patamon looked over another one. "This one speaks of how the Guardian of Hope saved a city, defeating an entire army of demons with a single slash of his sword."

T.K. whistled. "If one could do that, it makes you wonder what all six of them could do together."

"Probably everything except help a teething two year old, but that's another matter. But none of these books explain what happened to them."

"Too much information on their accomplishments, not enough on _them_!" Greg slammed another book shut. "Some things never change, regardless of whatever realm you're in."

Patamon leafed through a book, stopping on one section in particular. "Hey, guys. Take a look at this."

As one, the remaining Five, Alex, and Luna all herded around him, reading what he had found.

Alex was the one who whistled this time around. "I had no idea that Takeru once donated to a traveling caravan of gypsies," he said. "How _did_ he manage to donate to a traveling caravan?"

"He volunteered his services to them during the Heresy War," T.K. replied. "Then he gave them enough money to last a full year."

"Lemme guess?" Gatomon said. "A vision?"

"Yep. I had it last night."

"Explains a lot," Greg said, putting another book on it's shelf. "Enjoyable."

Amy gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You'd make an excellent librarian."

"Like Ryo?"

"Yes, though probably sexier."

The other's started chuckling slightly. "Sailor Mercury, flirting?" Luna had to comment upon.

Gatomon jabbed a fist in the air. "Victory!"

The librarian's head snapped in their direction. "Silence! He hissed. "People are trying to read here!"

The group winced. "Sorry," Patamon said for all of them. "Guess we got carried away."

Greg nodded, then looked at his watch, "Crap!" he swore. "We're about five minutes late to meet Nash at the Guild!"  
Scrambling, the lot of them hurried out of the library.

_A series of spells issued from the remnants of the mage attack force, striking the first wave of enemy soldiers, turning them to slag in the first few moments of battle. _

Throughout the night, more than nine hundred demons had arrived, reinforcing the attacking force and bringing new supplies to them. The mages, armed with several Star Lights and healing nuts, weren't going to be able to hold out forever.

The five Guardians with them, however, were a different matter altogether. As beings of infinite power, they would be able to hold out indefinitely.

Hikari, whose scepter's were blasting chunks in their enemies lines, was having the most success, as her attacks could take out chunks of the enemy force. Angelica, who was the greatest archer in Guardian history, picked them off like a sniper.

Takeru, Ami, and Ryo, who were more hand to hand, simply waited for them to get close, then started slashing.

However, more and more soldiers were arriving, and those five, despite their powers and abilities, were no gods. They wouldn't be able to protect everyone. And their effectiveness was somewhat limited by the walls of the depot.

Takeru cut another one in half. "We can't hold out for much longer!" he shouted. "Ami, see if there's another way out! Angelica, use a Heaven Charm, and force them back. Hikari, blast them to Hell!"

The three followed their instructions. Ami left her position, and started scouring the walls, and the ground for another way out. Hikari went all out, her attack strength increasing ten fold. Angelica bellowed "HEAVEN CHARM!" releasing a blast wave of pink energy, decimating another line of warriors.

Ami's search turned up nothing. "Takeru, the only way out is through that door!"

"Perfect." The Guardian of Hope had expected that. It wasn't very assuring.

"Any ideas?" Lemia asked, hitting another one as it came too close for comfort.

Takeru thought long and hard. Nothing came readily to mind. "Ryo?" he asked. "Anything you want to tell us?"

Ryo shook his head. "We've been at this for eight hours already! The mages are about out of supplies, and the five of us are not capable of multiplying! So, unless Angelus comes charging over that hill in the next minute…"

"…We're screwed!" Ami finished. "And I'm fresh out of ideas!"  
Ghaleon, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, suddenly let out a small noise. "I have an idea."

Takeru and Lemia turned to look at him. "We're listening," Lemia replied.

Ghaleon spent a second going through it. "We need a distraction, but if we can do that, then we most likely be able to emerge victorious." He smiled slightly. "What if Althena were to suddenly make an appearance?"

"But…that's sacrilege!" One mage exclaimed in shock.

"Not to us!" Angelica retorted. "The question is, do we have the sufficient ability to do an illusion of that magnitude?"

Ryo grinned. "I do," he replied. "Boy, won't they be surprised?"

"Do it," Takeru ordered, before turning to Ghaleon. "Not bad."

Ghaleon nodded, then turned back to the battle.

Outside the Grand Hall, Tai, Serena, and the rest of the Alliance waited impatiently for the others to join them. "Where are they?" Serena finally asked, her foot tapping in irritation.

(Does her voice always get that high-pitched?) Ginny asked. It was dinnertime in her reality, so she could 'talk' freely with Matt.

(You think this is bad? Listen to her when she goes one on one with Rei. I'm surprised Mercury hasn't gone mad.)

Pluto looked behind her. "Here they come," she said.

Alex stopped in front of them, panting. "Sorry…guys. We lost track…of time."

Lilika smiled. "So was Tai…and Mimi…and Izzy…"

"…And Joe and Lilika!" Mimi added. "I was right before hand, you're like the twin sister I never had."

Lilika would have retorted, but stopped when the doors to the Hall opened, and Nash walked out, grinning broadly. "Lemia is waiting for you all." He looked around. "Where's Rini?" he asked.

Pluto looked around, not seeing their pink haired young girl. "So like Serena," she murmured, shaking her head slightly. "I'll go look for her."

Serena grinned. "If she's gone into hiding, you'll have your work cut out for you."

"Don't remind me." She bowed to Nash. "Please give my regards to Lady Ausa. I would have very much wanted to meet her." She walked out of the Guild, looking around.

T.K. shrugged, while a sudden feel of tension beginning to coil in his gut. "So Lemia wants to meet us?" he asked. "Where do we meet her?"

Nash pointed in the direction of the room behind him. "Wait for her at the end of the Great Hall," he replied. "And remember, you must be on your best behavior. See you all later." He turned and walked away, knowing that something would happen that the Magic Guild would never forget.

Nall turned around, looking at the others. "Do you think she's going to give us a reward?" he asked. "And could I trade it in for fish?"

Luna sighed. "Seriously, can you stop thinking about fish for at least one minute? We're about to meet one of the Four Heroes, and you're worried about your stomach."

T.K. move forward. "And we're walking," he said, getting their attention.

They entered the Grand Hall, many of them talking amongst themselves. Upon entering, though, they quieted down, taking the time to look around.

Patamon observed everything around him. A number of mages, all of them a part of the higher hierarchy of the Guild, were milling about, talking quietly to one another. The hall itself was decorated with purple curtains, all of them with the symbol of Vane, a lion and a griffin locked in combat, all that hung from the walls. And golden mantelpieces were set in a systematic pattern around the room, giving off a feeling of ordered beauty.

All Gatomon noticed, however, was the fact that Lilika was smiling for no apparent reason. "What?" she asked.

Lilika pointed. "Mia Ausa is here." She looked at the Six. "Come on, I'll introduce you to her."

Alex looked around, spotting Ghaleon amongst the throng. "You guys go ahead, and say hi to Mia for me," he said. "I'm going to have a word Ghaleon about something."

"Go right ahead," Amy replied, before turning to Lilika. "Lead the way."

_The ploy worked. _

The demons, truly believing that Althena herself was coming to destroy them, turned their attention away from the depot.

Now, the second part of the plan required a great deal of luck. And it worked as well.

Angelus, who had been cresting the hill, flew downward, Excalibur out and raised. With a mighty war cry, he charged.

However, he did not come alone.

A hearty beastman laugh sounded off near him, the usual sound of one of the beastmen on the attack.

"Who is that?" Angelica asked in surprise.

Takeru took a look as well. "That's Mel deAlkirk! He's the most feared pirate of the seas of Lunar!"  
"Then what is he doing here?" Ghaleon asked calmly, despite the surprise.

"Um, fighting the enemy?" Ryo replied.

"Wait…there's someone else there with them." The mage that had spoken had a slightly perplexed. "And it looks like a slovenly hick! And another pirate, and…a demon!"  
"Don't call them, slovenly hicks!" Takeru shouted. "I was one once, ya know!" He blinked. "Hold on…a demon?"

Lemia looked. "Well, if he is a 'slovenly hick,' he's a handsome specimen of one," she replied admirably." In the meantime…CHARGE!"

With a roar, the mages charged out of the depot, jumping out of the windows, and coming out of the front door, using the last of their magic to cast spells on the enemy. When they ran out, they imply brought their staves into play, using them with deadly efficiency.

Angelus simply came in, hitting hard and fast. His sword seemed to have a life of it's own, cutting through the enemy masses with ease. Hell Mel did the same, a great big grin on his face. Not a surprising aspect in the beastman psyche. They enjoyed a fight with a vigor that could be frightening.

The farmer, however, was also doing a good job. Using a blade obviously purchased in a small village like this, he nevertheless used it effectively. He had a warriors instinct, Takeru noted.

Now outside, and relatively isolated from the mages, the Guardians of Althena cut loose, moving at speeds that only others of their civilization or gods could do. In a matter of an hour, the seventeen hundred demons had been diminished to a hundred fifty. An easy force to contend with.

With no other option besides surrender or fighting to the death, the survivors made a hasty retreat, leaving behind their wounded and dead. A ragged cheer erupted from the mages, pumping their fists into the air in victory. The Guardians joined them in the little celebration.

Lemia finished patting the back of another mage, then went and shook Ghaleon's hand. "Your plan worked," she said, impressed. "Keep this up, and you might become a general in Vane's forces."  
Ghaleon bowed once. "I only live to serve the Magic Guild, Lady Ausa."

"Please, call me Lemia."

"Very well…Lemia." Ghaleon observed the newcomers. "And who are these fine young warriors?" he asked.

Angelus pointed. "The demon is Sheyra, the exiled princess of the Vile Tribe. This is Jonathan. Last names aren't important. You all know Mel deAlkirk, of course." He pointed at the young man. "This is the newest aspiring Dragonmaster, Dyne."

"Dragonmaster?" Lemia grew thoughtful, then smiled. "I am Lemia Ausa, the Guild mistress's daughter. And this is Ghaleon, a hot young elfish turk from the Guild."

Dyne took Lemia's gore covered hand, and gave it a faint brush of his lips. "I would greet you more properly, but it appears that your hands cannot stand anymore punishment."

Angelus chuckled. "Dyne, besides being an aspiring Dragonmaster, is also a hopeless flirt. He hails from the village of Burg, on Caldor Isle."

"Ah. A 'slovenly hick," Lemia said, smirking. "Well, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Dyne."

Dyne grinned. "Likewise, Lady Ausa, and you as well, Ghaleon…"

Mia smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure my mother will enjoy the suggestion."

The mage bowed. "My thanks, Mia." He turned around, and headed over to another mage, talking to him.

"Mia?"  
The raven haired girl turned around in surprise…and her smile became genuine. "Lilika, it's so good to see you!" she said in greeting, giving her a hug. "And who are they?"

Lilika made introductions. Mia welcomed them to Vane, asking about Alex and Nall. Amy and Luna told her of their adventures.

T.K. grinned. Nall was right; Mia was a very nice girl.

"…and then Mimi bashed him!" Nall finished excitedly. "I woulda done it myself, but I like my wings where they are!"  
Mia giggled. I'm sure it was an adventure that was exciting to be on."

"Oh, it was," Patamon replied. "That's why it's called an adventure. So, what's going on? Nash said something about Lemia calling a meeting."

At this, Mia's face fell. "My mother called a meeting here, though I don't know why." She looked at them sadly. "I'm sorry it's so sudden, but she seems to hold every meeting like this lately."

"She has?" Lilika frowned. "That's not how my foster mother described her. And she works for Sere."

Kari frowned, the bad feeling increasing. _'Something's wrong…'_

"Master Ghaleon?"

Ghaleon turned around in surprise. "Ah, Alex," he said in greeting, shaking Alex's hand. "Nash gave me a full report of what happened in Lann." He smiled slightly. "There is great power in you, boy…as much power as Dyne possessed in his prime."

Alex smiled as well, pleased. "Thank you, sir." He looked around. "So, any idea what this is about?" he asked.

Ghaleon sighed. "I would gladly tell you the purpose of this meeting if I had known anything about it. Alas, Lady Ausa seems to prefer consulting her fortune teller to consulting me these days, I'm afraid."

"Yes, so Tai has informed us." Alex sidled up to him. "I have some friends who can see to it that she's never heard from again," he whispered.

Ghaleon's small smile grew. "Oh, but if everything could be dealt with Master Mel's straightforward manner, then all would be right with the world. However, Lady Ausa would have whoever touched Royce executed."

"Yeah, I thought there was a gray area there." Suddenly, the aspiring Dragonmaster asked, "Doesn't it seem odd that the second Royce appears, that Lady Ausa suddenly starts acting like she has PMS? And this has been going on for…?"

"Four months," Ghaleon replied, then he realized what Alex was getting at. "You think…?"

Ghaleon's voice faded when a series of horns sounded off. "They're announcing the arrival of Lemia. You and her friends, take your places…quickly."

Alex quickly moved into an empty slot as the Six and the Digimon joined him. Across the room, he saw Luna staring at him. She gave him an encouraging smile.

Lilika and Mimi were now standing next to each other, and T.K. was surprised at how much they looked alike. They were the same height, same build, and even the same face. In fact, with the exception of hair and eye color, the little boy could have sworn he was looking at twin sisters. _'Though Izzy and don't seem to have a problem with that,' _he thought.

Tearing his thoughts away from that, he turned his head in the direction of the Grand Hall entrance, trying to catch a glimpse of the formidable head of the Magic Guild. And, lo and behold, he did.

It was easy to see where Mia got her maturing beauty. Lemia, who was now forty, still possessed the body of a young woman half her age. Her hair showed no silver, her face was free of wrinkles, and her body, though hidden by her bulky guild roes, was still toned, like she still was adventuring. Her eyes held an intensity that age could never take away. And she radiated power in a way like Ghaleon, though to a somewhat lesser degree.

T.K., amazed by the way Lemia comported herself, felt that feeling intensifying to a whole new level. _'Something's wrong…'_ he thought.

Ginny read her book, jotting down notes that would be useful in her DADA class, then prepared to work on her charms work. It kept her from remembering the Chamber of Secrets. However, it also had the unfortunate side effect of forcing her to cut off contact with Matt.

Matt…even now, that boy from another world intrigued her. He was the only person who could make her smile anymore, and he had such an infectious charm…she almost sighed, but restrained herself. Instead, she turned her attention back to…

"Step forth, Alex of Burg, and the leaders of those who journey beside him!"

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. (Matt,) she began warningly.

(Sorry, Ginny. It's just that we're meeting Lemia Ausa herself.) Matt held a bit of excitement in them not entirely reminiscent of a kid in a candy store.

Ginny was forced to smile. (Okay, is it alright if I share your eyes, then?) she asked. (I want to see this Lemia.)

(Feel free," Matt replied. (Just…don't blind me, okay?)

(I promise.) Ginny closed her eyes, then opened them again. She almost blinked in surprise.

The Great Hall, with it's entire throng of students, was gone. In it's place was a hall as grand, if smaller in design. Wizards, all wearing robes of a unique nature, were standing in a single file line, all staring at the front of the hall. Intrigued beyond measure, Ginny allowed Matt to look there as well.

(That's Lemia?) she asked.

(Not what you're expecting?) Matt inquired.

(Definitely not. Can I hear as well?)

(Definitely.)

Royce suddenly appeared from the shadows, as if she apparated in without anyone noticing, and stared at them for a few seconds before leaning in to whisper in Lemia's ear.

Greg glared at Royce. _'I know you're up to something, Royce!'_ he sent.

'And you're about to see that the future is set in stone, Greg,' Royce returned with. _'For I see your imminent defeat.'_

Royce returned with. 

Lemia took several steps forward, until she reached the base of the steps. Her gaze bore down upon them. "I am Lemia Ausa, governess of the Magic Guild," she said, her voice holding all of the intensity her eyes held.

Alex bowed in respect. "I am Alex of Burg," he returned with. "I have come to pay my respects to a member of the Four Heroes, and the leader of Vane."

Tai inclined his head. "I am Taichi Kamiya, leader of the Digi-Destined."

"I am Sailor Moon, leader of the Sailor Scouts," Serena put in, bowing as well.

'So far, so good,' Amy thought, though the feeling didn't dissipate. _'And where is Pluto? She should have found Rini by now.'_

Amy thought, though the feeling didn't dissipate. 

Lemia nodded once, accepting the praise. "I have heard that you seek the Dragons, or a way to return to your home realm. I see the strength of your regards in this matter in your eyes," she stated, smiling slightly.

Luna smile slightly as well, though she was starting to become worried. _'The way Lemia is smiling…it's so cold.'_

Lemia's eyes narrowed slightly. "And I sense something else…I sense…evil." She pointed a finger at Alex. "You all seek to destroy the Magic Guild, and Althena!" she bellowed.

For a moment, silence reigned in the Grand Hall.

Alex was struck dumb at the accusation. Never, in his entire life, had he been accused of trying to destroy Althena. It was unthinkable!

"You see?" Lemia continued on. "None of them say anything…because they cannot deny what they know to be true!"  
The Alliance came out of their collective surprise, and slowly started walking out, joining their friends out there. "What are you talking about!" Nall exclaimed, gathering his wits about him. "Mia, what's going on!"  
Mia stared in mute shock, her eyes speaking of fear for them. She couldn't answer, because she didn't know.

Ginny was absolutely perplexed. (Matt? I think you better get ready to defend yourself. I don't think that Lady Ausa is in a very charitable mood.)  
(I think you're right, Ginny.) Ginny looked down as Matt put his hand near his sword. (On second thought, neither am I,) he added.

Tai stepped forward, no intimidation in his stance, and no fear for going toe to toe with one of the Four Heroes. "Look, Lady Ausa!" he snarled. "I don't know what Royce has told you, but Alex isn't here to destroy anything! I don't understand why you listen to that seering piece of crap anyways!" He took great delight in watching the smirk disappearing from Royce's face.

Lemia was undeterred, though. Nor was she happy at the implied insult. "Guards!" she snapped. "Throw these urchins into the dungeon…and execute them in the morning for treason!" She pointed at the left line. "Keep the girl here for now. I have special plans for her!"

For some reason, the whole lot of them knew precisely who Lemia was talking about.

In an instant, the Six were in front of her, weapons drawn. "Anyone who wants her has to go through us!" T.K. replied. The other five nodded in agreement.

Luna's eyes widened as the young boy said this. _'They're protecting me! They're protecting me like I was Althena!'_

Racc stepped out from behind Royce. "I'll be delighted," he said, raising his hand.

Instantly, several fireballs erupted from it, striking them and throwing them away from Luna. They hit the ground, skidding to a halt at the end of the Hall.

Tai and Matt turned as one, and without saying any words, charged forward, enraged.

Lemia simply raised a hand, and blasted Tai, forcing him into a trio of guards. One of them disarmed him, throwing his blade one of the other guards.

Racc simply kicked Matt, making the young man fly backwards across the Grand Hall of Vane…

…and in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Ginny suddenly flew out of her seat, slamming into Cho Chang's chair. The Ravenclaw forth year had just vacated the seat, and was able to get out of the way as the Gryffindor flew by, breaking the top portion of the chair off. She hit another chair from the Hubblepuff table as she slammed into the far wall, crying out in pain.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry were immediately heading in her direction as the whole school got up in surprise. The teachers, McGonagall and Dumbledore chief among them, started making their way over to her.

Ron got there first, and gently put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Ginny?" he asked urgently. "Are you…?"

His words were cut off as Ginny suddenly levitated, frantically scrambling as if she were trying to remove an invisible hand, then suddenly whirled around, flying through the air yet again. She hit the doors with enough force to open them, and hit the stairs outside, falling down…

…as Matt hit the hallway outside, feeling every step Ginny was falling down like he was falling down them himself. His mind was too preoccupied with staying alive to force her out his mind, so she didn't feel the pain he was in.

Racc tromped on outside, his hand reaching out to grasp him by his throat, and lifting him up. "Payback time for you Digi-Destined," he whispered…

…while Ginny suddenly gasped for breath, once more levitating.

Harry and Hermione arrived, Harry's wand out and pointing at the redhead. For the life of him, though, he didn't know what he could do. Hermione's eyes spoke of fear.

And then, Ginny's eyes widened as a voice suddenly erupted from all around them.

"Miss Weasley, I know you are watching this, and I know your pathetic excuse of a Magic School can hear me, so listen well! Your friend has failed, as have his friends. Remember this well; You think Voldemort was terrible? You think he was evil? He is nothing compared to an Uruk-Hai. Witness Mr. Ishida's defeat. Remember him as he used to be. None will escape us. Not even your friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." The voice laughed. _"Do you hear me, you two? You shall die, like all who oppose us! Remember that!"_ And with that, Ginny's head snapped to the side again, a hand sized imprint appearing on her cheek. Her eyes rolled back as she lost consciousness…

The voice laughed. And with that, Ginny's head snapped to the side again, a hand sized imprint appearing on her cheek. Her eyes rolled back as she lost consciousness… 

…and Racc released Matt, letting his unconscious form slide to the ground. His point had been made. "Until we meet, Miss Weasley," he hissed. "But first, I will watch the Alliance's end. And Kamiya's death."

He started laughing again.

The Alliance, taken by surprise, was too slow to react. In the space of three minutes, the guards had caught them unawares, and had successfully managed to subdue them. Greg managed to put up some resistance, but a well place blow by Royce put him out of commission. There was no chance.

"Alex!" Luna shouted, trying to get to Alex, who was currently being held by three guards. She made it several feet before a set of strong hands caught her. "Stop it! Let them go!"  
Ghaleon didn't budge, his grip not relaxing one bit. "Screaming will achieve nothing," he said quietly. "Here, in Vane, Lemia Ausa's word is law."

"Don't waste your breath on that little waif, Ghaleon! Take her to the appointed area!" Lemia ordered.

"As you wish, Lemia."

"Luna!" Alex shouted, struggling even harder. One of the guards simply clubbed him in the head.

The last thing Alex saw was Luna being taken away, her tear filled eyes starring at him.

Then, darkness.

Harry and Hermione fell to their knees next to Ginny's body, checking her over. "No broken bones," Harry said, breathing in relief. "She's just out cold."

Hermione looked at her cheek. "And she has a first degree burn," she added, "in the shape of a hand." True enough, a hand mark was indeed there, red and slightly warm to the touch.

The two friends stared at each other for a moment, then back down at the young girl between them. A myriad of questions flowed in their minds as they watched her.

Ron kneeled down, picking his sister up. "I'm taking her to the Medical Wing!" Hw started running, the rest of the Weasley brothers right behind him. Harry and Hermione didn't move to follow, though. They just stared at each other.

McGonagall turned around to the throng of students. Something had to be done now, before. "Attention, all students!" she called out. "Report to your dormitories, and stay there until your Heads of Houses bring new instructions! Potter, Miss Granger," she added more quietly. "Come with me. The situation, if I am correct, has become more serious for her. Albus, could you send a letter to Molly, letting her know what is going on?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I shall, Minerva. If she doesn't already know."

The Deputy Headmistress nodded once, then looked at the two Gryffindors. "Come along, you two."

Confused, but also worried for Ginny, Harry and Hermione did as she said. They now had questions that needed answers.

For starters, they wondered why McGonagall's face was set in fury.

Well, here is Episode Thirty. I hadn't actually planned on putting in Hogwarts this early, or anything like that, but it just…came to me while I was typing this chapter, so it's going to be very rough. I hope you like. Also, my take on how the Four Heroes had met, as well as something about Angelica. Also, in the chapters that follow, I will make modifications to Lemia so she plays a much more important role, as well as someone who is extremely sadistic.

Next chapter, Sailor Pluto, Rini, and the two cats will be making a difference. The jailbreak of the century. Also, something about Professor McGonagall that will probably be out of this world…literally. And Harry and Hermione will start to understand something about themselves that they never knew existed. Review, and let me know what you think.


	33. Episode Thirty One: The Jailbreak

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Lunar: SSSC Theme Music)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Thirty One: The Jailbreak

"And why," Luna asked, shifting slightly to relieve a kink in her shoulder, "are we hiding here? Why couldn't we have hidden in a place that had just a little more room?"

The 'place' she was referring to, was, in fact, a little more than a giant hole, situated between several giant wooden barrels. What was in those barrels, after a close inspection of them, were staves, and not refuse.

Rini sighed. "Luna, it's why it's called 'Hide-and-Seek. The point of it is to hide in a spot that isn't easy to find." She shifted as well. "Though I'm starting to agree with you on this subject."

Artemis chuckled. "But then, it wouldn't be much of a hiding place, now would it?"  
"So speaks the klutz," Luna muttered.

"Klutz yourself, fur for brains. I'm not the one-"

The insulting would have continued on that vein for a moment, but Rini heard something that sounded suspiciously like footsteps. She clamped her hands over the two felines mouths, wincing as Luna let out a startled yelp. "Shhh!" she hissed. "Someone's coming!" They quieted down quickly.

For a moment, the three listened intently, trying to determine whether or not it was one of the other children playing, or if it was someone just walking by.

"Small Lady, where are you? The others are already at the Grand Hall."

Rini's eyes widened as she looked at her watch. "My watch still reads four thirty!" she whispered in horror. "Serena's going to kill me!" She immediately scrambled out of her hiding spot, the two felines right behind her.

Pluto turned around, detecting the scrabbling sounds. She saw Rini scramble out from behind the barrels. "Young lady-" she began sternly.

"Sorry, Luna P. My watch isn't working for some reason. It reads four thirty still."

Pluto checked her watch, a little surprised. "Mine reads five fifteen," she said, a deep sense of foreboding entering her system. "And my internal clock is reading seven ten." Her's and Small Lady's watches were designed to slow down, should something unexpected were to happen. She called her Garnet Rod to her, twirled it for a few seconds, then pointed it right in front of her.

Instantly, a small portal opened in front of her, which acted as a screen. With a small thought, she had that screen replay what had happened during the meeting.

What she saw horrified her.

Artemis, looked up at her, seeing the expression on her face. "What is it, Pluto?" he asked.

Pluto started, then closed the portal. "We're not safe here," she said, looking at the Guild for a moment. As if on cue, a squad of mages came out of the Guild. Leading them was the one being Pluto had never thought she would see in their presence.

Racc.

Rini looked at the squad. "What's going on?" she asked, fear creeping into her tone as she took in Racc's profile.

Luna, who had definitive experience with dealing with the unexpected, figured it out immediately. "We've been set up," she whispered.

"_Run!_" Pluto shouted, scooping up Rini, and taking off for the Transmission Spring, Luna and Artemis right behind her. She hoped that they could make it before Racc noticed them on the move.

Racc was feeling extremely proud of himself, and the carefully laid plan Royce had developed. The Alliance was mostly now sitting in the dungeons, awaiting their execution in the morning. Soon, he would be given the opportunity to go through the Stargate to that world with that Wizarding society, and kill the two Royce had warned him of. And he would have the Katana that Kamiya so handily obtained. Everything was perfect.

However, there was one matter that remained. Namely, capturing Sailor Pluto and the little girl, as well as those two feline advisors of the Moon Princess. That would prove all too easy.

That was his thoughts until he saw something suddenly sprint down the main street. He took two guesses, and the first one didn't count. _'Royce warned me that Sailor Pluto had the ability to rewind time like a video, and watch it!'_ he thought as he turned to the guards. "After them! They do not leave Vane alive, understand?" Several nods answered her question, and he turned around, and charged after them.

Pluto weaved through the small crowd, trying to determine if they were being followed. A fireball from behind them answered her question, especially when the crowd started scattering in terror. "Rini, cover our backs!" she shouted.

"You got it!" Rini began firing pink burst from her fingers, providing cover fire as they reached the Transmission Spring.

And promptly bounced off a force field. Rini rolled, getting to one knee, hand raised.

Pluto rolled backwards, then leaped to her feet, Garnet Rod pointing at Racc. _"Pluto Deadly Scream!"_ she shouted, releasing her attack with extreme prejudice.

Racc's katana came down. _"Samurai Sword Shockwave!"_

Rini brought her other hand up, and fired a massive blast of pink power at Racc, forming a concentrated beam.

The three attacks collided, exploding on impact. The resultant shockwave knocked every mage off their feet, and made the Uruk-Hai stagger back several feet.

Pluto grabbed Rini, then jumped, using the shockwave to boost her jumping distance. In mid air, she grabbed Luna and Artemis, flying through the air until she landed almost a hundred feet away. Straightening up, she started running again, the two felines on her shoulders.

Racc righted himself, looking around. He didn't see the Senshi of Time, or her companions. "She's good," he was forced to admit. "But she can't escape now. Not with the Transmission Spring blocked off." He turned around. "Search every house, every alleyway, every back street. Do not stop until they are found."

"Yes, sir!" The guards replied.

Racc turned around, and began walking in the direction that Pluto had launched herself. "I hate those Sailor Scouts," he muttered.

Madame Pomfrey checked Ginny's pulse, nodding. "It will be best if she rests for a little while," she said quietly, and in a tone that brooked no opposition. "I want her to recover before you interrogate her."

McGonagall nodded. "How is she?"

"There was some bruising on her abdominal wall, like she had been kicked by a giant, but I've taken care of that. She also has some bruising on her arm, as well as around her neck. It was almost like she was being…strangled by a muscular person, hidden in an Invisibility Cloak."

"What about the handprint on her cheek?" Hermione asked. "She got slapped, and it left a burn mark."

"Well, there's the thing." Pomfrey looked at Ginny again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was hit by a hot poker, or some spell that I've never seen before. In fact, I would think that she was intentionally hurting herself. However, an entire school can't be wrong about hearing voices."

Dumbledore nodded once. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. You have shown your usual exemplary care." He turned his head. "Professor McGonagall, may I have a word with you? There are a few things we need to discuss." McGonagall nodded, and the two of them headed over to the far side of the Medical Wing, talking quietly.

Harry motioned Hermione over to him. "Ron, could you watch Ginny? I need to talk to Hermione alone." He saw the look on his other best friends face. "Don't worry, we're not leaving you out of the loop. We just need to talk about something."

Ron nodded once, satisfied. "Just don't hide anything from me, okay?"

Harry nodded, then walked over to a point near the window. He waited for Hermione to join him, before he said, "Something's not adding up here. I don't think that Hogwarts has ever had something like that happen before."

Hermione thought about it. "It could be You-Know-Who," she said. "Or Tom Riddle. They seem to prefer manipulation."

Harry tapped his head. "My scar isn't reacting, so it isn't Voldemort. And for some reason, I don't think that Tom Riddle's Diary is the culprit. This isn't his style. What about possession?"

"No. She was just sitting there one second, and then suddenly was thrown from her chair, like she had just been kicked. And she had the bruises to prove it. And that voice…it was much too harsh. Actually, it would give Filch a run for his money."

"And then there's this mysterious Mr. Ishida that voice mentioned." Harry grew thoughtful. "Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," he said slowly. "Maybe we're assuming that this is a Dark Wizard of some kind, and it isn't."

"You mean...a demon." Hermione's expression certainly spoke of skepticism. "Harry, despite everything that we've seen, there's no such thing as demons. Even in the Wizarding World."

"Then how do you explain it? She wasn't hit by any spells from anyone. Bloody hell, she wasn't even touched. This was in view of almost the entire school, save for anyone who decided to skip dinner today. And she wasn't kicked like she was being punished. It went straight at her chest, like a fighting kick." Harry was certain of his conclusion. "Which means, Ginny was telepathically connected to someone, and that person was hit with physical force. And the attacker was very strong physically."

"Then what about the hand print?" Hermione asked. "How did that get there? The only way that that could happen was if someone was wearing an Invisibility Cloak."

Harry looked at Ginny for a second, then back at Hermione. "What if that was a side effect of the connection? She feels whatever the other guy feels, and hears whatever that person hears." He suddenly had a crazy idea. "What if that other person isn't from this world?" he added, an unsettling thought occurring to him. "What if he isn't even from this universe?"

For a second, the two of them were silent, as the ramifications of what Harry had put together suddenly fell into place. And it created a very disturbing, and impossible picture for both of them.

"Oh my God," Hermione whispered, everything she thought she knew going to the wayside. "Parallel realities."

"It's the only logical, and totally hair brained theory, that makes sense in this situation." Harry frowned. "What I want to know is, why?"

The bushy haired girl turned to look at McGonagall and Dumbledore, who were still in conversation, Dumbledore as concerned as either one had ever seen him. "Perhaps they have the answer."

"Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Dumbledore seems to have an answer for almost everything."

Hermione nodded. "That leaves one thing…what about us? That voice singled the two of us out. It _knew_ who we were, and that we are here. I mean, if it was a parallel reality, how could he know about us? It's not possible."  
"Unless…" Harry broke off for a moment. "Unless there's a way to go between realms," he said quietly.

"Not possible."

"Than what do you think, Hermione? Seers? Telepaths? Gods? This whole situation is crazy, so why not think the same way? It's worked for us so far."

Now Hermione was worried. "This is about Sirius Black, isn't it?" she asked. "You think You Know Who taught him a spell that could open doorways to other realms?" She paused. "I don't think there _is_ a spell with that type of power."  
Harry nodded. "However it's possible, out there, right now, is a being far more insidious than anything the Wizarding World has ever encountered, just waiting to be unleashed."

As one, they turned to look at Ginny's prone form, while her brothers crowded in around her. "And she's the only one who can truly tell us anything about it," Hermione whispered.

The raven haired boy nodded. "All we can do now, is wait for her to regain consciousness."

Hermione nodded, sitting down on a bed. "And we're probably going to be here for a while until that happens."

"I'll tell Ron what we came up with. Maybe he has an idea." Harry headed back over to where the Weasley family was situated, all of them watching Ginny diligently.

Hermione began looking out a window, somehow knowing that something was going to happen to them. Something that was completely out of even Dumbledore league. Something that she and Harry were going to be part of in the future.

And it was going to happen very soon.

She could feel it.

Artemis looked up for a second, then ducked again. "They're looking for us everywhere. Looks like Racc isn't taking any chances."

"And we're not here?" Rini asked.

'Here' signified that they weren't in any danger in the city of Vane. Instead, it signified the fact that they were anchored to the side of the floating continent itself, encased in a shimmering pink shield that Rini had thrown around them. She had learned how to use her powers rather well over the last month and a half.

Luna sighed. "Well, we can't stay here forever, and Rini is going to have to sleep sooner or later. So I'm open to any suggestions anyone might have at this moment."

Rini grunted. "Can't help you there. Luna P?" she inquired.

Pluto thought long and hard. "We're going to have to get back on solid ground," she finally said. "I have a Luna Pen, so I can transform myself into a mage. Luna, you and Artemis can blend in with the alley cats. And Rini…you're Serena's daughter. You can hide with the best of them." She looked up, Garnet Rod at the ready. "We're going to have to make a run for the Magic Guild. Whoever gets there, make for Mia's room. It's the eight floor, and the only bedroom there. Understand?"

Rini nodded, answering for all of them. "Artemis, could you see if the coast is clear?" she asked.

Artemis checked again. "It is…for now."

Pluto nodded, holding up the Luna Pen. _"Disguise Power!" _She bellowed. _"Change me into a mage of the Magic Guild of Vane!"_

A brief flash later, and Sailor Pluto was gone. In her place, a mage of lower stature now stood, short black hair cropped close to her head.

The small, pink haired girl smiled. "I don't think mommy could have done any better," she said.

"Which one? Neo-Queen Serenity, or her klutzoid past self?" Luna asked.

Pluto sighed. "Not now." She sent her weapon back into the ether. "Rini, if you please?"

Rini brought them up slowly, ready to make a hasty retreat if a guard just happened to appear. She settled them to the ground, then switched off the force field. "See ya later!" she said, before jogging down a side street. The two felines merely melted into the shadows, giving her a brief good bye.

Pluto, on the other hand, took a much more direct approach; She strolled right into the center of the city, right out there for all to see. She had an appearance of being harried, like she was being rushed for some reason. In all attempts and purposes, she was.

She passed several guards, none of them giving her a second glance. _'So far, so good,'_ she thought. If she was lucky, she would make it to the Guild without being stopped. And that would be a good thing.

"You!"

'Crap!' Pluto turned around. "Yes, sir?" she asked timidly, trying to hide her nervousness.

Racc glared for a second. "We are looking for several fugitives, Sailor Pluto, the little pink haired girl, two felines, and some flying fur ball. Have you seen any of them?"

'Be timid!' Pluto told herself, though every part of her wanted to grab the Uruk-Hai by his throat, and throttle him. "I think I saw them head for the edge of the continent."

Racc swore, signaling for several guards. "Follow me!" he bellowed. "The fugitives may be trying to make their way around the edge of the island!" He started running, the guards close behind them.

Pluto waited until they were out of earshot, then sighed in relief. "That was a little too close," she muttered. "I can only hope that Small Lady and the felines are having better luck getting there."

She started walking again.

Ginny stirred, giving a small groan as she did so, rubbing her head for a moment.

Hermione, who had been dozing in a chair, suddenly focused on the younger girl's movement. She nudged Ron. "She's awake," she whispered quickly.

Ron quickly got off the bed he was on, shaking Fred's shoulder. "Wake up George and Percy. Ginny's regaining consciousness." He took Hermione's place next to Ginny's bed.

Hermione walked over to Pomfrey's office. "Harry, Professor McGonagall, she's waking up," she said. She stepped aside as the two in question strode out of the room, then rejoined the Weasley brothers at their sister's bedside. Madame Pomfrey immediately headed out the door to alert Dumbledore, who had decided to wait in his office, going over various files.

Ginny's eyes cracked open, then blinked stupidly for a second as she focused on their faces. "Harry, Hermione?" She looked around. "Ron, Fred, George? Percy? What're you all doing here?"

"Being worried about you, of course!" Percy leaned in. "You suddenly get thrown around like a rag doll, and almost strangled by an invisible person!"

"An over exaggeration, if there ever was one," Ginny replied, struggling to get to a sitting position. "What happened?"  
Hermione sat down. "Exactly as they stated. You were suddenly kicked into the far wall, then thrown out the door. You came to halt at the bottom of the stairs, then were levitated, choking. And we heard some kind of voice-"

"You heard that!" Ginny gave her a sharp glance. "How!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. "Looks like you were right, Harry," she said, before turning around. "What is going on, Ginny?"

Ginny started getting off the bed. "It's really none of your business, Hermione."

"I'm making it my business. I was mentioned, and so was Harry. So whatever's going on, it includes us."

"Look, Hermione, just back off! You don't know what you're trying to get yourself, and Harry, involved in!" Ginny shouted.

"We're here to help!" Hermione shouted back.

"Well, I don't want-"  
"It was Racc, wasn't it?" McGonagall said, interrupting the young girl. She took some amusement from the fact as Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, though she felt her own anger.

"Racc?" Ron asked, bewildered. "Is that the name of one of You Know Who's followers?"

The Transfiguration Teacher shook her head. "It is the name of a very powerful demon," she replied. "And a demon that I thought that I would never hear again for the rest of my life."

"Again, you were right, Harry." Hermione was impressed. "I will make a genius out of you yet."

Harry grinned sheepishly. "I just took a guess. So, Ginny, what's going on? And how did this Racc know about me and

Hermione?"

Ginny turned to her brothers. "All of you, out! I don't care if Harry and Hermione tell you later, but I want you all out, now!"

Ron turned to Harry. Harry nodded, letting him know that they would talk to him as soon as possible. With that assurance, the Weasley's headed out of the medical wing, a little shocked by Ginny's orders.

The second they had vacated the room, Ginny immediately turned to McGonagall. "Alright, how do you know Racc?"

McGonagall sighed, staring at the young girl. "Let's just say that I know things beyond this Earth. Now, what has happened?"

Ginny hesitated, then decided to tell her. "Racc is in the Magic Guild of Vane. The scary thing is, everyone in Vane knows he's there."  
_"What!"_

"Hold on a minute," Harry said. "For those of us who don't know what's going on, what's Vane?"

"Vane is a school of magic, much like Hogwarts." McGonagall looked at the young man. "However, where Hogwarts teaches magic with the use of a wand, Vane teaches not only our that, it also teaches magic spells that harness the powers of the elements."  
"Elemental magic?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Yes. It's an advanced form of the mystical arts that were practiced on Lunar."

"Lunar?" Harry echoed.

"It's the moon," Ginny stated impatiently, "of a parallel Earth. As far as…my contact there can tell, something happened that forced a Goddess called Althena to move humanity from Earth to the moon, and give it life. And before you say anything Hermione," she threw the older girl a stern look, "Althena does happen to appear, so everyone knows she's real. Now, if this conversation is done, I'd like to leave the medical wing." With that statement, she started to rise from her bed again.

McGonagall didn't try to stop her. "That is quite alright, Miss Weasley. However, once you are up, you, myself, and these two are heading to the Burrow. We need to use your family's…device."

"Device?" Harry and Hermione echoed as one.

The Transfiguration Teacher turned to them. "You three, come with me. It's time for me to tell you all something about myself, as well as a few other things."

The three students exchanged confused looks, then followed her out of the room.

The situation was intolerable to Rini.

She had been just several yards to the Magic Guild, when one of the guards had noticed her, and began heading in her direction. In order to evade her, the young girl had hidden in the one place that no guard in their right mind would look; a garbage bin. Now, she came to _hate _that decision.

Right now, she was trying to decide whether she should be sick about the present circumstances, the half eaten steak that was molding to the right of her, or the half decomposed bird corpse to her left. Or all of the above.

A set of footsteps ran by her hiding spot, stopped, then started heading back in her direction. Suddenly forgetting her queasiness, she held her breath in, hoping to God that he footsteps continued on by her hiding spot.

They didn't, and in fact, they stopped right in front of it. Rini's heart seized. _'Oh, no.'_

Oh, yes.

The lid of the bin, and the guard looked at her. "You know," she said conversationally, "I used to hide in trash bins when I was younger too, so I know to look in them." She reached in, hoisting the little girl out. "You were better off hiding in the cafeteria."

"I'll remember that the next time I'm on the run," Rini grumbled.

"You do that." The guard set her down, then stepped back. Confused, Rini looked at her. "There are those among us," the guard said, in response to the unspoken question, "that don't like where Lady Ausa is going, or having Racc as our head of security." She smiled. "So I'm going to forget that I ever saw you. Go. Get your friends out."

Rini smiled widely. "Thank you," she murmured, before heading for the Guild once again.

The guard went in the opposite direction, so it would look like she hadn't seen her. It was the least she could do.

Molly Weasley paced back and forth across the floor of the living room, waiting anxiously for Professor McGonagall to arrive with her daughter. She had almost had a heart attack when the school owl had arrived at her door, carrying that letter, informing her that her daughter had been injured with no discernible attacker. It reminded her of what had happened in the first year, with the Chamber of Secrets and the diary. She feared that something along those lines had happened.

The sound of someone tumbling out of the massive fireplace that she had interrupted her anxiety attack, and she turned around to see… "Harry!" she asked, perplexed.

Harry stood up, brushing the soot off of his Hogwarts robes. "I _hate_ Floo Powder!" he stated vehemently. "Why do wizards go through that?"

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace, none the worse for wear, despite the fact that it was her first time. "It's much more effective than using flying cars, Harry," she reminded him reproachfully.

Next came Ginny, wearing a look of extreme irritation. "I swear, when this is over, I am going to do something about the Floo network!"

McGonagall finally appeared, looking like she had just taken a walk outside. "Molly, my apologies for the abrupt visit, but something has happened that has now involved Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, as well as your daughter." She gestured. "May we talk?" she asked.

Nodding automatically, Molly sat down, the others following her example quickly. She was wondering what was so important that it would involve Harry and Hermione, and her daughter.

McGonagall sat down, and looked at her. "I have reason to suspect that the Uruk-Hai are preparing for an assault on this world," she began without preamble. "And Miss Weasley has seen the world that I'm from."  
"Lunar," Molly said quietly.

The two third years looked at each other in surprise. How did she know?

"In effect," the Transfiguration Professor continued, heedless of the surprised stares coming from the others, "we need access to the Stargate."

Molly stared at her for a moment. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You know what'll happen if you use the Stargate. The Ministry will figure out how to use it. And with Fudge in office-"

"I know, but we have no choice. Lunar is in danger, and my report is twenty five years overdue. Now, may we use the Stargate?"

"Excuse me," Hermione suddenly said. "I have a question; What is a Stargate?"

That one question, asked so calmly, brought all conversation to a standstill, as the two adults turned to stare at her. The simplicity of the question also made it extremely difficult to answer accurately.

Molly sighed after a moment, breaking the silence. "Come along, you two. It'll be easier to see for yourselves." She gestured to Ginny. "You might as well come as well. You already know about it, and you know how to operate it."

Harry and Hermione traded another confused glance. They were going to see it? What _was_ it?

"Where is this 'Stargate'?" Harry asked.

Ginny grinned, eyes flashing with the first mischief they had seen all year. "A ways out on the property. Trust me, it's something that no one has ever seen before…except for the family."

"So Ron knows about this?"

"Yes, well…"

"Come along, you three," McGonagall called out.

Shrugging, Harry started walking. "When in Rome…"

Luna and Artemis crept down the alleyway, their padded feet aiding them in keeping their approach to the Guild silent. "Safer in the alley with the stray cats, she said," Artemis muttered. "What stray cats?"

"Oh, hush Artemis." Luna looked annoyed. "We're almost there, so don't jinx this for us."

"Too late."

"Just keep walking, Artemis."

Unlike Rini and Pluto, who, because of their size, were easy to spot, the two felines, who were underneath most peoples line of sights, were able to walk unopposed. The thronging crowd hid them from the mages sight, and their magical pattern was almost insignificant compared to a Sailor Scouts. And after all, who would want to catch two extremely cute cats.

'The Magic Guild's version of a pound,' Artemis answered himself. _'With Racc in charge.'_

Artemis answered himself. 

As they walked past a set of bushes located near the Guild, a voice whispered, "Luna, Artemis?" in a little girls voice. Luna and Artemis turned to see a pair of red eyes peering out of the bushes. They instantly knew who it was.

The two joined Rini in her hiding place, a place so obvious that no one would even dream to look there. Luna silently approved. Rini was definitely her mother's daughter…coupled with Pluto's intelligence.

Speaking of which, the black cat started looking around. "Where's Sailor Pluto?" she asked.

"She entered the Magic Guild about fifteen minutes," Rini replied, whispering. "She told me to stay here and wait for you."

Artemis groaned. "Great. How are we supposed to get in then?"

"Funny you should ask…"

Harry tried to look amazed. "Okay…what am I looking at?"

Ginny grinned. "The Stargate."

The Stargate, like every Stargate ever seen by the Goa'uld, the Uruk-Hai, and the SGC, was circular, with the usual cartages, as well as a DHD. There was one detail, though, that only Racc had ever seen.

The Stargate was gold in color, instead of the traditional gray. The symbols themselves stood out as a pure white. And it seemed to crackle every once in a while with power.

McGonagall turned to Molly. "The address book," she said.

Molly produced a very old book, one that had obviously been used many times, and handed it to her. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said, "because if you don't, then we're going to have to put every known protection spell, and some made up on this thing to protect it from the Ministry."

McGonagall nodded once, flipping through the book, trying to find something. Harry, taking the moment of inaction, turned to Hermione. She, in turn, turned to Ginny. "Care to explain?" she asked.

Ginny nodded once. "The Stargate…at least, this Stargate…is a doorway to another realm. It works by opening a wormhole, using something that's beyond even muggle physics. It operates using this. We call it a DHD, a Dial Home Device." She looked at the gate. "This has been on our family property for as long as any of us can remember, and as a rule, we don't really use it."

"Interesting." Harry also looked at the gate. "What about these 'addresses?'"

"Addresses is the term we use to identify various codes. Each address is made of seven coordinates. Six make up the actual address, the seventh makes up the point of origin."

"Very simplistic," Hermione noted. "What address is Professor McGonagall looking for?"

"Not looking for," McGonagall replied. "Found." She showed the chosen address to Ginny. "Could you please begin dialing it?"

"You got it."

Harry looked at Hermione. "This is going to prove interesting," he said.

Hermione nodded. "And informative."

Mia walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. She headed over to her bed, and sat down, simply looking at a certain point on the wall. Several seconds later, she allowed herself to cry.

What had started as a day to recognize a groups contribution to protecting Lunar, had turned into a nightmare. She had stood there, frozen in shock and fear as her mother had said those hateful words, had watched as Royce's personal guard blasted the Six away from Luna, and as the guards beat those innocent people, taking them away to the dungeon, only to executed in the morning. And finally, the cold, triumphant look in both her mother's and Royce's faces that shattered her faith of her mother forever.

Nall, who had followed her into her room, settled down on her lap. He was absolutely desolate. "What are we going to do?" he asked hopelessly.

Mia simply shook her head, not really able to speak. For the first time in her life, she didn't know what to do. She was completely without hope for the future.

A soft knock at her door roused her from her depressed thoughts, and she motioned for Nall to hide. He immediately did so, getting underneath her pillow. When he was out of sight, she called out, "Yes?"

The guard walked in. "I think Sailor Pluto's here," he said. "And tell that fur ball to not shed on your bed."

Dumbstruck for only a second, she nodded. "Send her in."

A lower class mage walked in, with a crop of black hair on her head. She looked around for a second, the sighed in relief. A blinding flash appeared, blinding her. When it faded, Sailor Pluto stood there, rolling her neck to work out the kinks there. "I really do not like the Luna Pen, sometimes. You're good," she told the guard.

The guard smirked. "Trained by the best." He turned to the window, his gaze becoming alarmed. "You better open the window. I think the little kid is coming with the cats."

"I got it!" Nall exclaimed, flying over to the window, and pushing it open.

A second later, a diminutive hand reached out, grasping the windowsill. Three seconds later, Rini's head appeared.

Pluto looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing, Small Lady?" she asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing!" Rini retorted. "I'm hanging eight stories above the ground, without a floor underneath me, putting up with two felines with their claws in my back, and with my hands slipping! Now get me in the room!" Pluto did so, putting her down. Rini turned her head slightly. "Now, you two, get your claws outta my shoulders! We're safe now!"

Luna and Artemis disengaged. "That's the last time we do that!" Artemis growled.

"Hey, we're here, aren't we? We're alive, aren't we?"

Pluto shook her head in disbelief. "Whose cockamamie plan was this!" she asked.

Rini raised a hand. "Mine."

"I always knew that you were like your mother."

"Now you have proof. You happy now?"

"Excuse me!" Nall shouted. "If you guys are here, then you must know something's wrong!"

"Actually, we know what happened. Pluto told us." Artemis sat down on the bed. "The question is, what do we do now? We are outmatched, in both power and numbers."

"And how is that Uruk-Hai piece of garbage able to move freely around Vane?" Pluto threw in, seething.

Mia's expression darkened. "He is Royce's personal guard," she replied, "as well as our new head of security."

"Much to my enjoyment," the guard growled.

Pluto saw the confused expressions on the other's faces. "Jacob was the former head. And he was damn good at it."  
"The best Vane ever had." Mia looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Then Racc showed up, and usurped him."

Pluto nodded. "That would explain why he's here. But how is it possible? Has Lady Ausa lost her marbles?"

Rini, who had been silent through the entire conversation, suddenly snapped her fingers. "What if Lemia isn't in control of herself anymore? What if she's under the control of Royce?"

Pluto caught on quickly. "Deception."

It was a frightening concept. If that were the case, then this was no accident, no mistake by the head of the Guild.

Vane, and the Alliance, were the victims of an act of war.

Mia's face became firmer. "It does explain all of my mother's absences, Racc's position, as well as the heightened tension." Her gaze darkened in anger. "My mother is no longer in control!"

Jacob nodded. "It also explains why I was removed as the Security chief. I'm trained to detect deception and subterfuge."  
Nall flew into the air. "Then we have a problem, guys," he said. "If we can't get Alex and the others out of the dungeon, then they're done for! And only the Goddess only knows what's happening to Luna!"

For that, Pluto had no answer. Her training did not cover this.

Mia nodded once. "Then we pull off the jailbreak of the century," she stated firmly, a fire lighting in her.

Rini turned to look at her thoughtfully. "You know, that's not a bad idea. One question; How?"

"We walk in, open the doors, and walk right out."

"Ballsy," Luna said. "Stupid, but ballsy."

Rini slid off the bed. "We're going to have to get their weapons," she said.

"We'll do that first." Pluto turned to Jacob. "We need you to stall Racc from reentering the Magic Guild. If Rini's theory is correct, then we're going to need him occupied."

"You got it…and, good luck." Jacob turned, and walked out of the room.

Pluto turned back to Mia. "Where's the armory?" she asked.

"Fifth floor, near the Gate room." Mia hurried over to her vanity, and pulled a piece of paper off it. "We will also need to acquire this," she added, showing the paper to Pluto.

Pluto nodded. "Lead the way."

T.K. groaned, raising his head a little. He took a look around, immediately realized where he was. "Matt?" he called out faintly.

A hand rubbed his hair briefly. "I'm here, little bro."

Another voice, Alex's, asked, "Is everybody okay?"

One by one, the Alliance sounded off, letting him know that they were breathing. Patamon's was very unique, and rather vulgar. A sure indication that he was angry.

Tai rubbed his hand. "Well, here we are," he said, "in jail. A place none of us thought we would ever be, let alone facing execution at dawn."

Mars's chuckle issued from a cell adjacent to Agumon's. "Two years as a Sailor Scout. What a way to finish."

"We're not finished yet," Jupiter snarled. "And when we get out…I don't care if that bitch is a hero or not, I'm going to rip her head off!"

Tai shrugged. "Don't let us stop you. In fact, we'll help you."

Izzy checked his cell for a moment, his own black eyes going even blacker with anger. "However, the way these cells are constructed, makes it so that any attempt to free ourselves will bring out immediate demise closer."

"What!" Everyone shouted at once.

Mimi sighed. "Guys, it's simple. The only way we're going to get out is if someone opens these jail cells for us. And that isn't going to happen anytime soon."

Gatomon rubbed her arm, a nasty bruise already forming. "Well, we are going to have to do something. There's a lot of things I want to do."

"As do we all," Sora said, eyes downcast for a second. Then they brightened. "Hey, wait a minute! Sailor Pluto and Rini are still free!"

Alex almost smacked his head against the wall. "You're right!"

"And if anyone can do a jailbreak, it's those two," Serena added. "That's if they aren't captured."  
That brought their positive attitudes down, and they were left with a feeling of utter depression.

"I…I don't know!"

Everyone's gaze turned to the right, or left (depending on one's exact direction), where the voice originated. "H-hello?" Biyomon asked hesitantly.

The voice grunted a bit in pain, then, apparently not hearing the question, said, "Le…Lemia…Ausa." She went into another series of grunts.

Alex and Tai looked at each other. "That voice," Alex mentioned, "it sounds so familiar…"

Tai nodded. It did sound familiar, though for the life of him, he didn't know why."

Greg leaned back, his eyes going blank for a second, as he accessed his seer abilities. Watching it, he smiled. "I say we wait until dawn," he said. "So, anyone know any good knock-knock jokes?"

Kari turned to him. "You're acting weird. We're probably going to be dead in several hours, and you want to hear knock-knock jokes!"

Greg's smile grew mysterious. "You'll be surprised, is all I'm going to say."

Amy joined Kari in staring at him. "Now you're scaring _me_." she informed him.

Greg's smile became a grin. Two for the price of one. Not a bad deal.

Pluto gawked. "You people have a Stargate?" she asked. "How?"  
"You mean, Althena's Gate?" Mia asked. "It's been here ever since Vane first went into the sky."

Rini whistled. "So you guys have a dimensional Stargate? Cool."

"I'd like to know…hold on, 'dimensional?" Luna asked.

Pluto sighed. "Not now. We need to get those weapons…what the-?"

One of the Stargate's chevron's had suddenly locked into place. The inner wheel began to turn.

"Alert! Unscheduled off world activation!"

"Shit!" Pluto swore. "Everybody, hide! If this is anything like the SGC, then we can expect guards to come in here!"

Immediately, they all scattered, Pluto hiding in an alcove, Rini and the felines getting into an adjacent hallway, successfully hiding themselves. Mia simply opened a door to a supply closet, and got in, leaving the door open a crack, so as to see what happened.

Two guards ran in, weapons out. "By the Goddess," one of them said, "this couldn't have happened at a worse time, with the majority of the guards looking for the fugitives."

"We can handle this," the other guard told him. "The shield is activated, and nothing can get in."

The third chevron locked into place.

Then the fourth.

The fifth.

The sixth.

When the final chevron locked into place, the Stargate activated with it's usual flair, opening the gate.

And then the shield cut off.

"What in the name of the Goddess?" The guards looked at each other. The only thing that could do that was an IDO signal. Which meant one of the DSGC teams was coming back. But none of the teams were off Lunar.

Pluto saw the looks of confusion go through them. "Apparently, it works like an iris. It accepts an IDO signal, and drops. The question is, whose coming through?"

The answer made itself clear almost a second later.

Four people, one elder woman and three teenagers, stepped out of the gate, looking around. "This hasn't changed at all," the elderly one said.

"Wouldn't know," the red head replied. "Matt never went down this hall at all."

Pluto was surprised. _'How does she know Matt?'_

The two guards drew their weapons. "Halt!" the first guard said, obviously in charge.

The elderly woman bowed once. "I am Minerva McGonagall," she said. "The former leader of DSG-4. I'm here to give my report, as well as ascertain the exact condition of the Magic Guild."

The two guards looked at each other. Apparently, that was a name neither of them had expected to hear. Finally, one of the guards said, "I'm sorry, but Minerva McGonagall disappeared on her final mission nineteen years ago."

McGonagall pulled out a small device. "I was unable to make a report because of the fact the Stargate was being watched by the magic government of that world. So I have been lying low, as standard procedure dictated." She looked around. "Now, we need to speak to Lady Ausa immediately. It's a matter of the utmost importance."

"Well, until we get positive confirmation of who you are, we are going to have to hold you."  
"Look, we don't have time for this!" The red head exclaimed. "Either we talk to Lady Ausa, or we talk to the Alliance! One or the other!"

Now the guards decided that they were a threat, and they acted accordingly. Their weapons were now up, aiming at them. "Put your hands up now!"

Harry stepped in front of the two girls, putting himself between them and the guards. This was not going at all like the Professor was hoping. "Alright, I really don't know what's going on, but we are not the enemy. We just need to talk to Lady Ausa! It's about this group called the Uruk-Hai!"

"I don't care if you have information about the entire Vile Tribe. You are coming with us, now."

Pluto watched as the guards moved in, weapons drawn. _'They're coming perilously close to bullying,'_ she thought, with a sense of irritation. _'Time to get involved.'_ She pulled out her communicator, and thumbed it to Rini's. "Rini, time to put our reserve plan into action," she said.

Rini didn't respond, only nodding from her spot. She stepped out, taking a deep breath, and started walking in their direction. "Excuse me!" she called out. "But I'm trying to find the little girls room. Could you tell me where it is?"

All of their heads turned in the direction of her voice. Ginny saw the pink hair, the red eyes. "Rini," she whispered to Hermione.

"How can you tell?"

"Pink hair, red eyes? Matt described her to me."

"Oh." Hermione was satisfied with the answer.

The second guard. "One of the fugitives." He swung his sword in her direction. "Stay right there!"

Rini was unafraid. "You really shouldn't point a weapon at a kid. You could really anger certain people. Like certain Sailor Scouts."

"What?" As one, the guards turned…only to be met with very powerful blows to their head. They hit the ground, one of them out like a light. The other one was clutching his head in pain. _'Probably a concussion tomorrow morning,'_ Rini thought, satisfied.

Pluto looked over at the newcomers. "I take it one of you is from Lunar," McGonagall's nod answered her question. "Good." She started walking in the direction of the armory.

McGonagall and the three teens quickly followed. "What's going on?" Ginny asked. "Why did Lemia Ausa do what she did to you guys?"

Rini looked at her. "You the redhead witch Matt's been alluding to?"

"Yeah."

Rini nodded. "Okay, she's cool."

"We have reason to believe that Lemia's mind has been compromised," Luna immediately began, starting to head in the same direction as Pluto. "We think it might have something to do with Royce and the Uruk-Hai, and some kind of attack that will occur very soon in the future."

"Our friends were captured, and are currently being held," Mia added, joining them, "so we have decided to rescue them." She shrugged. "And then you four showed up. Who are you, anyways? Because I have to agree with the guards, you have been gone for nineteen years. And you're way too old to be her. She was thirty when she left."

"I was, but time there, at the time, went a faster pace, so I aged faster. Almost fifty years have passed."

"Ah, existence time drag."

"Indeed."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. "Okay…" Harry began.

"I'll tell you later," Ginny interrupted, "after we get Matt and the others out."

Pluto swung the door open, and stepped in. "Alright, find their weapons," she said. "Rini, you look for the item we need." She turned. "You three…help Mia. Nall, watch the door. Warn us if anyone comes in this direction. Miss…McGonagall, come with me."  
"You got it!" Nall saluted, then turned to look out the door.

Immediately, the small group began to collect the weapons in question. Tai's katana was by far the easiest, due to it's carefully crafted handle. The other's were a little more difficult to find. They managed very well, though.

Hermione, who was looking for Izzy's quiver and bow, pulled out her wand. She used it to look for an identification marker on every bow she could, using the luminance . She found the ones she was looking for, located near a set of sai. "I found the boy's bow."

Harry picked up two blades, and strapped one on himself. "We'll need weapons as well, Hermione, Ginny," he said. "Pick one."

Hermione nodded, then picked up the sai's, opening her robes and putting them around her waist. She latched them closed again, and looked around. "Did you find something, Ginny?"

Ginny picked up a dueling saber, testing it's feel. "I have," she replied. "Rini, did you find…whatever you're looking for."

"Got it!" Rini ran back over to them, holding something in her hands, wrapped in a silk cloth. "Now let's head for the dungeon, and get everybody out!"

McGonagall led the way out, keeping her eyes peeled. "I hope you are all ready."

Artemis chuckled. "Lady, we've been ready since the day Sailor Moon was reactivated," he said. Then, "Stay put!"  
The one guard, who had been trying to reach his sword, stopped in his tracks. Pluto walked up to him. "You aren't going anywhere, except with us." She grabbed him, and locked him in a half nelson. "Walk," she ordered. "We're taking a little walk down to the dungeon."

Harry looked at Ginny. "Interesting friends your friend has," he noted.

"You don't know the half of it."

Greg had fallen into a doze, a meditative state that had him feeling more alert, if not refreshed. He kept his eyes closed, thinking about cheese burgers and the like, until he heard footsteps, moving very fast. He grinned, standing up as a guard moved into view of his cell. "Okay, everyone, rise and shine!" he said. "It's dawn! Time for our fate to be decided!"

Grumbling, everybody sat up, many of them rubbing sore back muscles. "And what are you so happy about?" Gomamon grumbled.

Greg didn't answer him directly, instead asking, "What took you so long?"  
"Sorry, but we had to make a little detour," a voice said behind the guard. He was forcibly moved forward until…

"P-Pluto?" Serena stuttered in surprise. "Rini? Luna, Artemis?" She looked behind them. "You must be Mia. Who're they, a magician entourage?"

Mia smiled. "Something like that. One of them is a good friend to Matt." She turned. "Want to show them, or may I tell them?"

"Don't bother," a new voice said, one with a familiar accent to Matt. His eyes widened. "I think Matt can make introductions himself."

He started to grin. "Good to see you face to face at last in the waking world, Ginny. Now, can we get out of here?"

Pluto pulled out a set of keys. "Alright, start unlocking the cells…all of them." She grinned at Greg. "You foresaw this, didn't you?" she asked knowingly.

Greg nodded. "Amazing what a voluntary control over ones abilities can do for one's self esteem."  
Mia nodded, taking the keys, while the raven haired and the bushy haired ones pulled out some thin sticks, and headed in opposite directions.

Ginny walked up to the cell Matt, T.K., and Venus were sharing. "Gee, you almost look overjoyed to see me, Matt," she said, smirking.

Matt grinned. "Oh, I am. Could you unlock the door?"  
"Umm, Matt," T.K. began. "How's she going to do that? She doesn't have the key."

"Like this. _Alohamora!"_ Ginny pointed her wand at the lock as she said the incantation. Immediately, the cell…unlocked.

Mat stepped out, giving Ginny a hug. "Thanks." He gestured. "Ginny Weasley, meet my little brother, Takeru Takashi."

Ginny smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Takeru."

T.K. grinned. This girl was nice. No wonder Matt liked her. "Call me T.K. Everybody else does."

Hermione unlocked the cell holding Mimi and Lilika, then pulled on the door. "It won't budge!" she grunted.

"Step back, girl," Mimi replied. "I'm about to go medieval on this." When Hermione had backed off, Mimi lashed out with a forward kick.

It proved sufficient in not just opening the door, but also breaking it's hinges. It dropped down with a thud on the stone floor. The two girls stepped on out, Mimi grinning

Rini walked up, sighing. "If you had waited, I could have removed the magic shield they had put up," she said sweetly.

"So I'll buy the Magic Guild a new cell door," Mimi replied, "after I break both of Lemia's legs."

Mia ran over to the cell holding the three leaders. "I'm so sorry, my friends. I'll let you all out right now!" She unlocked the door, opening the cell. The three of them immediately charged out of the small room, moving aside as Pluto shoved the guard in, and closed it.

Pluto locked it, and looked in. "That's for pointing a weapon at a nine year old," she said calmly, before turning around. "You…the one with the scar! Could you please bring their swords over here?"  
Harry did so, feeling a sense of joy at not being addressed with awe. "Here you are."  
Tai picked up his katana. _'You still there, o mighty spirit of the sword?' _he inquired.

(Indeed. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to come.) the sword replied. _(How are you feeling?) _

'Angry, and about to dismember Lemia for what she did.' He looked up. "Thanks, pal. I'm Tai, by the way."  
"I'm Harry." Harry shook his hand. "I take it the blond hair, blue eyed one is Matt."

the sword replied. He looked up. "Thanks, pal. I'm Tai, by the way.""I'm Harry." Harry shook his hand. "I take it the blond hair, blue eyed one is Matt." 

"In a nutshell," Tai replied, grinning.

As if on cue, Matt walked up. "So you're Harry Potter." He gave him a once over. "Strange…I thought you'd be eight feet tall, with muscles the size of Agumon's snout."

"So, you're saying I'm fat," Agumon called out mock indignantly. "For that, I will never help you again."

"Uh huh." Matt turned around. "And you're…Hermione Granger, aren't you?" he asked, shaking her hand. "Ginny's told me a lot about you. Where's this Ron?"  
"Left him at Hogwarts," Harry replied. "Professor McGonagall wanted only the three of us to come, as this situation concerned us more than him."

Luna walked up. "Apparently, through young Miss Weasley, Racc was able to communicate to them, giving them a warning. He told them that they were dead, and that their world was going to be destroyed." She shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. Everything is so confusing."

"Imagine my surprise," Hermione muttered. "You three felines can talk?"

"I am not a cat!" Nall screeched, then added quietly, "But yeah, we can talk."

"It's getting them to shut up that's the trick," Rei added, to which none of the four legged ones bothered to reply to.

Alex rubbed his neck. "I am never sleeping leaned up against a wall ever again," he said firmly.

Nall laughed. "Alex, you okay?"

"Aside from a sore neck, yeah, You?"

"Mia let me hide out in her bedroom!"

"Lucky you," Joe grumbled. "Lilika? How are you feeling?"

"Like a chocobo wreck. I hope you're unharmed."

"I'm bruised, but other than that, I'm okay. Gomamon?"

Gomamon looked at the each member of the Alliance. "All present and accounted for…except for Luna Two, that is," he amended.

"Yeah, so we've noticed." Kari picked up her scepter. "I really hate cells."

Mia leaned against one of the walls, her expression sad. "This is such an awful place. Oh, Alex, please forgive me!" she sobbed. "My mother used to be so warm and wonderful…but…now…" she broke down, unable to articulate another word.

Unsure of how to help her, Alex put an arm around her gently, feeling her frail looking body shake. "You have nothing to ashamed for, Mia," he said gently. "Nothing at all. None of this is your fault."  
"Yeah." Artemis jumped into Venus's arms. "You are not responsible for your mother's actions. Only your mother is."

McGonagall stepped up. "I agree. Young lady, right now, all that you can do, is try to help your mother see her mistakes. Perhaps we can still reach her."

Mia nodded, brushing away the last of her tears. "You're right, Lady McGonagall." She held up the wrapped parcel, and began to unwrap it. "Everyone, I want you to see this," she said in a firmer tone. Letting the wrap fall to the ground, she held the item to her chest.

Everyone gathered around her. "Wow," Serena murmured. "That's a very nice mirror."

Izzy, more analytical on the situation. "What does this mirror do?" he asked. "Because I noted the fact that my computer was not brought along the weapons.

"It would be with the contraband." Mia turned her attention back to the mirror in her hands. "This mirror shows things as they really are…it reflects the truth." She breathed in and out for a moment. "It is called Althena's Mirror." She turned to look at them, her expression extremely fragile. "When we were in my room, we were wondering if my mother is really the same woman as she has always been…or if something has invaded and poisoned her soul. Three months ago, I was too afraid to know the truth, so I couldn't use this…" Her expression hardened. "But I'm ready to use it now."

Pluto nodded. "And it's time to use it."

"Yeah, that's all and good!" Nall shouted. "Now let's go find Luna…please!"

Mia turned to Alex. "Please take me with you, Alex. It's my duty to learn the truth about my mother…even if I have difficulty accepting what I find."

Alex looked at Tai and Serena, both who shook their heads. This was his decision. He grinned. "Yes, Mia," he said. "Of course you can come."

"Now _there's_ the Alex I know!" Nall laughed, doing an one eighty in the air. "Now let's go save Luna!"  
"And do you know where to find her?" Hermione asked sensibly.

Nall stopped in mid air, a sweat drop appearing on his head. "I guess we need to find out where they took her," he said sheepishly, turning to Luna. "Do you know, Mia?"

Mia's expression fell. "I'm afraid not. My mother often disappears from the Magic Guild, but I don't know where to…"

"I saw the Vile Tribe over there…I saw them…I saw them…"

Alex turned around. "There it is again!"

Mia also looked around. "Everyone…that voice is muffled…but it's very familiar."

Tai sighed. "Yeah, we kind of gathered.

McGonagall listened. "There is some kind of charm-"

"-creating an echo in the dungeon," Mimi finished, "making it difficult to locate where it's coming from."  
Harry nodded. "Okay, let's spread out, search every cell. The prisoner will probably have been in here for quite some time. And a woman who is muttering to herself."

Everyone nodded, and split up. The Alliance began looking on one side of the dungeons, the newly freed mages began checking the other side. McGonagall's group started checking down the center.

Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. The needle would have been easier to find…had one of those searching didn't have an acute sense of smell.

Nall and Rini peered into one particular cell. Nall recoiled immediately, nose wrinkled. "Hey, guys!" he shouted. "There's a bad smell coming from this cell…I think this prisoner's been in here for a long time!"

Rini, who had smelled worse…namely, her mom's cooking, moved in closer, impervious to the bad stench. "She's not in the best shape, either!" she added.

Mercury reached their first, visor out and scanning. Her eyes widened, appalled. "It looks like she's been in this cell for four months, alone. And judging by the rate of muscle degeneration, she's been tortured…by magic!"

Mia hurried over, and unlocked the door. However, when she tried to open it, it refused to budge.

"Move back, Lady Ausa!" McGonagall ordered, her wand out and ready. When Mia was out of range, she waved it once. _"Expelliarmus!" _she bellowed, sending a disarming charm at the bolts.

At least, it's a disarming spell in her world. Here, it was a powerful spell that could decimate steel doors.

It struck an invisible field, ricocheting into an empty cell door, demolishing it on impact.

Jupiter frowned. "Okay, let's do it the old fashioned way. Tai, Mars, Darien! Give me a hand here!" She wrapped her hands around the cell bars. The other three also did so. "Alright, on the count of three! One, Two, Three!"

As one, the four pulled, pouring all of their strength into it. The bars began to bend, but the door refused to budge.

Finally, they stopped, muscles trembling from exertion. "Man, this prisoner has got to be really important!" Mars gasped. "I think I almost pulled something!"

Tai turned around, spotted T.K. and Kari staring at them, and had an idea. "Oh, T.K., Kari," he called out. "Please come over here."  
The two kids exchanged glances, knowing what Tai wanted them for. T.K. immediately removed his sword belt. "Here, hold this." He tossed it to Harry before walking over to the cell.

Harry turned to Matt. "Why does a nine year old have a sword?" he asked.

Matt shrugged. "Necessity."

T.K. and Kari wrapped their hands around the bars, every muscle tensing in their little bodies. "On the count of three?" T.K. asked.

Kari nodded. "One…Two…Three!" And they pulled.

The door was torn from it's hinges, unable to withstand their strength. The two set the door down, leaning against the wall.

Hermione blinked. "Okay, I'm officially spooked."

"You get used to it," Patamon replied, grinning.

Mercury and Mia were already in the cell, their gazes on the woman. Mia bent down, and looked into her face. "Torture wasn't the only thing," she said in shock. "The mask she's wearing is a magical device…it's used to block memories!"

Darien's eyes took on a haunted look. "Block memories?" he asked, remembering his time in the Negaverse.

Mia nodded. The Guild forbade their use many years ago." She looked up. "Who would do something so cruel?" she asked.

"We're going to assume that that is a rhetorical question," Tentomon replied, buzzing.

The female prisoner, as if realizing that there were people in the cell with her, suddenly came to life. "The Magic Emperor!" she shouted, grunting in pain. "The Vile Tribe!"

Mia's gaze became even more horrorstruck. "The Vile Tribe? Did they do this terrible thing to you?"

Mimi's ears perked at the name. _'The Vile Tribe? That name sounds familiar…'_

Nall looked at the others. "What exactly is the Vile Tribe?" he asked.

"My mother told me that they were a race of evil creatures." Mia tried to remove the mask from the prisoner with no success. "The Goddess Althena banished them to the edge of our world several hundred years ago. But I've never heard of anyone called the Magic Emperor…"  
"Wait!" Rini suddenly exclaimed. "The Magic Emperor is the one causing all of the trouble! He's the one that sent Racc after Tai!"

Tai swore. "I knew there was something wrong with this picture. There was no way that bastard could have become chief of security through merit, or had followed us everywhere."  
"We've been set up all along," Alex added.

Luna, who had been silent through this, looked up. "Perhaps the time has come for us to end this setup, and save our blue haired friend. Really screw up their plans."

"The Magic Emperor…" The woman mumbled again, then with a sudden surge of strength, "The Star Chamber…"

McGonagall sighed in sorrow. "The pour lady. It's obvious that she isn't aware of anything anymore."

"Wait." Mimi looked up. "She isn't mumbling to herself, she's giving us the clue. The Star Chamber."

"There's no doubt about it!" Nall shouted, cart wheeling. "That's gotta be where she's holding Luna! Let's go!"

Mia helped Jane Doe up. "Hold on! We can't leave this poor woman here alone. Let's bring her with us."

Alex nodded, then motioned to Sora. "Help her." He waited until she had reached the other side of the woman, then walked out. "Where's the Star Chamber?" he asked McGonagall.

"It's on the highest floor of the Crystal Tower…and the entrance is the door to the east of the Grand Hall." McGonagall looked at the young man. "However, they would have guards posted if Majesty Ausa is in there."

"For some reason, I doubt that. Not if Royce is in there with her. And with Ghaleon in there, she doesn't need guards."

Tai nodded, and unsheathed his weapon. He headed over to the cell holding the guard. He cut the lock in half. "We're going to hurt Lemia Ausa," he told the guard. "You wanna stop us, shoot us." He turned back around. "Let's go."

Episode Thirty One is now completed. Coming up next; Part one of Revelations. Here, the enemy is revealed, and a revelation of one of the Digi-Destined and Lilika will finally be brought to light. Also, all the Uruk-Hai, and the digi-volutions of Patamon and Gatomon will come.

I have read my own story, and I've noticed that everything has changed from the first chapter. Before Episode Sixteen, it was rather straightforward. But now, it's really starting to branch out quite a bit. I hadn't even thought about putting Harry Potter into this story in the beginning, but things change.

I am debating whether or not I should do another rated-R chapter several chapters from now. So I'm going to let you decide. I know it's my fic, but I value your input. As always, review.

(Will work to improve all the chapters during the Christmas season, as well as work on Captain Planet: Armageddon more.)


	34. Episode Thirty Two: Revelations, Part On...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

Episode Thirty Two: Revelations, Part One

Those mages and students of the Magic Guild of Vane that were awake at dawn scattered like mice, all staring in awe at the intimidating sight that was heading right through their ranks.

There, walking down the hallway with a purpose, was the Alliance, now including the three students of Hogwarts. Almost every last one of them was moving with authority…and barely restrained anger in their stances.

A guard stepped forward, trying to stop them, and was promptly back handed by Tai like he was merely an annoying fly. The teenager didn't even miss a step as he did that.

Patamon grinned. The Guild sure didn't know what they were dealing with right now.

Harry and Hermione, who were new to the world, nevertheless adapted rather well. Ginny, who had a bit of experience with other worlds, and was rather up to date about current events, briefed them about it, letting them know what to expect. Professor McGonagall had headed in the direction of the corridor to the bridge, ready to give them some serious back up if and when they needed it.

For some reason, they all had the feeling that they were going to need it.

Tai turned one particular corridor, and stopped in surprise. "Mia?" he called out, gesturing for her to join him in the front. "What's wrong with this picture?"

Mia looked. "There are no guards protecting the door."

"Who in their right mind doesn't post any guards around the door to the Crystal Tower?" Harry asked.

"Someone whose not expecting company," Luna replied, "let alone us."

Mia nodded. "A last bit of warning about the way up to the Star Chamber," she said. "No weapons can be used on the way up this tower, save for mystical weapons like Tai's, T.K.'s, and Kari's. Only staves are useful in here, as is magic." She pulled out a series of staves from Nall's subspace pocket. "There's one for each of you. To use them, concentrate, and it will activate."

Hermione nodded. "It's a good idea. The three of us don't know enough about magic to use our powers effectively." She picked three up, handing one to Ginny, then Harry.

Ginny smirked. "Speak for yourself, Hermione. I read a book that's used in fifth year, learned some of the spells."

"We didn't," Harry reminded her.

Jupiter looked at the three wizards/witches in training. "Well, if you three are done debating amongst yourselves, let's get in there quickly. I want to hurt Ausa!"

Mia turned around. "Let's find out if my mother is control of herself before we do anything else, okay?"

"Fine, but not a second more."

"Fair enough." The young lady turned around, and raised her hands in the direction of the door.

"Mia, wait!"

Everyone's heads turned in the direction of the voice, the majority of them surprised for one reason or another. "Nash?" Mia gasped.

Ghaleon's disciple stopped in front of them, all arrogance gone from his features. He had apparently guessed what had happened, and had guessed where they were going. "All of you are going to the Star Chamber, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Agumon, whose grudge with Nash was well documented, replied, "Yeah, what's it to you? Going to turn us in for being out of bounds…and jail?"  
But, Mia, who knew him better, realized what he was implying. And it didn't surprise her in the least. "Nash…you're a member of the Magic Guild, If you don't obey my mother's wishes…"  
"I could be executed," Nash finished. "I know…and I know that the same thing could happen to you, too!"

"I'm the next leader of the Magic Guild. It's my duty to find out what's going on."

"I know you have to. But it is my duty as a member of the Magic Guild to protect my future leader!"

Rini whistled. "Now _there's_ loyalty," she whispered.

"But," Nash continued, "I don't want to go out of duty, Mia. I want to go because I…" He trailed off.

"What, Nash?" Mia asked.

The young magician seemed to draw upon some reservoir of strength from within himself. "Because…I'm sure that Luna Two is being held in that chamber." He grinned. "Besides, I don't want Alex to be the only one who looks cool! So let's go!"  
"Now there's the Nash we all know and love!" Patamon crowed. "Well…not _love _love, but you get the picture."

Mia smiled, tears of joy sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you, Nash…" she whispered, then turned around, holding her arms out. "In the name of the Goddess Althena, I banish the magical seal on this door!" she chanted.

A powerful flash of light erupted from the door, blinding them all for a moment. When it had cleared, they saw that Mia had pushed them open, smiling slightly. "Let's hurry before someone finds out what we're up to."

Alex nodded. "Lead the way."

Racc charged towards the Magic Guild at breakneck speed, his instincts telling him that Pluto and her pint sized friends had somehow managed to get past the guards, and into the Guild without anyone knowing. And he knew that they would free their friends, before heading in the direction of the Star Chamber.

He reached the bottom step…and the doors to the Magic Guild opened, revealing Jacob, skewering him with a very vicious look. Behind him, there were several guards, all looking at him in the same manner.

Racc returned their glares, un-intimidated. "What are you all doing from your posts!" he roared.

Jacob, un-intimidated, stepped forward. "Mia Ausa and I have had an enlightening conversation with the fugitives. And we have come to an understanding." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "They've informed me that it was you who attacked them on several occasions. It's been quite the revelation."

Racc didn't see any need to deny the accusation. In fact, Royce had informed him that this would happen. Apparently, Mia was every bit as formidable as her mother in terms of her intelligence. "Okay, so you have me. But it does not matter. You and your little platoon of guards are not going to stop me."

"Little?" a voice growled behind him. He turned around to see the other guards staring at him with anger as well. _'Boy, I would be in a rut if I was not unbeatable.'_ He shrugged. "Well, it appears that I need some exercise, humans. So come on. Fight me if you wish."

The guards charged as one.

Mia gasped, looking around the first floor of the tower. "By the Goddess," she breathed. "What has happened here?"

Patamon and Gatomon could understand her shock. They even shared it to a certain degree.

The massive chamber appeared to be made of the same material that adorned Quark's inner chamber. Under most circumstances, it would be considered beautiful, with a aesthetically pleasing light to go with it.

However, two details completely destroyed those hopes.

The room was in shambles. There were holes in the walls, and rubble strewn across the room. Crystalline structures had been toppled off their supports, like they had been knocked over by a very powerful force.

The other detail was the monsters. They were presently in the room in swarms, blocking the way to the other side of the room. And they were all turning around.

Alex was appalled. "This tower was some sort of sanctuary, right?" he asked.

Nash nodded, irate. "This…this is…desecrating! These monsters shouldn't be here!"

"How do you know, Nash?" Agumon asked shrewdly, looking at him with a gaze of sympathy. "How do you know that Lemia didn't put them here to guard the tower while she was here?"

Gatomon watched as Nash's gaze become truly terrible to behold as he thought about the little Digimon's words. However, for the first time, it wasn't directed at Agumon or Nall. And Gatomon almost pitied Lemia Ausa and Royce. Almost. She cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Can we keep going?" she asked. "After all, we won't save Luna if we just stand here."

Alex nodded, holding his staff tightly in his hands as he refocused on the task at hand. "I agree with that."

"Then go," Hermione said, gesturing. "You know the way, Lady Ausa."

Not even thirty seconds later, the sound of fire balls flying through the air erupted in the Crystal Tower, as the Alliance engaged the monsters there. Kari, Ginny, and the Scouts began obliterating monsters with their powers. T.K. and Tai began introducing them to the cold steel, which was the best way for them.

Nash and Mia took the desecration of the tower as a personal affront to themselves, and acted accordingly.

Nash, who under normal tutelage wouldn't have been able to even create a static field, let alone the powerful bolts of lightning that were his elemental attacks. However, under Ghaleon's instruction, he had learned how to harness his power effectively, and to grow stronger because of it. His growth as a magician also increased his confidence in himself. And while he was arrogant, he did show extreme loyalty to the Magic Guild. It was for the Guild that he wrought terrible retribution upon the creatures who dared desecrate a sacred place.

Mia, on the other hand, was a level of power unto herself.

When she wasn't angry, Mia was the kindest, gentlest soul on Lunar, curious of the world around her, and the adventures that she had never been on. But now, upon learning of the destruction of the Crystal Tower, and of what her mother had done, she had become a terror. An absolute terror. And it chilled the monsters to the bone…literally.

Patamon blasted the last monster on the level into the far wall, watching it as slid to the ground into a pile of glass. "That's the last one."  
Harry sighed. "Then let's go. Otherwise, I'm going to go crazy."

Upon hindsight, Harry would reflect later on, going crazy would probably have been less traumatic for all of them.

Every level was like the last, chock full of monsters blocking the way to their objective. For the first time, they were all grateful that they were armed. Otherwise, they would have had extremely bright target signs on their chests, and they wouldn't have been able to do much about it.

They stopped at the half way point of their journey to rest, and to recharge their magic power. Never before had they had to face so many monsters before in such a short period of time. Short period meaning two hours.

Harry and Hermione practically fell down, exhausted to the point of collapse. Unlike the Alliance, who were used to this, they didn't have the advantage of walking everywhere, and fighting half of the time. Ginny fared little better, though she knew that this would probably happen.

"Bloody Hell!" Harry gasped out. "How do you people stand this!"  
"We've been doing it for a while," Joe replied. "And that was when we were in the Digital World."

Hermione took a deep breath, her heart rate just starting to return to normal. Unlike Harry and Ginny, who had been trained to handle the adrenaline rush, due to their love of Quidditch, she had no experience doing so. "I guess fighting is a staple here."

Sora nodded, having already regained her breath. "And it's proven pretty beneficial."

"I don't doubt it," Ginny replied. "So you two, enjoying your first day on Lunar?"  
The two third years glared at her. "Come on," Hermione suddenly muttered, getting to her feet. "Let's get moving. Lady Ausa isn't going to wait for us to get there."

Tai nodded, grinning at Matt. "Evil, evil person…I like your girlfriend, Matt."

"Ginny's not my girlfriend," Matt hissed.

"Whatever."

The next four levels were just as painful, though even more numerous than the last ones. They even encountered a new monster called the Crystal Knight.

Crystal Knight: A member of the Magic Knight breed of monster, the Crystal knight was created by the Vile Tribe to act as a connection between their demon and monster population. They are about as strong as a human, though their crystal bodies offer them better than average defense.

Agumon finished off one of them, avoiding another's pointed bottom. "Geez, with the amount of protection they brought up, you'd think their leader was here!"

Jupiter's great hands flexed. "If she is," she said, "then she'll wish she never heard of us."

Gatomon nodded, her stare as cold as Nash's. "I'll see to it personally."

They reached the last level, running into some resistance. It was dispatched with very little trouble. The Alliance was no longer in a very charitable mood. All of their compassion had been left back in the dungeons.

They approached the massive door protecting the Star Chamber from them, preparing for another round of fisticuffs, when Artemis's ears suddenly perked up. "Hey, do you guys hear that?" he asked.

One by one, everyone stopped moving, listening carefully. The sound appeared again, faint.

Hermione closed her eyes, feeling the music flow over her, revitalizing her for some reason. "Singing," she murmured.

"Indeed." McGonagall looked around in surprise. "And it seems to be soothing."

Nall grinned. "That singing…it's Luna's voice! I knew she was here!"

Jane Doe slowly stirred again. She had been silent throughout their trek through the Crystal Tower, being protected by Mimi and Mars. "So beautiful…" she murmured, "…it warms my heart…and my mind. Memories coming back…my name…I…I am…" she struggled for a moment, then slumped. "I don't know…"

Mia rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "It's okay," she said quietly. "You'll get your memories back, I promise you."

The prisoner smiled, one weary. "I…know."

Nash turned his attention to Mercury. "What's stopping her from remembering her own identity?"

"And how does Luna's song have the power to restore her memory?" Mia added.

Mercury shook her head. "I don't know. Luna's voice can heal just about anything. I don't understand how it does that…yet. But it's not all Luna's doing." She smiled. "Jane Doe is still fighting the effects of the mask…and has been doing so for quite some time."

Harry nodded. "But for whatever reason, this Luna's singing now, and it's giving her new strength. Why?"

Nall turned around, giving them a glare worthy of Luna. "I think we'll find the answer in the Star Chamber!" He growled. "So, who wants to do the honors?"  
Patamon grinned. "We're breaking in, ladies and gentlemen. T.K., who do you want to do the honors?"

"Okay. Mercury, freeze that door. Make it as brittle as a graham cracker." T.K. pointed at Greg. "Then you're up."

Greg saluted. "Okay, little buddy," he replied. "Ames? Give this door the cold shoulder."

Mercury nodded, then raised her hand. A beam of ice shot from it, freezing the door in a chilly embrace. It became brittle as it froze, until it was coated in a thin sheet of ice. Then, Greg, quite calmly in fact, stepped forward, and lashed out with a powerful lateral kick. And, like any brittle surface, it shattered into a million pieces.

Harry's eyes widened in amazement. "Nice. You give orders well, T.K."

T.K. grinned. "Trained by the best."

Patamon grinned. The next few minutes were going to prove interesting for all concerned.

The Star Chamber was the only place in the Crystal Tower that wasn't infested with monsters, and that was for good reason. It was currently occupied with Lemia, Royce, Ghaleon and surprisingly, Phacia, who looked like she didn't want to be there. And that was because she didn't want to.

In the center of the room, right in the middle of five pointed star, stood Luna, singing her heart out, tears brimming in her eyes. Not that she got any sympathy from the Guild Mistress and her Seer.

Phacia shifted, losing patience. Being around her sisters, especially when they had such eager expressions on their faces, was too much sometimes. Especially when they were watching someone suffering because of their actions. "What's happening?" she demanded, wanting these proceedings over with as soon as possible. "Do we know if she's the one?"

"Have patience!" Royce hissed. "Let her continue to sing!"

Lemia gave a grunt, one that Phacia took great pleasure from. It let her know that she didn't want to be here. "How many of these girls are we going to have to capture until we find the one we need?"

Ghaleon, the 'Head Priestess' noted, kept his counsel to himself. She did so as well, deep in thought. Once more, she was wondering if she was doing the right thing. Helping her sisters ruin singers lives, while at the same time betraying them, was a very bitter pill to swallow.

As she pondered her hateful relationship with them, a sudden sound caught her attention. Curious, she looked in the direction of the door. _'Nothing's wrong there. So what made that sound…hold on. Is the door…freezing?'_ Under a more thorough observation, she saw that it was indeed becoming incased in ice. Phacia had a sneaking suspicion that she knew who it was.

Sure enough, a second later, the door shattered into pieces, the largest piece hitting the far side of the wall. The Alliance stepped through, a collective force of pure rage. And it was presently directed at the three of them.

"Luna!" Alex shouted at Luna Two, breaking her concentration. She turned around, relief so palpable that Phacia could feel it. She didn't move, though, afraid that Lemia would strike at him and the others.

"Mother!" Mia exclaimed.

Lemia took a step back in surprise. "Mia! What is the meaning of this!" she snapped. "How dare you interrupt a sacred ceremony of the Magic Guild!"

Jupiter's eyes flared. "That's not all we're going to 'interrupt,' Ausa!" She was barely restraining herself from launching herself at the Head Priestess, and the others knew it.

Nall's glare was just as vicious. "Are you all right, Luna? Because if any of these barbarians have hurt you…"

"…they die," Alex finished, his sword now out, his eyes cold as the ice Mercury controlled.

Phacia kept her expression emotionless. Royce blinked once in surprise. Lemia, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes in contempt.

Mia stepped forward pleadingly. "Mother, this is madness! You have to stop! Please!" She looked ready to beg, to get on her hands and knees.

She would have gotten better reception from a brick wall. Her plea fell on deaf ears. "I have shown nothing but leniency and forgiveness for your delinquent behavior…and this is how you repay me!" Lemia's voice grew louder and deadlier. "By releasing my prisoners and disrupting a sacred ritual?" She took a step forward, hand raised. "Your punishment shall be swift and brutal, my wretched little offspring," she practically shrieked, "and your friends death shall be even more merciless!" Immediately, a powerful blast of dark energy, stronger than anything they had ever seen, issued from her palm, heading in their direction.

Harry and Hermione's eyes widened as it approached.

"No!" Mia exclaimed in absolute shock.

Mimi, moving faster than she had ever moved before in her life, shouted, _"Reflection Shield!"_ Instantly, the attack slammed into a powerful force field, barely denting it. "Nice try, bitch," she said, smirking, "but I'm quite a powerful individual myself."

Lemia's gaze connected with the young lady's, her eyes widening slightly. "Ghaleon," she shouted, keeping her gaze on Mimi, "the time has come! Help us complete the ceremony!"  
"Well…" Ghaleon began, looking torn.

Mia's eyes grew wide with revelation. "You're not my mother! You're an imposter!" she shouted. "My mother would never speak to me as you have!"  
Now Lemia's gaze shifted back to her daughter. "Oh, my dear Mia…your every word seals your fate!"  
"So do yours!" Hermione shouted, stepping up next to Mia. "You are a disgrace to all who wield magic!"  
Patamon saw a very ugly look enter Lemia's face as Hermione's words processed. _'Hatred. But why?'_ He saw Harry step forward as well, until he was standing right next to her.

"Mr. Potter," Royce hissed, delighted to no end. "And Miss Granger. How are you enjoying your first day on Lunar? And where is dear Minerva? I have so much catching up to do with her."

"Indeed," Lemia stated. "How is your first day with these pathetic fools?"  
Tai's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. "How do you know them? How do you even know _of_ them? You've never met them before."

"Oh, but I know so much about them. Tell me, Potter, did you ever find out the exact circumstances of why your parents were selected for death by your enemy?" Lemia smiled as Harry's gaze narrowed into slits behind his glasses.

Mia had heard everything she needed to hear. She stepped forward again. "Now I know that you're not my mother! My mother has never been through Althena's Gateway, and never knew what happened to McGonagall!" She held the mirror up. "Shine, Mirror! Shine! Show the true soul of this imposter!"

Lemia, distracted by her daughter yet again, turned away from the two wizards. She stared at the Mirror intently. "The Mirror of Althena?"

Alex grinned. "Have a nice day."

The mirror glowed with white cleansing power, bathing everyone in a bright light for several seconds. It's power washed over the entire assemblage, bringing peace to some, memories of the past to others, and simply giving others some insight about themselves.

For Harry and Hermione, something shifted inside them, making them feel rejuvenated, like they had limitless power at their disposal.

All Lemia felt was a temporary blindness, as the light stabbed at her eyes. When the light faded away, and she could see again, she began laughing. "You dishonor the Ausa Dynasty, little one…" She laughed harder as Mia's expression became forlorn.

Mia stumbled back into Hermione's arms. "No! What have you done to the Mirror!" She looked at the mirror for moment. "It should have shown your true form! I refuse to believe that you're my mother!" She collapsed, near tears. "It simply can't…"  
"Shh…it's okay, Mia," Hermione whispered, hugging her gently. "It's going to be okay." She turned to look at Lemia. "How dare you?" she shouted. "She's your daughter, for pities sake! Have you no compassion left in your body!"  
Gatomon felt sympathy for the young Ausa, and a very powerful sense of rage for Lemia. "Jupiter, rip her to shreds!" she snarled.

"With pleasure." Jupiter took one step forward, her intent obvious.

And, from the back of the group, where Jane Doe stood…Jane Doe stirred. "…Mia…my dear…Mia…" she whispered. "Do not mourn, my daughter…I am here for you…"

Everyone turned around to stare at the former prisoner, and saw something shocking.

She was smiling. Not a smile of hatred, but one of joy…love. Slowly, her hands reached for the mask, grasping it by it's sides. She pulled upwards…

…revealing Lemia Ausa, hair matted, sweat glistening on her face, a crust of blood over her left eye, and look of exultation on her face. She stood, trembling on her two legs in triumph.

"Mother!" Mia exclaimed, shock, then joy running through her body. She knew she had been right!

The rest of the Alliance smiled, then turned to look at 'Lemia' in a new light. One where she had a gigantic sign on her saying, 'Please, please kill me. I have been a bad girl.'

'Uh oh,' Phacia thought. _'We are in trouble now.'_

Phacia thought. 

Lemia could have wept in joy at being freed…and then explode in rage.

Four months of her life, gone. When she had left the Guild on a mission of peace to another guild, she hadn't had any guards. After all, who in their right mind would attack a member of the Four Heroes, especially Lemia Ausa? Anything happened to her, and Ghaleon would be on them faster than the Goddess herself.

As it turned out, she had been a tad overconfident.

Halfway through her journey to the Guild of Dabe, she had passed a sorceress. She hadn't paid her any mind. Their brand of magic was unethical, but not illegal, and Lemia knew a few sorceresses from her days as an active soldier. Her great mind had been on the negotiations with the Headmaster of Dabe, William Travis, and the first Guardian herself, Alania. So she didn't pay much attention when the sorceresses footsteps slowed, stopped, then started up again, this time following her. She had just decided to find out what the woman wanted, when the first blow had struck her in the back.

Her fighting instincts had taken over, diplomatic courtesy be damned, but that first shot had slowed her reflexes. And when she had believed that she had won, a blow to the head had sent her into oblivion.

Upon regaining consciousness, she had found herself in her own dungeon, that deplorable mask attached to her head. She had also felt the sting of injuries healed over without the use of the Statue, including both of her arms. In that instant, Lemia realized that the sorceress had wanted her for a specific purpose, and immediately applied all of her magical power and will into combating the effects of the mask. In the long run, it would prove futile. All she had to do was hold on long enough for her daughter could catch onto what was happening.

Unfortunately, it hadn't been as simple as that.

Thorak and Parrt, the two who had tortured her and Angelica at the prison labor camp, had also arrived, and had begun inflicting their unspeakable brand of torture upon her once more, sapping her strength and magical power as they did so.

For four months, she had been in that cell, losing her identity and her memories, yet maintaining her sanity through all of the pain she was put through. In fact, she used her sanity as a lifeline, retaining coherent thought when everything else had vanished. In frustration, Parrt was ready to use his most sadistic methods, but something had called him back, leaving her be.

Confused, Lemia had started to fight with renewed fury, trying to use all of her faltering concentration to determine what had changed. And then, through dumb luck, she had seen as a large group of children were dragged down, and thrown into the last empty cells. _'Execution,'_ her mind decided. But that was miniscule, as she saw her chance.

She no longer knew who she was.

She no had any idea as to why she had to fight.

All she knew was that they were innocent, and that she could help them. And help them she did. In return, they helped her, and Mia…dear, dear Mia…had opened the cell, and soothed her with her gentle words.

So began a journey from the dungeons to the Star Chamber, fighting their way through the defenses that had been put up. And the singing, which gave her the strength to fight anew against the masks power, and also lessened the pain she had been feeling. Slowly, so slowly, she began to remember.

Finally, these kind people, who had freed her from her cell, had protected her through the Tower, and had given her comfort, faced off with those who had hurt her. And when Mia shined Althena's Mirror, it restored her identity, as well as all of her memories. Her power and strength restored, she pulled the mask off, staring into the eyes of herself, like a mirror.

She gently put her hand on her daughters shoulder, smiling. "The gentle light shining forth from Althena's Mirror has awakened me…" she said gently, before turning her gaze towards her counterpart, "and liberated me from the curse of this sorceress!"

Nall was in shock. "A sorceress?" he echoed.

'Lemia' stared at Lemia for a moment. "What are you babbling about, you pathetic imposter!" she snarled. "Ghaleon! Dispose of these nuisances at once!"

The Premier of the Magic Guild was silent for a moment, then turned to glare at her. "I think not, 'Lemia'…" In the space of a moment, Ghaleon had grabbed Luna Two, and brought her to the relative safety of her friends. "I think you've been revealed as the fraudulent wench that you are!"  
"What!"

"I can't believe that I was completely deceived by your cheap trick!" Ghaleon continued angrily. "How dare you betray my trust, and attempt to overthrow the Magic Guild!" He turned to the Alliance. "You may have her head, Jupiter!"

Jupiter grinned. "I'm going to enjoy this."

The imposter was silent for a moment, as she stared at the approaching Sailor Scout. After a moment, she started laughing. Phacia and Royce edged closer to her.

Harry was confused. "What's so funny?"

The imposter's grin was completely malicious. "Then the time for revelations has come sooner than later!" she snarled. Her eyes flashed red…and stayed that way as her hands came up.

Instantly, a red tornado appeared, engulfing the three of them in it's power. And, before the eyes of the Alliance, they began changing.

'Lemia's' body and clothing changed. Her hair became longer, and of a lighter color. The clothing became black and pink colored.

Royce's robes disappeared, revealing a skimpy outfit, complete with a black cape. A staff, the traditional implement of the Seers of Lunar, appeared in her hand. Her red eyes glinted with repressed dark knowledge

Phacia's robes and hair style changed, becoming a tight fitting blue dress and matching cloak, her hair out of it's pig tails, and trailing down her back now.

The three of them radiated power the likes of which none of them had ever felt before. It was so palpable, that Alex could have cut it with his sword if he wanted to.

Luna Two stepped back in shock. "They're…demons," she sputtered.

Mimi also stepped back in shock, but it was for a different reason. Each one of them had series of lines running across their bodies, intersecting and merging all over their arms, legs, and torso's. In fact, the only part of them free from them was their faces.

Every story Mimi's parents had ever told her came rushing back to her. She realized. Damn it, she_ knew_ now.

The woman who had been posing as Lemia Ausa stepped forward, red eyes glinting. "I am Xenobia, a descendant of the forgotten Vile Tribe. The 'innocence' Althena callously pushed beyond the wastelands of the Frontier!"  
Mimi immediately came out of her shock, and stared at Xenobia hard. Her hand started to twitch imperceptibly.

Lilika frowned as she stared at the trio of demons, as she had heard of them before. She didn't know from where, but the feeling was there.

Royce glared at them. "I warned you I could see many things. Unfortunately, I have now seen your demise." She didn't seem too apologetic as she said this to them. "Too bad you had to get involved."  
The twitching became stronger. Rage seemed to simmer underneath Mimi's pores. Electricity began to crackle at her fingertips.

"We didn't expect you to get his far, Alliance," Phacia said quietly, and her voice had a hint of remorse in it. "It's been quite the revelation." She looked at her sisters for a moment. "But you never can tell when luck like yours will run out."

Mimi's eyes spoke of a hatred that would have given Sakar and the Goa'uld the willies. Her mouth began to twitch in sync with her hand.

Tai saw Harry and Hermione stand side by side, both of them staring at the Vile Tribes leaders in absolute confusion. He had to confess a certain curiosity on how these three had been able to do what they did.

Mar's senses, so refined to detect the presence of evil, suddenly perked as a powerful aura appeared near the three demons. She began scanning the area around them, trying to locate it.

Greg, however, who had also picked it up, and recognized it, immediately shouted, "I know you're here! So come out where we can see you, Beryl!"

The Scouts and Darien's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, no…" Pluto whispered.

"Oh, yes," an all too familiar voice hissed. And Queen Beryl, mighty ruler of the Negaverse, and disciple of the Negaforce, stepped out of the shadows to join them.

"I killed you!" Moon shouted in disbelief. There was no way Beryl could have survived their last battle! The power of the Silver Crystal should have destroyed her and the Negaforce forever!

Beryl leered. Her hair back to it's natural auburn color, she wore her purple dress again. "No, you merely defeated me, and ruined my plans for the domination of the universe…as you have ruined my plans yet again!"

"Our plan to seize control of the Magic Guild almost worked," Xenobia snarled. "Now you've cut short of your glorious plan!" She glared at them. "You will pay dearly for this resurrection!"

"Savor your feeble victory while you can," Phacia added. "The Magic Emperor will form a new world order…with the Vile Tribe as it's rulers!"  
"How dare you…" Ghaleon growled.

"No you won't, especially not you, sleaze queen!" Sailor Moon pointed a finger at them. "I am Sailor Moon, a champion of justice! In the name of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil! And that means you!"  
Harry jerked his thumb at the girl. "What she said," he stated.

Ginny looked at Matt. "Does it always sound that corny?" she asked.

"Whenever she says it," Matt replied.

Xenobia raised her hand.

And Mimi finally exploded. "_You almost killed my mother, you bitch!_" she roared, her own hand coming up like a cobra.

"What the-?" Xenobia was cut off when a massive bolt of lightning suddenly slammed into her chest, hurtling her into the far wall.

Phacia and Royce turned around, but two powerful blows stopped them before they had taken a couple of steps.

Mimi was on Xenobia in an instant, striking with fury. Thirteen years of fury were being poured into her blows.

Xenobia blocked desperately, trying to find an opportunity to strike back. She had not expected to see the young lady here, and putting the pieces together so quickly.

Beryl, acting quickly to preserve her allies life, released a powerful blast of energy, hitting the enraged girl and knocking her off of the Vile Tribe ruler, throwing her in the direction of her friends.

The whole room was silent for several seconds, shocked by the sudden…and violent outburst. And the thing was that no one knew what Mimi had meant by that…except one.

Lilika realized what had been bugging her. She turned to look at the Digi-Destine of Sincerity in a new light. _'I never thought I'd meet you.'_

Xenobia pushed upwards, her mind making several connections. _'Sheyra's daughter is here,'_ she thought in sudden realization. _'And she knows of us.'_ She turned to her sister. "Are you happy now, sister?" she asked.

Royce massaged her cheek. "Yes, I am."

Mimi stood up, glaring at Xenobia, seeing the hatred in her eyes. She took a step forward.

"Mimi, calm down!" Palmon shouted.

Lemia, also realizing the necessity of calming Mimi down, said, "Listen to your friend, Lady Tachekawa. Now is not the time to avenge you mother's betrayal."

Lilika looked at her as well. She understood her anger. "I agree, sister. This isn't the time."  
"Oh, really? Then when-hold on…sister?"

Lilika nodded. "I'm your twin sister."  
"But…how?" Mimi asked.

Alex cleared his throat. "Can we focus on the situation at hand?" he asked. "Then we can find answers."

Royce smirked. "I foresee another round of deception in your futures," she said, linking eyes with Greg. "Our paths shall cross again then, infidels." She turned to Harry. "As shall your death, Mr. Potter!"

Jupiter sighed. "Now can I kill her?" she asked.

Mia nodded, gaze as cold as ice. Nash stepped forward. "Here, let us help you. _Thunderthrust!_"

"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"

"Summon Elemental Power!_ Blizzard!_"

"Light Scepter Activation!"

"Hope Sword Blaster!"

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"  
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"  
"Moon Scepter Activation!"  
"Pluto Deadly Scream!"

"Lightning Blade!"  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"BOOM BUBBLE!"

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Tai simply conjured up a sphere of fire, and hurtled it at them.

Fifteen attacks of various strengths flew through the air. Their target was pretty obvious, as they weren't aiming at each other.

Beryl sighed, creating a force field around herself and the trio of demons. It was powerful enough to withstand a force equal to a nuclear weapon. The attacks, which rivaled that power, slammed into it, causing it to spark and fizz as it's power was tested.

Mimi stepped forward, raising her hand. _"Ice Beam!"_ she bellowed. Immediately, a jet of ice issued from her hand, hitting the shield as well.

Beryl finally sighed in exasperation. "Really, is this the best you humans can do? I've taken worse from my own soldiers! _Dark Energy…_"  
Lemia held her hand up, wincing as her muscles protested even that movement. _"Holy Clash!"_ she shouted, releasing three spheres of pure light.

"Inferno!" Ghaleon created a fireball that equaled Wargreymon's Terra Force attack in size, and far outstripped it in terms of power. The two attacks also hit the field, making it compress.

Beryl worked to maintain the shield, knowing that she couldn't hold out forever. Already, she was starting to buckle under the strain.

Xenobia, Royce, and Phacia were becoming extremely concerned. Beryl was powerful, as powerful as any of them, but even she wasn't strong enough to withstand the collective fury of the Alliance for long. They were going to need help.

And fate decided to give them that help.

Jacob, or rather, Jacob's unconscious body, hurtled through one of the walls, creating a massive hole in it's wake. The security guard slammed into Tai and Hermione, knocking them into Matt and Jupiter. The other's turned around in surprise.

Racc stepped through the open hole, and released two fireballs.

One struck Patamon.

The other one hit Gatomon.

Ron was starting to worry.

After Ginny had ordered them out of the Medical Wing, the Weasley brothers had taken refuge in Dumbledore's office, waiting for them to finish their discussion.

Unfortunately, Madame Pomfrey had bustled in, telling them that Ginny, Harry, and Hermione had accompanied Professor McGonagall to the Burrow for whatever reason. Dumbledore had immediately sent an owl to Molly Weasley, asking her what was happening.

The return letter had been expected…but not entirely to any of their liking.

"They went through the Stargate!" Fred asked incredulously. "After everything Mum told us about the dangers?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It would appear that something has happened that required them to use it." He reached for one of the many instruments on his desk, putting it in front of him. "However, it appears to still be activated, for some reason, so we may be able to zone in on them, and observe their movements."  
"Will they be able to see us?" Ron asked.

"I believe so," the Headmaster replied. "This instrument will create a two way screen, much like a muggle radio. However, this will be both visual and audio, so we may communicate with them." He probed it for a moment, then leaned back. "We should be receiving something right about…"  
As if on cue, a puff of smoke emanated from the device, hovering for a moment before expanding. In a matter of moments, a small screen had formed, sending them images of a chamber of some kind.

Dumbledore straightened in his chair. "Lunar…of course…"  
Percy looked at him. "Sir?" he inquired.

Ron suddenly shot out of his seat, staring at the screen hard. "Hey, there's Harry and Hermione!" he exclaimed. "And look, there's Ginny!" He frowned. "What's going on there?"

Everyone focused on the screen upon that last question, watching as a red tornado appeared, sweeping three women into it's midst. They saw the largest group of people they had ever seen, with the exception of the Hogwarts student body, open fire with magic powers the likes of which none of them had ever seen. Finally, they saw some sort of demon enter through a hole that he himself had created.

"Racc," Dumbledore said quietly. "The leader of the Uruk-Hai."  
"You mean there's more than one?" George asked. "I hate to think what the other's are like."  
And then all conversation ceased as Racc let two fireballs loose, striking two of the creatures there. Those two creatures hit Ginny, knocking her off her feet.

"Ginny!" All the boys shouted at once, looking on helplessly at the battle. They could hear the laughter coming from Racc, and had a revelation of their own.

They were powerless to help in this contest of wills.

Powerless to stop the coming of war.


	35. Episode Thirty Three: Revelations, Part ...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

_(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)_

_(Digimon Theme song)_

Episode Thirty Three: Revelations, Part Two

_(Previously, on Digimon: Silver Star Story) _

_Ron was starting to worry._

_After Ginny had ordered them out of the Medical Wing, the Weasley brothers had taken refuge in Dumbledore's office, waiting for them to finish their discussion._

_Unfortunately, Madame Pomfrey had bustled in, telling them that Ginny, Harry, and Hermione had accompanied Professor McGonagall to the Burrow for whatever reason. Dumbledore had immediately sent an owl to Molly Weasley, asking her what was happening._

_The return letter had been expected…but not entirely to any of their liking._

_"They went through the Stargate!" Fred asked incredulously. "After everything Mum told us about the dangers?"_

_Dumbledore nodded. "It would appear that something has happened that required them to use it." He reached for one of the many instruments on his desk, putting it in front of him. "However, it appears to still be activated, for some reason, so we may be able to zone in on them, and observe their movements."  
"Will they be able to see us?" Ron asked._

_"I believe so," the Headmaster replied. "This instrument will create a two way screen, much like a muggle radio. However, this will be both visual and audio, so we may communicate with them." He probed it for a moment, then leaned back. "We should be receiving something right about…"  
As if on cue, a puff of smoke emanated from the device, hovering for a moment before expanding. In a matter of moments, a small screen had formed, sending them images of a chamber of some kind._

_Dumbledore straightened in his chair. "Lunar…of course…"  
Percy looked at him. "Sir?" he inquired._

_Ron suddenly shot out of his seat, staring at the screen hard. "Hey, there's Harry and Hermione!" he exclaimed. "And look, there's Ginny!" He frowned. "What's going on there?"_

_Everyone focused on the screen upon that last question, watching as a red tornado appeared, sweeping three women into it's midst. They saw the largest group of people they had ever seen, with the exception of the Hogwarts student body, open fire with magic powers the likes of which none of them had ever seen. Finally, they saw some sort of demon enter through a hole that he himself had created._

_"Racc," Dumbledore said quietly. "The leader of the Uruk-Hai."  
"You mean there's more than one?" George asked. "I hate to think what the other's are like."  
And then all conversation ceased as Racc let two fireballs loose, striking two of the creatures there. Those two creatures hit Ginny, knocking her off her feet._

_"Ginny!" All the boys shouted at once, looking on helplessly at the battle. They could hear the laughter coming from Racc, and had a revelation of their own._

_They were powerless to help in this contest of wills._

_Powerless to stop the coming of war._

_(And now, the continuation.)_

* * *

"Patamon!"  
"Gatomon!" 

And in that moment, when Patamon and Gatomon's badly burned bodies slammed into Ginny, the Alliances collective decision was made.

As T.K. and Kari ran over to where their partners were now, the Digi-Destined of Friendship turned to the reassembled group of Digimon. "Alright, guys! Digi-volve!"

A powerful blast of power issued immediately, as six digi-vices activated. Several seconds later, six very powerful champion level Digimon stood in the Star Chamber, all of them ready to do some damage.

Racc leaped in front of the assembled group of females. _"Uruk-Hai!" _he bellowed. _"The time has come for you to reveal yourselves to the enemy!"_

In a series of brightly colored bursts of light, five additional beings were suddenly in the massive room. They, like Racc, were dressed in tight ninja garb, which accentuated their tightly muscled bodies, though they were in various colors. Black, Silver, Red, Blue, and Purple were the colors of the day for them.

Izzy grimaced. Six of them in all, one for each Digi-Destined. Four males, two females. This was not a good day for them.

Luna Two picked up one of the discarded fire staves, and twirled it for a second, getting a feel for it. Apparently satisfied, she held it tightly in her hands.

Racc gestured at the Alliance. "Choose your targets, and advance," he ordered, quite calmly. "Kamiya's mine." He unsheathed his own katana.

As one, the Uruk-Hai charged.

Immediately, the Alliance split up as well, as two warriors collided with each demon. The remaining members went right for the leaders.

Matt's blade slashed out, meeting the saber of the Uruk-Hai in silver. He dodged an over head swing, letting Ginny come in fast, thrusting forward, forcing the warrior to leap back. He landed several feet away, looking at the two with respect. "Impressive. You and your witch friend have very good instincts, Yamato Ishida."

Ginny's grip tightened on her own sword. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The silver one bowed. "I am Kirok, the great sword duelist of my brethren. Your counterpart, Yamato." He said nothing more, merely coming again, sword flashing. He let his actions speak louder than his words.

Sora dodged as Bara flew over her, then blocked a powerful chop to her back. She lashed out with a lateral kick, hoping to catch the red one unaware. However, Bara caught her leg, then punched her in her chest, just above the scar. Sora groaned in pain, unable to stagger back.

Hermione seemingly came out of nowhere, sai out and flashing as she slashed at Bara's face. Bara was forced to relinquish her hold on the other girl's leg. Sora brought her own sai's out of her leg holsters, having bought them before entering the Guild. As one, the two girl's came forward.

Bara's own sai were out in an instant, blocking both of them with the skill of an experienced warrior. Then, moving faster than any being had a right to, she launched out with a double kick, kicking them both hard. "You two are going to have to do a great deal better if you hope to survive against me!" she bellowed, laughing.

Her laughter cut off when Hermione's foot connected with her jaw, snapping her head to the side. She turned to look at the young girl.

Hermione smirked. "How's that?" she asked.

Surprisingly, the other female Uruk-Hai, clothed in black, did not go after Mimi, though no one immediately noticed. Instead, she made an immediate beeline for Lilika and Lemia, grinning behind her mask. "Greetings, earth mover."

Lilika nodded, then immediately ducked as the demon's foot whirled over her head. She rolled, got back up, and saw Lemia jump, despite the pain the maneuver caused when she landed. "You are Shayre the mage, aren't you?" She recalled the last magic competition, as well as last years_ Secar Triad_ tournament. A mage bearing the Uruk-Hai's uniform had entered both competitions, and had proceeded to lay waste upon the others.

Shayre nodded. "Good to know that you recognize me," she said, bringing her hands up. "Now you may see my power up close and personal!" She pointed her palms down. _"Earthquake Devastation!"_

"Let's rock!_ Earth Shake!_"

The two attacks, despite being at different power levels, were on the same wavelength, and thus canceled each other out, therefore saving the floor from destruction. Lilika nodded. "It would appear that you are going to have to fight me with your fists."

"Indeed. Not that I'm complaining." Shayre charged forward.

The Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask converged on Beryl, fists and feet moving in blurs of motion. Blocking feverishly, she responded by creating a shockwave, pushing them back several feet. She turned to block Mask's staff, grinning. "You could have had it all, Prince Darien, if you had just obeyed," she whispered.

Darien pushed back, forcing her to stumble backwards. "I never wanted it!" he snarled.

"Neither did I!" Greg's fist connected with the Negaverse Queen's face, throwing her several feet through the air. "That was for turning me into a Shadow Warrior in the first place!"  
Beryl quickly rebounded, her own fist becoming well acquainted with the young man's stomach. "And that was for betraying me!" she roared, before turning around and sweeping Darien's feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground, losing his grip on his cane.

Jupiter came out of nowhere, an Amazonian like war cry erupting from her throat as she plowed into Beryl with the force of a rhino. Lifting the Negaverse queen into the air, she threw her several feet through the air into Shayre. "Venus, Mars! Take care of business!" she shouted.

Beryl looked up, and saw Venus's foot coming down, ready to crack her skull in half. She blocked it, then rolled as a fire attack from Mars hit the spot her arm had just occupied. As she got up, she went into a defensive pattern for a moment, blocking fists and feet quickly. Then she retaliated, forcing them back, before she performed an impossible maneuver. It was where her left foot and her left fist launched out in front of her, hitting both Scouts and taking them out of the fight for a while. Shayre merely wiped her uniform off, then prepared to attack Lilika again.

Joe dodged an energy whip, then rolled away until he came up next to Lilika. "You okay?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the blue Uruk-Hai.

Lilika nodded. "The Uruk-Hai you are fighting is Parrt. He's legendary of being the most sadistic of their group." She looked at him pleadingly. "Please be careful," she said.

Joe nodded. "I can only try."

Parrt came forward, his whip ready. "It's really a shame," he said, staring at Joe. "You are the most pathetic warrior of Reliability I have ever met!"  
"Good to know. Can you leave now?"

Tai, Harry, and Racc fought viciously, swords clanging rapidly. The effort the three of them were expending was absolutely phenomenal. Racc would hit one of them away, only to immediately fight the other.

Racc grinned. "You've improved greatly since our last battle, Kamiya. And you, Potter, I would never have thought that you would know how to use a sword."

Tai grunted, pushing back. "You'll find that we're full of surprises!" he growled, then whirled, using his enemies momentum to rotate. Harry brought his sword up, blocking another blow.

Izzy fired three arrows, then dodged as his opponent fired several arrows of his own. He got to his feet, unsheathing his blade as the purple Uruk-Hai came in, sword glinting in the pale light. The two blades collided, locking at the hilt.

The Uruk-Hai brought his face close. "I am J'onro," he hissed. "I am your death, Izumi."

"A bit of advice; Get a breath mint!" Izzy shoved hard, forcing him back, then swung his sword. J'onro blocked it, keeping his eyes on him.

Ghaleon suddenly struck hard from the side, his fist catching the side of J'onro's face. The Uruk-Hai's head snapped to the side, taken by surprise.

Luna Two stared at Phacia, eyes showing her pain. "Why, Phacia?" she asked.

Phacia lowered her head, so as to hide the sorrow of her own expression. "Because I have no other option left." She brought a staff of her own into existence, holding it loosely in her hands.

Luna Two came in, Fire Staff whistling through the air. On the other side, Mia attacked with hers. Twisting slightly, the demon blocked both attacks, then struck out with her own staff, knocking Mia's weapon right out of her hands. She then blocked the young woman's strike. Then, as if sensing someone coming from behind, she whirled, stopping Jacob's blade a scant few inches from her neck.

Alex swung viciously at Royce, who dodged easily, laughing. "Come now, Alex! Surely you can do better than-"  
Alex's foot connected with the side of her head. "Bet you didn't foresee that, bone bag!" he retorted. "Okay, guys, hit 'em!"

"NOVA BLAST!"

"HOWLING BLASTER!"

"METEOR WING!"

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

"HARPOON TORPEDO!"

"NEEDLE SPRAY!"

The Six Digimon, who hadn't been participating in the battle, suddenly came to life, releasing a deluge of attacks at the enemy. They struck each of the Uruk-Hai, throwing them into Royce. She, in turn, hit Xenobia, while Mimi added to their troubles by throwing a lightning bolt into their collective mass.

Phacia leaped over Mia's magic attack, reluctant to strike the young girl for any reason. She started back flipping until she had reached her sisters. She saw Lemia turn, and launch a full powered holy strike at Beryl, which grazed her shoulder, and came to a conclusion. Despite all of the torture Parrt and Thorak had inflicted upon her, Lemia still possessed all of her power and knowledge, Add a mother's protective instinct, and her all out anger at being treated like she was, and you had the makings of a very dangerous person. The only way she could be even more so was if she was at peak physical condition. What's more, the Alliance was fighting like a cohesive unit, with even the three Hogwarts students seemingly reading the others minds. It was not a good sign at all.

Xenobia got back to her feet, eyes blazing with never ending rage. She brought her hands up. _"Lightning Wave!" _she roared, unleashing a wave of lightning bolts.

'Lightning Strike!" Mimi retaliated with her customary lighting attack. The two attacks struck right in the center, showing a display of power never before seen on a thousand worlds.

It heralded the coming of Armageddon…the coming of war.

_

* * *

Patamon groaned, lifting his head a bit. He took a look around, trying to assess the situation. _

A groan from one direction got his attention, and he turned his head. "Gatomon?" he whispered.

The feline slowly got up, shaking her head. "I feel like I've been run over by a family of salmon. How do you feel?"  
"I've felt better after getting hit by…Racc! He hit us with a fire attack!"  
Immediately, the two began looking around, trying to determine where they were. They saw trees, spanning for miles around. They knew they were on a grassy path, and it was green. However, that didn't explain anything to the little pig Digimon.

Gatomon, on the other hand, recognized it immediately. "Oh my God," she whispered. "This is the place where I first met…"  
"Myotismon. I assure you, you won't meet him here. This is just a projection in your subconscious mind."

The two Digimon turned in the direction of the voice, surprised by the fact that it sounded like a woman. And it was a woman. Dress in a dress of pure white, with a cape to complete the ensemble. She was carrying a staff that looked like it was made out of gold. Her hair was white, like Sere's, but was longer, flowing down to her waist. Her skin was tanned, and her eyes were gold. Some thing that either of them had never seen before."

The woman smiled. "Do you recognize where we are, Gatomon?" she asked.

Gatomon blinked. "We're in the spot where I first entered Myotismon's service," she replied. "But…how is this possible? Why are we here?"

"And who are you?" Patamon asked.

The woman smiled. "My name is Alania, and how we got here is easy to answer…we are, in fact, in Gatomon's mind." She looked around. "Think about this place often?"

"Well, yeah. Why?"  
Alania gestured. "Follow me," she said, "and we shall take a look at your past home. Who knows, maybe you'll find a hidden reason behind it."

Confused, Gatomon and Patamon followed her.

Several hours later, the three of them had arrived at Myotismon's castle, an ugly eyesore to them all.

Inexplicably, Gatomon felt tears begin to form in her eyes. "I don't think about this," she whispered.

Alania sighed. "This part is my fault. Gatomon…you and Patamon are hovering an inch from death. And despite your Digimon makeup, if you expire, it's over. And I won't allow it to happen to you. So, I waited until you started going through your life, and then entered to keep you alive." She sighed. "Unfortunately, your life was terrible for the better part of your life. So, I had to use a device that made you both conscious here."

The two Digimon looked at each other. "So, why are you here?" Patamon asked.

"To try and understand you better. Your life, for instance, has been filled with pain, like Angelica. And like Angelica, you were still able to create a life that wasn't ruled by hatred, and use your powers for good." She raised her staff. "Come, there are two people here who want to meet you."

Almost immediately, they found themselves in the middle of the castle, which still looked creepy to them. They even saw the Devidramon guarding the way to Myotismon's chambers, situated at strategic positions throughout the castle.

Patamon was confused. "Who wants to talk to us?" he asked. "Because I don't see anyone."

"That would be us," a new voice suddenly said from the shadows, startling them. "We must talk to you…about a great many things."

As one, Patamon and Gatomon's mouths dropped as two beings stepped out of the shadows. Two people who they recognized.

"Angelus," Patamon whispered.

"And Angelica," Gatomon added, in awe.

Angelica laughed, a laugh so much like Angewomon's. "Oh, come now! We're not that _important! And we had to come here to meet you two!" _

"Y-you came here to meet us?" Patamon was absolutely incredulous.

Angelus chuckled. "Oh, yes, Patamon. We came to meet you. And let's face it, it's a good thing that we did. Had we arrived any later, we might be having this conversation at the pearly gates." He stopped chuckling. "You two, as the only two who haven't digi-volved, are at a serious disadvantage. And in order for you to digi-volve, it's going to require the power of you both, and your partners to do so."

"But…why?" Gatomon was forced to ask. "Why did you want to meet us? I mean, you two have done more than we could ever hope to do in a single lifetime. What I could only hope to be able to do."  
Alania turned to stare at them. "Come now, Gatomon. Is everything about trying to come to grips with your past?" She knelt down, putting her hand on the furry Digimon's shoulder. "They wanted to meet you, just for the sake of meeting you, as well as give you some advice."  
"And a warning," Angelus added seriously. "You need to keep a close eye on everyone else. Events have been set into motion beyond even the Guardians control, and you must be ready."  
"What events?" Patamon asked.

Alania's smile disappeared. "The Digi-Destined and the Sailor Scouts weren't supposed to go to Lunar. The Sunak were never supposed to attack Earth." She looked around her. "Just as Queen Beryl was never supposed arrive on Lunar, and join forces with the Vile Tribe."  
Angelica nodded. "You must be ready for anything. Existence now stands at a crossroads. The next sequence of events will determine whether or not the Guardians become involved again." She sat down. "So, until your partners catch on, let's talk."

Looking at each other, Patamon and Gatomon shrugged, and got comfortable.

that

* * *

Everyone in Dumbledore's office were in absolute shock at what they were seeing. The screen showed a battle the likes of which none of them had ever witnessed. 

"Move, Ginny!" Ron shouted fearfully.

"Thanks for the little reminder, Ron!" Ginny retaliated, dodging a downward swipe. _"When I get back, I'm going to find out how you're talking to me in the first place! Matt…" _

"I'm one step ahead of you, Gin! Split!"

Ginny retaliated, dodging a downward swipe. 

"Gin?" Fred echoed. "Ginny was almost ready to hex me when I called her that. What's this guy got that keeps him safe?"

Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling merrily. "I believe that we have found our Mister Ishida." He became serious again. "I also fear that we are seeing something that will have far reaching consequences for us all."

"Hey, Matt, not to distract you from your battle, but why is there a screen right above us, with a group of red heads, and an old man? No offense, sir."

"None taken, young man," Dumbledore assured the unseen person.

"I'd say that that's Ginny's brothers, and Albus Dumbledore. Up on your left, Tai."

Ron frowned. "That boy sure knows a lot about us. I don't even understand why Ginny is even talking to him."

Ginny looked up. _"I don't need to tell you why I do anything. Now shut up so I can concentrate on staying alive!"_

Percy had to smile. "Even in another realm, she still puts us all in our places."  
Ron had to grin a little as well.

* * *

Kirok finally jumped away from Matt and Ginny, keeping his eyes on them. "Warriors of the Vile Tribe!" he shouted. "Come and do battle with the aspiring Dragonmaster and his allies!" 

Almost immediately, almost a hundred and fifty demons appeared in the Star Chamber, looks of hunger on their faces.

Harpies: The grunt soldiers of the Vile Tribe, the Harpies possess no special attributes or abilities. Their only advantage is the fact that they are so numerous,they canoverwhelm their enemies.

Racc kicked Tai hard, and then used an uppercut to take him out, before turning around. His eyes rested on Ginny's face. "You!" he bellowed.

Ginny's head turned, locking gazes with Racc for the first time. _'Oh no. Racc.'_

Racc stared at her for a moment too long, as Harry, capitalizing on his inattention, came back into the fray, striking him hard in the face. Racc staggered back a moment, then turned to gaze at the young Potter. "Nice, Potter. But you shall now die."

Tai got back up. "You have to go through me first, Racc," he said, charging forward yet again.

Greymon took one look at the throng of harpies standing at each other. "Okay, you guys deal with the Uruk-Hai, and Beryl. We'll deal with the hired help!"  
Hermione nodded. "No problem!" she replied for all of them, her weapons flashing.

Bara blocked her attacks. "No, by all means, you should all meet them!" She leaped over her and Sora, and kicked them into the throng of monsters. She cackled. "Enjoy, Miss Granger, because you are going to get your first up close and personal look on how we do things on Lunar!"

Hermione staggered to her feet, and looked up in time to see one of the Harpies come at her, sword raised. She brought her sai up, blocking it.

"Hermione!" Harry charged away from Racc, heading into the thick of the battle, his sword flashing.

Tai kicked Racc, then jumped into the Harpies, bringing his katana up to strike at one's shield. He reversed his movement, blocking a sword strike. His foot lashed out, catching the harpy in the stomach. He kicked him again, knocking the creature unconscious.

Sora backed away from the three she was being besieged by, blocking desperately with her weapons. She was trying to come up with a decent strategy on how to deal with this problem.

One of the Harpies suddenly swung his sword at her viciously, finally disarming her. Sora backpedaled quickly, as a sword barely sliced through her shirt, barely grazing her midriff. She dodged another slice, then struck back…hard.

She apparently struck harder than she had wanted, because the sickening sound of a skull cracking was heard. The Harpy whirled for a second before falling down, dead.

Sora's eyes widened in absolute shock. She didn't know that she could do that. She didn't notice that Alex had come in, taking the other two out. All that processed in her mind was what she had done to that one lone harpy. _'I've killed him,'_ she thought numbly. _'I've killed a sentient being.'_ She sank to the ground.

Jupiter snapped one Harpy's spine, before turning around. Her eyes widened when she saw Sora just sitting there, gazing at the ground. "Scouts!" she shouted. "The Digi-Destined and those three wizard types have never had to kill before! Get to them!" She started kicking her way over to Sora.

Ginny suddenly whirled, stabbing one in the chest. As it fell to the ground, she turned to look at Matt. "It can't be helped. It's us, or them."  
Matt nodded. "Joe and Lilika won't even do that. Joe takes the Hippocratic Oath very seriously, and Lilika doesn't know how to." He turned. "Tai?" he shouted.

Tai nodded. He had had come to the same conclusion. "People, don't hesitate to use deadly force!" He suddenly swung viciously, slicing a Harpy's arm off. He continued to move, running the monster through.

Sailor Moon removed her tiara, bellowed, _"Moon Tiara Magic!"_, and threw the glowing disk, decapitating one as she turned to drive a powerful punch into another's sternum.

Royce noted that the Alliance was doing pretty good, and it started to worry her. "Uruk-Hai, allies, we must retreat!"

Beryl nodded, before releasing a supreme burst of energy, knocking every human and elf in the room to the ground, then back flipped to join Royce and the others.

Xenobia finally won the showdown, her power blasting outwards to strike Mimi with the force of a hurricane. The power behind the attack threw the young woman into the far wall, where she shattered through it into open air. Xenobia, breathing slightly in relief, rushed to join her sisters.

Not even thirty seconds later, Mimi blasted through the wall again, eyes burning with never ending rage. Not caring of anything else in the room, she flew at them.

Emboldened by her charge, the Alliance surged forward as well, with Harry and Hermione among them. Harry blocked one, then caught another in the shoulder. He whirled to slice another in the chest.

Ghaleon saw the Uruk-Hai fall back, and saw them retreating. "They are escaping!" he shouted.

"We really can't do anything about that! We need to survive here first!" Hermione struck hard with her sai, catching the harpies unaware. She stabbed one of them, and ignored the urge to vomit as her hands came away flecked with the creatures blood while she whirled to block another one. Like Ginny had said, it couldn't be helped. After all, this wasn't a wizarding duel in school.

This was war.

And, in the midst of that war, Tai's crest of Courage began to glow.

_

* * *

"…And there you have it," Patamon finished. _

Angelus chuckled. "That Tai sounds like a genius."

Gatomon groaned. "Oh, he's no genius. He's just…lucky."

"Oh. Well, lucky can go a long way. Most things are dealt with by luck." Angelica leaned back against a wall. "However, it's not the only thing humanity must depend on."

Patamon nodded. Part of him was still reeling on the fact that the two of them were speaking with two of the Guardians of Althena, as well as a person they had never seen before. Other than that, he was adjusting well to the situation.

"So, how do we tell them that they have to use their powers?" he asked.

Alania turned to look at him. "There is nothing you two can do. They have to figure that out for themselves, though I get the feeling that they will figure it out." She smiled, looking up into the ceiling. "However, you two need to concentrate your power as of now. Are you ready?"  
Patamon and Gatomon nodded. "So, how do we do that?" Gatomon asked.

Angelica stood up. "Well, here's what you need to do…"

**

* * *

GREYMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…METALGREYMON! **

"Damn it!" Racc swore. "Greymon is digi-volving!"

Ginny finally fought her way out, her eyes resting on T.K. and Kari, who had been largely forgotten in the battle. She made her way over to them, unaware, and uncaring of the fact that she was now covered in blood.

T.K. looked up, and saw the young witch coming up. "Ginny."

Ginny nodded once, looking at the two burned Digimon. "How are they?" she asked.

"They're breathing," Kari replied, almost crying, "but they're not waking up!"

T.K. gripped his digi-vice in his one hand. "And this thing can't help us now!"

Ginny stared at the little device, a thought starting to simmer in her mind. "You're the keeper of Hope, aren't you?" she asked suddenly. A nod answered her question. "Well, from what Matt's told me about you, you're a very remarkable boy."

Greymon's body began to grow again. It also thickened, becoming tougher and stronger. Suddenly, one of his arms became metallic, shining under the flickering light.

"He obviously believes that you two are the best of the Digi-Destined, because of that fact you never give up," Ginny continued. "Now, I know what it's like to be the youngest in the family, but it's not a deterrent."

Kari sniffled a bit. "B-but what can we do to help? We're not strong enough to help our friends!"  
"Yes, you are!" Ginny insisted. "You have to have faith in yourselves, though…and your friends."

T.K. looked up. "Faith…like the hope we keep inside?" He stood straight up. "Kari, that's it! We need to use the powers of Hope and Light!"

A set of wings appeared on the back of Greymon.

Kari looked up, her tear stained face lighting up. "You mean…?"

"Yes! If we use our powers, we can give them enough power to digi-volve!"

Ginny smiled at the animation coming from the young boy. "Now that's the spirit!" She jumped up. "Now I'm going to get out of your way!"

Slowly, the two children set their friends down on the ground, before standing up again. They brought their hands up, concentrating all of their power. The Crest of Hope began to glow on T.K.'s chest, the crest of Light on Kari's chest. They closed their eyes.

Power immediately began emanating from their fingertips, forming a pink and gold shield. It lowered down onto the prone bodies of Patamon and Gatomon, engulfing them fully.

_

* * *

"That's it!" Alania yelled. "They've figured it out, and have used their powers! It's time for you two to digi-volve!"  
"Remember what we've told you!" Angelus shouted. Angelica didn't say anything, looking at the two Digimon with a piercing look. _

Patamon looked at Gatomon. "Are you ready to blow this Popsicle stand?" he asked.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Gatomon replied. "Let's do it!"

* * *

Greymon's head suddenly sprouted hair. His skull helmet became metal. And finally, a chest plate, housing two missile launchers, appeared on his chest. 

PATAMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…ANGEMON!

GATOMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…ANGEWOMON!

Beryl looked over her shoulder, her eyes resting on the sphere of power. "The holy ones are digi-volving!" she shouted.

Phacia nodded, though inside, she was happy. _'This should take my sisters down a peg,'_ she thought.

The sphere settled, flattening into a circle as it did so.

Ron came closer. "What the bloody hell is that?" he asked.

Percy also peered closer. "That's a magical force none of us have ever seen before, and I don't think it exists in our world." He looked up. "Am I right, Professor?"

"Correct, Percy," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling. "I would say that it's a power that doesn't even exist on Lunar."

Fred grinned. "Well, let's see what comes out. Maybe it's something horrible that can scare anything."

Not even thirty seconds later, two beings emerged.

Ginny gawked in amazement. T.K. and Kari smiled.

Two angels walked upward from the circle, mouths set in identical lines. They were both magnificent; the males body solid muscle, adorned in a skintight white uniform with brass ornaments adorning his torso. He had three sets of wings, and a blue material wrapped around his waist. His hair, golden in color, hung down his waist as well.

The woman, beautiful in a dangerous sort of way at the moment, was in revealing, though battle ready armor. She had a glove over one of her hands, and a pink sash wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was lighter in color, the color of the sun on a clear day.

In fact, the only thing the two had in common was the fact that they both wore helmets, though even the design of the helmets was different.

The Alliance stopped fighting, as did the harpies, when Metalgreymon roared, shaking the entire Star Chamber. As one, they saw the two angels stepped onto solid ground, the circle dissipating behind them.

Metalgreymon grinned. "What took you two so long?" he asked.

Angemon worked his neck in a complete circle, a series of cracks issuing as he did. "Well, you know I'm always slow on the uptake." He grinned as T.K. and Kari joined them, weapons now in their hands. "Thanks, guys. When this is over, have we got a story to tell you."

One harpy stepped forward. "You may be stronger, but we are many. You are few."

Angewomon nodded, rotating her shoulders, a small smirk on her face. "Well, Angemon and I could use some exercise." She gestured. "So please, continue fighting."

At that moment, everyone else suddenly remembered that they were in the midst of battle. Idiots.

Immediately, a profusion of weapons and fists sounded off in the Star Chamber.

Jupiter had finally reached where Sora was, and quickly escorted her from the battle. "Hey, kid, we could use your help in there!" she shouted to Ginny. When Ginny had entered the fray again, the Jupiter princess turned to Luna, Artemis and Nall. "Could you three keep an eye on her?"  
Luna nodded. "Just get in there and help the others."

Jupiter nodded, heading back into the engagement zone.

"GIGA BLASTER!" Metalgreymon roared. His chest plate opened, releasing two missiles with shark like teeth painted on them into the largest mass of harpies. Then he leaped up, slamming down onto the survivors. Messy, messy, messy!

Joe and Lilika became medics, getting healing items to those who needed them most.

Luna Two smashed her staff into one's head, knocking him out cold, before turning around to block a downward swipe. "Alex!" she called out, trying to find him.

"You called?" Alex asked from beside her, catching another harpy unawares. Luna Two laughed at the tone, knowing that it took all of his restraint to not crush her in his embrace.

Angemon and Angewomon were at the same level as the other members of the Six. Moving with a precision that was frightening, they dispatched harpy after harpy, striking with a ruthlessness that rivaled that of Mercury and Greg. And T.K. and Kari were coming close to matching that ruthlessness.

Matt stabbed one in the gut, then turned to block a downward swipe. He dodged an over head swing, then came up quickly, severing the monsters arm.

Then, with a powerful swoop, he cut off his enemies head, stepping back as a spray of blood erupted from it's neck.

The body fell to ground, twitching.

Ginny dispatched of her last opponent in a similar style, watching as the head rolled for a second, before turning to meet Matt's gaze. She nodded to his unspoken question.

"Ginny!" Ron's voice sounded off, sounding very shocked.

"Look, Ron!" she shouted. "This is why it's called war! People die!"

Angemon caught the last one's blade, holding it in place. "Can you blush?" he asked pleasantly, before knocking the sword into the air. He caught when it came back down, and moved upward, slicing the creature in half. He dropped the sword as the two pieces fell to the ground.

"I think I'm going to be ill," Lilika gasped, turning a little green around the gills.

"I'll join you," Joe told her.

Mimi didn't even spare the battlefield a second glance, as she wheeled around in the direction that the small group of beings had gone in. "We can't let them get away!" she shouted.

The two angels, Venus, Harry, and Nash immediately followed her as she headed out of the Star Chamber.

Ghaleon kicked a harpy away from Lemia, then turned to Mia, his sorrow profound. "Allow me to extend my apologies, Mia. All this time, I have been manipulated by the Vile Tribe…" he bowed his head. "I am ashamed that for being so easily deceived."

Mia held up a hand, smiling slightly. "Apology accepted, Master Ghaleon. And she fooled us all." She turned around. "My friends, I'm still worried about my mother. Let's take her to the healers!"  
"No!" Lemia shouted. "We have to get to the bridge. Xenobia and her allies may have more outside help!"  
"I agree," Hermione stated. "There's no way Beryl could have gotten here through her own power."  
Luna nodded. "Miss Weasley, please help Sora. She's suffered a terrible shock."

Ginny nodded, helping Sora to her feet. "Hey, are you okay?"

Sora turned to look at her, expression so pained, that Ginny winced. "No…no I'm not." She looked up. "And I don't think I will ever be okay."

War could do that to people sometimes. Unfortunately, once it happened, there was no turning back…for anyone.

To be continued…


	36. Episode Thirty Four: Revelations, Part T...

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Thirty Four: Revelations, Part Three**

(Previously, on Digimon: Silver Star Story)

Kirok finally jumped away from Matt and Ginny, keeping his eyes on them. "Warriors of the Vile Tribe!" he shouted. "Come and do battle with the aspiring Dragonmaster and his allies!"

Almost immediately, almost a hundred and fifty demons appeared in the Star Chamber, looks of hunger on their faces.

Sora backed away from the three she was being besieged by, blocking desperately with her weapons. She was trying to come up with a decent strategy on how to deal with this problem.

One of the Harpies suddenly swung his sword at her viciously, finally disarming her. Sora backpedaled quickly, as a sword barely sliced through her shirt, barely grazing her midriff. She dodged another slice, then struck back…hard.

She apparently struck harder than she had wanted, because the sickening sound of a skull cracking was heard. The Harpy whirled for a second before falling down, dead.

Sora's eyes widened in absolute shock. She didn't know that she could do that. She didn't notice that Alex had come in, taking the other two out. All that processed in her mind was what she had done to that one lone harpy. 'I've killed him,' she thought numbly. 'I've killed a sentient being.' She sank to the ground.

Sailor Moon removed her tiara, bellowed, "Moon Tiara Magic!", and threw the glowing disk, decapitating one as she turned to drive a powerful punch into another's sternum.

Royce noted that the Alliance was doing pretty good, and it started to worry her. "Uruk-Hai, allies, we must retreat!"

Beryl nodded, before releasing a supreme burst of energy, knocking every human and elf in the room to the ground, then back flipped to join Royce and the others.

Xenobia finally won the showdown, her power blasting outwards to strike Mimi with the force of a hurricane. The power behind the attack threw the young woman into the far wall, where she shattered through it into open air. Hermione struck hard with her sai's, catching the harpies unaware. She stabbed one of them, and ignored the urge to vomit as her hands came away flecked with the creatures blood while she whirled to block another one. Like Ginny had said, it couldn't be helped. After all, this wasn't a wizarding duel in school.

This was war.

(And now, the conclusion)

* * *

Beryl slammed the store room door in, then stepped aside as her allies charged in after her. She shut it, then welded it shut. Not that it would even stop Mimi if she really wanted it in. 

Turning around, she glared at J'onro. "You told us that our 'friends' would see to it that the Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined would not arrive here!" she roared.

"I also said," J'onro retorted, "that there was a chance that the powers of Hope and Light would lead them to Lunar instinctively. That was in the hands of chance."

"Well, I for one am so glad that the two of you are having such an enlightening conversation!" Racc snarled. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance."

All of them turned in the direction of the new voice. "LadyDevimon," Beryl said in greeting.

The Ultimate level Digimon strode forward, smirking. "Well, it appears that you're all like a pack of trapped mice."  
Xenobia turned to look at her. "Now is not the time to tell us what we resemble! Now, how can you help us?"  
LadyDevimon didn't respond verbally, instead throwing something in Beryl's direction. Confused, the Negaverse Queen caught it, and looked down at the device.

_"Transmit your coordinates!"_ a harsh voice suddenly barked out of it.

Beryl's expression, indeed, all of their expressions, became expressions of glee as Beryl pressed a button on the communicator. It would send a homing beacon out beyond Vane, to their 'friends.'

The sound of a door being destroyed at the far end of the room wiped the triumphant expressions off of their faces. They all knew who it was, too.

Sure enough, not even thirty seconds later, Mimi came into view, the Holy Ones, Venus, Nash, and Harry Potter right behind her. "Xenobia!" she bellowed.

LadyDevimon reacted first, dropping to one knee and bellowing, "EVIL WING!" in one easy motion. Instantly, three lasers, all patterned like bats, shot out of her giant hand, forcing the lot of them to scatter.

Mimi and Harry found refuge behind a series of giant bins, while Nash, Venus, and the Angelics dove for cover. She looked over her position, saw the fallen angel Digimon. "What the hell does LadyDevimon think she's doing!" she shouted, accepting the fact that she was here, and obviously helping Beryl and Xenobia.

Angemon asked herself the same question. Why _was_ LadyDevimon here? After all, two Holy Angel Digimon were more than a match for her. And they were more powerful than your typical holy Digimon.

Then another energy attack forced him to duck again.

* * *

The tactical looked up from his board when McGonagall stormed onto the bridge. "Excuse me," he began, "but you aren't allowed here."  
"I have level eight clearance!" McGonagall walked right up to the tactical board. "Prepare for Lady Ausa's arrival, as well as the Alliance! By order of Mia Ausa!" 

"The Alliance! But they're…" The doors opened again, cutting off and he stopped talking as the Alliance, being led by Mia, an extremely battered Lemia, and a visibly irate Jacob and Ghaleon. "Lady Ausa! What happened to you?"  
"Reports of my rash behavior have been exaggerated," Lemia replied, "but not by much." She sat down, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. "Remind me the next time I leave Vane to take the whole damn army with me."  
Hermione frowned. "No problem." She sidled over to Ginny. "What the bloody hell is going on around here?" she asked.  
Ginny sighed. "Long story."

Sailor Moon activated her communicator. "Venus, how are all of you doing?"

_"We've run into a problem. LadyDevimon is here, and they've got us pinned down!"  
"Bloody hell!"_ Harry's voice suddenly erupted. _"Can any of you get a better aim?"_

_"You want a better aim, Potter?"_ Nash shouted. _"Stand up!"_

Tai grinned. "It's good to know that those two are getting along soooo well."

"Raise shields!" Ghaleon barked. "Post security teams at every door and access point!" He watched as Jacob nodded, then pulled his communicator out, barking out commands, before rushing off the bridge after he had finished. Satisfied, the elf returned his attention to his display.

McGonagall looked at the tactical display. "They're in the secondary storage room on Deck four, section eight," she reported. "Force fields are in place and holding in that area."

Lemia smiled. "It's good to know that you still know how to read a tactical display." She laughed as the teachers usual stern features reasserted themselves. "I also see that you still haven't lightened up any as well."

"Neither has Ghaleon," Mia reminded her mother cheerfully.

"Birds of a feather," Ginny muttered.

The two in question turned to stare at her with similar expressions on their faces. "Care to repeat that, Miss Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

"Yeah, Gin." Matt gave her an innocent look. "Care to repeat that?"  
Hermione muffled a giggle, as did Sora, who was coming out of her stupor.

Ginny turned to glare mockingly at Matt. "I will deal with you later, Ishida!"

Lemia's grin grew, then disappeared. "Minerva, open a channel to the storage room."

* * *

Beryl released an energy attack, forcing Mimi and the others to duck again. She growled in frustration. "Nash, do you have a better shot?" she called out. 

Nash shook his head. "They have better coverage, and more firepower!"  
"Great, just great!" She turned to Harry. "This is how our life is like on many days; dodge and hide!"  
Harry winced as the bin above him exploded, showering him with hot plastic. "I'll try not to become a Digi-Destined then!" he replied.

_"Attention in the storage room,"_ Lemia's voice suddenly sounded off in the room. _"You are completely surrounded. Force fields are up, and shields have been raised. You cannot escape."_

"Ya hear that?" Mimi called out. "There's no way out of Vane! Give it up!"

A lightning bolt and over a hundred shuriken was the answer she had received, and she was forced to vacate her position. She found herself nearer to the two angelics.

Angewomon smirked. "I don't think they're going to give up," she said sardonically.

"What was your first clue, Sherlock?" Mimi retorted, looking up again for a moment before ducking. This just wasn't her day.

Inexplicably, she found herself remembering that night at the lake, and the admissions that had occurred there. She also remembered the amusement she had felt when she and Izzy had decided to keep it a secret.

But now, her future…_their_ future, was looking very bleak.

* * *

Hermione walked up the ramp slowly, observing the arched rail with an air of distraction. She was worried, inexplicably for Harry. Of course, she was always worried for the boy, given his reputation, but this time, it was more…potent. She didn't know why, but she was afraid for him. She was afraid that he wasn't going to come back alive. 

As she reached the upper portion of the bridge, McGonagall frowned, like she was seeing something truly puzzling. "Lady Ausa, I am picking up a massive neutron radiation surge," she reported, her puzzlement translating in her voice. "It's a pattern I have never seen before."  
"What's neutron radiation?" Alex asked.

Ghaleon sat forward. "It's a form of radiation that is completely harmless to the human body. It's used to create invisibility cloaks on Lunar."

"As well as the Wizarding World," McGonagall added. "And this is much too large to be a cloak."

"Luna One?" Luna Two gestured.

The feline walked up to Hermione. "Young lady," she began.

"Huh…oh!" Hermione scooped up Luna One, and held her up to the display. "Can you see it?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you." Luna One took a good look at it. She was curious as to what could be causing such a powerful field.

One look later, she wished she hadn't. For what she saw answered all the unspoken questions at the same time. "I recognize the power signature!" She looked up. "Pluto, a Sunak Battle Cruiser is de-cloaking off the port bow!"  
Pluto whirled in the direction of the view screen, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What!"

"Onscreen," Lemia ordered.

Ginny unconsciously moved closer to Matt, both of them looking at the screen.

* * *

Off the port bow, almost fifty feet away, the air shimmered. 

Then, to everyone watching in absolute shock, a massive vessel appeared out of nowhere. It was very advanced, it's contours sleek like a shark's. It had two wings with disruptors at the tips. Black gray, the chrome finishing developed to give them a vicious, sinister feel to it, it showed that it was powerful as well.

As the Alliance watched, the Sunak Battle Cruiser _Vigilant_ settled into orbit of Vane, and did nothing.

Almost as if it were looking for something…or someone.

* * *

A deluge of spells and attacks flew through the air, missing their targets. _"Crescent Beam…Smash!"_ Venus retaliated, but she was at a bad angle. Beryl fired again, forcing her to duck again. 

_"Stand by transport!"_ The Sunak Commander barked from his ship. Immediately, the Vile Tribe and Beryl got closer to LadyDevimon.

"Hand of Fate!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"Crescent Beam Smash!"  
"Expelliarmus!"

"Lightning Strike!"

All the attacks missed, but it wasn't because of bad aim. Their aim was true this time. Instead, it was because those attacks passed through their dematerializing bodies, hitting the wall behind them.

Venus tapped her communicator. "They got out!"

_"We know, Venus,"_ Artemis replied. _"It's a Sunak Battle Cruiser! Brace for impact!"_

They did so, for not even a second later, Vane was rocked by a slight explosion. And then, everything was still.

And Mimi let out a roar of rage. A roar that made a T-Rex seem rather childish in comparison.

* * *

"They have released three anti-matter mines," McGonagall reported. "Time till detonation; ten seconds. They have re-cloaked." 

_"They got out!"_ Venus shouted over the communicator.

Lemia shot out her seat, ignoring the shrieks of pain that came from such a sudden movement. "Helm, bring us about! Full impulse, engage!"

"We know, Venus!" Artemis said quickly. "It's a Sunak Battle Cruiser! Brace for impact!"  
Vane turned smoothly on it's axis, then sped up in a jiffy, launching itself in the opposite direction. Barely even a second later, it was rocked by a shockwave. Lemia groaned slightly as her badly mangled foot was forced down harder than was permitted.

And over the communicator, an animalistic roar issued, one so rage filled, that it almost chilled them to the bone. Not because of the ferocity of the roar, but because they all knew who it who was doing it.

Lilika shook her head. "Mimi is going to want Xenobia's head on a platter."

"I know how she feels." Lemia sat back down, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. Abruptly, she turned her head. "Status report."

McGonagall checked her board. "Shields held, though there are some power fluctuations on Deck Six, sections twenty to twenty four."

Everyone sighed at that. "The only bad thing was that they managed to get away," Tai commented.

"Yeah, there is that." Lemia motioned to Mia to come over and help her up. "Everyone, to the briefing room. I imagine you all have something to tell me."  
Pluto nodded. "Oh, yes."

* * *

Beryl, LadyDevimon, and Xenobia stormed onto the _Vigilant's_ bridge, white hot anger burning in their blackened souls. They had been foolish to listen to the Sunak's assurances. 

The XO jumped up, triumph on his face. "We did it!" he exulted.

Beryl, without even breaking stride, walked right up to him, and backhanded him into one of the counsels. A gout of blood erupted from his mouth as he staggered.

Immediately, the security officers were moving, thrusting Beryl into an empty chair. It was pretty obvious what they were going to do to her.

"Wait!"  
Instantly, all movement stopped as Klagh, who was now standing under his own power again, wiped some blood from his lower lip. He glared at the Negaverse queen. "I hope," he hissed, "for you sake, that you were initiating a mating ritual, Beryl."

"You got careless!" Beryl spat back. "The Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined arrived on Lunar, despite your assurances that it couldn't happen!"

"Impossible!" A technician stood up so fast, that she almost fell down. "We removed realm 5024 from the random portal sequence!"  
Xenobia leered. "Hope and Light guided them to the Silver Star. If LadyDevimon hadn't intervened, they would have defeated us!"  
"But they didn't defeat you," the Sunak commander reminded them calmly. "And now we have a weapon of unlimited power."

Beryl smirked. How arrogant they were…for mortals. "Wrong, Zarad. _We_ have the weapon. And if you ever want to get it, I suggest you be a little more careful in the future."

Instantly, Klagh's knife was up against Beryl's throat. "Perhaps we are tired of waiting!" he stated threateningly.

LadyDevimon smirked, unafraid for Beryl's safety. She was too important to them. "Without mine and Beryl's research," she said calmly, considering the circumstances, "the thalaron is worthless." She smiled wickedly when Zarad moved to halt Klagh's hand. "As are your plans to destroy the Spirit Sakar."

Zarad released his first officers wrist, motioning him to step away from Beryl. Grumbling, Klagh did so.

Xenobia frowned. One minor victory, but one nevertheless. "Set a course for the Frontier!" she ordered. "Full Impulse."

Zarad turned. _"Taj vaj, Frontieria,"_ he barked, before sitting back down in his command chair.

Satisfied, Beryl stood up, and joined the other two females as they left the bridge.

The Magic Emperor was going to be very upset, but Phase One was an almost overwhelming success.

Now Phase Two was ready to begin.

* * *

In the Conference Room, the Alliance, Ghaleon, and Lemia were sitting, listening to the various debriefings. All of them were present, with the exception of Mimi and Lilika, who were conspicuously absent. They all had a fairly good idea as to why, too. 

"They're called the Sunak," Pluto said, her eyes distant as she looked at memories of the past. "They're a race who mastered faster than light technology almost two millennium ago. They lost their entire civilization when a rogue spirit called Sakar destroyed their planet. But ten ships managed to escape his rampage."

"Ten ships?" Alex asked, taking everything in stride despite the fact he was one of the least qualified in the department. "Not a lot."  
"Not usually, if five of those ships hadn't been colony vessels." Pluto took a breath. "At the time, there was forty thousand colonists. Also, five battle cruisers were assigned as escorts."

Luna One sighed, shaking her head. "After their worlds destruction, the Sunak decided to stay in space. The world that they were planning to colonize had been taken over by a Goa'uld attack force a week before. However, instead of simply dying off, they starting forging alliances with other survivors of Sakar's purge. Almost thirty years later, they formed a space civilization called the Sunak Confederation. They had two directives. The first was the promotion of defensive, diplomatic, and scientific advances among their people and their allies. The second was the destruction of Sakar."

"To that end," Artemis started smoothly, picking up where his fellow feline had stopped, "they began researching new technologies, while maintaining their ships with a care that bordered on obsessive. They put themselves on the technological evolutionary fast track, developing new weapons and stronger vessels faster than any species out there. They outstripped the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra almost a hundred years ago."

Tai frowned. During their journeys, the two felines had told them about many of the extraterrestrials that the Moon Kingdom had come across, so he wasn't too surprised. However, one thing was still bugging him. "It still doesn't explain how they managed to get here," he said.

"We're getting to that." Pluto created a screen in the middle of the table, showing a standard planetary Stargate. "They also studied the Stargate technology, even taking apart one to study the data it contained. Now, with the exception of the Asgard, they are the only species to know everything about them…and created their own system because of that knowledge."

Ginny, who was the least qualified to explain anything technological, figured it out. "They developed a dimensional system, which allows them to travel through existence."

"Precisely. Their portal system is much like the Gates of Time, only far more advanced. They are able to initiate portal to any realm that is presently in their system, even realities that have diverged only a few years ago. But until today, I thought that they were only rumors."  
"Apparently, you were wrong," Ghaleon said, fingers entwined in front of him. "Perhaps these…portals are the reason for all of the attacks."

Tai nodded, then thought of something. "Pluto, what would a dimensional gate look like when it opens?"  
Pluto looked up. "White," she said, having the same thought. If those blinding flashes of light were the result of the Sunak opening a portal, then they had more than one enemy to contend with. Not a very pleasant thought.

"But why?" Rini asked.

"To get us out of the way." Izzy gave each of them a piercing look. "And they did a spectacular job of it. Here, we can't protect our Earth."

McGonagall looked at them. "Not necessarily. The four of us came through a Stargate." She kept her face still when they looked at her, surprised. "There are other designs of Stargates."

Ginny looked at her. "How is it that you're from Lunar?" she asked.

Lemia smiled, joining the conversation for the first time. "Minerva McGonagall's magic training began here, in Vane. She was an adept animal shifter, which I believe you call an Animagus. After she graduated, she joined the Dimensional Stargate Program, disappearing after she had been in the force for several years." She turned to spear the Transfiguration Teacher with a glare. "She never reported back."

Minerva shifted. "The Ministry of Magic had been trying to get their hands on the Stargate for a long time," she explained. "I couldn't use it without them finding out."  
Matt leaned in. "I take it the Ministry is your form of government?" he asked Ginny quietly.

Ginny nodded. "It's currently being run by a brainless oaf named Cornelius Fudge." She turned her attention back to the briefing. "So, what's been happening over the last four months?" she asked.

"That's a very good question." Lemia shifted her attention to Ghaleon. "What _has_ been going on over the last four months that I have been enjoying Thorak's hospitality in my own dungeon?"

Slowly, and over the course of a half-hour, Ghaleon related everything that had happened over that time frame, paying great attention to specific details. Everyone grew angrier and angrier at the atrocities that Xenobia had inflicted upon the people of Vane. For the first time, they were all sorry that Mimi hadn't gotten her hands on the witch.

"…And then I proceeded to the Star Chamber as Xenobia…Lemia ordered me to." He sent Lemia an apologetic look. "How foolish of me to not realize what was happening."

Mercury leaned back. "From what I've seen," she said thoughtfully, "everyone in Vane was unaware of the switch. Only Jacob could have had a clue. His skills at detecting subterfuge is legendary."

Mia frowned. "I still don't understand what they had to gain from assuming my mother's identity, and abducting Luna."

"Excellent question, Mia." Lemia sat up, wincing a bit as she did so. "Ghaleon, I have always respected your counsel. Your thoughts on this matter?"

Ghaleon steepled his fingers together. "It's quite obvious that we need to know more," he said, "thought I certainly have my own ideas." His tone abruptly became more businesslike. "I feel that the Vile Tribe is on the verge of declaring war. Xenobia and the others were placed among us to gather crucial intelligence."

"Strengths, weaknesses, possible strategies." Ginny ticked off all the possible ideas on her fingers. "Althena's Shrine is a center of information exchange, so Phacia could learn whether or not there was a new Dragonmaster born. Royce's skills would enable her to foresee any person who could threaten their movements, and deal with them accordingly. And Xenobia could keep Vane out of the war long enough to allow the Vile Tribe to get a definitive advantage." Ginny smirked at their dumbfounded expressions. "You-Know-Who did a similar thing with his subjects," she explained.

Tai turned to Matt. "You-Know-Who?" he asked.

Matt shrugged. "Some old geezer named Voldemort."

Harry grinned. Never before had he ever heard someone say Voldemort's name so casually. He was starting to like Matt.

"Okay, so we know that they've joined forces with Beryl and the powers of darkness, as well as a vengeful civilization hell bent on killing some extremely powerful spirit." Hermione turned in her seat. "I'd say that the time for talk is over," she added.

"I agree. Now is the time for definitive action to counter all the damage that has already been done." Ghaleon turned to the headmistress. "I must leave Vane and gather information of my own. Not just to stop this Deadly Alliance, but for more…pressing concerns." He sighed. "And the only way I can get that information is from the Four Dragons themselves."  
Alex and Luna Two exchanged a look with each other. They knew what that meant. They also knew what he was going to say next. Sure enough, the next words out of the elf's mouth were, "Since the location of the White Dragon is already known, I shall visit him first."  
"Ghaleon wants to visit Quark?" Nall whispered to Angemon.

"Yes."

"The White Dragon has a name?" Ginny whispered to Matt. Matt shrugged.

McGonagall looked up at him. "Any particular reason, Ghaleon?"

"Perhaps Quark's wisdom holds the clues I need to discern what the Vile Tribe is plotting." Ghaleon stopped for a second, as his gaze shifted to Alex. "And I would ask you to guide me to him immediately. You don't mind, do you, Alex?"

"Of course not!" Luna Two exclaimed. "Alex would be honored to take you there!"  
Alex buried his head into his hands. "Can I speak for myself?" he asked. He smiled slightly as Luna Two blushed slightly. "Now, I am honored, sir-"

"This is great, Alex," Nall exclaimed. "We get to show off one of the Four Heroes!"  
_"Quiet in the room!"_ Alex bellowed. When all noise had dissipated, he said, "Now like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I am honored, but who is going to look after the Magic Guild while you're gone? I don't think that Lady Ausa is in any condition to do much."

Lemia looked at Alex. "For starters, call me Lemia, young man. And you're right. The Healers tell me that it will take months before I am anywhere near my former fighting form, so my usefulness is very limited."

Ghaleon nodded. "Mia, since your mother will need to recover from the torture that was inflicted on her…I believe that you should take her place as Guildmaster until she is fit to resume her duties."

Mia nodded, her gaze somber. "Yes, Ghaleon, you're right…but I will need Nash to assist me until you return." She paused. "If that's acceptable to you and Nash, of course," she added nervously.

Nash almost fell out of his chair. "Acceptable? It's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "It would be my humble honor to help you in any way possible!"

Ghaleon smiled. "Of course, Mia. I place him at your disposal. His work for me has been most satisfactory." Abruptly, he stood up, picking up his portfolio as he did so. "I must speak to Master Mel to arrange the transportation to Caldor Isle…so then we'll meet at Meribia shortly." He looked at Alex. "Do not dawdle, young Alex. After all, you know what they say about idle hands…" he walked out of the conference room.

Lemia sat back. "Aside from gathering information, we need to alert our allies of this." She turned slightly in her seat. "Mia, send a letter directly to the Magic Guild of Taur as soon as possible. After I get my first set of treatments, I'll send a letter to a friend of mine." She turned to McGonagall. "I want you and your students to return to Hogwarts in two hours."

McGonagall blinked. "Why two hours?" she asked.

Lemia grinned. "Because I think young Ginny and young Matt are going to want to have a talk."

The two in question looked at each other. "Oh, yes," Matt said, "we do have a few things to talk about."

Tai nodded. "Well, let's move with a purpose then. We have two hours before we part ways." He turned to Serena. "Sailor Scouts, stay here and prep their defenses for a Vile Tribe attack. Digi-Destined, we're going to Meribia to reinforce their defenses." He turned to T.K. "T.K., you and your group are going to accompany Alex and Ghaleon to Quark."  
T.K. saluted. "Oui, mon Capitan."

Lemia smiled slightly, then stood up, swaying a bit as she did so. "Dismissed."

* * *

Mimi sat at the edge of the magic city, staring forlornly out at the ground below. Distractedly, she saw a cloud float by, carefree. 

She had been like that for over an hour, as she replayed the events of the Star Chamber over and over again in her head. She remembered the exact moment when 'Lemia's' real identity was revealed. She remembered her shock, and then anger when she saw the markings, so similar to her own on their bodies, as well as the hateful gazes they shot at her and her friends. And she remembered the revelation she had made about herself.

Sheyra was Xenobia's sister. And she, Mimi, was Xenobia's niece.

Not a niece by marriage, but by blood.

_Demon_ blood.

She had always known that she was different. She had always thought that she was freak with those markings on her. Now she knew that she wasn't a freak.

She was much, much worse.

"Hey there."

Mimi turned around to see her newly discovered sister standing behind her. "Hey," she replied. "Everyone send you to find me?"

Lilika shook her head, sitting down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Mimi chuckled mirthlessly. "I have recently discovered that I am a demon, have a sister, and a series of aunts who are nothing more than bloodsucking murderers. How do you think I feel?"  
"Angry, depressed, ashamed, need I go on? And for the record, we're half demons."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You and I, we're half demons," Lilika replied. "Our mother was a full blooded demon, and our father was a pirate. So, we're half and half."

Mimi snorted. "Oh, that makes me feel so much better." She paused. "Hold on, how do you know about your parents?" she asked.

Lilika stood up, gesturing for Mimi to do the same. "Well, everyone knows about Sheyra, and anyone who was willing to court a demon became rather well known, too. Father was not only willing, he was eager." She paused, thinking about something. "At least, that's what my foster mother told me."

Mimi nodded. "That coincides with what Mom and Dad told me," she said quietly.

Lilika smiled, looking at Mimi. "Tell me about our mother," she said quietly.

The other Tachekawa shrugged. "She's kind, somewhat overprotective, _extremely_ funny, and a bit of an experimenter in the area of cooking." She chuckled. "She once made a something like a meatloaf, but instead of tuna, noodles and sauce, and vegetables, she made it out of fruits, strawberry sauce, and chocolate."  
"And how did it taste?"  
"It was great. In fact, everyone enjoyed it so much, that the people at Dad's firm want the recipe." Mimi became thoughtful for a second. "Actually, now that I think about it, I heard they also wanted to bring Mom home with them, but that's another story. Are you a cook?"

Lilika shook her head. "I can't even boil water properly," she said sadly. "My foster mother made enough money, so I ate at a small deli everyday.

_'Boy can she and Serena ever relate?'_ Mimi smiled. "So, how long have you know that you were a half demon?" she asked.

"Ever since I was old enough to understand what 'demon' meant here. I spent hours reading everything I could find on the Vile Tribe, and Master Mel was a good friend of both our parents. He told me what happened."  
"So did Mom and Dad, though in their own way," Mimi replied.

Sheyra had once been a prominent member of the Vile Tribe, heir to throne after Queen Skarde. However, unlike most of the tribe, she was more…diplomatic, wanting to establish a treaty between the clan, the governments of Lunar, and the Goddess herself. She wanted her brethren to return to the lands of Lunar, but weren't inhabited by humans.

Phacia, who wanted peace as well, agreed. Enough of their loyal followers had died in battle. The war had gone on for a century, with the Death of Dragonmaster Teal. It would end, one way or another, with Dragonmaster Dyne.

However, their other two sisters, Xenobia and Royce, didn't agree. However, Xenobia wanted more than just Sheyra removed. She wanted to become the ruler of the Vile Tribe, believing that their mother would agree with the eldest. And so, she hatched a plan with Royce.

Phacia, who learned of the plan, tried to warn her sister, but she was locked in her room by the guards. And no amount of pleading would get her out that night. With her out of the way, the other two could carry out their plan.

In the dead of night, Royce slipped some poison into the queen's evening drink, before having it sent up to her room. Almost an hour later, the queen was found dead, with all of the characteristics of the demon's version of a heart attack.

Xenobia took a more direct approach. Walking right into Sheyra's room, she challenged her for the leadership of the clan. Sheyra accepted, and lost. She would have been killed, but Xenobia decided to let her live. Instead, she banished her from the Tribe lands, under the penalty of death.

"Afterwards," Lilika continued, "she joined Althena's forces, and aided in many skirmishes." She looked at her sister. "It's all in the history books."

"I don't doubt it." Mimi frowned. "How did Mom and Dad meet, anyways?"

Lilika frowned. "Master Mel told me that father was a pirate aboard his ship when they found her, floating on a piece of driftwood. Xenobia had taken her, and thrown her into the water unhealed. They were able to get her out. Father and Mel nursed her back to health, and offered to drop her off at the next port."

"Lemme guess, that's when Dyne entered the picture."

"Yes." The striped haired girl smiled. "But, anyways, after Mel and Dyne had their legendary battle, our parents were inseparable. And, almost five years later, they were bonded together."  
"Bonded…you mean, they were married?"

"That's what they call it on Earth?"  
"Yeah. So…" Mimi hesitated for a moment. "When did our parents leave Lunar?" she asked.

Lilika became thoughtful. "I think they left about…sixteen years ago, just before the end of the Heresy Wars, with Althena's blessing." She closed her eyes. "One of us had to stay behind, so Mother brought me to Meribia. My foster mother told me that when mother gave me up, she was…crying when she asked her to take care of me." A tear slid down her face. "She said that the Goddess would want me to be happy."

"Hold on," Mimi interrupted. "Why couldn't she take both of us?"

Blue eyes met brown eyes. "Because portal technology back then was nowhere near as advanced. Only three people could go through at a time."  
"Why'd they go through?"

Lilika sighed. "They wanted a new life," she replied. "Mother had just given birth to us, and knew that she couldn't keep fighting. So, they wanted to start anew on another realm." She laughed bitterly. "And Dyne let them. And because of that, I couldn't get to know my family."

Mimi started smiling. "Well, now you can get to know me," she said, her old fire returning. "That's gotta count for something."  
Lilika started smiling again. "I think I would like that. And I think it will be good to have some family around… especially since I can get to tease said-family about something that I heard several nights ago."

"What…?" Mimi's eyes widened. "You heard?" she whispered, then mentally kicked herself. "Of course you heard. Better than average hearing." She looked at her sister. "You won't tell anyone…will you?"

Her sister held up her hand, giggling. "Do not worry, your secret is safe with me." She leaned in. "So, what happened?" she asked.

Mimi grinned, and she let the old subject drop for now. Maybe having a sister around wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

Matt and Ginny walked out of the Guild, deep in conversation. "So, Professor McGonagall knew about this…Stargate thingy, and that it's on my dad's property," Ginny mused. 

"I know. It boggles the mind." Matt looked at the Guild for a second. "I mean, Vane had the device that could have gotten us home all of this time, and we never knew. If we had, we'd probably be home by now." He grinned. "On the other hand, if we had, then Vane would probably have been overrun, and I would never have met you, dreams or no dreams."

Ginny giggled. "Those are good points. In this case, I'd say that ignorance was the best choice." She sighed. "I wish I could go with you," she confessed. "To Meribia, I mean."

"You still have school to deal with. And from what you've told me, Hogwarts is the best magic school in your own world." Matt frowned when she saw Ginny's gaze became distant. "Ginny?"

The redhead turned to stare at him. "I'm not sure that I can stay at Hogwarts," she said. "Too many bad memories."  
"Like dwarves singing bad valentines?" Matt asked.

Ginny gasped, turning to him. "I thought you had forgotten that!"  
"Not a chance. I feel bad for Harry. It was addressed to him, after all."

Ginny buried her head into her hands. "I'm never going to live that down," she groaned.

"It's the thought that counted," Matt replied, taking sympathy for him.

"Too true." Ginny had to chuckle. Abruptly, she turned around and hugged him. "Thanks for being such a good friend. I really needed one."

Matt returned the hug, blushing slightly. "Don't mention it. You're a good friend, too." He pulled back. "But I think that Harry and Hermione think of you as a friend. No one else would have put up with you being distant this long."

Ginny smiled. "I think you're right."  
"I know I am. Want to get something to eat?"  
"Sure." Ginny started skipping in the direction of one of the restaurants, hair whirling around her.

Matt watched her go, then shook his head, smiling as he followed her. One thing was certain, being Ginny's friend would never be boring.

* * *

McGonagall walked down the main street of Vane, heading for the home where her family resided in, feeling a pang of nervousness for the first time in twenty Lunarian years. This was her first contact with her family in that many years. 

Thirty seconds later, she found herself directly in front of parents door, fidgeting slightly. Lemia had suggested that she go and visit her parents before she returned to Hogwarts. McGonagall had argued. She was now almost seventy three years of age, which was almost thirty years more than her parents now. Why she had caved in, she would never know.

Steeling herself, she knocked. Inside, she heard a female voice say, "I'll get it!" Twenty seconds later, the door opened to reveal a woman around twenty. "Can I help you?" she asked.

McGonagall was about to answer, when another voice called out, "Who is it?" that voice asked, before a middle aged woman walked into view. She took a good look at her. "Milady, I don't know what you're doing here, but I think…" she stopped, taking a very good look at McGonagall. Her eyes widened, as if she had noticed something. "Minerva…" she whispered.

McGonagall smiled. "Hello, mother."

* * *

"I still can't believe that you found a way to contact our home," Serena said from her seat, which was situated at a currently vacant console in the rear of the bridge. 

Amy grinned. "Well, it's simply a matter of setting the cross dimensional communication with the time dilation shift of Existence, and…" She stopped at Serna's disapproving look. "Sorry. But, anyway, I set it for Hope Island's communication frequency."

"You can do that?" Artemis asked, surprised.

"Gi and I are friends. We met at a marine biologists idea of summer camp when I was eight years old. And she gave me the communication frequency last year…well, our last year."

Luna whistled. "You never cease to amaze me, Sailor Mercury."

"Sometimes, I amaze myself. Now cross your fingers or paws." Amy tapped the comm controls. "Hope Island, this is Sailor Mercury. Planeteer's, please respond…"

* * *

Harry and Hermione walked along the Guild's many roads, taking in all the sights around them. It was their first time in a parallel reality, and they were curious as to what Ginny had seen for herself. 

"And there is the item shop," Agumon finished grandly, gesturing at the building in question. "It's somewhat small, but then again, Vane is pretty small itself."  
"So we've noticed." Hermione stared at the building in awe. "And the items in it…can help their magicians recover their magical power?"  
Agumon gave her an alligators grin. "In all actuality, it refreshes their minds." He rubbed his hands together. "So, what's the story with Ginny and Matt?"

Harry shrugged. "You tell me. We only know that she's been in contact with him."

Sora nodded. "That's more than we know," she said. "But, then again, he probably wanted to make sure that she wasn't a figment of his imagination."  
"Likewise." Hermione looked around. "This place is amazing. I've never seen a city like this before on our world."

"Neither have we." Gabumon looked up. "Hey, Agumon. I think that's Palmon over there with Biyomon."

The orange lizard suddenly blushed. "Well, I guess we'll leave you guys now," he said. "Talk to ya later!" With that, he and Gabumon started jogging over to where the two female Digimon were walking.

Harry chuckled. "Some things never change, regardless of the realm you're in."

"Too true." Abruptly, Sora turned around. "I want to thank you guys for coming to help us. It means a lot."

"Don't mention it," Hermione told her. "I'm sure that, if our positions had been reversed, you would have done the same for us."

Sora's smile grew. "I'm sure we would. So, want to see the library?"

Hermione's eyes widened in delight. "Would I?"

Harry groaned. Another day spent in a library. He was doomed.

* * *

Alex sat down in an empty classroom, taking a deep breath as he did so. The last three hours had been hell on his back and shoulders, and they were letting him know it. After today, he was going to find something that would allow him greater flexibility in battle. 

"Hey, Alex."

Alex turned his head slowly, his eyes fastening on Luna's deep pools of blue. "Luna," he said quietly. "Hey, how are you doing?"  
Luna smiled. "I'm doing fine now, though I don't think my vocal cords are ever going to be the same again." She looked at him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said, shrugging, then wincing as he did so. "Just a little sore. Three hours of fighting can wreak havoc on a man's body…especially with muscles like these."

"Yes, I've noticed. Though your problem can be easily solved." Luna walked over to him. "How about I give you a shoulder rub? It may help release some tension."

Alex thought about it for about half a second, then nodded. "I'd like that." He felt Luna sit down behind him, and then felt her hands settle on his shoulders, slowly started to knead his shoulders, using a gentle touch that he knew could break his defenses down if she wanted to do anything to him.

And it was doing two things to him. One, his shoulder muscles were relaxing. Two, his hormones were starting to rage.

Luna felt Alex tense slightly, then relax again, and smiled. He was definitely a boy, though one trying to keep his hormones from becoming a nuisance. Though he wasn't the only one who was becoming affected by it. Her body was also reacting. Alex's shoulders through the shirt were almost like iron, hard and unyielding. It excited her.

Alex shifted slightly. "Umm, I think my shoulders are fine now," he said.

Luna smiled, then got up, walking around him so she was in front. "Just as well," she said softly. "I don't think that there was anything else I could do."  
Alex looked into her eyes for a moment. Then, before the thought had completely processed through his head, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

Luna's eyes widened slightly, then slowly drifted closed as she leaned into the kiss, one of her hands coming to rest on the side of his head to hold him there. All rational thought fled for a time as they poured their feelings into that simple kiss.

The two finally separated, staring at each other for several moments. "Well," Alex said after a moment, "I guess that…answers a few questions."

Luna giggled. "Do you want to get some lunch?" she asked.

"Of course." He held out his arm. Still giggling, Luna slipped her hand into it.

* * *

Joe read something in a healer medical book, then looked up, realizing what it meant. "Hey, Tai! Izzy!" he called out. "I found something that you two might find interesting!"  
The two Digi-Destined walked over to him. "What?" Tai asked. 

Without a word, the Digi-Destined of Reliability handed the book over to Tai, pointing to the paragraph in question. Confused, Tai read the paragraph, then turned it over to Izzy, who read it as well.

Those of Lunarian birth, the great healer Gregory has concluded after thirty years of research, will mature at a normal rate until their thirteenth birthday. Then, if they possess even the slightest hint of magic in their being, they will accelerate to full maturity, which includes a massive growth spurt, and increased muscular development, among other things. Why this is, none can say. However, it only occurs with the population of Lunar.

Tai and Izzy looked at each other, then at the book again. "This explains…just about everything," Izzy stated nonchalantly.

"That goes without saying." Tai closed the book.

"Explains what?" Mimi asked, walking up to them with Lilika.

Izzy stood, giving Mimi a hug. "Mimi, you, myself, and Tai were apparently born on Lunar."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out, as well as something about myself."

"That's the reason why we've matured so fast."

Now Mimi was surprised. "Sis?" she inquired.

"Isn't it like that on Earth?" Lilika asked, surprised as she sat down next to Joe.

Mimi sighed, shaking her head negative. "Care to explain?"

"Well, no one knows for sure, but there are many theories. Some believe that all the magic in the air, water, and ground boosts our cellular structure somewhat over the years. Others believe that it is the Goddess's last gift to us. Personally, I think it's genetic." She shrugged. "That's what I think anyways."

Oh, is that all?" Tai replied, frustration gripping him.

Mimi was silent for a moment. "What about…sexually?"

Lilika thought about it for a moment. "Around the same time."

Mimi and Izzy traded glances. That explained a great deal to both of them.

"Will we grow anymore?" Tai asked.

"No. We actually stop growing for a few years, until our actual age hits seventeen. Then we have another growth spurt, until we get about…twenty one. Another stop, and then we age normally."

Mimi sighed. "Which means I could have sex, and no one would know that I was thirteen."

"It means I could enroll in high school, and no one would know the difference," Izzy put in.

Tai chuckled. "Not that it would make a difference anyways. You'd make them all look stupid anyways."

The two ladies giggled as Izzy tried to look humble, but failed. Lying was never one of his strong suits.

* * *

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars were busy looking at one of the powerful plasma cannons located on the roof of the Magic Guild, checking it's power regulator and firing mechanism. They were gathering information on how it worked, and if there was a way for Sailor Mercury to improve on it. 

"So," Lita grunted, moving the massive cannon with a little difficulty, "whaddya think about Mimi's explosion earlier? Ya think she might be a demon?"

Rei was thinking about that. "If she is, then it was a surprise to her as well." She nodded once. "Okay, Lita, you can stop moving it. It's in perfect working order."

"Thank god." The Sailor Senshi of Jupiter, stood up, stretching her back muscles out a bit. "I swear, these things were designed to deliberately break my back bone."

"Don't worry. I think it's more automatic than manual labor." Rei looked up. "Even after all of this time, I can't get over the fact that Earth is hovering over us, uninhabitable."

"That makes two of us," Lita assured her. "But right now, we need to focus on strengthening Vane's defenses. We can figure out the whole Blue Star thing later."

"Good point. Now, let's check out the torpedo launcher…"

* * *

Sailor Venus wandered aimlessly along the streets of Vane, not really doing anything. Unlike the other Scouts, who all had extremely powerful responsibilities, she was really only good for combat. And, after she had almost released a powerful gas in their medical bay, she was asked to leave. Now, she was bored. 

"Hey there, Venus."

Mina looked down. "Oh, hi, Gomamon." She dropped down to pick him up. "So, what are you doing out here without Joe?"

Gomamon grinned. "I saw Lilika and Mimi heading for the library, and I remembered that Joe and Izzy were there. So, I decided to allow Joe the pleasure of her company without me around. I decided to wander the streets. You?"

"I almost caused a catastrophe, so they kicked me out of the lower levels. So I am bored out of my mind."

"Bad luck."  
"Yeah."

"So, want to wander with me in your arms for a while? Fins don't make good feet."

Mina nodded. "I could use some company." She started walking again. "So, tell me about your plans for Mimi and Izzy."

* * *

Angemon and Angewomon were extremely busy…but not with any business that was conductive to their newest problem. Instead, they were occupied with…contact procedures. The ones that had periods of breaking off for air at various intervals. 

"Do you…think…" Angewomon asked between kisses, "we should…get back…to…the others?"

"We…have communicators that…they can…use to contact us…when it's…time to go," Angemon replied. "And…this is…very enjoyable."

Angewomon smiled. That it was. Now she saw what humans found so fascinating about kissing. It showed a new side to the two of them, as well.

Finally, they stopped, breathing heavily. "I think we should get back to the others," Angewomon whispered huskily, feeling every part of her body crying out to be near him.

Angemon's body was acting the very same way. "I agree," he replied, his voice equally hoarse, "but only because we probably don't have enough time to get better…acquainted."

The female angel nodded, chuckling slightly.

* * *

Greg observed as the military mages of Vane went through various training exercises, preparing to protect the home from an attack from the Vile Tribe. He was amazed by how much pain they were willing to take, what with the punishing punches, chops, and kicks that were being administered. The only time he had seen anything like that, was back in the Silver Millennium, when he had used his powers to see Colonel O'Neil go through Special Op's training. In the Twentieth Century, he had met the man, and told him to watch out for his trainer's lateral kick. The man heeded his advice, and was able to keep himself from being bedridden for three weeks. 

Mia walked up to him. "I would say it was impressive," she said, "if I wasn't hurt just watching it."

Greg nodded. "When I served the Negaforce, I was screened through a difficult series of tests. When I was the only one left, they sent me against Malachite, where he bent me like a pretzel. When I got back up afterwards, thoroughly impressing him, they made me one of the seven Shadows." He grimaced, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "One of the worst decisions in my two lives," he added.

T.K., who had been silent, looked up. "But it also gives you a tactical advantage. You understand how the Negaverse works. You understand their tactics, how they operate, and what type of weapons they use. You know Queen Beryl, and her obsessions." He grinned. "So you've become our new best friend."

Kari smiled as well. "Hey, we might as well say our good byes to those four wizards. We're going to be leaving soon."  
Greg nodded. "Hopefully, they'll be left alone for a while."

"Not a chance of that, I fear," Mia said quietly.

On that, the three of them agreed.

* * *

McGonagall walked into the Stargate room two hours later, feeling more at ease with herself. Talking to her family had been very beneficial, and so relieving. 

Reaching the Stargate, she saw Harry, Hermione, and Ginny talking to various members of the Alliance. Ginny was smiling, which had been a rare occurrence up until the last few weeks. _'Young Ishida has been a good influence on her,'_ she thought.

Harry looked behind him, seeing McGonagall. "Is it time to go back?" he asked.

McGonagall nodded, nodding in greeting to those assembled. "Miss Weasley, please dial the coordinates to our home realm."

Ginny started punching the cartages on the DHD, with Matt watching her. After doing so, the Stargate activated in it's dramatic way.

Sora whistled. "Incredible," she said.

"I like to think so." Ginny gave Matt another hug. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Definitely." Matt turned to Harry and Hermione. "It was a pleasure to meet both of you," he said. "And for being there for Ginny."

Hermione smiled. "Likewise, Matt." She bowed to them all. "Good bye. Maybe we'll see each other again."

Sailor Moon grinned. "We'll make a guarantee out of that."

McGonagall nodded, then walked through the gate, followed by Ginny and Hermione. Harry stopped for a moment, giving the Alliance a salute, before stepping through. The gate shut immediately afterwards.

Tai turned to the Digi-Destined and Alex. "Let's go," was all he said.

It was time to return to Meribia…and to start their newest journey.

* * *

The Revelations are over, but the discoveries are just beginning. My apologies for the delay. It took me several days to find a computer that was willing to cooperate with me so I could edit this. Also, by Lunarian standards, Izy and Mimi are old enough to do just abot anything, include drinking. (Wasn't that way in the game, but like I said, I'm adapting.) However, there will be nothing going between Joe and Lilika, or Tai and Sora. Nothing with Serena or Darien either. The rapid growth is actually how the people of Lunar judge aging. How it happens, I haven't really worked that out yet. 

Okay, I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am not giving up on _Secar Triad. _The bad news is that we had to reboot our computer, and everything I had worked on at the time is gone. I'm not going to go through that again.

Also, after some careful consideration, I won't be working on Captain Planet: Armageddon for several months. I had read over Chapter Nine, and found that I didn't like it, so I'm starting it over. The problem is, I don't know which way to go with it, so I'm asking you all for suggestions. Anything, even a half assed wise crack will be appreciated.

Next episode: It's time to play, the dating game! The moment you've all been waiting for is here! All the Digimon's plans will come to fruition.


	37. Episode Thirty Five: Date Time

Digimon: Silver Star Story

__

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Thirty Five: Date Time**

The Digimon nodded. The plan was now complete. They had the perfect setting. The timing was perfect. And Izzy and Mimi were completely unaware. Now they had only one thing left to do; Speak to Ghaleon and Hell Mel.

Which was why they were all presently standing outside of Mel's office, preparing themselves for their second meeting with a beastman.

"Does anyone else have any last minute thoughts before we enter?" Agumon asked.

Palmon shrugged. "Only that he didn't kill us the first time we were here. Why would he do it this time?"

"Out of sheer boredom," Gomamon replied, smirking.

The other rookie levels turned to look at him.

Angemon sighed. "Don't kill him yet. We might have use for him."

"You mean you haven't had use of me yet!" Gomamon stared at the angelic in disbelief. "I'm offended!"

"You would," Joe grumbled.

Greg and Tai suppressed a chuckle at this. "Let's go," the Seer said. "They're probably expecting us."

Izzy opened the door, grinning. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing for Mimi to go through.

"Why, thank you, good sir," Mimi replied, curtsying before walking through with Luna, both of them giggling softly.

Tai and Agumon looked at each other, then shook their heads. _'Izzy and Alex, prepare to be surprised,' _Agumon thought.

* * *

"…And that's everything I know of the situation as it stands at this moment," Ghaleon finished gravely, red eyes flickering ominously. "Visiting the White Dragon to gather more information is quite prudent at this time."

Mel nodded, leaning back. "Whaddya think?" he asked.

Ghaleon took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I suspect that the Magic Emperor is aspiring to become the Dragonmaster before young Alex. Unfortunately, only Quark will know for certain."

"The Magic Emperor…now that's a frightening thought." The governor was already reviewing everything that he had learned over the week. "The fact that he hijacked Lemia's power lends weight to yer argument, though…how's the lass doing, anyways, Ghaleon?"

"Several cracked ribs, energy lashes across her chest and back, some blood loss, one her feet was broken, and her neck was garroted. It will take several trips to the Goddess Statue, as well as physical therapy to repair all the damage." Ghaleon closed his eyes. "It was Thorak, Mel," he added.

The beastman's fist slammed down onto his desk as he roared, startling Jessica, who had been listening intently. "If I ever get me hands on him, he'll wish he was never born!" he bellowed.

"Get in line."

Jessica looked over in the direction of the voice, her jaw dropping. "You guys…" she said, at the same time Nall said, "What?"

"Huh?" Mel looked at his daughter.

Jessica recovered quickly enough. "Dad, it…uh…looks like that we have guests!"

Mel's gaze shifted to the Digi-Destined. "Oh, Alex! Digi-Destined! Welcome!"  
Alex bowed. "Good to see you, Mel," he said. "Master Ghaleon."

"I heard of your story from Ghaleon…How did ya do in Vane?"

Tai sat down. "Oh, you know. The usual. Demons, imposters, old enemies. Not to mention the Sunak."

Mel chuckled. "Well, when you put it that way…" he frowned. "Oh, before I forget…this is my daughter, Jessica." He turned to her. "Jessica…aren't you going to say hello?" he asked.

Jessica stood up. "Of course." She bowed to them. "How do you do, Alex? My father told me so much about you…"

Tai and Alex traded a confused look. Did Jessica hit her head or something? Why was she acting…proper?

Nall voiced their combined confusion. "Hell-_ooo_? What're you talking about, Jessica? Do have a brain cramp or something?"

"And what a fascinating creature you've brought with you…" She leaned in slightly. "Nall, shut _up!_" she hissed.

"Interestin. That's put in delicately." Mel looked at Nall with narrowed eyes for a second.

Angewomon chuckled. "We should call him and Gomamon the irritating duo."

"Leave me outta this!" Gomamon snapped.

Mel laughed. "So, Whaddya think, lad? Isn't my daughter the most beautiful lass ya ever lay eyes on?"

Alex turned to look at Luna, then at Jessica for a second. "Well, if I answer yes, Luna will kill me, and if I answer no, you might kill me, so I am going to be diplomatic, and say that she is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met."

Luna smiled. "Very diplomatic," she whispered in his ear.

"Thank you," Alex whispered back. "Well, Master Ghaleon, what's the plan?"

Ghaleon got up. "There's no time to waste, as you well know. We need a new Dragonmaster." He looked at Alex. "I hesitated to become one because of Dyne…but I can't let my personal feelings prevent me from doing what must be done."

Alex stiffened slightly in realization. The moment that he brought Ghaleon to Quark, then his own quest to become a Dragonmaster was officially over. He knew that it was necessary, but it still hurt. He also knew that there was no other alternative. Ghaleon, with all of his power, would be able to easily pass the Dragon Trials.

Still, though…

"We must meet with Quark and learn the location of the other three Dragons," Ghaleon continued, jaw set. "If we fail, the Magic Emperor will become impossible to defeat. Our mission, therefore, is of the utmost importance."

Tai nodded. "Understood." He shot Alex a look. "However, we have to be realistic here, as well. You may be powerful, but from what we've seen in the White Dragon Cave, you need to meet certain requirements. And forgive me for saying so, but you might not meet those requirements."

Ghaleon nodded. "Understandable. And I was not suggesting that Alex's quest should end. If I fail, then Alex will most likely succeed." He smiled at Alex. "I meant what I said about you having as much power as Dyne did in his prime. And his power was considerable."

Alex relaxed. He should have seen that coming. Ghaleon was not egotistical. He knew that there was a chance that he wouldn't pass the Trials, so another person would be there to make the attempt. "So what about transport?" he asked, more at ease.

Mel sighed. "Unfortunately, the ship to Caldor Isle isn't ready yet, but the sailors are working double time. It should be ready to sail by tomorrow morning."

Alex looked at Tai. "We might as well find an inn then," he said, "unless we want to sleep on the streets."

Jessica, who had been silent, suddenly stood up. "Dad, why don't we let Alex and his friends stay here for the night? I'd love to hear tales of their adventures."

Mel grinned. "That's a fine idea, Jessica!" He turned to look at his daughter with concern. "But you won't be scared by their stories, will ya?"

"I'll be fine, Dad!" she replied, walking around the desk. "All right then! Alex, make yourself at home!"  
Izzy and Mimi exchanged knowing looks. Jessica was a great actress. She was fooling her father rather well.

* * *

Jessica stopped at the first door in the hallway, gesturing to them to hurry up. "Here's my room, you guys!" she explained.

Mimi gaped. "_This_ is your room? And here I thought that Mel had turned this into a shrine."

"Yeah, Dad told me about that day. You and I are the same dress size? Cool." The half beastman grinned. "Relax, people! Take a load off! How'd the dress fit?"

Mimi started grinning as well. "Like a glove," she replied. "Izzy definitely appreciated it."

"As did every warm blooded male in the room." Angewomon speared her counterpart a look.

"Hey!" Angemon protested. "I'm not the one who was checking out Izzy's behind every once in a while!"  
Mimi turned to stare at the female angelic. "Really?" she drawled.

Angewomon smirked. "One for one, Mimi."

Jessica started laughing. "Okay, you guys are crazy!"

Nall looked at her. "Are you feeling okay? One second you're…you, the next, you're completely different!"

"Yes, I feel fine, Nall! You just don't get it, do you?"

"Umm…no?"

Jessica almost started laughing again. "Of course I remember you guys!" she said. "I just couldn't say anything in front of my dad…"

"And why not?" Mimi asked.

At this, Jessica became wistful. "My father is always telling me how much I remind him of my mom. If he ever found out that I was really like _him_…and that I was sneaking out of the Shrine to go on my own adventures…He'd freak out!" She chuckled. "And I'd be grounded until I was fifty!"

Alex and Tai shared a look of shared commiseration. Boy, did they _ever_ know the feeling?

(Bad luck of the draw,) Ginny noted.

(Tell me about it,) Matt replied.

Luna just stared at her in disbelief. "How do you stand it?" she asked. "I could never keep my true self hidden away…" She looked down to the ground. "Not from someone who cares for me as your father cares for you…"

Jessica nodded. Yeah, you probably wouldn't be able to. You're much too honest for your own good. Too emotional in some instances."

"Which is a good thing," Biyomon added. "That way, Mimi isn't the only emotional one here."

"Hey!" Mimi exclaimed. "You want emotional, see Serena!"  
"We _have_." Greg shuddered. "I swear, she has more mood swings than Beryl!"

Jessica sighed. "Oh, well," she said. "So, what happened to you guys in Vane? No one's going to sleep, or doing anything else, until I get every unsavory detail!"

Alex chuckled. "Well, it started something like this…" And, over the course of twenty minutes, he proceeded to do just that. From the moment they set foot in Vane for the second time, all the way to the revelations that they had made, and finally ending with the arrival of the Sunak. "And that's all I've got to say about that," he finished lamely.

Jessica frowned. "So, everyone at the Shrine was enchanted by the spell? How embarrassing!"

"Probably. You're lucky you skipped school that day!" Nall piped in.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, Nall!"

Palmon giggled. "Well, now that we've had _that_ enlightening conversation." She clapped her vines together. "I need to talk to all of you, with the exception of Jessica, Mimi, and Izzy." She looked at the boy. "Izzy, go talk to Mel about something. Jessica, Mimi, do…whatever it is that human girls do." She walked out of the room, the rest of the Digi-Destined, Digimon, and Alex and Luna right behind her.

Izzy chuckled. "Their strategy is set."

"The operation is set in motion," Mimi added mysteriously.

Jessica laughed. "How long have you guys known about this?"

"Just before Tai obtained the Katana of Courage," Mimi replied. "Guess we're going to have to disappoint them."

"Mimi…"

"No, don't say anything, Izzy. You know as well as I do, that once word of what I am gets out to the rest of Lunar, I'm screwed. And so is anyone who is emotionally attached to me."

_"What_ you are?" Jessica looked at her confused. "What are you talking about?"

Mimi opened her mouth, then closed it, turning away, unable to reply. Izzy put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it comfortably. "She's a half demon," he explained. "She and Lilika both." He waited for a moment. "They're sisters."

"What!" The half beastman stared at Mimi, several little nuggets of information suddenly making sense. "Oh, how could I've been so blind? No human could have used such power, and not feel it's effects later on!"

"That makes two of us," Mimi murmured, not turning to meet her gaze.

"But hey, you're absolutely right! If word of this ever got out, then you'd be hunted down! Just one question, whose your mom?"

"Sheyra."

Jessica deflated. "On second thought, you're not in that much danger," she said. "Sheyra was very well liked by the people of Lunar. She was the warrior of Sincerity, after all." She grinned. "Anyone who had that crest could be trusted!" she said.

"Must run in the family." Mimi's smile started to reassert itself. "My crest is the Crest of Sincerity." She turned around, the sparkle back in her eyes. "Guess we'll let them have their fun."

"Undeniably." Izzy rolled his shoulders for a second before heading for the door. "I am going to talk to Master Mel until Palmon is ready for me to see you again." He gave Mimi a quick peck on the cheek. "See you later," he whispered, heading out the door.

Mimi's smile grew. "So, Jessica," she asked. "What do you think I should wear tonight?"

Jessica grinned fiercely. "Let's find out…"

* * *

Palmon nodded. "Do we have the reservations?"

"All set," Gabumon reported.

"Band?"

"They've got them," Agumon replied.

"Spies?"

"Call me mon. Tentomon."

"Ha, ha. We're all set in the little details, Biyomon?"

"Ready."

Palmon rubbed her vines together in anticipation. "Then let Operation: Playing Cupid commence."

"And may we survive," Agumon added.

The Digimon all agreed with that.

* * *

Izzy chuckled in disbelief. "You're telling me that Dyne wasn't in love with the Goddess? It seems rather impossible."

Mel chuckled, though he chuckled mirthfully. "It's the truth," he replied. "That makes him the first I've read about, or known. When I think about it, it sends shivers down me spine."

"So…did he ever find someone?"

Now Mel laughed. "He did. It didn't go well at first. He was very carefree, and she was too strict at the time due to her experiences. She began mellowing out during the travels though, and he grew a little more serious." He grinned even more. "Roughly put, they began to see things from the other's point of view."

The Digi-Destine of Knowledge frowned. "Well, what was her name?" he asked.

"Uh, uh, I ain't tellin' you that! It's only known in the Hero circle, so we honor her wishes to remain…anonymous to the rest of the world." He turned to look at the axe. "But ya didn't come down here to ask me questions, did ya."

"Not really. I'm just waiting for the others to unleash their well thought plans on myself and Mimi." Izzy leaned in. "I confess to a certain curiosity as to what their strategy is, and why they are planning it out like a battle."

"That's because they're afraid of Sheyra's daughter!" Mel roared with laughter at the surprised expression on Izzy's face. "I knew who she was when she first stepped through the door the first time!" His eyes spoke of the mirth that was always there. "She's quite the lass, ain't she?"

"Undeniably so," Izzy replied, then perked up as he heard something approach. "I believe we're about to have a bug problem."

"That was fast. I was hoping for forty minutes."

Izzy nodded, smiling something. "Hello, Tentomon."

The insect Digimon landed. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to actually look at someone when you greet them, especially if it's your Digimon partner," he chastised him irritably.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you for another thirty seven minutes."

"I don't even want to know how long you've known that we were planning this."

Izzy grinned. "Don't worry, I'll act surprised…which won't be difficult, seeing as how I have no idea on what Mimi will be wearing." He turned to look at his partner. "And I have no doubt that you will all be watching from the bushes with hooded eyes, making notes on everything that happens."

Tentomon's eyes showed his amusement. "Have a pleasant date, buddy."

* * *

Alex's wooden sword clacked with his opponents, testing his grip on the blade. It was pretty firm. A quick flurry of blows, then a disengage, as the two sized up each other's strengths and ability. Then came another flurry of attacks, putting a little more force behind their blows.

The soldier swung overhead, which Alex ducked, whirling. He continued his whirl, until he was facing the same direction he had been before, the tip of his sword pressing into the man's chest. "You're dead," he said.

"Apparently." The soldier wiped the sweat off his forehead. "You're as good as Dyne, maybe even better. Who trained you?"

Alex grinned. "Sturgis Cashion," he replied.

The guard whistled. "You and the Dragonmaster both, then," he said in admiration. "He learned almost everything he knew from the colonel as well." He bowed. "I'm going to take a shower. Could you put these back?"

"Sure." Alex grabbed the soldiers sword, and headed over to the training facilities weapon rack. It was tall enough to hide a person from view, though it wasn't closed off, thus making it easy to move in and out. It also had the benefit of being near a water fountain.

Picking up his canister, he filled it up with water, then took a deep swallow. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck with a towel before putting the two practice swords on one of the racks. He wiped his head off, then prepared to pick up a staff to practice with for a while.

"Alex?"

Alex turned his head in the direction of the voice. "Luna!" he said in surprised delight. "I didn't know you were here." He smiled. "So, what can I do for you?"

Luna looked around for a moment. "Well, I wanted to ask you something."

Alex nodded, turning around fully and rolling his shoulders. "Okay, what?"

Luna blinked. For the first time, she noticed that he was not wearing a shirt. In fact, he was wearing only a pair of training slacks. Her legs trembled slightly.

"Well?" Alex asked, rolling his shoulders again. After a moment, he realized that Luna was staring, and kept himself from grinning. He had seen many of the girls he had met throughout his journey, as well as in Burg stare at him in a similar fashion. He had no idea why they did that. He didn't then, he did now. Apparently, not even Luna was immune. She was blushing.

Luckily, she recovered quickly, though it required her to close her eyes. "Well, I was wondering, if you weren't busy and all…if you wanted to get something to eat."

Alex thought about it for about half a second. "Well…sure," he replied. "Just let me shower…whatever that means…and get dressed."

"Okay." Luna started turning around to walk out.

"Hey, Luna."  
Luna turned back in Alex's direction. "Ye-?"

She was cut off when Alex, moving quickly, leaned in and kissed her. She mumbled for a moment in surprise before closing her eyes, and leaning into it, enjoying the sensations running through her.

Abruptly, the kiss ended as Alex stepped back, grinning slightly. "See you in a few minutes," he said softly, before heading over to the showers.

Luna stayed where she was for a moment longer, stunned. Then, a smile spread over her face, and she felt like whooping for joy. "Now that is a boy who knows what he wants," she said to no one particular.

* * *

Izzy waited patiently outside Jessica's door, making sure that he had everything set. After his little talk with Mel and Tentomon, he had found an empty bathroom, and cleaned himself off. He had also discovered that he needed a shave, though he decided against it. After that, he had run into Palmon, who had told him to wait outside the room, smiling mysteriously as she did so.

Izzy knew the hidden meaning behind that smile, but he humored Mimi's partner, feigning ignorance. And besides, he was curious as to what Mimi was wearing. Knowing her, it would be something that was going to memorable.

The door cracked open a bit, and a set of blue eyes peeked through to stare at him. "Palmon sent you?" Jessica asked.

Izzy nodded. "I'm going to take a very good guess, and say that Mimi has selected tonight's attire."

"Oh, yeah," Jessica replied, a wicked grin forming on her face. "And I am sure that you'll find it…amazing." She gestured for him to enter. "In fact, you can see it for yourself."

Izzy walked in, looked in Mimi's direction…and promptly became entranced.

Mimi was wearing a dress that, like the dress she had worn previously, molded to her body. But where the white dress made her seem like a beautiful butterfly, this dress was more…sensual. It was made of black silk, the skirt flowing down her legs like a shimmering waterfall. Her hair was still down, but it had been combed. And she was presently staring at him with a sultry air.

Izzy came to a very logical, and singular conclusion; Mimi was drop dead sexy.

Mimi's gaze traveled over the young man. He had obviously spiffed up a bit as well. He had bought a new set of clothes, a set that had no cuts or holes in them. He had scrubbed down, though he seemed to have a five o'clock shadow on his jaw. It made him seem somewhat dangerous. _'He's aged,'_ she thought, a thrill of excitement going through her. "Hello, handsome," she purred.

Izzy, not immune to this, felt his insides turn to butter. "Hello, yourself, gorgeous," he returned huskily, giving her a once over. "You look…good enough for an angel."

Mimi, pleased with the praise, arched an eyebrow. "Only an angel?" she inquired.

The boy's smile grew. "Well, I could compare you to the Goddess, but she might grow vengeful and smite me."

"Too true. So, any idea as to where we're going?"  
"No. The Digimon will take us to wherever they put the reservations, and then promptly hide in the bushes with Matt."

"And ain't that the truth!" Jessica stated, laughing.

Izzy chuckled as well. "Well, shall we, m'dear?" he asked, holding out his arm.

"Of course, good sir." Mimi slid her hand through the proffered arm. "Lead the way."

* * *

(They've been planning this?) Ginny asked, disbelief coloring her tone. (What were they thinking they were planning for, World War III!)

(That was my first thought.) Matt chuckled. (But then I remembered that Mimi's temper these days can explode like a volcano.)  
(Interesting. You sure she isn't a Weasley?)

(Pretty sure.)

(Good. I don't want her and my Mum meeting down a dark alley at some point.)

Matt chuckled. (Pray they don't.) He checked his watch. (So I'll let you know when we're ready. Spying, I hear, is a great way to learn how a date goes. Tell Harry and Hermione I said hello.)

(Will do,) Ginny replied. (Talk to you in a bit.)

(Yeah, bye.) Matt closed the connection, before turning around to see Gabumon standing there, waiting patiently. "They leave?" he asked.

Gabumon nodded. "Tai and Sora opted out. Too bad."

"Yeah, too bad. They're the smart ones, and they probably wanted to get something to eat themselves. Got the food?"

"Yep. Are we Gellin?"

"Like Magellan. Let's go. Adventure awaits!"

"And death, quite possibly, death" Gabumon threw in.

"Too true," Matt conceded.

* * *

Izzy and Mimi entered the restaurant the Digimon had selected, making their way to the maitre'd. "Excuse me…but I was told that there were reservations made for 'Izumi, if I'm not mistaken?"

The maitre'd checked. "Izumi…Izumi…ah! Yes, we do have the reservations." He looked up. "Smoking or non-smoking?" he inquired.

The two traded looks of amusement. "Non-smoking."

"Thank you." The man waved a waitress over. "Please show them to table number fifteen."

The waitress nodded. "Please follow me," she said.

Izzy and Mimi did so, weaving through the various tables until they reached one situated near the dance floor, under the nightlight sky. A band was playing music, giving the place a romantic quality that it didn't already possess.

The waitress handed them two menus. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked. "We have some wine that has just reached it's prime."

The two teens looked at each other, coming to a singular conclusion. "We'll have a bottle of the 'Picard Noir.'"

"An excellent choice, sir." The waitress bowed. "I'll return shortly." As the waitress walked away, Izzy leaned back, taking a look around. "I wonder where they are hiding," he murmured.

"Behind me," Mimi replied. "I can see Palmon's flower amongst the bushes."

"They are doing exactly as we have predicted."

"Too true."

The waitress returned, bringing the bottle and two glasses with her. "Are you ready to order?" she asked.

The two ordered their meals, then settled back. Izzy filled their glasses, handing one to Mimi, and raising his own. "To the wonderful start to a wonderful relationship."

Mimi clinked her glass. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

"Hey, Ginny!" Harry said exasperatedly. "I hate it when you do that, especially when I want to talk to you!"

"Shh!" Ginny smirked. "I'm spying through Matt on Izzy and Mimi's date."

Hermione finished her Charms homework. "I think Matt has had a bad influence on you. You're starting to sound like him."

"You've only met him once, for crying out loud!"

"And Hermione's an excellent judge of character," Harry replied. "I mean, she's stood by me all of these years…even when she's working with an impossible schedule. How _are_ you able to do that, anyways?" he asked.

"I told you that I have it all worked out with Professor McGonagall. So concentrate on your own homework."

Harry frowned. "Strangely enough, I'm already done. Hence my standing here talking to Ginny."

"Ginny?" Hermione inquired.

"Homework done, studying done, insulting Malfoy, done."

"You insult Malfoy?" Harry was forced to ask.

"Constantly."

Harry was about to continue his interrogation, when Hermione looked up. "Oh, let Ginny spy in peace. How is it going anyways?" she asked.

Harry gaped at his bushy haired best friend as Ginny replied, "They're now eating…conversation is very relaxed…Gabumon is munching on a sandwich. Keep it down, fuzz ball."

"Sorry, Ginny."

Harry started laughing. "Such precision to detail. I don't think Hermione could do any better."

"She probably could. Oooooo, he's now escorting Mimi to the dance floor."  
Hermione looked up again, intrigued. "Now that sounds more interesting."

"And funny," Harry replied.

* * *

Matt chuckled. "Ginny's corrupting Hermione."

"I hate it when you do that," Gabumon grumbled. "I can hear them just fine. Candy bar?"

"Thanks."

* * *

Izzy and Mimi reached a spot close to the band, then stood, facing each other. Izzy bowed. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked.

Mimi curtsied. "I would be honored," she replied, keeping her eyes on Izzy's.

Two singers, one man and one woman, stepped up, smiling slightly. The woman gestured for the band to start playing again. Instantly, a guitarist started strumming, creating a soothing, romantic environment.

Mimi stepped forward, placing her outstretched hand in his, her other hand placing itself on his shoulder. Izzy's free hand rested at her waist…

…and in the Gryffindor Common Room at Hogwarts, Harry stood up, and walked over to Hermione, who had stopped working on her homework to listen. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Hermione looked up at him, smiling as she did so. "Okay."

The two moved into a similar position as the spied, though they were a little more nervous.

On two different worlds, two coupled slowly began to dance to the music that was playing.

Ginny smiled, knowing that the two behind her were dancing. _'I see more matchmaking in the future,'_ she thought. _'Though Ron will probably be upset.'_

Izzy looked at Mimi. It felt so right, them dancing like this. She seemed to fit his body, like a puzzle piece. And her smile was so peaceful, and still held the capability to light up a room, and entrancing him.

"What are you thinking about, Koushiro Izumi?" Mimi asked softly.

Izzy looked into her expressive eyes. "You, and how good it feels to hold you in my arms. Why? What are you thinking, Mimi Tachekawa?"

"The same…and how I am to have friends like you, who don't care how I look on the outside." Mimi's eyes glowed with joy. "And that care on how I am on the inside."

Harry and Hermione swayed in a circle. Surprisingly, neither one of them had stepped on the other's toe's yet. And they were having a good time.

"So, Harry," Hermione began. "When did you become such a good dancer?"

Harry shrugged. "I could ask the same of you, Miss Granger," he replied, smirking.

Hermione blushed.

Palmon put her head on Agumon's shoulder. "This is so romantic," she muttered.

Agumon nodded. "Yeah…"

Mimi put her head on Izzy's shoulder. Never before had she felt so safe in a person's arms. She didn't want the moment to end.

Izzy smiled, looking at her. He observed her honey colored hair, knowing that it wasn't it's real color, that it was a part of her disguise. "Mimi," he said softly. He waited until her head had risen. "One day, could you show me how you really look? Without the spell?"

Mimi sought his eyes, saw only bare naked honesty there. "Someday," she whispered.

Ginny's smile was so wide, a person would think that her jaw was hinged. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, but for the first time, they were tears of joy. (They look so good together,) she told Matt.

(That they do.) Matt's reply was so wistful, that Ginny knew that he envied them. (Don't worry, Matt. One day, you'll find the woman of your dreams.)

(I hope so.)

Harry felt an enormous weight lift off of him. For the first time in his life, he was at peace. He could ignore his demons, and ignore the fact that a convicted killer was after him. Here, he could just be a thirteen year old boy.

Izzy's eyes went from curious to heartfelt…and with an emotion Mimi had seen once before in his eyes.

Love.

She had no doubt the same emotion was in her own eyes. Not only in her eyes, but in her heart.

"Mimi…" Izzy began.

Mimi smiled slightly. "Don't bother telling me, Izzy. I already know. Just kiss me."

Chuckling, Izzy did so.

Hermione's chocolate brown eyes spoke of happiness, and she giggled. "We must do this again sometime."

"I know." Harry looked around. "Well, I guess that I should let you get back to your studies…" He didn't move though. Neither did she. They simply stared at each other, eyes not breaking contact once.

A small cough broke that contact, and they turned in Ginny's direction, embarrassed.

Ginny smiled. "Matt wishes to inquire if he should have the Digimon prepare for _your_ first date," she stated.

_"Matt!"_ Hermione shrieked.

Mimi broke the kiss off, laughing. "I think Matt has effectively alienated the entire Wizarding World."

Izzy grinned, heading over to the bush in question. "Hey, Matt," he said. "Tell Granger to keep it down. Some of us are trying to enjoy themselves!"  
Matt grimaced. (Ginny, why?) he asked.

(To make you sweat.) A slight pause, and then Ginny added, (Actually, now I'm going to go hide. The two of them have their wands out, and pointing at me.)

Matt looked at Gabumon. "I think they're going to do something to Ginny."

"I would run," Tentomon advised.

Matt heeded that advice, and practically sprinted out of the area. Thirty seconds later, two people, connected by thought, doubled over in laughter as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger cast tickling charms on the young redhead.

Izzy and Mimi watched as Matt staggered out of the restaurant in laughter, refraining from laughing themselves. "Victory," Izzy declared.

"Oh, yeah. Except…" Mimi turned, and pressed her lips against Izzy's again.

The rest of the evening went by without incident.


	38. Episode Thirty Six: Return to Burg

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

(Due to nudity and sexuality, this chapter has been Rated R for Mature. Final warning.)

(Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Theme song)

__

(Digimon Theme song)

**Episode Thirty Six: Return Trip**

Morning in Meribia made itself known the next day with the chirping of birds, the sun shining in a cloudless sky, and Luna waking up with the air of someone who had had a dream one too many times, and was getting really tired of it for that reason. Her, and the Six.

Everyone else in that room, basically Alex and Nall, awoke with smiles on their faces, andconfidence in their souls.

"Good morning, Luna!" Nall called out, his usual exuberant self for a few seconds, which disappeared when he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong? You look like you're about to faint…and so do you six, for that matter."

Mercury smiled wanly. "Good call, Nall."

Luna, of course, knew what they were talking about. "I…we…had the dream again," she confessed, speaking for all of them.

Alex grinned, though he knew that this wasn't funny. "Oh, come on, guys! That's all it is. Just a dream."

Greg turned to look at him. "Once or twice, it's a dream. This…is a serial nightmare."

"But, you're right, Alex," Luna continued, getting out of bed. "Let's…just bid Master Mel and our friends."  
"Good idea. Judging by the looks of it, Tai's ready to upgrade the defenses now. Let's leave before he shuts the port down."

"Good point," Kari grumbled.

* * *

In fact, Mel and Tai were already restructuring Merbia's defenses, arguing over little details like deployment of troops in case of an attack. Agumon was speaking to the commander's of the various patrols, having them begin war training. 

Kari grinned. It sounded like Tai was having a great deal of fun.

Mel perked up when he saw them enter the room. "Hey, boy's and girls!" he bellowed in greeting. "Did ya sleep well? I sure did!"

"Mel, you could sleep through a tornado, and still win a battle!" Greg looked around. "Where's Ghaleon?" he asked.

"Probably waiting for you at the harbor…" Mel threw Alex a significant look. "Best not keep him!"  
Alex threw off a crisp salute. "Understood. Tai, could you tell the others that we said good bye?"

Tai nodded. "Just…keep my little sister out of trouble," he told him.

"I am not like that, Tai!" Kari shouted.

T.K. grinned. "Mel, keep Tai out of trouble."  
Mel laughed as Tai turned to glare at the little boy. "Will do, kiddo!"

Tai simply remained silent. _'Kids,'_ he thought irritably. _'Can't live with them, can't get rid of them.'_

* * *

Ghaleon stood patiently by the boat, standing perfectly still as the now greatly diminished group approached. He seemed inherently interested by how the crew was loading cargo without the use of levitation charms. 

Angewomon shook her head in disbelief. "Is he ever impatient?" she grumbled.

"Probably not." Mercury smiled slightly. "Kind of like me."

T.K. laughed.

Ghaleon's head shifted slightly in the direction of the laugh, showing no surprise at the fact that they were there. "Good morning. I trust all of you slept well."

Alex smiled. "Some of us did," he replied.

"But we won't let that stop us," Greg added.

The Premier nodded. "You definitely seem refreshed. Are you ready to sail?"

Alex turned around, noticed eight heads nod affirmative. "We're ready."

Ghaleon nodded as well. "Then let us not waste another minute…to Burg!" He turned on his heel, and headed up the ramp. The group stepped up behind him.

* * *

The boat ride was pretty uneventful for the majority of the day. The sea was calm, and the wind was blowing favorably. Thus, they would be in Saith by tomorrow. 

Ghaleon had surfaced from below decks after lunch, speaking to Mercury about the various magical powers that existed on her world, and how they were triggered. He continued questioning each one of the Six in turn, displaying a single mindedness for knowledge that they would have found suspicious at any other given time. However, his voracious appetite for knowledge was well known throughout Lunar.

Finally, after two hours of this, Ghaleon at last turned his attention to the aspiring Dragonmaster with his piercing red eyes. "So, tell me…" he began, "what drives you to become a Dragonmaster?" He stepped forward so that he was standing next to Alex. "What drives you to attempt what so many others before you have tried and failed to achieve?"

Alex was struck dumb for a second, before he began thinking about the question. And it was a good question. Why did he want to become a Dragonmaster? It wasn't something that he thought about a great deal.

Luna stayed silent, allowing her love to think about his answer. She almost giggled as one of his eyelids twitched slightly. He was so cute when he was thinking!

Alex looked up. "Well, for starters I want to protect the people of our world…and all of the people that I care about," he answered with.

Ghaleon grimaced. "How…very noble of you."

Alex grinned. "But that's not the only reason. I…also want to be like Dyne, while making a name for myself. I want to say that I had a hand in protecting Lunar, that I had met teh Goddess Althena in person."

Now Ghaleon was speechless. Never before had a young man aspiring to be a Dragonmaster told him that. "Still," he said, recovering quickly, "a Dragonmaster's power is meant for far much more than mere protection…and the magnitude of his responsibility to wield that power is immeasurable." His gaze grew even shrewder. "May I ask you another question?"

Alex was now confused, though he said, "Okay."

"If you had to choose between the survival of the one you cared about most…or the lives of everyone in our world…which would it be? One, or many? Love, or duty?"

Alex was surprised, but he was also ready. "I guess the real question is: How can anyone really make that choice? How does one, especially a Dragonmaster, make that choice without knowing if it's the right one?"

"Dyne was never able to answer that question," Ghaleon informed him, impressed by the return question. "And, unfortunately, a Dragonmaster is forced to make such choices every day of his existence…" He suddenly chuckled. "But we're getting considerably ahead of ourselves. Aren't we? You're not even a Dragonmaster. Not even close."

"Too true." Alex looked out to the water. "However, you've given me something to think about on my journey."

"Indeed." The Premier walked back in the direction of the stairwell, stopping after a few feet. "The closer you are to becoming a Dragonmaster, the more important it will be to answer." He almost turned around, then stopped before turning to face Luna. "By the way, Luna…so renowned is your singing voice, that word of your abilities spread all the way to Vane." He smiled. "When we reach Burg, I would desire nothing more than to hear you."

Luna blushed. "I don't think my voice is that special….but I would be honored to sing for you, Master Ghaleon."

"I look forward to it. And there's no need to be so modest about your talent. You have a gift." His gaze became mysterious. "You should share it with the world…" With those last cryptic words, he headed down the stairwell.

T.K. grinned. "You see?" he said. "People really do appreciate your singing voice."

"I think that's all they appreciate about me," Luna grumbled, looking over the ship bow. "The person isn't important, so long as they have a good singing voice."

Angewomon stared at her. "We appreciate the person. And so does everyone else who knows you." She smiled bitterly. "I wish I could appreciate myself like that, let alone being appreciated by others the same way you are."

Luna smirked. "You, not appreciated? I appreciate you." She frowned suddenly. "Why don't you appreciate yourself?" she asked.

The female angelic didn't answer. Kari turned her gaze to her in sympathy. "Angewomon's life hasn't been a bed of roses. She had a pretty bad start."

"The kind that leaves it's mark on you…literally." Angewomon looked up. "I was beaten by an extremely powerful Digimon known as Myotismon. He tricked me into believing that I was a warrior of darkness." Her gaze, hidden as it was by her mask, still managed to convey her emotions rather well. "I still bear the scars from the beatings I received from him, all over my body. They're present, even in this form."

Nall looked at her in pity, and shock. "It must have been terrible."

Angemon nodded. "If it weren't for Kari and Wizardmon, Angewomon would probably have destroyed herself." His own gaze saddened. "Wizardmon made the ultimate sacrifice to help her. May he rest in peace."

"And the worse thing is, I know how she feels," Greg said. "As a Shadow Warrior, I was 'toughened up' with lashings, designed to drive all remorse, and all pain from my body. Even in this life, I still bear many of the scars." He grinned. "I keep my upper body covered so no one else can see them."

"How's that possible?" Mercury asked.

Greg shrugged. "It's a mystery even to me. But on the day of the Moon Kingdom's destruction, I swore to myself, never again. No more death on my part. No more evil by my hands." He looked upwards to the sky. "But now, I fear that Lunar will suffer the same fate as the Moon Kingdom."

"Not while I'm here!" Alex declared. "It'll happen over my dead body."

T.K. whooped. "That's the spirit!" he stated. "We'll beat Xenobia and her allies, and save everyone!"

Mercury nodded. "Let's face it. You face one powerful being, you face them all. These demons are going to find themselves in a position they're very familiar with." She grinned wolfishly. "They're going down."

Nall grinned, warming up to their attitude, then looked at out over the horizon. "Look, guys!" he shouted. "Over there, on the horizon…it's Saith!" He evaded Luna's and Alex's charge. "And boy, it never looked so good!"

Alex and Luna looked at each other, than back at the town. "Yeah," Alex replied softly.

Their first adventure was almost over.

Their second adventure was about to begin.

* * *

Ghaleon took one observant look around. "Well," he began, "what a…quaint little…hovel this is." 

Alex nodded, grinning at the familiar surroundings. "It's not much, but for people like us, it's all we want…or need." He moved his arm a bit.

Ghaleon turned his attention to the small group. "You all look tired…but you know what they say, 'No rest for the wicked.'"

"Let's hope that's not prophetic," T.K. muttered. Angemon agreed with him vehemently.

"Then let us make haste!" Ghaleon declared. "Take me to the cave of the White Dragon. I'm anxious to…catch up with him."

Alex nodded. "Alright people, move out."

* * *

After three days of real walking, Ghaleon finally relented to stopping for the night, as Kari almost fell to the ground, nearly asleep on her feet. The tent was quickly set up afterwards, and the sleeping bags rolled out. Dinner went smoothly, as no one was interested in talking. They went to bed immediately afterwards. None of them had slept for four days, and they wanted to fully prepared for the long walk through the Weird Woods. 

Morning found them all rejuvenated, and ready for another brutal pace. They took turns changing their clothes, though this seemed to grate on Ghaleon's nerves slightly.

They had all noticed a blue flash in the tent, and decided that Amy was doing a computer scan of their immediate vicinity, so as to make sure that they were not being followed. "Mr. Urawa," he finally said in his usual monotone voice, "could you please ask Miss Mercury to hurry up a little with her scan? We need to make it to Burg within the next two days if we are to keep our tight schedule."

Greg mentally winced at this. Amy had just entered the tent a minute ago. She would probably still be going over some calculations, as the Premier of the Magic Guild was thinking. Also, Mercury was transformed. Her uniform would have cleaned itself off over the night, and thus, she wouldn't need to change clothes. And the tent was a good dozen feet from them.

Coming up to the tent, he pulled back the flap quietly, hoping to catch his girlfriend off guard. Even he had a moment of mischief every once in a while, a moment where he was just as immature as any other boy. And some part of him was hoping that there would be a treat in store for him for his trick. A yelp of surprise would be nice. After all, Amy wasn't the easiest girl to startle.

In hindsight, he would later reflect, it was a good thing that the tent's entrance was out of the visual sight of the group, a good distance from the others, and that the sides were opaque to the sun. Otherwise, it would prove to be a very embarrassing moment for the two of them. And he achieved his goal, though not in the way he was hoping.

He poked his upper body in, prepared to do his trick…and promptly froze, shock emanating from every pore of his body.

Apparently, Amy had decided to change her clothes after all. In fact, she was in the process of doing just that. She was picking up a shift, observing it for a second.

And Greg had a very good view of her naked backside. It was a cute backside, too.

_'Change in plans,'_ he decided, suddenly remembering that a flash of light also signified that a Scout was either transforming, de-transforming from their battle uniform. He also decided that it would be best if he left quickly, before Amy turned around and saw him. With that in mind, he prepared to rise quietly.

At that precise moment though, something decided to bounce off the small of his back. He would never see what had hit him, but it served it's purpose. He overbalanced, hitting the ground inside the tent, letting out a muffled grunt of surprise as he did so.

Amy turned around quickly, the shift she had been ready to put on clutched to her chest. "Greg!" she exclaimed in surprise, almost blushing.

Greg lifted his head slightly, keeping his eyes focused on her two flawless feet. "Hi, Ames. Sorry about this unexpected intrusion. It isn't what you think."

Amy frowned. "You have absolutely no idea what I think," she informed him archly, her free hand clenched into a fist.

Greg staggered to his feet, keeping his eyes to the ground. "Well, my _original_ intention was to spook you. We all thought that you were running a scan of the surround, so they sent me to rouse you from your search."

She pointed downward at the computer in question, which was beeping silently. "It does that function automatically every three hours. I programmed it to do so."

"Yes, so I see now." Greg scratched his neck sheepishly. "And then I saw you…well, let's just say I was going to leave you be because of it." He looked behind him suspiciously. "Then something hit me in the back before I could straighten up. I think you can gather the rest."  
"Oh, I have a fairly good idea," Amy replied, her gaze softening. She even smiled somewhat, realizing that it was a little funny in hindsight. "So I guess that this wasn't part of the plan." A sudden idea came to her, something that was completely irrational, and her slight smile became mischievous.

Greg, who was still looking behind him, didn't see this change in her expression. "No, it wasn't…well, I'm going to step outside, and let you get dressed…"

"Greg," Amy's voice called out, interrupting him, "could you stare at me when you talk? It's really irritating when you're looking in another direction, and not watching the person as you speak to."

Greg turned his head around, sheepish. "Sorry, Ames. It's a habit that I-"

Greg's trail of speech died off as Amy, for whatever reason she had concocted, suddenly released the shift, letting it fall to the ground. His entire body became frozen yet again as she stood there, leaving nothing for his imagination to work with.

Amy stood there, looking at him. "I assume that this was also not part of your plan," she guessed impishly.

Involuntarily, Greg's eyes roved over the Senshi's naked form. She was beautiful, no doubt about it. Her body wasn't overly proportional, like Jupiter's, but perfectly balanced. Her nipples were hardening under his scrutiny, becoming pointed tips. He suddenly found himself uncomfortable. Sweat popped out on his forehead.

Amy's smile grew. "Well, Greg," she murmured, walking up to him slowly. "You look panicked for some reason. Whatever could be the problem?" She stopped when she directly in front of him, reaching out with a hand to cup his cheek gently. "Could it actually be that you're speechless?"

Greg couldn't answer. How could you answer any question, especially with a nude woman in front of you? The only thing he knew was that he wasn't going to get a wink of sleep for a week because of this.

Amy brought her nude body into contact with her boyfriends clothed form, taking some pleasure from how his breath hitched slightly, how the fabric of his tunic rubbed against her breasts, arousing her slightly, and feeling his response making it's presence known. She bit back a moan, enjoying the sudden feeling of power she had over him. "Is this what that little part of you that is controlled by your hormones wanted to see?" She brought her face up to his, while her hand went down to his pants, rubbing him slightly. "Is this something that you fantasize about in your sleep?"

Greg nodded. "Probably," he squeaked. "But at this moment, I'm having a hard time thinking right now."

The blue haired girl smirked. "Interesting," she murmured. "Greg Urawa, not able to think?" She leaned in to his ear. "Here…I'll give you something to think about." She leaned in again, this time kissing him gently on the lips for a moment before stepping back. "How's that for a thought?" she asked mischievously.

Greg didn't move for a while after she had moved away, coming to a halt a few feet away. She hadn't even picked up the shift to cover herself, instead staring at him, hands behind her back.

Then, all motion was restored to him in a flush, and he started backing up quickly. "I…I, uh…I think…I-I'll go and wait outside, talk to the others," he stammered, practically running out of the tent.

Amy stood there for a second, looking at the tent entrance before breaking down, giggling. _'Well, that went well.'_ She turned around, still giggling, and picked up the shift. She had enjoyed that considerably. She was even thinking about doing that again to the poor boy…just to see his next reaction, of course. In fact, next time, she was simply going to take a leaflet out of Ami's book...and absolutely seduce him.

Angemon and Alex watched as Greg hurried over to them, an extremely bewildered expression on his face. He also seemed to be moving rather carefully as well, like his pants size was a tad too small for him. "Greg…?" Alex started to inquire.

"Don't ask," Greg replied quickly. "Not with T.K. and Kari listening."

They understood quickly, and the subject was dropped.

* * *

"Now I know how Laike feels every time he goes through there," Alex muttered as they exited the Weird Woods. They had made good time, walking through the day and the night. They now had some spare time to their schedule. 

"I'll go with that." Angewomon looked forward. "An, lo and behold, we are now half an hour from Burg."

Ghaleon nodded. "When we get to your village, Alex, we shall rest. I look forward to Angelina's cooking."

Just the mere thought of food made T.K.'s stomach growl. He wanted food as well.

Thirty minutes later, and for the first time in almost two months, Alex and his little group set foot in Burg…and stared.

"Burg at rest," Luna explained.

"Indeed," Ghaleon replied, put off. "The Goddess always said that if she were to finally retire, she would move here, where people appreciated her, not her accomplishments."

"Althena, retiring?" Angemon snorted. "Like she'd be allowed to."

"There is that. Alex, lead me to your domicile. I admit to some fatigue."

Alex nodded, and started heading in the direction of his home, everyone else right behind him.

* * *

Noah's head shot up from the book he was reading when he heard his son call out, "Mom? Dad?" from the main entrance. He jumped out of his seat, walking quickly into the living room. 

Upon laying his eyes on his son and adopted daughter for the first time in two months, he grinned fully. "Alex, Luna. It's good to have you home." He grabbed them up in a hug. "And I see T.K., Kari…and four people who I have never seen before, two of them with wings."

Angemon laughed. "The two of us were Patamon and Gatomon. We're Angemon and Angewomon, now."

"And you two…?"

"I'm Greg," Greg supplied. "This is Sailor Mercury, also known as Amy."

Mercury bowed. "We're from the Digi-Destined's realm, and no, they didn't find a way home yet. Not for lack of trying, though."

Angelina came walking in, her relief so palpable, that she didn't even have to hug her children for them to feel it. "Oh, I'm so glad you're both safe!" she almost sobbed, before sobering up. "Luna, have you been keeping Alex out of trouble?"

Luna started giggling. "I'm afraid that that is just too much of a massive undertaking for me. He usually pulls me into that trouble."  
"Hey!" Alex exclaimed, then said, "Stop laughing, you guys!"

Angelina started laughing as well at her son's indignant behavior. "Well, now that that's settled…" Her gaze slid to the side, and instantly froze. "Master Ghaleon," she said in surprise.

Ghaleon bowed. "Angelina, Noah. It's good to see both of you in good health."

Noah nodded. "It's good to see you, as well." He instantly put two and two together. "Something's happened," he said.

Alex sighed. "Dad, Lunar has a giant problem, and we can't stay too long."  
Noah nodded, gesturing. "Dinner's almost ready. I assume you can stay the night?" Alex nodded. "It would be best if you spend it here, then. And you can tell us what's going on that requires one of the Four Heroes to be in our neck of the woods."  
Ghaleon nodded as well. "Thank you."

* * *

After Alex had finished speaking, Noah leaned back, scowling. "The Vile Tribe," he spat. 

"Unfortunate." Ghaleon took a cup of juice, thanking Angelina. "But not unexpected. Their attack on Vane, however, was. Their choice of allies were most impressive, as well."

Angelina sat down, stunned. "Will…they attack Burg?"

"No. I believe that their plans are much more subtle than that. They have been influenced by Queen Beryl of the Negaverse, and have learned the art of espionage, and deception." he held up a hand to stave off Noah's next question. "I have a few ideas as to what they are trying to do, but no proof. Therefore, Alex has graciously agreed to escort me to the White Dragon Cave so that I might speak to Quark."

Noah nodded. "Alright, that answers several of my questions. Do you know where the other Dragons are, then?"

Ghaleon shook his head. "Only Dyne and Lemia knew. They didn't divulge that information because of security reasons, and due to the fact that we didn't need to know."

"And Lemia isn't in the best condition to help right now," Kari reminded them all. "In fact, the last I heard, she's pretty much powerless physically to do much of anything. So we're on our own."

Noah stood up. "Well, I hope you're right, Ghaleon, and that Quark can give you the information you need. And you're all going to need an early start tomorrow…so all of you, to bed!" He looked at Ghaleon. "Unless you want to stay up…"

"A tempting offer, but I find that I am tired as well. And, as you correctly assumed, we do need to get going early." Ghaleon rose from his seat. "I shall retire for the night. Thank you for the superb dinner."

Angelina stood up as well. "Alright boys, Alex's room. Girls, Luna's bedroom. Move!"

Alex chuckled as he led the male contingent to his bedroom. Some things never change, no matter how long you've been away.

* * *

Four hours later, Alex shot up in his bed, eyes wide opened in terror. He looked around, heard Nall's snoring from the bed post, and calmed down somewhat, remembering that he was in his room, though he was still tense. _'Where's Luna?'_ he thought desperately, though he knew that she would be in her room, fast asleep. To soothe his soul, he would go and check on her. 

Getting out of bed quietly so as not to disturb the others, he moved in the direction of his bedroom door, walking out and closing the door behind him.

Walking over to Luna's door, he found it slightly ajar. Peering in, he made out the silhouettes of Angewomon, Amy, and Kari, all of them sleeping on their sleeping bags. He noted absently that Angewomon seemed to be shifting slightly, steadily aroused by a dream she was having. He even had a fairly good idea who was in the dream.

However, Luna wasn't in her bed.

His breath caught in his throat, but he forced himself to relax He recalled that Luna, whenever she had too much on her mind, sometimes went out for walks. And she always went to the same place in the end.

Heading for the door, he only hoped that he was right.

* * *

Luna sat on that glorified piece of rock, staring into the water of the pond. The Dream had awakened her again, and she decided to go out for a walk to calm herself. Thankfully, it hadn't woken up the other girls, as Angewomon was smiling softly. She had a good idea as to why, too. So, not wanting to disturb them, she had slipped quietly out of bed, leaving her purple and blue top skirt and top where she had left them, though she had put her yellow dress on before leaving. Upon reaching the pond, she had slipped off her boots. 

The man-made pond was Luna's, and by default Alex's, favorite spot. It's where they practiced every year for the Goddess Festival, where Alex went to contemplate his place in the universe, where Nall went to snooze without her nagging him, and where she went to think. And right now, she was thinking about a great many things.

As she pondered about the Dream, a set of footsteps, so familiar to her after so many years, approached her, then stopped as the owner of those feet sat down next to her. She leaned into him, putting her hand into his.

Alex let out a sigh of relief go through him. She was right where he thought she would be.

For a moment, the two of them simply sat there, basking in the other's presence, drawing strength from each other, and not really wanting it to end. Finally though, Luna lifted her head, looking at her love. "Bad dream?" she asked quietly.

Alex nodded. "The Dream?" Luna nodded. "I wish it would just stop already. You don't deserve to be tormented by it almost every night."

"I know…it's just that, I think it's trying to tell me something, something very important." Luna sighed, shaking her head. "I know, it sounds silly," she said. "But that's what I think."

Alex shook his head. "I think that sounds downright sensible. And, whatever you find out, good or bad, I'll be right there beside you. No matter what."

The blue haired beauty smiled. "Oh, you are such a good friend, Alex." She sat up fully. "How can I ever repay you for being so selfless…if there _is_ any way to repay you for being selfless, that is."

Alex pretended to think about it for a minute. "How about a kiss?" he suggested.

Luna giggled. "I think I can give you that." She leaned in, her lips meeting his gently.

Alex kept it lips to lips, allowing Luna the chance to decide where to go. In all actuality, he was curious as to what Luna was going to do.

Luna began deepening the kiss, feeling Alex rub her back soothingly as one of her hands reached up to capture his head. She instantly realized that Alex was giving her the chance to back out, before something irreversible happened. And she also realized that she wanted something of that nature to happen. Intent on telling him, she pulled away, standing up. She saw Alex open his eyes, green as the forest, gazing at her. "Luna?" he asked hoarsely.

Luna smiled, removing the scarf from her hair, and freeing the blue strands. She started removing her yellow dress, unhooking the clasps on her back, then pulling her arms out of the sleeves. Once they were free, she pushed the dress down, letting it fall to the ground, leaving her clad in a white shift. And through all of that, she never stopped looking at Alex. "Make love to me, Alex," she whispered, still smiling.

In that moment, time stopped for Alex. This was new territory for him and Luna, and as such, he was hesitant to do anything. However, this was also something that he wanted a great deal as well.

Standing up, he looked at her for a second before leaning in again, capturing her lips in his, and enfolding her in his arms. She brought one of her hands up to the back of his head, holding him there. She started kissing him more passionately, running her tongue across his upper lip in a teasing gesture, feeling a great swell of pleasure as he responded.

Alex was rapidly becoming comfortable with the situation. As his internal turmoil vanished, he was able to discern that her shift was made of cotton, soft to the touch. He wondered what her skin would feel like under his hands. For now, though, he was content with running his hands up and down in random patterns across her back, occasionally venturing into her hair.

Luna's hands left their positions and traveled downward, tugging impatiently on his shirt. Chuckling slightly, Alex pulled back, allowing her to pull his shirt off. Letting it drop, she eyed his torso, then hesitantly put a hand on it, feeling the muscles clench under her fingertips. She slid upwards, marveling at the smooth skin as she did so. "I believe you've been keeping up with your sword exercises," she murmured appreciatively. "I must admit, I am impressed with the results."

Alex grinned, feeling desire course through him. "One of the advantages of having the greatest warrior of Vane's past pushing you past your physical limitations time and time again." He pouted. "But I think that's it's unfair that you can see me, but I can't see you."

Luna smiled. "Then by all means."

Alex tentatively put his hands on her hips while she leaned in and kissed him again. When she slipped her tongue into his mouth, he started pulling her shift up, exposing her long legs. When he had the material bunched up at her waist, he broke the kiss, looking at her intently. She nodded, smiling, wanting him to continue. He smiled, and continued on, pulling the shift up further. She raised her arms, letting him pull it off, and letting it fall to the ground. It was quickly forgotten as Alex stepped back, looking at what was now revealed.

There, bathed in the pale glow of the Blue Star, was Luna, bared to him for the first time. Long, silky hair flowed down her back and covering her breasts, the nipples peeking out through the blue strands. Her legs, long and shapely, ended with two dainty feet. And there, between her thighs, was the mass of blue curls, hiding her most delectable parts from view.

Luna did a slow pirouette , allowing Alex to see her back for a second before facing him again. "Do I meet your expectations, Alex?" she asked softly.

Alex stepped forward again. "That, and so much more." He reached out, and brought her against him hard, his lips crashing back on hers, pouring his heart and soul into the kiss.

Luna's leg's buckled, and she clung to Alex's shoulder's for support. Her eyes closed as she returned the kiss with equal fervor. She could feel her sheath moisten in response to all of the passion she was feeling, and could feel his arousal through his pants.

Finally, the two separated due to a lack of oxygen. Alex stared at her for a moment, his hands tangled in her hair, before he started planting little kisses on her neck, nibbling the tender skin of her collarbone as he did so, enjoying every sound of pleasure. Traveling down her body, he latched onto one of her nipples, laving it with attention for a second before switching to the other one and giving it the same treatment. He felt them harden under his attention. He continued on his way, stopping to plant a kiss on her belly button, hearing her gasp in surprise.He reached that special area between her legs, and stopped for a moment. Looking up for a second at her, then back at her bush, he started running his tongue over it, massaging the tender muscles within. He continued doing that for a few moments, slowing down or speeding up occassionaly.

Luna started thrashing slightly, the pleasure building too fast. Suddenly, she pushed Alex's head from her, panting heavily. "Too much…too much…" She pulled up, insisting that Alex stand again. When he had done so, she started scrabbling at his trousers. "I need you inside me…now!"

Alex grinned. For a virgin, she was pretty demanding. But he was feeling rather desperate himself. He kicked off his boots, then untied the knot that was holding his pants up, feeling a sigh of relief when the pressure disappeared. He let them drop, stepping out of them.

Luna's breath caught, and her legs began trembling all over again. Alex's legs were just as impressive, looking like they had been sculpted from rock. And he definitely looked as aroused as she was feeling.

Alex stepped forward, eyes darkening. "Well, Luna," he inquired. "Do I meet _your_ expectations?"  
Luna smiled tremulously. "That, and so much more." She took a shaky step forward, her hand closing on him, squeezing him softly. Her smile became very soft as he sucked in a breath, eyes going almost black. Giggling just as softly, she squeezed again before removing her hand, and laying down, her arms outstretched, beckoning him to join her. Alex did so, hovering over her, his eyes questioning. "Yes, Alex," she said. "I want this. Please…"

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath as he situated himself between her legs. Pausing for a second to adjust himself, he slowly entered her, stopping when he hit a barrier of some kind. He looked up, staring into her eyes. "This is going to hurt," he whispered, before steeling himself and thrusting forward hard.

Luna gasped as a sharp pain shot through her. She shut her eyes reflexively, a few stray tears leaking out. She waited for a moment, feeling the pain slowly fade away, being replaced with a great swell of pleasure.

Alex smiled as Luna's features relaxed. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, still a little concerned.

Luna's body finished adjusting to him. They were now connected in a way that she thought would never happen. "I feel fine now, Alex. But thank you for your concern." She wrapped her legs around him, drawing him into her. "Please…"

Alex started moving again, pulling out and thrusting in slowly, clamping an iron will over his control. He saw Luna's eyes close with pleasure and joy, and smiled, kissing her passionately once more.

Luna was in heaven. Never, in her entire life, had she felt the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She returned the kiss ferociously as she began to move as well, adding to both of their pleasure.

Alex groaned, his pace increasing, his thrusts becoming stronger. He felt himself approaching the brink, and was fairly certain that Luna was as well.

Luna suddenly cried out, her back arching off the ground as she climaxed, every muscle clamping in a mad rush. Alex joined her a second later, as he froze above her. For a moment, the outside world didn't exist. All that mattered to them was each other.

Then Alex slumped, suddenly deprived of strength. He rolled off of Luna after a moment, and stared up into the sky, looking at the Blue Star.

A hand soon reached out, brushing the brown strands away from his forehead. Luna laid her head down on his chest, listening to his heart beat. He put his arm around her, drawing her close, and she smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.

Alex returned her smile. "You're welcome." He looked at her. "I have been wanting that to happen for a long time."  
"So have I." Luna lifted her head. "I was just too shy to bring it up." She toyed with a chest hair. "But our experiences in the Magic Guild have taught me something."

"That we should live our lives to the fullest, because the chances will never come again." Alex's arm moved slowly as he brought on top of him. "Luna, I love you. I have loved you ever since I knew what love meant. Nothing will ever change that."

Luna's eyes sparkled with tears again. Only they were tears of joy. "And I love you, Alex. I've always loved you. And nothing will ever change that." She kissed him softly. "But right now, I want you to go to sleep," she told him. "It won't do us any good if we can't keep up with Master Ghaleon tomorrow."  
Alex grinned. "Strangely enough, I'm not tired."

"Oh? Well we'll just have do something about that." She started kissing him more passionately. "This time," she informed him mischievously, "I am going to make love to _you_."

Alex grinned as well. "Just to show that I'm a sensitive kind of guy, I'm going to let you. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"Good."

* * *

Forty minutes later, Alex watched Luna as she slept, hair tousled, and a small, content smile on her face. He smiled as she rubbed her nose a moment. He had never had the heart to tell her that little detail about herself. It was his little secret. 

At the same time, he couldn't help but think of what happened over the past of hour and a half. In that space of time, he and Luna went from best friends to lovers. It was definitely going to take a while to get used to the new boundaries of their relationship.

A wave of fatigue washed over him, making him decide to think about those boundaries tomorrow. Right now, he wanted to sleep.

The two lovers slept under the Blue Star, dreamless…and unaware of the set of red eyes watching them from afar, narrowed in contempt.

* * *

The sound of something chirping awoke Alex early in the morning. He looked blearily around for a moment, wondering why the birds sounded so muffled. 

"My communicator," Luna's voice came sleepily from next to him. "My dress."

Fumbling blindly for a moment, he managed to find it, and handed it to Luna. "Better you answer it," he muttered as he got up, walking over the pond.

Luna looked at Alex's back for a second, before remembering that someone wanted to talk t her, and activated the device. "Yes?"

_"Where the hell are you?"_ Angewomon yelled irately. _"We're…hold on. Are you…nude?"_

Luna blushed a little. "Well, I was going to take a little swim this morning, and I can't do that with my clothes on-"

_"-or lying down on the ground,"_ Mercury interrupted her. _"Honestly, Luna. You're going to have to do better than that to fool us. Try standing up next time."_

"Well, I can't tell you the real reason."

_Luna talk for, 'I tell you when Kari isn't listening."_ Angewomon grinned. _"Well then, enjoy your 'swim.'"_ The communicator shut off as the angel started laughing.

Luna stood up, glaring at the little device. _'Verrrrrry funny,'_ she thought. _'I'll get you for this, girls!'_

Alex came up behind her, put his arms around her, nibbling on her earlobe. "You mentioned something about a swim, love?" he murmured.

Luna gasped, feeling herself respond to his presence once again, and could feel his arousal pressing against her. "Ghaleon…will want to…talk to Noah...before we go. We…have some time…before we leave." She turned around and kissed him fully.

Alex chuckled. "You are insatiable…and irresistible." He picked Luna up by her hips, holding her while she wrapped her legs around his waist, slowly lowering her onto him. He groaned.

Luna grinned wickedly at the expression on his face. "What?" she replied. "You're young, you're healthy. I think you can handle this. Besides, I think you gave me the control right now." To prove her point, she rocked her hips.

Alex groaned again, only more pronounced as he walked in the direction of the water. "Please…wait until I'm in…deep enough."

"Too late…on both accounts," Luna informed him impishly. Indeed, they were now at the deepest part of the pond, which was about waist level to Alex.

Slowly, Luna started rocking again. Alex started moving as well as he could, matching her movements rather well. In a moment, their pace quickened until they both climaxed. They floated back down to Lunar, panting slightly.

Alex set Luna down. "If I have to die today, I die a happy man," he stated.

Luna giggled. "Well…I guess we should get cleaned up." She was very reluctant, like she never wanted it to end.

Alex didn't either, but they had to leave early if they wanted to get to the White Dragon Cave quickly. He smiled. "When this adventure is over, I'm going to want to get…better acquainted with you."

"I would like that as well." Luna smiled. "Just remember to douse your head. Otherwise, Nall will get suspicious, and then we'll never have any peace again."

Laughing, Alex did so…not knowing that everything he knew, or thought he knew, would change for the worse within a few days.

* * *

Note to all you warm blooded people out there; This will be the last Rated R chapter for a while. Please don't hate me. I do have a lot of material to cover, a great deal of the story to write. So it will be a while before the next one. I just hope I did this one alright. 

Episode Thirty Seven will introduce the last member of darkness that will be set on Lunar, as well as a new side to a character. To those of you who know what I'm talking about, please don't ruin the surprise for those who don't know. I offer a challenge, name that evil creature!

As of this episode, I now have the series that will be making an appearance in this fic. Star Wars, Yugioh, Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, Static Shock, Cardcaptors, and Mortal Kombat. If you want a character from another series to make a guest appearance, please let me know. If I know the series, and have seen it, I'll try to put that character in.

Christmas is coming. I am so happy! So I say now, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate at this time of year. May everything you hope for come true.


	39. Episode Thirty Seven: Reversal Of Fortun...

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

_(Digimon Theme song)_

Episode Thirty Seven: Reversal of Fortune

Everyone was sitting down for breakfast when Alex and Luna entered the kitchen, both smiling a little widely. "Where were you two?" Greg asked, looking at them shrewdly.

Alex's grin widened. "We took a swim." He sat down, buttering up some toast, and handing it to Luna, who took it gratefully.

Angemon and Greg traded glances, then looked at the two girls, who suddenly found a point on the table to be very interesting. "As we're probably figuring it out, so the ladies are telling us with their actions," Angemon replied, before holding up several herbs. "Replacements. Nall had a small case of indigestion last night, after you left the bedroom."

"Interesting." Luna handed a plate of pancakes over to Alex, smiling mischievously. "Which means Alex is going to have to change his sheets before we leave."

"Already taken care of." T.K. looked up. "Kari and I changed those sheets before we came out here. And Nall's feeling better. He just threw up in the middle of the night."

"Which reminds me," Kari said, "where were you two last night?"

Luna went scarlet, hiding behind the syrup. Alex's grin slipped somewhat, but he managed to recover. "I fell asleep at Dyne's Monument. And I think Luna fell asleep at the pond." A half truth, if there ever was one.

Amy chortled. "That's their story, and they're sticking to it!"

The two kids looked at each other, then back at Alex. "Oooookaaaay…"

Mercury looked at Angelina, who was smiling in understanding, then at Noah, who was giving his son a shrewd look. He didn't say anything, though. She smiled again, finishing her orange juice.

Angemon looked around. "Where's Master Ghaleon?" he inquired.

"Here.  
"Here." Ghaleon emerged from the guest bedroom, his travel bag in his hand. "I wish we could linger, but we need to get to the White Dragon Cave. I hope you two understand."

Noah waved the apology off. "Completely understandable. After everything you've told us, I'm surprised that you stopped here at all." His expression softened. "We're glad you did, though. We did miss our children."

Ghaleon smiled. "I never knew Luna was your daughter."

Alex looked up. "She's adopted," he explained. "A stranger came to our door when I was only a few months old, giving them a baby…and Nall, too. No explanation. He said to look after her for him, and then left. We never saw him again." He shrugged. "At least, that's what Dad told us."

Ghaleon nodded, though his gaze sharpened considerably. "I myself am an orphan. I lost my entire family in the Heresy War, when the Vile Tribe attacked my Elvin clan. When I entered the Magic Guild, I swore to myself that I would become the most powerful mage Lunar had ever seen, and always serve the Goddess Althena." His expression hardened. "I swore that I would never be weak again."

Angewomon nodded. "I know how you feel," she muttered. "I swore a similar oath after we defeated Myotismon." She got up. "Now, unless we have something else to do, I'd say that it's time for us to go. We may not have much time left."

Alex nodded, getting out. "Sorry to cut breakfast short, Mom," he said sadly, "but we don't have time for a proper good bye." He turned around. "Let's go."

* * *

They had been walking for several hours before the female angelic finally asked, "So, what was it like?" 

Luna looked at Angewomon in minor amusement, her gaze serene. "What was what like?" she asked.

The angel Digimon chuckled. "You know what I mean. What did making love feel like? Mercury and I both know that's what happened last night." She shook her head derisively. "'Taking a swim.' Honestly, you and Alex couldn't lie if your lives depended on it."

"Hey, I did take a swim. Honest."

"Yeah, suuuuuurrrrrre you did. That's just not all you did. So, are you going to tell us?" Mercury asked, laughing outright. "Or are we going to have to call Pluto up, and show the other Scouts what happened?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Luna gasped.

"Us, or them." Angewomon grinned. "Take it, or leave it."

The blue haired girl sighed. "Alright."

If they had been sitting, Amy and Angewomon would have propped their elbows onto their knees, and leaning in eagerly. "So?" Amy even inquired with an eager air.

Luna smiled. "It was…wow…it was…simply beyond words in any language. I couldn't even begin to describe it to you."

Amy stooped down for a second to pick up a rock, observing it for a moment before chucking it behind her. "You are so lucky living here on Lunar," she told her. "If I ever did that on Earth, my mother would have given me a blistering lecture, and ground me forever. So, how did it happen?"

Luna began talking about how it came to pass, as well as some of the finer points. "…And he was so gentle." She grinned mischievously. "I kind of jumped him the third time."

"You go, girl," Angewomon replied, grinning.

"Definitely," Amy agreed. "It's definitely good to see you happy again. You deserve it after everything that you went through in Vane."

Luna sighed. "That was the greatest night of my life."

"Of that, you'll get no argument from us."

And then Luna saw, as she turned her attention back to the road…

_"You finally did it? After all of these years, you were finally desperate enough?" Hikari was amazed, staring at Althena like she had just grown another head. Grant you, when dealing with a being who was power incarnate, that was a very real possibility "You just went out, looking like a ordinary woman, picked a single man of twenty six, and…" _

Althena sighed. "Yes, Hikari. And keep your voice down!" she hissed, as a priestess came by, holding a sacred book. "You want the congregation to hear that their almighty Goddess of Lunar had sex with someone who didn't even know it was her? Do you realize that the entire religion built around would then go into an upheaval? Not to mention the fact that the grapevine in the Q Continuum will go into overdrive. You know Q has been on my case for weeks now about this very subject!"

"Pah, a curse on Q…and Q." Hikari looked thoughtful. "I don't know, though…it might actually energize your personal life. Add a bit of flavor to it, if you will."

"You mean, I'm allowed spice it up? I'm even allowed one?" Althena mused, chuckling. "God, I haven't done something like that for a long time."

"You've never allowed yourself to after you became a Goddess. I'm amazed that you held off this long after you finished training me. Which was…"

"Six thousand, two hundred years, and twenty four days ago. A new Goddess…and Guardian…record," Angelus replied, coming up to them. "And for the record, the person with who you shared such pleasure with is a man called Talbot, who is the head of the cult who wants to bring you to your knees, Althena. He's actually thinking about joining forces with the Vile Tribe."

"Your point, old friend?" the Goddess inquired. "I feel_ like I should be taken down a few pegs half of the time." _

"No point." Angelus paused for a moment. "Just thought I'd give you the heads up about your old 'habits'… and who you hit it off with in the sack." He flew off, smirking.

Althena watched him go, eyes narrowed slightly as she thought of how she would get revenge on him. Then she shrugged. "Well, I was already on my knees, just not in the way that he meant."

Hikari grinned. "I should be thankful there aren't any kids around to hear you say that.What did Talbot do for you?" she suddenly asked

"He has very soft hands…and a verygood tongue," Althena replied wickedly, grinning at the memory.

Hikari laughed…

Luna sighed, looking over at Kari, who was blinking, confused. "I think Kari has been made purview to one of Althena's and Hikari's more…intimate conversations," she said.

Angewomon sighed. "We really need to have a word with the Goddess…as soon as we can find her."

"Oh, yes," Mercury agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

"So, Alex," Greg began, after he had ushered T.K. over to where Kari was walking by herself, alone. T.K. didn't seem to mind too much. 

Alex grinned, knowing what the Seer was talking about. "It was incredible," he replied. "Everything my fantasies were, and more."

Angemon grinned, though his helmet hid half of his face from view. He could be a great poker player if he wanted to. "That's good to hear. So, where does this go?" he asked.

Alex paused for a moment, turning his attention to the male angelic. His newfound relationship with Luna opened up a new series of vistas and opportunities, some of them frightening to him. "I don't know," he replied, "but what I do know is that I want to be with her, and make her happy."

"Spoken like someone whose in love." Greg smirked. "A bit of advice; Hold on to her, like she was the last woman on Earth. Otherwise, someone else is going to snatch her from your grasp when you least expect it."

"Also, remember anniversaries," Angemon added cheerfully. "Otherwise, you'll be known as couch boy for the next month by all of your friends."

Alex started laughing. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm just worried that Nall will spill any and all secrets that I share with him concerning gifts and the like."

"Hey, I can keep a secret!" Nall exclaimed.

"No you can't!" All three of the shouted at once, drawing confused glances from the girls, T.K., and Ghaleon. "Not from Luna!"  
The girls realized what they were talking about, and quickly bowed their heads, giggling amongst themselves.

"No respect, I tell you…" Nall looked at the girls. "Even from them."

"Hey, you said it yourself," Angemon reminded him. "You can't keep your mouth shut around Luna."

"Oh."

Greg and Alex exchanged amused looks. "No wonder you hold the threat of death over his head." Greg turned to Nall. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Nope!"

"I was afraid of that."

* * *

Ghaleon nodded, looking at the massive doorway. "So, this is the White Dragon cave." 

T.K. grinned. "Yeah."

Angemon looked around, a little confused. "You know," he said speculatively, "it looked a great deal bigger the last time I was here."

"_You're_ bigger," Kari reminded him cheerfully. "Becoming a champion level Digimon can do that." She paused. "Actually, you're what, Six foot Two? Angewomon's six foot even?"

"Five feet, eleven inches," Angewomon corrected her vaguely.

"Ah. Anyways, I thik Quark'll still recognize you."

"So let's go in and see him!" Nall shot forward, entering the cave.

Ghaleon looked at the little fur balls retreating back. "Must he be so cheerful all the time?" he asked.

Alex grinned. "I'm under the impression that it's a terminal case."

Angemon sighed, walking forward. "Let's follow him, before he gets himself into some kind of trouble."

"He is trouble," Kari grumbled. "He scared the living bejeesus out of me last night."

T.K. grinned. "So that's why you were clinging to my arm this morning."

"That was only after she had clung to me for half the night," Angewomon informed him. "She almost ripped my arm off. I had to use three herbs to heal it."

"Sorry."

"Forgiven, Kari."

"Ahem." Alex was amused. "Shall we go on? Hopefully, Nall will have scared the native monster population away with his movements."

"We should only be so lucky," T.K. grumbled.

* * *

Quark swallowed the last fish he had caught that morning, then laid back down, preparing for a nap. He preferred this type of life, where all he had to do was eat, sleep, fly for a few hours leisurely, then repeat. As he aged, he also found it more enjoyable. 

As he began to close his eyes, he felt several extremely powerful forces approach his lair. Confused, he focused all of his will to determine who they belonged to.

When he had made the connection, he smiled. He hadn't been expecting them back so soon. He sat up, waiting patiently for them to enter.

No more than three minutes later, Alex and Luna walked in, followed closely by the T.K., Kari, the two Angelics, and two newcomers. The White Dragon knew who they were, of course.

"Hello, Quark!" Alex called out in greeting, grinning. "We were in the neighborhood, and we thought we'd stop in for a visit."

Quark smiled in greeting. "You have returned, Alex. And even stronger than when last I beheld you. Very good. And how is the scepter, Kari?" he asked.

"I starting to get the hang of it," Kari replied, grinning. "T.K. got the Sword of Hope."  
"Yes, so I have noticed." Quark looked around. "Where is the one who beseeched me?"

Luna smirked. "He's presently in Meribia, with the Dragon Diamond still in his possession." She turned to the last of the Six. "This is Greg Urawa and Sailor Mercury."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintances." Quark bowed once to them, before laying eyes on the man behind them all. "Ghaleon…" he uttered in surprise. "It has been many years since I last saw you."

Ghaleon bowed in respect to the venerable Dragon. "Fifteen, to be precise. Not since the day that dear Dragonmaster Dyne…" He trailed off.

Quark nodded again, somber. "Ah, ye, I remember all too well your disappointment…but what happened that prompts you to come? I thought Lemia would come in case of an emergency."

"Yes, well, Lemia is in no condition to much movement," Angemon informed him," because of the very simple and non-laughable reason that she was almost tortured to death."

The White Dragon turned to stare at him. "Explain," he snapped, all genital behavior gone.

Over the next half hour, the group told him about everything they had happened since they last encountered him, from their journey through the Weird Woods, to the titanic battle in Vane. They ended with the revelation of their enemies, and their plans for Lunar.

Quark roared upon learning of Xenobia. It was common knowledge of what she had done to Sheyra. "The demon has caused enough pain and suffering to Althena's children! I will crush her like a bug!"

"Get in line," Angewomon grumbled. "Mimi wants first dibs. She's Sheyra's daughter."

Upon hearing this, Quark became quiet. He had been wondering why the young Digi-Destined of Sincerity was so familiar to power and will to the warrior of that crest. She also had a strong will to harnessthat power.

Ghaleon stepped forward, bringing the White Dragon back to the present. "Quark…I have a question to ask of you...and it has nothing to do with Miss Tachekawa." He turned around to look at Luna for a moment. "This girl…the one they call 'Luna'…is she the one born that day?"

Alex and Luna looked at each other in confusion. What did that have anything to do with the current situation?

Quark was also surprised. "Truth is a very dangerous thing to some, Ghaleon," he told her. :If you knew the truth, perhaps it would…"

"Our world is on the verge of chaos, dear Quark," Ghaleon interrupted him. "And I must know if the cause is what I suspect it to be." He stared at the White Dragon with an intensity that was disconcerting. "Tell me , Quark. Tell me the truth…I deserve to know."

For a moment, silence reigned. No one moved, or said anything.

And, for some reason, Luna had a sudden feeling of foreboding at what the answer would be. She moved closer to Alex, who responded by wrapping an arm around her, holding her close. "It's going to be okay, Luna," he whispered. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Luna looked at him. "Then why don't you believe it?" she asked, just as quietly.

Greg's eyes went blank for a moment as he accessed his Seer abilities, his gut tightening considerably. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling something terrible was going to happen.

Quark sighed at long last. He had gone over all of the reasons he should keep his silence, and found that this was a genuine emergency. "You were the Dragonmaster's best friend, Ghaleon. The only person he cared for as much as you was the one he fell in love with. If he could trust you with his life, I can trust you with the truth." He paused. "Yes," he replied reluctantly, "Luna is the one."

Ghaleon was silent for a moment, as he processed what he had learned. His eyes were wide open with disbelief…and with another emotion thatT.K. found very disturbing.

Triumph.

Quark was sympathetic. "Surely, you understand why Dyne kept this from you…Urawa, what are you-!" he suddenly shouted in surprise.

Greg's visions didn't have any audio, but visual was enough. And what he saw was something that could not be allowed to happen.

In an instant, he was in front of the White Dragon, weapon out and pointed at Ghaleon. "Alright, Ghaleon," he said, ignoring the gasps of shock from the others. "I don't know how long you've been workingwith Beryl and the Vile Tribe, but you won't succeed in your plans. Now back away, and put your hands up!" He looked at Luna. "You stay there."  
Quark's neck rose to it's full height as he stared down at Greg. "What do you think you are doing?" he bellowed. "You are pointing a weapon at…Ghaleon?"  
The last part was in the form of a question, because Ghaleon had started chuckling. That chuckle began growing in power, until he was laughing heartily…and evilly. "You should know," he said, still chortling, "that Greg Urawa possesses the ability of foresight. Not that it matters, as the time has finally come. My coming out party can begin at last." He looked up, an eerie glint in his eyes. "Send in the clowns!"  
Greg didn't move one inch. "There isn't going to be any clowns for you," he growled. "Now put your hands up, on your head, now!"

"I think not. But I will put my hands up, just to appease you…for a second." Ghaleon brought his hands up…then brought them down in front of him.

A burst of power erupted from his fingertips, whirling around him to bathe him in a dark luminance. It expanded across his very form, until he was hidden from view. Immediately, Alex got in front of Luna, his sword out.

Quark was in absolute shock. "By Althena! What have you done, Ghaleon!"  
The dark glow disappeared, revealing Ghaleon…but it was a completely different Ghaleon.

Where the Premier of the Magic Guild of Vane once stood, a being decked in black magic armor now occupied. A flowing cape was draped over his shoulders, and a chrome face mask covered his elfish features. In fact, the only thing about him that remained the same were his eyes.

An he presently stared at Quark with a measure of triumph. "Not Ghaleon, dear Quark," he said. "_Magic Emperor_ Ghaleon!"  
"Magic Emperor!" Alex repeated in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then, like a series of puzzle pieces, the big picture became very clear. "Of course." He almost smacked himself. It all made sense.

No being could get past Jacob.

Only the Premier of the Magic Guild had the power to remove someone from their position.

Only Ghaleon knew the ancient incantations that could allow demons to slip past the anti-demon defenses of Vane without being detected.

And only Ghaleon could have authorized the use of the memory suppression mask on Lemia Ausa.

Damn him, he _knew_.

Greg didn't back down from him. "You won't get the White Dragon, Ghaleon. Not while I'm still standing."

Ghaleon smirked behind the mask. He found the boy's blustering to be very amusing. "Very well. By all means, sit." He brought one of his hands, and waved it casually in one direction…

…and Greg was thrown like he had been thrown by a catapult. He hit ground right in front of Amy, surprise etched on his face.

With him out of the way, the Magic Emperor turned his attention back to Quark, and brought a hand down to the level of his waist.

Luna, who immediately realized what he was planning to do, shouted, "Ghaleon, _no_!"

"Oh, no," Ghaleon chortled, energy starting to collect in that hand. "Ghaleon, yes!" He took a step forward as Greg got up slowly. "Some people may mourn this day," he said, "but my glorious reign can only begin with your enslavement!" He brought his hand up, and fired.

"Quark! Dragon Protect!" Alex shouted.

The White Dragon reacted instinctively, creating a shield of pure power rapidly. It was a shield that could withstand anything, even the power of the Gods.And it only tookthree seconds to form.

It was too slow.

The energy blast skimmed the edge of the forming shield before slamming into the White Dragon all out. The field hit the ground, effectively trapping the power, and Quark, in it's confines. It hitting the ground at full power also had the added negative event of creating a powerful shockwave.

Nall dug his claws into Alex's shoulder to anchor himself, drawing blood in the process, but Alex didn't feel it. He had braced himself against the force, his gaze riveted on the scene that was before him. _'This…this is impossible!'_ he thought.

There, Ghaleon stood, laughing, as the shield of the White Dragon worked against him, keeping the power of his attack contained. He had done all the calculations, including the speed of which the Dragon Protect shield spell formed, and trained himself to be faster.

The mighty White Dragon, buffeted by dark power the likes of which he had never felt before, roared in agony. His own body was being confused piece by piece. _'Alex!'_ he thought with his last moment of lucidity before he succumbed. _'My shield magic is my last gift to you! Use it well!'_ With that last thought, he hurtled his Dragon Protect into Alex's Dragon Ring.

And then he was overcome.

Mercury and Angemon charged forward, weapons out and ready, only to bounce off another shield, one far darker in origin. "Damn it!" Mercury slashed at the force field. "It takes a great deal of power to create a force field of this magnitude!"

Angemon's brow furrowed. "But it's extremely familiar," he muttered, looking at it. "I've felt something similar to this before in the Digital World."

"Because it is a digital field, and it's being created by that! Look!" Kari pointed upward, staring at something that was new to her. The rest of them looked up as well.

Above them, rotating in a continuous fashion, was a single circular object, black in color. Energy crackled downward, creating the field between them and the Magic Emperor.

T.K. instantly recognized it, and it filled him with dread. "A Black Gear…" he whispered. "But how…?"  
The White Dragon Protect suddenly collapsed on itself, condensing into a small point of light. It gently floated downward like a snowflake, landing in Ghaleon's gloved hand. He closed that hand, then turned around to face those who were witness. "Quark shall be the cornerstone of a new order. My _world_ order, but…" His gaze focused onto Luna. "Who shall be my queen?" he finished.

And in that instant, all of Alex's past hero worship, all of the reverence he had felt for Ghaleon, vanished. One thought remained; Protect Luna."

"You want her, traitor?" he snarled, bringing his sword up. "You're going to have to go through me!"

"And us!" Angewomon added, an arrow already prepared.

Greg stood up fully, his eyes filled with anger. "You honestly don't think that you can beat us, Ghaleon."

The Magic Emperor started laughing. "Oh, I am soooo scared." He looked up at the gear. "Children these days are so violent," he observed.

"Yes, but they are so humorous," the gear replied. "You really must learn to appreciate their entertainment value, Ghaleon."

Angemon looked up in shock. "It can't be!"

"Oh, but it can." Ghaleon stepped back. "Allow me to introduce the last member of the Deadly Alliance! Come forth… Devimon!"

The black gear began rotating faster and faster, until it was spinning ten times faster than before. Upon achieving that rate of spin, a sudden blast of dark power erupted from it, hitting the ground in front of the Magic Emperor, lifting into a cloud, black as pitch.

And then that cloud began to take shape as a creature.

Two arms emerged, with long, sharp fingers at the ends of them. Two legs, complete with steel toed boots, formed at the base, which matched the arms in length. A muscular torso was next, a massive red bat printed dead center on it. Two tattered wings unfurled on it's back. And, finally, a head, one that was the stuff of nightmares, formed, complete with a set of red eyes. The completed monster looked like the devil, only less powerful.

Angemon's grip on his staff tightened. "Devimon," he growled.

Devimon looked down upon them. Taking a moment, he flexed his hands, testing them out for a moment. Satisfied, he grinned. "Quite the welcoming committee," he said. "Thank you, Ghaleon."

Ghaleon nodded, then raised one of his hands.

Luna disappeared…only to appear next to Ghaleon. She emitted a shriek the second she re materialized.

"Luna!" Alex stepped forward. "Give her back, Ghaleon! Now!" he roared.

Ghaleon didn't hear him, looking at Luna with the air of someone who had realized everything that he had ever hoped for. "Now I know the truth," he whispered. "This world shall be mine on a delicious half shell!"

"Not while we can help it!" T.K. shouted, as he and Alex charged forward, the other's following close behind them.

Devimon laughed as they approached. "I told you that there were those who were as powerful as I was, and even more so! A pity you decided not to listen." He raised his hand. "Now, feel the TOUCH OF EVIL!"

Ghaleon's own hand raised at the same time. Both fired a pulse of dark energy the likes of which had never been seen before on Lunar, or a dozen other realms.

Alex roared with pain as he was buffeted by power the likes of which he had never felt before. It was even beyond his mentor's worse training exercises. He and the other's hit the ground hard, cracking the ice as they landed.

"Alex!" Luna cried out, trying to get to him, only to be restrained by Ghaleon. She watched as Alex raised his head feebly, and felt like weeping. Quickly, she ripped off her pendant, throwing it down towards them.

And then she vanished.

Alex struggled to get up, raising his head up enough to see Luna struggle against Ghaleon's grip. He was ready to try and get up, to get to her, when the trio disappeared in a flash of dark light, Ghaleon and Devimon laughing all the way.

Grief cloaked him, and his strength fled him in an instant. _'I failed her,'_ he thought, as darkness ascended into his vision.

And then he saw, and felt, no more.

* * *

On Realm 2510, in a tower shaped like the letter T, one occupant awoke from her slumber. 

Raven immediately forced her breathing to slow down, bringing it back to an acceptable level for her. Then she rose from her bed, donning her cape and hood as she walked out of her room.

Heading down the hallway, almost gliding in her movements, she entered what passed as the Teen Titans living room and tactical area, preoccupied with her dream. She had seen a demon, and man dressed in black. She could hear the laughter, and the bellow of pain…but what did it mean? Was it a premonition, or a sign of things to come?

Gliding over to the window, she stared out over the water, watching the city as it slept. The criminals had been keeping quiet lately, giving the Titans some much needed relaxation. Fighting crime was all and good, but even the greatest of heroes needed a time out now and then.

However, they had been quiet for almost three weeks…which had immediately set off warning bells in Raven's head. It all sounded like the workings of Slade, lulling them into a false sense of security, then striking. He had done it before with Terra.

Terra…even now, the petrified girl confused Raven. She had joined Slade in the hopes of learning to control her abilities over the Earth, never knowing that the man was using her for his own purposes. But she had returned to the Titans, and surprisingly removed Beast Boy from the Tower before an attack occurred. In her own way, she was trying to tell them that she turned her back on them. They had all just been too dense to realize it at the time.

And then, after beating them all, and the subsequent retaliation, she had turned against Slade, revealing that she did believe in loyalty. And, when a volcano threatened the city, she had redeemed herself in their eyes by risking entombment by staying behind and stopping it.

At that last thought, Raven felt her eyes tear up. She was forced to admit that she and Terra had a lot in common. Both had to walk on the dark side for a time to truly understand it. Both had abilities that required constant focus and control over their emotions. And both became stronger after they broke free from the bonds of darkness. In a sense, the reason Raven didn't trust her was because, in a sense, she didn't trust herself.

However, she realized that if Slade was uniting the criminal element, then he had to be doing it on a planetary scale. From what she could discern from Gotham News and the Daily Planet, even in places like Gotham and Metropolis, which were at the high end of the criminal ladder, there was very little crime. There were even rumors that high scale crooks like the Joker and the Penguin had broken out of Arkham Asylum, and had immediately vanished from sight. Not even Batman could find them.

'Perhaps this is all connected,' she thought. _Perhaps me dream has shown that something has happened. Something so terrible, that I had to see it. The question is…what?'_

she thought. 

She spent the rest of the night pondering it…and when she remembered the rest of her dream, she was filled with horror.

War was almost upon them.

She could feel it.

* * *

Dr. Fate sighed, coming out of his meditative trance. He had felt the mystic vibrations in Existence, realizing that something truly unexpected and horrifying had occurred. But he couldn't discern what it was. So, on a hunch, he had sent feelers outward, using his considerable powers over time and space to find out what. Now though, he wished he hadn't. 

As he sat in his study, pondering the painful images he had seen, he felt the presence of a being of extreme power enter. "Is there something I can help you with, my friend?" he asked kindly.

The android, code named A.M.A.Z.O, looked at him. "You seem…disturbed, Dr. Fate," he replied, his gold eyes observing him shrewdly. "Like a great secret has been revealed to you."

Fate nodded. The images he had seen were extremely disturbing, and were exactly as he had feared. "I am afraid so." He turned around until he faced his guest. "You had best prepare yourself. Events have been set in motion beyond anyone's control, and you will be needed." He looked back at the candle. "We will all be needed."

A.M.A.Z.O. nodded. "I'll be ready."

* * *

Sibyill Trelawney sat back in her seat, having peered into the crystal ball for a moment. Contrary to popular belief, she was indeed a practitioner of divination. She didn't have control of the gift, but she didn't let on about that, preferring to make the students cringe. She also found her yearly death predictions very amusing. 

However, at this particular moment, she wasn't feeling very amused. The images she had seen were just that despicable.

And the worst thing was that she couldn't tell anyone this. Not McGonagall, not young Harry, for who was involved even more so than the Transfiguration teacher, not even Albus. Her orders from the council were clear.

Speaking of which…

Trelawney walked over to her owl, named Seer ironically, and pulled a dusty envelope from the shelves. "You know what needs to be done," she whispered, petting the owl for a moment. "Make sure my grandmother gets this. She will know what to do."

Seer hooted reassuringly, then took off into the midmorning air, envelope now strapped to his leg. It would be several nights, the Divination teacher knew, before he reached his destination. In the meantime, she needed to get ready for the next class. If she wasn't acting like her usual, misty self, then people would start to wonder.

* * *

In the Jedi meditation room on Coruscant, a diminutive figure slowly regained awareness of his surroundings. 

Master Yoda, the oldest member of the Order of the Jedi Knights, felt a single tear fall down his ancient cheek. Almost two years ago, he had felt great grief as he watched everything the Jedi had worked so hard to preserve fall apart over one titanic battle. Now, though, the events he had just seen made the Clone Wars seem rather small and insignificant.

Soon, he would order all Jedi to return to the capital, where he would address them, before going to the senate. This was the first vision any of them had had for almost ten years.

A pity that it had to be one of terror…and a prelude to war.

* * *

In the realm at the center of the Big Ten, a woman awoke from a deep slumber, shooting upward in shock. 

Alania stared ahead for a few seconds, letting her heart rate and breathing slow down to an acceptable level, then got up, grabbing her robe from the chair next to her. Covering her nude form, she walked over to the window to stare out into the city.

Already, she could hear, and feel her fellow Guardians starting to react in much the same way. A series of wails and voices of disbelief were already making their presence known, and steadily gaining strength as more awoke. Soon, every Guardian in the protectorate would awaken, and she would have to mobilize them all for battle.

Normally, she wouldn't have to worry. The mortal warriors of a particular realm would be able to fight back against this enemy. However, this was no ordinary enemy. This was an enemy who had an intimate understanding of his adversaries, and of the Guardians themselves. All in all, a situation that would spell disaster for all.

As she pondered the possible implications of this situation, as well as coming to grips with what she had just learned, a knock on the door brought her back to the present. "Come in, Commander," she said.

Commander Locc entered the room. A tall, powerful built man, he was in command of the entire mortal armed forces of the Guardian civilization. And his eyes were concerned. "I take it you already know what happened," he said.

Alania nodded. "I'm afraid I do, my friend. Have the military mobilize immediately, and prepare for battle." She sighed. "The moment I have feared for almost thirty of our years has come to pass."  
Locc bowed. "Yes, milady." He turned on his heel, and walked out of the room, leaving her alone once again.

Alania turned to look out the window again,. She would have a few hours before she had to address her fellow Guardians. She would take those few hours to reflect…and wonder why she hadn't seen the warning signs. "Ghaleon," she whispered, "what have you done?"

She didn't move from that spot for a long, long time.

* * *

Episode Thirty Seven, done. Episode Thirty Eight will show us Alex's reaction, and the revelation of Sere's true identity. 

I wasn't really planning on adding all of this( startingwith Ravenand ending with Alania,) but there it is.

Well, it's time for me to take that month break from this story, and get back to work on Captain Planet: Armageddon. I've finally decided on how I'm going to tell it, so you can expect Chapter Nine within the next couple of weeks. Also, I will once again be updating on the Bio's page to include everyone who will be coming into the story, so stay tuned. As always, review. Let me know if I have to work on something.


	40. Episode Thirty Eight: Decisions

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

_(Digimon Theme song)_

Episode Thirty Eight: The Calm Before the Storm

Darkness gave way to shadows. Then images began to form, as the unconscious became conscious oncemore.

Seconds later, they would wish they had stayed unconscious.

With a groan, Nall managed to raise his head as he struggled against the darkness. After a moment, hewas ableto plant himself onto his own four feet, taking a look around as he did so. "Wh-what happened?" he mumbled, still dazed. "Where am I?" He focused on a bed, recognizing it instantly. After all, he had slept in the room for years. "This is…Alex's room! But…I thought we were in the Cave…" he shook his head to try and clear the cobwebs. He knew there was something wrong with the picture. They had been in the White Dragon Cave with…

The bed covers rustled for a moment, as a mass shifted, breaking Nall's concentration. A groan issued from the underneath them, also very familiar.

Several seconds later, Alex revealed himself as he sat up, letting the sheet fall down to his waist. "Nall?" he rasped, his throat dry and scratchy. "Are you there?"

Nall flapped his wings, focusing his faltering concentration on the task. "I'm here, Alex." He began hovering, reviving somewhat. He still felt confused. "What happened to us? The last thing I remember is going into the White Dragon Cave with…Ghaleon…Ghaleon…"

Alex's eyes, which had been unfocused for a moment, suddenly widened in remembrance.

For both of them, it was like completing a puzzle. The pieces formed a very clear picture for both of them.

"Wait!" Nall shouted. "I remember now…I know what happened!"

Alex shot out of his bed, fear pumping adrenaline through his system. "Luna!" he shouted.

Noah, Angelina, and the Six, who had woken up almost an hour ago, all jumped in surprise as the door to Alex's bedroom suddenly opened forcefully. Alex shot out of it like the devil was after him, heading in the direction of the Luna's room.

Noah turned his head in Angelina's direction, shaking it slightly when she started rising from her seat. He got up himself, walking down the hallway.

Alex grabbed the doorknob, and pulled hard, wrenching the door open with enough force to rip it off of it's hinges. He stared inside hoping, praying, that she was in there, fast asleep.

Her bed was empty. The sheets had been undisturbed. Nothing had been touched. The only sign that the room had been occupied were the rumpled sheets on the ground. Alex almost dropped to his knees.

Nall landed on his shoulder, tears already brimming in his eyes. "Alex…she was kidnapped," he whispered.

Despair and grief crashed over Alex like a wave, leaving him frozen in place. He had already known that intellectually, but the fact that she wasn't in her room, right in front of his eyesdrove it home. She was gone.

A hand gently settled on his shoulder. "Alex, Nall," a voice said quietly.

Alex turned around, seeing Noah. "Dad…"

The man felt a great deal of concern upon gazing into his son's face. He had never, in all of his years, seen his son as stricken as he did now. He began to understand how much of Alex's strength was really derived from Luna's presence, and vice versa.

Nall turned around. "Ghaleon took Luna…and…" he began.

Noah held up a hand, cutting him off. "I know, Nall. All of you were brought here by an old friend…a man named Laike. He found you in the White Dragon Cave, and brought you here." He stared into Alex's eyes, saw the sorrow there. "He told us what happened," he added.

"Laike?" Alex mumbled, barely paying attention to the conversation. His mind was still in the White Dragon Cave, and what had happened there.

Nall looked around. "Where is he?" he asked.

"I don't know. He wanted to give you some time to gain your bearings." Noah looked at Alex again. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Alex didn't reply. He was numb. Later would come the pain, the loss, the anger. He could feel them already bubbling to the surface, and he needed an outlet. He turned around, heading back into the living room.

T.K. jumped out of his chair. "Alex…"

"I need some time alone," Alex replied curtly to the unspoken question as he walked out of the house, heading for the colonel's training grounds.

T.K. turned to look to look at the others, shaking his head slightly. "He's either blaming us, or himself."

"Or both. And I can't say I blame him." Greg's fist slammed into the table, taking care not to exert his full force. "I should have reacted sooner!" he exploded. "We could have stopped this from happening!"

"No, we couldn't have." Angemon finished off his tea, setting the cup back down. "Ghaleon would have simply gone in himself. He's simply more powerful, and more intelligent,than Lemia." He sighed, setting his hands down. "And now, he is more powerful than a Dragon of Althena."

"And let's not forget about Devimon," T.K. added bitterly. "He's real, allied to Beryl and Ghaleon, and stronger than before."

Mercury nodded, putting her head on her own hands. "Poor Luna," she whispered sadly.

"Poor Alex," Nall piped in, landing on the table. "He's numb right now, but that'll pass. Then he'll be angry." He knew Alex well enough to know what he would do. "He'll find Ghaleon…and try and kill him."

Angewomon stood. "I know how he feels." She headed for the door. "I'm going to talk to him. If I'm lucky, he'll be willing to listen. If not…well, one of us will be put out of our misery."

"Shall I have a grave ready…or a cradle?" Angemon asked seriously.

It wasn't a joke. No one laughed.

* * *

Alex's gloved fists slammed into the punching bag with a ferocity that he had never exhibited before in training. Sweat poured down his face, blurring his vision. His muscles trembled with exhaustion, his hands already bloody underneath the gloves. And still he pushed on, none of it processing to him. 

His mind replayed the sequence of events over and over again, never stopping. Ghaleon enslaving the White Dragon, then Devimon revealing himself to them. And finally, Luna being ripped from him, taking his heart with her as Ghaleon disappeared, leaving the rest of them to die.

'I failed her.' Each punch grew stronger and more forceful.

'I failed her.' Hatred began bubbling in his soul for those responsible.

'I failed her.' Tears began running down his cheeks.

'I failed her.'

With a roar of pure rage. Alex's injured hand slammed into the punching bag with all the power of his body behind it. It literally tore in half, spilling it's innards all across the floor. The force of his blow not only did that, it also broke half of the ropes it was tied to. Half of it fell to the ground straight away, while the other half swung like a mutilated corpse.

Angewomon, who had just entered the training grounds, stopped in absolute surprise. "Alex…?" she began hesitantly, her plan not looking so solid now.

Alex turned around, his eyes narrowed. "You!" he growled, lashing out. Angewomon grabbed his wrist, not saying anything as she stared at him sympathetically. He struggled for a moment, trying to free his hand, but the exhaustion and abuse he had put his muscles through was starting to catch up with him. He could feel his hands starting to throb, but he didn't care. The Goddess Statue would be able to heal them, not even leaving a scar.

However, not even the Goddess herself would be able to heal the injuries that pervaded his soul.

What good were his hands, if he couldn't hold Luna in them?

What good was his strength, if he was powerless to protect the woman he loved, or help his friends?

What good was becoming a Dragonmaster if Luna wasn't next to him?

He was, for the first time in his life, not complete. He was without a clue, adrift in grief. Without her, he was…nothing.

Angewomon let the silence stretch for a time, then said firmly, "Listen, you can't beat yourself up about this. Even Greg couldn't have predicted this in time."

"I didn't protect her," he mumbled.

"He caught all of us flat footed. We didn't stand a chance."

"I failed her."

"We all failed her. Ghaleon didn't really give any of us a chance to fight back."

"Doesn't matter. I didn't keep my promise."

Angewomon sighed. "Look, Alex. I'm going to make it perfectly simple for you; You couldn't have done anything to help her. It happened too fast, and Ghaleon had everything planned to a tee. He made sure of that."

"It doesn't matter!" Alex exploded again. "I promised her that I would always be there for her! I promised that I would protect her! And I didn't keep that promise."  
"Oh." The Angelic finally saw how deeply in love Alex was. He was willing to risk his own life for her, and judging what she knew about the young boy…man, he would go after Luna and Ghaleon single handedly if he could. "Alex, Luna wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," she said quietly, tears trailing out from under her helmet. "And neither would your friends. You did an incredible job protecting her, but…sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control." Her expression softened. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine." She took a breath beforeslowly removing her glove, showing her arm to him.

Alex sucked in a breath. There, raising ugly welts on her skin, were a series of scars crisscrossing and intersecting into anX that traveled across her arm, stopping at her elbow.

Angewomon smiled sadly. "Tragic, isn't it? I have more on my back, as well as a small one hidden in my hair. I even have one on my neck. My larynx never fully recovered because of it." She put her glove back on. "The point I'm trying to make is, that something terrible has happened, but you can't let it rule you. We can never let the past rule us, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it."

Alex thought about it, then nodded, his gaze firming up. "You're right," he said, surprising himself. "I have to believe that I'll see her again. Otherwise, what's the point? It's just so hard…"

"I know, but we still have to believe that." Angewomon grinned. "Come on, the others are waiting, and so is Laike. Let's get your hands healed so you can grip something again."

Nodding, Alex followed her to the Statue.

* * *

Mercury looked up. "How're you feeling, T.K.?" 

T.K. rotated his arm once, grinning. "I feel fine now. Thanks."

The Sailor Scout nodded, putting her computer back into her pack. _'We've healed physically, but we're not okay. Not a hundred percent. We're wounded in a way that no science or magic can heal.'_

Luna's kidnapping had struck a painful chord in each of their hearts. The Six had gotten to know her pretty well over their journeys, finding a kindred spirit in her. They drew emotional strength from her, just as she drew it from them. To see her be taken in such a manner was almost too much to bear.

Kari looked up from her spot in the living room, seeing Alex and Angewomon enter the household. She got up. "Alex, are you alright?"  
Alex shook his head. "Not really, but I'm not going to let the despair get to me," he replied. "Not now, not ever."

Indeed, they all noted how different he appeared after forty eight minutes. He was standing taller, and his shoulders were squared. His eyes held an intensity in them that was disconcerting, and he seemed to have mastered his grief partially.

"That's good to hear," Noah said, walking up to him. "Alex, I'm glad to see you awake. And…Laike's ready to see you. He's presently at Dyne's Monument. You should go thank him for saving your lives."

Alex nodded, the same thought going through his mind. "I was planning to, Dad." He turned to head out of the door again.

Noah's hand came to rest on his son's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Alex," he said, getting his attention, "You and Luna have grown up together. Your mother and I have watched as a bond formed between you two…" he sighed, "…and we have seen that bond change from friendship to love."

Alex's eyes widened. _'He knew. He knew about Luna and me. He knew before we did.'_

Noah's smile confirmed it. "Now, I'm sure that you've told her already…and I know that she's waiting for you." He squeezed his son's shoulder for a moment before releasing. "Ghaleon may have taken Luna's body," he said softly, "but her heart will always be with you. Remember that, son. Now all of you, save her from Ghaleon."

Alex nodded, exchanging looks with each of the Six. "Will do, Dad." He walked out of the door, the others following him.

It was time to speak to Laike…and get a few answers.

* * *

Laike stared at Dyne's Monument, his thoughts on the past. The recent past, especially on what he had learned from the Magic Guild messenger about Ghaleon's mission to go to the White Dragon. Concerned that the Vile Tribe was going to make another move, he had set out immediately in the direction of the Cave. When he had arrive though, he had seen Ghaleon transform himself into the Magic Emperor, and capture both Quark and Luna. He watched as a Digimon called Devimon rise, and aide in taking out Alex and the Six before teleporting out of the Cave, leaving them to freeze to death. 

Hoping to help them, Laike had immediately revived Angemon and Angewomon. With their help, the other four were soon out of danger.

"La…Laike…"

And speak of the devil. Laike turned around, relieved to see all of them awake. "Good, you're all awake. I was afraid your sleep might be of the eternal kind…"

"It almost was," Mercury replied. "Kudos to your impeccable timing."

Nall nodded. "Thanks for saving our lives, Laike. We owe you." He paused for a second, as something processed through his head. "But what the heck were you doing in the White Dragon Cave?"

Laike gave out a hearty laugh. "I thought you'd ask that, Nall!" he exclaimed. "But mum's the word on my original intentions!"

"I hate secrets…"

"But what I _can_ tell you," the bearded one continued, serious once more, "is that I received a message from Lemia Ausa, informing me of Ghaleon's intentions to meet with Quark. As I was going to go there anyways, I decided to give you guys some emotional, and experienced support."

Angemon smiled weakly. "We would have appreciated it."

"Unfortunately, I saw everything that happened." Laike put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Alex, everyone…I'm sorry about what happened to Luna."

"Not as sorry as we are," Alex told him quietly.

"But I have to ask…what are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do!" Nall practically screeched. "I'm gonna bite Ghaleon right in the-!"

"He wasn't talking to you, Nall!" Greg shouted.

"I meant _you_, Alex!" Laike stared at him. "What do you plan to do?"

Alex was silent.

"Think, and then act decisively!" Laike bellowed.

Alex looked up, green eyes sparkling. He already knew what he was going to do. "I'm going to save Luna…then I'm going to find Ghaleon, and I'm going to kill him! Before he does to anyone else what he did to Luna!"  
Laike nodded. "Good. However, Ghaleon fancies himself the 'Magic Emperor,' ruling over the Vile Tribe of the Frontier."

Angemon looked up. "No, he doesn't," he revealed. "I'm afraid Xenobia still rules."

"Xenobia! …So it's true…"

"I'm afraid so. And we all learned something about one of our friends, Mimi. She's…"

"Sheyra's daughter," a new voice stated behind them, one shockingly familiar to all of them. "And thus, the rightful heir to the throne of the Tribe."

Nall turned around. "Sere?" he squeaked.

Greg and Mercury gasped as one. "S-Serenity!" Mercury gasped. "But how!"

Sere nodded, eyes downcast. "Yes, Princess Mercury, it's me."

"Serenity?" Kari echoed, confused.

Sere gave a small bow to them. "I was once Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom," she explained quietly. "But that name died the day the Moon was destroyed by Beryl. After I had sent the Sailor Scouts to Earth, I was near death. My use of the Silver Crystal had robbed of the majority of my remaining strength. I was prepared to die peacefully, knowing that you were all safe…"

"But you didn't die," Angewomon replied. "Because of someone."

"Althena." The silver haired woman sat down on a rock, sighing slightly. "I had met the Goddess at an empowered scientific counsel, where she had been explaining some thesis she developed. We met again at the last Goddess Festival she attended. She put a spell on me, telling me that it was a good luck charm. Later, I learned that it was an emergency teleportation spell, which worked much like the Sunak's portal system.

"I awoke in Althena's Shrine, barely able to move my eyelids. The priests there helped me recover my physical strength so I could travel. I spent five years wandering Lunar, learning everything I could of the Silver Star, while I slowly regained my power. When I arrived in Meribia, Master Mel helped me set up shop…and that's where my story ends." She looked up. "At least, until you all showed up, anyways."

T.K. realized what she was saying. "You were helping us in little ways."

"And keeping tabs on us," Mercury added, grinning in amusement.

Sere smiled. "You always were smarter than me. Pluto said your mind was your greatest weapon."

Greg grinned as Mercury blushed. "So, Serenity…" he began.

"Call me Sere."

"Okay…Sere…why now? Why are you letting us know who you are?"

"Because I know of Beryl and Devimon," she replied. "Beryl, for obvious reasons, Devimon, because he was the one who roused the Uruk-Hai into battle, informing them of the Digi-Destined's arrival."

Kari's eyes narrowed. "No wonder Racc knew who my brother was. Devimon's been feeding them information about us."

"And they're allied with the Magic Emperor," Nall threw in. "Which means he probably knows everything there is about Vane's defenses!"

Laike looked at Alex again. "Even knowing all of this, Alex…will you risk your life to fight him?"  
Alex nodded decisively. "Without question!"  
"And the rest of you?"

Angewomon gaped. "If you have to ask that question of us," she replied, "then you don't know us very well!"  
"Luna's our friend," Kari said. "And we don't leave our friends in the hands of the enemy."

Laike was silent for a second, before nodding once. "Dragonmaster Dyne would be proud of your bravery," he said. He would marvel at the strength you have nurtured in your hearts."

"I know." Alex stared at the monument for a moment. "I also think that he would have me answer the question that Ghaleon posed."

Sere nodded, getting up. "Excellent point, Alex. Now, I'm going to have to ask the six of you to come with me. You'll all need to be properly equipped to face off against the Deadly Alliance."

T.K. nodded, and followed Sere back into the village, the other five taking their cues from him.

Laike tuned to stare at Dyne's Monument once more. "Do you know what killed Dyne, Alex?" he suddenly asked.

Alex was a little dumbfounded by the question. What did it have to do with Ghaleon? "No," he replied.

Laike was silent for a moment, looking at the Monument. "As with many, Dyne fell victim to love. He swore to the woman he fancied that he would do anything for her." He looked at him, his eyes bearing a deep mystery. "When the time came to protect her heart, he used all of the power he had." He turned back to the monument. "And the Dyne everyone knew as the greatest Dragonmaster ever…perished."

Alex turned his attention to the monument as well, now seeing his image of Dyne shift. Now he saw someone who simply wanted to do what was best for Lunar, but also wanted to have a life of his own. "As Dragonmaster, he thought the Goddess was worth protecting," he said. "But as a person, he decided that the woman he loved was worth dying for. So how does a Dragonmaster separate love and duty from each other?"  
Laike laughed. "Love is never an easy thing, Alex! But you say you want to save Luna…so you must become the Dragonmaster." Those eyes, so full of wisdom and experience, pierced the depths of the young man's soul. "Because you will face an opponent far stronger than any Dragonmaster has had to face…"

"I know…and I'll do it, Laike!"

"Good answer, Alex!" Laike bellowed with mirth as he pulled something out of his pack. "Here, I have something that might just cheer you up!"  
Nall flapped for a second. "After that depressing story about Dyne, I hope so."

"Don't worry, Nall. I promise…you'll like this." He handed the package over to Alex. "I found it in the White Dragon Cave…and I want you to have it. You're going to find it as useful as Dyne did." He patted Alex on the shoulder. "I'll see you soon," he said in farewell, walking away.

Nall and Alex stared at Laike's retreating back, somewhat perplexed. "What a strange man, Alex…" Nall mumbled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's helping us…but why is he doing it?"  
"Good question…but that's a question that can wait."

Nall grinned. "Well, I'm glad that you're going to fight Ghaleon…because I'd hate to save Luna all by myself!"  
Alex started chuckling as well. "I'd hate to have to rescue the both of you!" he replied. "Come on, let's go get the other's and decide on a course of action."

"Let's!"

* * *

Sere pulled a small case out of her massive duffle bag, holding it in her hands. "Besides the Sword of Hope, the Guardians of Althena gave me their crests for safekeeping," she explained as she opened it. "A Guardian's crest is a combination of a dog tag/homing beacon/ power refiner, allowing other Guardians to instantly locate and identify them." 

Angemon picked up two crests, observing them for a second. "These two crests are the same," he said.

"Well, for each power in Existence, there are two who defend it. These two will hold similar crests, though their power may vary a bit. Only a select few, like Hope and Light, are different. In Hope and Light's case, it's because they defend the powers of purity themselves."

"Cool." T.K. put the Crest of Hope around his neck. "Do Tai and the others have crests?" he asked.

"They don't need them." Sere put the now empty case back into her bag. "Their powers are on the level of an empowered, which is significantly weaker than yours. They'll still be able to hold their own against anyone they come across, though."

Angewomon chuckled. "Well, what about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger?" she asked.

Sere frowned. "Now, I don't know anything about them. While I knew the Guardians of Althena, I didn't know any other's, or their culture. You see, the Guardians of Althena were assigned to Althena because of her past association with Alania, the First Guardian. As such, she herself was responsible for training the Guardian of Light."

"Hikari," Kari mumbled.

Sere nodded, eyes twinkling. "Correct. And thank you for the name." She looked at each of them. "Now, Guardians are skilled in hand to hand combat. However, they usually carried an assortment of weapons , depending on the situation they were going into. Now, as this is a war setting, you'll probably want a number of throwing knives, projectile weapons, axes, among other things. They would also have their sacred weapon, as well as a series of healing items. In addition, they had communicators that worked on a certain frequency, so they could talk without eavesdroppers."

Greg slipped his crest on, tucking it under his shirt. "So, what do we do?" he asked.

"We fight," Alex replied, walking up to them. "Laike gave me something that might help with that."

"Now all we have to do is find out where Ghaleon went," Nall added.

Sere looked at the item in Alex's hands. "I see Laike found the White Dragon Wings," she said. "It possesses the ability to instantly teleport you to a place you have visited on Lunar. Very handy when you're running late for a meeting."

Angemon whistled. "Talk about easy transportation. Can you tell us how to use them?"

"Uh, uh, you have to figure that out for yourself." She turned to Mercury. "Now, under no circumstances are you to challenge Ghaleon alone. Collect the other Scouts and Digi-Destined, as well as those who will be willing to fight against a 'former' hero. That'll be the only way to defeat him." She hugged the young girl, then hugged Greg. "I'll see you in Vane," she added, before teleporting away.

Nall grinned. "Let's try the Dragon Wings out, and see what happens!" He looked at Alex. "Where do we go?" he asked.

Alex didn't even need to think about it. "Serenity will probably warn Lemia and the Magic Guild. They, in turn, will probably warn Harry and Hermione. So let's head for Meribia. Last I recall, Hell Mel is still in fighting shape, and we all know how Jessica's like."

Mercury nodded. "So let's getting going," she said.

Everyone clustered around Alex, who raised the Wings above his head. "Take us to the City of Meribia!" he intoned.

The White Dragon Wings began glowing brightly, seemingly collecting energy from the air itself. It started humming, which grew in intensity, until a series of multi-colored rings emerged from the item, engulfing them.

In a moment, the rings vanished, leaving a vacant spot where the eight of them stood.

The White Dragon Wings worked.

* * *

Sere materialized in front of Vane's part of the Transmission Spring, staggering for a moment as a massive wave of weakness washed through her. It had been fifteen years since she had last teleported, and even longer since she had teleported over such a large distance. 

Before she had finished collecting herself, something slammed into her, forcing her against a massive cannon. "What the blazes!" she shouted, as an inhumanly strong grip twisted her arm in a particularly uncomfortable position.

"Who are you?" a familiar voice demanded. "How did you get past the defenses of Vane? Or were you sent by the Vile Tribe, because if you were, then I'm warning you-"  
"Princess Jupiter, release me now or I will see you on the field of battle!" Sere shouted.

Jupiter stopped applying pressure, her expression showing her surprise. She kept Sere immobilized, but now there was serious questions on her face.

Venus walked up, staring at the white haired woman in bewilderment. "Um, Lita?" she asked. "Why are you holding someone who looks like Queen Serenity?"

Sere groaned. What had the Twentieth Century done to them? "Because I _am_ Serenity! And if Sailor Jupiter would kindly release me, I will tell you how I survived, and why I am here!"

The Jupiter Senshi released her hold, and stepped back. "Alright, talk."

"Not here. Have the other Scouts, Lemia, Nash, and Mia meet me in the Grand Hall. We don't have a lot of time, and I'm only going to explain this once."

Jupiter pulled her communicator out. "Serena, get the other Scouts and meet in the Grand Hall, as well as the Ausa's and Nash. We have a bit of a surprise for you."  
_"We're on our way,"_ Serena replied.

* * *

Lemia sank back into her seat, absolute shock permeating her weakened system. "He…what?" she asked in disbelief. 

Nash was beside himself in anger. "It's not possible! He's one of the Four Heroes, and a member of the Magic Guild! He would never betray us!"  
"I have to agree," Mia said quietly. "Every part of my being rebels against it."

"And Ghaleon helped us against the Tribe's forces," Rei added. "Why would someone do that, only to join them?"  
"There are eye witnesses," Sere said quietly. "The Six, Alex, Nall, and Laike. They saw everything…and there's one other thing." She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Devimon's here."  
Pluto stood up as Luna and Artemis hissed in fury. "Do you meant to tell me that he is still alive!" she shouted, rage lacing her tone. It was a tone which promised death to her enemies.

"Yes, and he's aiding the Magic Emperor."  
Serena, who had been silent since she had seen her first mother for the first time, suddenly looked up. "Then we're in trouble." She turned to Lemia. "Ghaleon's already the strongest mage of Vane, and quite possibly on Lunar. If he was that powerful alone, he's going to be almost unstoppable with an alliance as powerful as Devimon and Beryl. And since Devimon and Beryl are capable of going to other worlds…"

"…we're going to face a war spanning three worlds," Jupiter finished. "Maybe even more."

Luna looked around. "Right now, only our Earth, Harry's Earth, Lunar, and the Digital World are the only four in danger right at this particular moment. But there are infinite other realms out there, any one of them at risk."

Venus sighed. "We can't defend them all, so let's focus on Lunar. According to Mercury, our Earth and the Digital World are pretty taken care of. So we should warn Harry and his friends now, and focus our full attention on protecting Lunar. After all, it seems to be a focal point."

Lemia nodded, wincing slightly. "Nash, dial up the coordinates for their realm. Miss Weasley will have 'circled' it on our computer system. Go through, and head immediately for a small house. Her mother will be there. Tell her to get this letter to Hogwarts as soon as possible." She handed the letter to him. "Good luck."

Nash bowed before departing for the Stargate room.

Mia looked at her mother, despondent. "I thought I knew him," she said. "He used to read me bedtime stories when I was younger. To know that he was capable of this…"

Lemia nodded, sighing. "I thought I knew him too, Mia. I thought I knew them all."

"So did I," Sere groused. "So did I."

* * *

Nash sprinted down the hilly plains, not even wondering about the similarities between Lunar and this Earth. His mind was focused on his mission. It was the only thing he could do, as he no longer trusted himself to make the right choices. 

Reaching the house in question, he breathed deeply, then knocked on the door. "Is anyone there?"

There was a sound of movement, and then a middle aged man dressed in business robes appeared. "Can I help you, young man?"

Nash steeled himself. "Are you Mister Weasley?" he asked. When the man nodded, he said, "I am Nash, a member of the Magic Guild of Vane. I have a letter that needs to be delivered to your daughter and Harry Potter. It contains information of the situation as it stands on Lunar."

Mister Weasley nodded, confused. "Is this about Sirius Black?"  
"Um, I don't know who this Sirius Black is. This is an entirely different situation." Nash held up a hand to stave off more questions. "I don't have any time to give you a full explanation. Just…make sure that it makes it to Hogwarts. If you need any information, ask your daughter. She'll tell you everything she can." He bowed. "Good day, sir." He turned and started running back towards the Stargate. He had to get back to Vane.

He had to prepare for the inevitable…to do battle against his old mentor.

His duty to Vane demanded no less.

* * *

Alania walked down the military building's largest hallway, consulting the screen in front of her. "So it's almost finished," she stated. 

Her aide nodded. "The engineers are putting the final defense systems in, as well as fine-tuning the Stargate installed. We should started looking for Guardians to man it-"

"No," Alania replied. "I want ordinary people selected to run the vessel. Guardians will go along as part of the crew, but I want those who _aren't_ Guardians selected as well. They're fully qualified to run the vessel." She turned around. "Make the arrangements."

"As you wish, milady. I assume that you'll be accompanying them?"  
Alania nodded. "I'm going to find her…and I already have a good idea as to where she is. If I'm not back in four Existence months, send all available forces to Lunar."  
"Yes, milady." The aide departed, heading for the exit. Satisfied, Alania continued walking, her thoughts on what she had learned. She had to find the transferred Guardian soon, before the time limit expired. She also hoped that she found her children.

After all, what kind of mother would she be if she stopped looking for them?

* * *

Episode Thirty Eight, and Season One are now complete. Episode Thirty Nine will be ready as soon as I can finish typing it.

I am getting rid of the Digimon theme song for Season Two, because it's just too long, and I do have a lot to write. Also, the other series will start appearing in the form of two mini series; Harry Potter: Stargate, and Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption. It'll prove interesting to write, so stay tuned.I'll find a way to do a _Secar Triad _in a future episode.

Please review! If you're reading Captain Planet: Armageddon, then please read this, and vice versa. The two stories are somewhat intertwined, with events happening in one that will effect events in the other.


	41. Episode Thirty Nine: A New Student Arriv...

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

Harry Potter: Stargate

Episode Thirty Nine: A New Student Arrives

(A week before Episodes Thirty Seven and Thirty Eight.)

Hogwarts at rest.

Such a thing is unthinkable. The great school was _never_ at rest at any time. Even in the still hours of the night, when all was quiet, there was always some kind of movement. A teacher making the rounds to catch students out of bed, those said students trying to avoid said teachers, Argus Filch and his feline alert system, Mrs. Norris. Or students talking amongst themselves in their common rooms, discussing anything that came up.

This night was no different. However, what was unusual was the fact that the entire castle thrummed with nervous tension. After everything that had happened to Ginny Weasley almost a week before, the population of the school was jumping at every shadow that they saw. And that was brought to a head at dinner in the Great Hall.

Dumbledore finished explaining the situation. "Now, I must ask all of you to not press Miss Weasley about this," he informed them, "though I won't forbid it. However, should another incident occur, I am sure that she will inform you immediately if it will be a problem." He looked around, staring at the entire student body in front of him. "Should another crisis arise, I will also ask you to listen to Professor McGonagall as well. Thank you."

Harry watched as Dumbledore sat down, before leaning back in his own chair thoughtfully. The Headmaster's duty was fulfilled. Now it was up to him and Hermione to keep it.

"This is just terrific," Ginny muttered from next to him. "I want to shoot myself, Harry. Can I shoot myself?"

"No." Harry turned to look at her. "If you do, Matt will be sad."

"You hit low, Potter."  
"Part of the job, Weasley."

Hermione, who was immersed in her Arithmancy homework, looked up. "Come on, Ginny. You know that if you try to kill yourself, then Madame Pomfrey would just heal you, and your mother will send another Howler. I don't think your family can stand another Howler.

"Tell me about it," Ron groaned. "My heads still ringing from the last one."

Harry chuckled. "Deal with it." He leaned back further, risking a glance at the Slytherin table. "Now, I wonder what they're talking about," he muttered rhetorically.

Draco Malfoy and his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, were talking in hushed tones with Marcus Flint. Every once in a while, one of them would look over at them before ducking again.

"What else would they be talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Probably how he looks like his mother." Ginny smirked. "I told him that a whiles back…before I bashed him upside his head with a piece of rock."

"I never thought of that." Hermione leaned back, amusement etched in her features.

"You're not as devious as Ginny," Ron informed her cheerfully.

Harry grinned. It was good that Ginny was smiling again, and talking to them. Matt was certainly a miracle worker where this was concerned.

Dinner amongst the four was relaxed. Ron managed to bungle through a series of suggestions about how Sirius Black had managed to get out of Azkaban, with Hermione shooting him down at every turn. Ginny described some of the things that she had seen in Dreamscape, much to the curiosity of the others. Harry observed his wand, thinking about the weapons that he and the girls had hidden in their dormitories, and commented on it. This drew a sarcastic reply from their red head witch, and an equally sarcastic agreement from their bushy haired witch.

Finally, they vacated the Great Hall, chatting about tomorrow. Unfortunately, Malfoy chose that moment to vacate the hall as well with the other three.

The eight of them found themselves staring at each other, with barely two feet separating them. The tension was so thick that they would have needed a laser to cut through it.

"You think you're so clever, don't you, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "Figuring out the Stargate makes a greater hero than before?"

Harry tilted his head a bit in contemplation. "You know, I'd ask how you'd know that I went through the Stargate, but then I remember your poor, sorry excuse of a father. How is the rat bastard anyways? Has he found anymore evil diaries to use? Or perhaps he's having that sex change he's always wanted?"

Ron gaped at this. Harry, insulting Lucius Malfoy directly in Draco's face? Had that battle in Vane knocked a few neuron's loose? And Hermione, rather than berating Harry for his use of language, was grinning. Grinning!

Malfoy's sneer lost it's edge, and his eyes glinted angrily. "Don't you go insulting my dad, Potter," he snarled.

"And why shouldn't I?"

Hermione shook her head in amusement, chuckling. "Move along, Malfoy," she said sweetly. "Otherwise, I might die from laughter."

"Shut your mouth, mudblood!" Flint snarled. "Speak only when you're spoken to!"  
Hermione's arm lashed out, catching Ron before he could launch himself at the seventh year. "Stay, Ron. I can handle this." She took a step forward until she was only a hair's breath away. "You've lost to Gryffindor in the inter house cup, and in Quidditch. Keep this crap up, and you'll lose something else," she hissed.

Now Ron was in shock Hermione, threatening someone? It was unheard of.

It was so unheard of that Flint actually had to take a moment to grasp it fully in his mind. "Are you threatening me?" he growled.

The young witch looked thoughtful for a second. "Well…yes, I guess I am. Want me to follow through on that threat?"

Ginny sighed. Now she had a reason to stay at Hogwarts. "You all planning to move at some point, or are we all going to stare ominously at each other for the next few hours?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm kind of enjoying this," Harry replied, grinning.

"You would."  
(Hey, Gin, what's going on?)

Ginny started, then sighed. She should have seen this coming. (Hello, Matt. So, are you happy that you've surprised me?)

(Payback for the tickling crisis of to nights ago. So, what's frustrating you?)

(Malfoy.)

(Ah. Allow me.) Ginny felt Matt take a deep breath, his good humor asserting itself. Ten, in the most menacing tone he could muster, he growled, _"Malfoy!"_

The effect was instantaneous.

The four Slytherins shot off at warp speed, almost leaving scorch marks in their wake. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all doubled over in laughter at this. Ron, who instantly realized that that was Matt's voice, started chuckling as well.

Neville Longbottom, who had just been exiting the Great Hall, stopped. "Um…G-Ginny?" he stuttered.

Ginny grinned. "Don't worry, Neville. That was a good friend of mine."  
"We can vouch for him," Harry asserted.

"My work here is done. Mister Longbottom, I hope to meet you face to face one day. Talk to you later, Ginny. Bye Harry, Hermione."

"Yeah, bye Matt." Ginny 'hung up', looking at Neville. "So, whaddya think, Neville?" she asked.

Neville smiled nervously. "Next time, a face to face meeting would be nice."

"I'll tell him that."

Harry's grin grew. "Now Matt has style when he wants to scare someone."  
"No doubt," Ron replied. "I've never met the guy, he sounds kinda cool."

"He _is_ cool!" Hermione grinned. "I also think Ginny finds him cute."

Ginny blushed. "Hermione, Matt has already embarrassed me! Why must you do the same thing?"  
"He finds you cute."

"Really?"

"Ginny!" Ron was shocked. "He's on another realm!"  
"Doesn't mean a thing. I see him in my dreams. Dreamscape, remember?"  
"Oh."

Harry grinned. "Come on, let's go back to the Gryffindor Common Room. I suddenly have this sudden urge to do my homework."

"You, _wanting_ to do homework?" Hermione clasped her chest in astonishment. "Harry Potter, I am shocked!"

"I am.," Ron said in disbelief. "Harry, what about going out to see Hagrid?"  
"I believe his wording was to not come out here for whatever reason." Harry looked at his red head best friend. "And for some reason, I think staying in today will prove prudent." He shrugged. "Just a feeling."  
Hermione looked at him. "You know, Harry, I have the same feeling. Let's just hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the butt."

* * *

McGonagall stood near the doorway of Moaning Myrtles bathroom, waiting patiently for Ginny to make her nightly visit. She had brought her old Invisibility Cloak from Vane with her, the last thing her father had given to her before she had gone through the Stargate. It was the only thing she had left of him. 

As she thought about the past, a noise in the distance made her look up. She watched as Ginny entered the bathroom. Following her, she watched as Ginny looked down the shaft, then started climbing down. The Deputy Headmistress had watched as Ginny installed a ladder, making it easier to get down, as well as get back up. She waited several seconds, then climbed down after her.

Every night without fail for the last two months, McGonagall had done this, just to make sure that Ginny was acting on her own accord. So far, that seemed to be the case. And, like every other night, after an hour, Ginny turned around, and walked out, eyes downcast.

'Poor child,' McGonagall thought. _'And no one can truly help her. At least she isn't leaving with tears on her face.'_ On the other hand, crying would have been proof that she still had the ability to grieve.

McGonagall thought. On the other hand, crying would have been proof that she still had the ability to grieve. 

Ginny walked out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, eyes still downcast. Before going to Lunar, she had burst into tears every single time she had been down in the Chamber, desperately wishing that she had never come to Hogwarts. But now…

Now, she allowed the painful memories to surface, letting them remind her of her flaws. And she drew strength from that, knowing that she wasn't like Voldemort. And thanks to Matt, she now could speak to others again.

But now, she hoped that they survived their next encounter with the enemy. Otherwise, there would be no more reminders…for anyone.

* * *

Harry… 

Where was that voice coming from? It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and anywhere.

Harry…

Harry swiveled left and right, trying to find the source of the voice. However, it sounded like it ricocheted all around him, making it impossible to locate.

Harry…

He was becoming frustrated. Where was it coming from?

Harry…

'Leave me alone!' he wanted to shout, but no noise came out of his mouth.

Harry, wake up.

Harry.

"Harry, wake up!"

Abruptly, Harry woke up, shooting upwards into a sitting position like he had been stuck by a needle. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his night shirt was plastered to his torso. Turning his head, he locked gazes with a set of chocolate brown eyes. He knew who they belonged to, as well. "Hermione," he whispered hoarsely.

Hermione nodded. "Don't ask me how, but I felt your distress." She lowered her gaze. "It matched my own."

Harry, now wide awake, took a closer look at his friend. He was surprised Her hair was matted to her forehead, her shirt drenched. And when she looked up, he saw she had a look of someone who knew what he knew.

Harry swung his feet around, setting them on the ground. "Let's go to the Common Room. That way, we won't wake up anyone."

Hermione nodded. "I was about to suggest that."

Grabbing his robe, the young wizard led the way out of the dorm, quietly crossing the room towards the door.

* * *

Hermione stealthily crept back up the girl dormitory's stairwell back to the third years room to retrieve her own robe. When she had done so, she returned to the Common Room. She noted that Harry was now seated in his 'spot' near the fire, staring into it. His gaze was distant, something that she had been told was associated with her when she was lost in thought. 

But now that he was occupied, she took a really good look at him, noting certain things that he did. She saw how his eyebrow twitched when he was lost in thought. How his hair, while completely unmanageable, was still very…cute. And his eyes, which were the color of emeralds, his mother's gift to him, were like deep pools. A girl could drown in those eyes if she wasn't careful.

Hermione sighed inwardly. No doubt about it, the boy was cute.

Making her way over to where he was sitting, she sat down next to him, joining him in his silent vigil of the fireplace. She tried to make sense of everything that had happened to them over the last several days, and to why it seemed to revolve around her and Harry.

With Hermione's gaze to the fire, she didn't see Harry turn to stare at her. He stared at the bushy hair, which seemed to have tamed itself a little bit over the last two years. At the eyes that seemed to hold an eternal curiosity for the world around them.

He also noticed the little things about her. Like how her eyebrow seemed to arch whenever she came up with an answer to something, or how her mouth twitched when she was deep in thought. And of course those eyes, which were by far her best feature, had an intensity in them that was very disconcerting sometimes.

Harry grinned slightly. No doubt about it, the girl was cute.

As soon as he had had that thought, Harry realized that he had been staring at Hermione for quite a while, and snapped his gaze back to the fire. That had never happened before.

"So," Hermione began, startling him from his revere, "what do we do?"

Harry turned to look at her again once again. "I don't know, Hermione. I've never had my feelings broadcasted to someone else before…or heard a friend's voice calling me."

"Neither have I, but that's what scares me." Hermione took a deep breath. "What scares me is the fact that the two of could here each other calling out to the other, at the same exact time."

"Tell me about it. What I want to know is…what's happening to us?"  
"I don't know," Hermione replied, her gaze hardening. "But we're going to find out." She got up. "Well, I'm going to let you ponder this for now…"  
"No." Harry gently grabbed her hand. "Please stay. I don't want to be alone right now."

Hermione smiled, and sat back own, curling up next to him, staring into the fire.

Neither of them moved from that spot for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Another Hogsmeade weekend?" Ron was confused. "They already had one a few weeks ago." 

"That was set up as an attempt to get Ginny out of her funk," Harry replied. "This is the one they usually have on Halloween, or near it."

"Oh. Well, Hermione, are you going to go?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron. I'm going to stay at Hogwarts this time around. I have a lot of homework that I want to get done."

Harry grinned at the look of indecision on their friend's face. "Go on, Ron," he said. "Enjoy the weekend. You may never get another one like it."

Ron finally grinned as well. "Oh, alright. Just don't do anything stupid while I'm gone…like getting on Malfoy's nerves without me."

Ginny laughed. "Will do, brother."

* * *

Hermione twirled one of her Sai's absentmindedly in her hand, reading a book on weapons. "What I don't get," she said, "is why Professor McGonagall's allowing us to keep our weapons in our dormitory." 

"Because," Harry grunted, parrying a strike from Ginny's blade before lashing out with one of his own, "we need to be ready for when the Vile Tribe decides to launch an attack on this realm." He blocked several blows, thrusting forward.

"And we need to practice." Ginny paused to wipe a sheen of sweat off of her brow. "I don't want another Digimon catching me with my skirt down." She readied herself again. "Is it time for dinner yet?" she asked.

"Only when Ron gets back from Hogsmeade, which should be right about…" Hermione chucked a finger in the direction of the door.

As if on cue, the portrait door swung open, and Ron trudged in, grinning like a maniac. "Hermione, you are not going to believe…" he trailed off when he saw the three of them with their weapons.

"Practice," Ginny replied, "for when we go against the Vile Tribe."

"Ah." Ron could accept that. "Well, come on. Dinner's ready."

"So speaks the stomach," Harry said, grinning.

"Yeah." Ginny giggled. "I think we'll all be happy when Fred, George, and Ron move out of the house. That way, Mum will finally have some food in the fridge."

Ron's grin grew sheepish. "Well, at least we aren't as bad as Bill and Charlie."  
Hermione holstered her weapons, closing her robes around them. "Well, let's go get something to eat."

* * *

Dinner was excellent. Even Ron, who was bursting from Honeydukes chocolate, was able to get second helpings. It astounded Harry how much his friend could pack in one night. Then again, he was astounded how much he and Hermione were packing away tonight. 

"Pass the potatoes…again," Hermione requested in exasperation. "I'm ravenous tonight."

"When you're done, give 'em here," Harry said. "I'm ready to find an elephant."

Ginny looked at the two of them. "You two are eating like Mimi or Serena. That's got to be…what, your fourth helping each?" She grinned. "Pass the liver pudding again."

"Your third helping," Hermione teased.

"Yeah well, I've been training, and I didn't eat a lot of lunch today, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Ron began clapping as Nearly Headless Nick performed a successful rendition of his own botched execution. "That was incredible!"  
Harry looked up. "Hmm…what? Hermione?"

"No idea." Hermione looked around. "Was there something we were supposed to be watching?"

The two Weasley's looked at each other, then back at them. "You two are hopeless," Ginny informed them.

Harry started chuckling. "We certainly hope so, Ginny."

Hermione smirked. "Yes. By the way, how did Snape grade you on your essay, Harry?"

Harry looked at her. "How do you think?"

"He's been acting like an asshole ever since the term started. No wonder Malfoy's acting like he is."

"Did you finish all of your homework?"

The smirk reasserted itself on her face. "Would I be reading a book on weapons if I hadn't?"

"Good point." Harry frowned in thought for a second. "Professor McGonagall gave me top marks on the Transfiguration assignment. And, of course, Professor Trelawney predicted my death."  
Ginny burst out laughing. "In other words, same old, same old in Divination," she said merrily.

"Pretty much." Harry got up, chuckling as he did so. "Well, why don't we retire to the Common Room for the night, so we can come up with hypothetical situations on which to talk about?"

Ron grinned, getting up. "Yeah, let's."

The four Gryffindors headed out of the Great Hall, ignoring Malfoy as he shouted, "The dementor's send their love, Potter!" He really wasn't worth their time, after all. They want down the usual route to the Gryffindor Tower…only to find it chock full of students. They waited for a few seconds for it to empty out. When it didn't, Ron looked at them. "Why isn't anyone going in?" he asked.

"Harry." Hermione pointed up. Harry, understanding what she wanted, picked her up so she could see above everyone else's heads. She strained to see what was going on, but gave up after a few moments. "There's just too many people blocking the way up there," she said. "You can put me down now, Harry."

Harry did so somewhat reluctantly, though he didn't understand why. He stepped back, wiping his glasses clean nervously.

"What's the holdup here?" Percy's voice called out from behind them. They moved out of the way as the Head Boy made his way through the crowd quickly. "You all can't have forgotten the password. Excuse me, I'm Head Boy-" Sudden silence gripped Percy as he stared at the mutilated portrait of the Fat Lady, minus the Fat Lady herself. "Someone get Professor Dumbledore. Quickly."  
Neville immediately made his way back to the Great Hall, while Harry and Co. pushed their way to the front of the line, hoping to see what had silenced Percy. Upon dong so, they were silent for a moment. "Well," Ginny commented at long last, "this is like some Greek tragedy."

Ron looked around, as if to make sure the perpetrators weren't still in the vicinity. "Do you think it was those…demons?" he asked timidly.

"Could be Black," Ginny suggested.

Harry looked at the Fat Lady portrait again. "We don't know for certain." Harry turned his attention to Hermione. "Go see if you can find anything."

Hermione nodded, and immediately began pushing her way back through the crowd, her weapons now out and ready for use. She passed Dumbledore, who nodded once in understanding. The Headmaster then continued on his way up the staircase until he was in front of the portrait. He didn't like the new look one bit, as he took a look around the immediate vicinity. He turned his attention to the assembled. "We need to find her," he said. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!"  
Dumbledore and Harry both turned to see Peeves, Hogwarts's resident poltergeist, floating around with his usual maniacal smile on his face. "What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked.

Peeves immediately dropped the smile. No one in that castle wanted to be on Dumbledore's bad side, let alone him at this time. Instead, he said in an oily voice, "Ashamed, your lordship. Doesn't want to be seen. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful." He paused. "Poor thing," he added insincerely.

Dumbledore traded glances with Harry. Harry nodded. "Did she say who did it?"

Peeves nodded gleefully. "Oh yes, Professorhead. He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Instinctively, and before anyone could draw breath to gasp, Harry had raised his hand, and brought it back somewhat. Almost in that same instant, Peeves was hurtled forward into grabbing reach. And Harry did grab him by his scrawny neck, bringing him within an inch of having his head bitten off. "There's more, isn't there?" he inquired. "For starters, why isn't Black still here? He's crazy enough to cut his way through the student body. So where is he?"

Peeves trembled a bit. Never before had anyone actually touched him, let alone grab him. "W-well," he stammered. "that Sirius Black was forced to run because of…" he looked up, "that!" he squeaked, pointing up and to the left.

Slowly, Harry and the rest of the students and teachers turned to look in that same direction.

"Hello, Potter," the demon hissed. "Are you ready to die?" With that, he released his hold on the sidewall, and flew at Potter, teeth bared.

* * *

Hermione hurried down the corridor, her weapons tucked under her arms, ready to be used in case she found either Sirius Black or a Vile Tribe warrior. Upon hindsight, she understood that it wouldn't have been necessary. 

An open door near the end of the swayed from an unseen wind. Looking inside for a second, she edged into the classroom. Taking a look around, she saw that a window was open, letting the cool October air into the room. Confused, she looked around again, stepping further into the room as she did so. She knew someone was in the room, but she couldn't see that someone.

She was about to check behind the teacher's desk, when she felt a thrill of surprise and trepidation run through her. Surprised herself, she stopped in her tracks, trying to determine where that was coming from. The last time she had felt an emotion completely foreign to her current emotional state was when…

Like a sequence of random events forming a predictable pattern, she realized who it was. "Harry," she breathed, before turning around and bolting out of the room, running back in the direction she came from.

Unaware that she was being watched.

Sirius Black, hiding behind the teacher's desk, watched as the young girl charged out of the room like she was reacting to an outside stimulus, amazed that she had thought to look for him here. He was even more surprised by the intensity in her gaze, and the way she moved like she had been a trained fighter. Those two things reminded him of only one other female that she knew. _'Lily,'_ he thought, tears forming in his eyes.

Even now, after all of these years, the death's of James and Lily Potter haunted him, as did the fact that Wormtail was still in Hogwarts, acing as a pet rat to that Weasley boy. He had actually tried to get into the Gryffindor Tower, forgetting the little fact that everything student dormitory was protected by a password, one that changed every two months. And then he had lost his temper, slashing at the portrait. Now _that _was inexcusable. When he cleared his name, he was going to personally apologize to the Fat Lady by giving her a good cleaning.

But right now, he had to think. The creature that had appeared in Hogwarts was after Wormtail, but someone else. The question was, who? He suddenly remembered what the girl had said before she had sprinted out of the room. "Harry…" he whispered in surprise.

Moving quickly over to one side of the room, he pushed a small cabinet, revealing a small door. It was a secret passage that James had shown them during his time at Hogwarts. It connected directly with a series of tunnels, intersecting to every part of the castle, large enough for one adult to slip in at a time. Without a second glance, he slipped in, closing it behind him.

The cabinet slid back into place on it's own accord. Soon, it was as if no one had ever been in the room.

* * *

As the demon flew in, Harry, once again reacting on instinct, leaped onto the rails, then flipping in a circle, his feet coming up to smash into the demon's face, forcing it's mouth closed, and hurtling it into the far wall. While the demon was getting his bearing's, Harry turned to look at Ginny. "Ginny, Professor's, get the others to the Great Hall at once, and barricade the doors!"  
McGonagall opened her mouth to protest, but Ginny shouted, "You heard the boy, move it!" She looked at the two teachers. "Magic isn't going to be able to win the day this time." She turned back around. "I'll be back, Harry!"  
"I have no doubt. Now go!" 

Immediately, the entirety of the Gryffindor House charged back in the direction of the Great Hall, a barely contained expression of panic permeating the air, with the professor's and Ginny keeping them on their course. Once they had reached the Great Hall, and the other Gryffindor's were in, Ginny looked at McGonagall. "Get the other houses in here," she said simply, before tearing back in the direction of the battle.

Harry jumped off of the rail, and charged in the direction of the third floor corridor. He would need a flat surface on which to fight back.

The demon glided in a circle for a second, then dived at the boy. "Time to die, Potter!" he hissed.

Harry ducked as the demon flew over head, watching as it went into the corridor in question, then followed it in.

The demon landed, it's appearance changing. Now it became a he, dressed in a ninja uniform different in design from the Uruk-Hai. It was black, with trimmings of orange red. "Well, it looks like you would make your father proud," he said, some respect in it's tone. "I'm going to have some fun with this."

Harry grinned. "So am I." He let his instincts guide him, assuming a battle stance that he knew nothing about.

The demon's eyebrow quirked in respect. Harry Potter had just assumed the battle stance of the Atlantean Martial Arts, Level Four, a particularly difficult form of hand to hand combat not even available on this realm. However, from what the Deadly Alliance knew about, it was also a particularly vicious combat. He was going to have some fun fighting. He assumed a stance of his own.

Harry was somewhat confused by how he knew what he was doing, but he wasn't going to question this development. Right now, all he wanted to do was survive.

The demon came in, throwing a barrage of lightning fast blows at the young boy. Harry blocked them, then released a series of his own. A slight pause in the battle allowed the two of them to analyze their opponent's fighting tactics.

Then, the real fight began.

A powerful set of blows and counter attacks, moving almost faster than the speed of sound, erupted from the two as they battered each other's defenses. Harry would block a kick before launching one of his own, only to have it blocked as well. The demon would try to trick Harry, only to find him retaliate in kind.

Harry unleashed a powerful lateral kick, which the demon blocked. He pressed the attack though, pushing the demon back. The demon kept blocking, becoming a little concerned. Harry's blows were stronger than the Regent had been told. Coming up with a quick plan, he suddenly ducked under the next kick, coming up with a side swipe.

It caught Harry in the side of the head, knocking him into loop. He found himself slamming into the wall next to him with enough force to crack the wall. He slid to the ground, a motionless heap. Grinning evilly behind his mask, the demon came in.

As he came in, the thirteen year old suddenly came to life, pushing himself off the wall as he swung his hand in a right hook. It connected solidly with the demon's jaw. The demon stumbled back.

At that same time, Ginny entered the hallway, her wand out. She shut the door behind her, locking it behind her. _"Stupefy!"_ she shouted.

The demon was blasted down the hallway by the power behind the curse. He hit the ground at the far end. After a moment, he got up, looking at the young girl in a new light.

Ginny moved over to Harry. "You okay?" she asked.

Harry rotated his neck, working the kinks out. "Strangely enough, yeah," he replied. "Nice of you to come back."

"All part of the service."

The demon stood up fully, massaging his jaw. "My fight is with Mister Potter, not you, Miss Weasley," he said. "Why do you interfere?"  
Ginny stared back at him, un-intimidated. "Anyone who attacks my friends attacks me."

"Fine." The Demon snapped his fingers once. Instantly, a slew of soldiers, all dressed in black ninja garb, appeared, armed to the teeth.

"Me and my big mouth," Ginny grumbled.

* * *

Hermione charged in the direction of third floor corridor. She could feel Harry's mind, feel it's ebb and flow. And she could feel his urgency. _'Hang on, Harry,'_ she thought. _'I'm coming.'_

And then she stopped abruptly, and for good reason. "Stupid staircases!" she shouted in frustration. The staircases had decided to switch around again. It would be several minutes before another one would be in range. And she didn't have that kind of time.

As she pondered this dilemma, she suddenly had an idea. It was crazy, it was unheard of in the Wizarding World. In short, it was so crazy that it would probably work.

Putting her weapons back in their holsters, she shed her robes, loosened her tie, and rolled up her sleeves. "May I survive this," she whispered, backing up. Then, she charged forward, picking up speed as she did so. When she reached the precipice, she jumped…and performed the impossible.

Defying all odds, Hermione Granger flew through the air, performing a jump that was impossible to do on any given day by even high jumpers. And what was even more impossible was the fact that she landed on the other side.

Hermione rolled, getting to her feet quickly and continuing on her way. She slammed into the third floor corridor doorway, breaking it off of it's hinges. She brought her weapons out, entering the corridor.

The demon's eyes widened as it's other target entered the area of battle. He thought he was going o have to hunt her down. This change in plans actually worked in the Deadly Alliance's favor.

Harry looked at Hermione. "What kept you?" he asked.

"Took a wrong turn," Hermione replied. "Shall we kick their asses?"

"Oh, yes, let's," Ginny said, cracking her knuckles.

The demon gestured. "Attack!"

As one, the soldiers charged forward, the demon right behind them. Hermione slashed at several of them quickly, taking them out, then ducked as the demon's foot flew over head. She came up, Sai's flashing in a coordinated fashion.

At the same time, Harry managed to disarm one of the soldiers, snapping his neck quickly before picking the sword up. He immediately attacked the demon from the other side. He was pleased to see that the demon was hard pressed to fight them both.

Ginny punched and kicked her way through the ninja's, taking them out one by one. Every now and then, she would use a Stunning Spell, giving her a few extra seconds of time. In fact, her strategy worked so well, that the enemy was on the ground with in a few moments. _'Must be grunts,'_ she thought before turning around to help the two third years.

Now the demon found himself besieged from all sides. Things weren't going so well anymore. The plan was in ruins. While it's masters were expecting some resistance, this was considerably more than they were expecting. Finally, he managed to push them back, then back flipped away from them. "Die, humans!" he roared.

Suddenly, the three students felt the air shift, like all the air particles were being collected in one spot. And in a sense, they were.

"Does this creep have wind elemental abilities!" Ginny shouted.

Harry shook his head. "It's not magic, it's telepathy!" he replied. "He's forcing the air particles together to become a solid mass!"  
"And we're the targets!" Hermione added.

The demon finished collecting the air particles, forming it into a powerful sphere. Looking at them, he prepared throw it at them. The three of them prepared themselves to deflect it.

They needn't have bothered.

"Freezing Ice!"

The second the demon was ready to attack, a small ball of ice struck him in the back of his head, deflecting his aim. As such, the wind sphere struck the wall, knocking a hole into it. The demon staggered, trying to get the ice off of his back.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted.

Harry, reacting quickly, charged forward. He leaped up, making contact hard with a powerful flying forward kick. He kicked the demon so hard, in fact, that he flew backwards, slamming into the far wall. The demon left a much larger hole in it's wake as it fell through the air.

The three students looked at each other, then at the hole. "Nice kick," was all Hermione had to say on the subject.

"'Nice kick!'" Ginny retorted, incredulous. "I don't think Angewomon could have done any better!"  
Harry cleared his throat, getting their attention. "Girls, as much as I find this amusing, we do have someone here who wasn't here before." He pointed at the person in question.

The person, another girl, looked at them. "Geez, you guys were lucky I was coming here anyway," she said, "though the fact that you stood up to Ermac as long as you did was certainly incredible."

Harry and Hermione stared at her in amazement. She was smiling, a smile that was surprisingly free of arrogance. She was around their age, with golden blond hair falling around her shoulders. And she had pretty open blue eyes.

And then those eyes widened. "Hey, you're Harry Potter and Hermione Granger!"  
"Umm…yes," Harry replied.

There was a bit of a silence for a moment. "And…you are?" Hermione finally asked.

The girl snapped out of her awed trance. "Oh, sorry! The name's Claire. Claire Damont." She held out a hand. "Sorry, but this is the first time I've ever met legends in the making."

Hermione shook the hand. "Are you a witch from the Magic Guild of Vane?" she asked. "Or are you from somewhere else?"  
Claire smiled. "Somewhere else. I'm from Zion Academy for Guardians. I'm preparing for the day when I am selected as a Guardian trainee."

"What!" Ginny stared at her in shock. That had been the last thing she would have thought to hear. "The Guardians are real!"

Harry held up a hand. "Let's get to the Great Hall," he said. "Black's still out there, and I feel like I have a huge target sign on my chest."

Claire gestured. "Lead the way."

* * *

Black crawled out of the secret passage, brushing his tattered robes off as he did so. Then, looking around to make sure he wasn't being watched, he transformed into a dog, and ran for the Whomping Willow. The presence of Ermac in Hogwarts confirmed his worse fears, Outworld was attempting to accomplish what Voldemort could not do; Kill Harry Potter. He had to rethink everything. 

He was a convict on the run. If the dementor's and the Auror's didn't get him, then the Guardian government would. And he people of Outworld hadn't forgotten what James had done to them.

Which meant he had more than one enemy. He picked up his pace.

* * *

Ron waited anxiously for Harry and Hermione, pacing around the room. It had been almost thirty five minutes since the demon had attacked Harry. Right now, he and Ginny were fighting it, and Hermione had probably joined them. And to make matters worse, Sirius Black could still be inside the castle, waiting to spring a trap. And here he was, not doing anything. Where _were_ they? 

As if to answer his question, the Great Hall door started to rattle, making everyone, including the Slytherins, look at the door in confusion. Dumbledore walked up to it, Snape and McGonagall right behind him. "Who is it?" he called out.

"The Tooth Fairy," Hermione's voice replied sarcastically from the other side. "Let us in. We have a guest."

Smiling slightly, the Headmaster opened the door, admitting Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and a girl that none of them had ever seen before. _'Sure is cute,'_ Ron thought.

Snape frowned. "You should have let the teachers handle it, Potter," he told him. "Your heroics are going to get you killed someday."

"Like you'd care," Harry retorted. "And the demon would have killed the teachers, then would have torn the school apart trying to get at me and Hermione. Be thankful for my 'heroics'." He turned away from the Potions Master to look at Dumbledore, gesturing at the new girl. "This is Claire Damont. She was the one who pulled our butts out of the fire."

Clair bowed. "Professor Dumbledore, I'm transferring from the Salem Witch Institute in the United States to here." She handed him a piece of parchment. "Everything is in this."

Dumbledore nodded, looking at Remus Lupin for some reason. Lupin shrugged, at a loss. "Well, young lady, we will have you sorted into one of the houses once we have concluded this particular problem." He turned back to assembled throng of students. "The teachers and I must conduct a thorough search of the entire castle. I'm afraid for your safety, you will have to spend the night here." He turned to Percy and Penelope. "I want the prefects to guard the over entrances of the Hall, and I am leaving our Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbances should be reported to me immediately." He nodded. "Send word by one of the ghosts." He paused for second, as if another thought had just occurred to him. "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…" With a wave of his hand, he sent the four tables flying to the far walls, and conjured up a large number of sleeping bags. "Sleep well." He looked at Harry and Hermione." I assume that you two will help the prefects."

Harry nodded. "Just…go do your thing, Professor." He waited until the teachers had left the room, then shut the door. "Alright all prefects, I want shifts set up. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first, then Slytherin and Hubblepuff, four hour each." He grabbed the front of Flint's robes, dragging him forward. "This door doesn't open," he told him. "No one comes in unless it a teacher, and no one leaves unless it's a teacher. "Understand?" Flint nodded, eyes wide. Harry turned his attention to the Head Boy, completely disregarding the young man. "Percy."

Percy nodded, and turned. "Everyone into your sleeping bags!" he called out. "Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"  
Claire sidled up to Hermione, tugging on her robes. "I have some information for you and your friends," she whispered. "It concerns the Deadly Alliance."  
Hermione nodded. "Harry, Ginny, Ron, we have a problem!"

Claire headed over to the Head table, and set a small device down on the surface. A small keyboard appeared, and he began typing.

Harry looked at Hermione, saw the distant look in her eyes. "What're you thinking about?"

Hermione looked at him. "It's a matter of luck that Black chose tonight," she said. "The one night that we wouldn't be in the Tower."

Harry shook his head. "For some reason, I don't think so. He was trying to get into the door for some reason, which means he was going to spring a trap. The only thing going for us is the fact you need a password to get in." He paused for a second. "And of course, the demon."

Hermione thought about it, then nodded. Definitely a feasible idea.

Ron sat down next to the newcomer, watching her as she worked. Claire, realizing she was being watched, finished putting in the commands she wanted, then turned to look at him. "Hello, Handsome," she said, smiling mischievously as Ron blushed crimson. Ginny laughed, and a few of the students nearby giggled or chuckled, depending on their gender.

Harry and Hermione simply grinned for a moment before sobering up. "Alright, what about Tai and the others?" Harry asked.

Claire pressed a final button. A small screen suddenly projected upwards, showing them a map of some kind. "The Guardian Government has been keeping tabs on the situation on Lunar, and they've found something disturbing. Something that makes this an Alpha Priority." She pointed at the screen. "Now, the blue dots represent realms that are in the Guardian protection, or have a Guardian city. Lunar is at the very fringe of that protectorate, forming the first line of defense for Existence."

"So, what's the problem?" Ginny asked.

"This." Claire enhanced one part of the protectorate. "There are four realms with the protectorate that are part of the Deadly Alliance; the Negaverse, Realm 4902, Realm 1104, and a realm called Outworld. Ermac is from Outworld." She sighed. "They are all part of the Deadly Alliance. What's more, this realm and Lunar are not the only ones under attack. Another realm, one right next door, and the realm the Sailor Scouts and the Digi-Destined's have also been targeted." She brought another part of the map to the screen. "These three realms are part of an inter-dimensional barrier protecting Zion, simply called the Big Ten."

"Inter-dimensional," Hermione echoed. "you mean, we're the last line of defense."

Claire nodded. "If one realm is beaten, the barrier weakens. If two or more fall-"

"-Then the wall falls." Ginny stared at the screen. "Which makes it imperative to protect this realm."

Ron looked at the screen as well. "What about Lunar?" he asked. "I doubt that we can just go there and say, 'Hello, thought we'd tell you that a war's brewing. Up for a game of Quidditch.' We'll sound barking mad."

"Unless," Ginny reminded her brother, "the Alliance is already aware that the Sunak are taking orders from Beryl and her allies. That means the war has already begun on Matt's home."

"Sakar," Harry muttered quietly. "Mercury told me about his obsession with those Planeteer people."

Claire nodded. "Even as we speak, two Planeteers are taking emergency Guardian training to prepare. But getting back to Hogwart's situation. Ermac and Sirius Black managed to get into this castle somehow, so I'm open to suggestions."

"Maybe they apparated in," one Ravenclaw called out. "You know, Black and that demon."

"He could have flown in," Dean Thomas threw onto the table.

Hermione sighed. "I'm the only one who reads Hogwarts: A History, aren't I?" she asked.

Ron sighed. "Probably. Why?"

"Because this school's protected by more than just walls. There are all sorts of enchantments on it, which prevent people from apparating or disapparating on school grounds. I'd also like to see the disguise that could fool the dementors. They're guarding all of the school entrances."

"And they would have smelled him flying in," Harry added. "Though how they could do that is something I care not to find out." He took a thoughtful look at the map. "But Ermac managed to get in as well."

"Secret passages," Ginny muttered.

"Or teleportation," Harry added.

Hermione shook her head. "Not this time, Ginny. Filch knows almost every single secret passageway in this castle. And what he doesn't know, your brothers do. And as to the teleportation ability, Harry, it would have to depend on what type we're talking about."  
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags, and no more talking!"

Harry turned his attention to the two Weasley's. "Ginny, you are our only link to the Alliance. I want you to talk to Matt tonight, inform him of the situation as it stands. Ron…"

"I'm no good here, anyways," Ron said. "But I can't promise that I'll be able to go to sleep." He grinned. "I'll talk to the new girl."

Claire smiled mischievously. "Like wise, Handsome."

Hermione choked back a laugh. "Come on, Harry. Let's go find a place to stand watch."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, let's leave 'Handsome and the new girl alone."

"Thanks a lot, Harry," Ron muttered, blushing once again.

* * *

For five hours, they stood guard over the Great Hall, tense and ready to spring at the first sign of trouble. Ron and Claire spoke to each other quietly, asking questions about each other. Ginny's brow was furrowed in her sleep, no doubt relaying the bad news to her friend. 

Harry, who was in tune with the entire room, spent the majority of his time staring at the small device, observing the dots as they shifted. Hermione did the same thing as well, her head on his shoulder.

On the sixth hour, Dumbledore and Snape reappeared, both who were looking extremely irritated. Harry poked Hermione, and the two of them vacated their seats, heading in their direction.

Percy joined them. "Any sign of him, Professor?" he asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Is all well here?"  
"The room is secure, sir," Harry replied.

Dumbledore nodded. "Good. There's no use moving them now." He looked at Harry and Hermione. "I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor Portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" Hermione asked.

"She's still distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."

The two third years traded glances. "Hermione looked at Dumbledore. "And the rest of the castle?" she asked, sounding more like a soldier than a student. "I tracked him to one of the classrooms, but I lost him there."

"Excellent question." Dumbledore looked at Snape. "Anything, Severus?"

Snap shook his head. "I've searched the entirety of third floor, but he's not there. Filch has searched the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney's Room? The Owlery?"

"All searched."

The Headmaster shook his head. "Very well, Severus," he said. "I didn't expect Black to linger."

"What about the demon?" Percy asked.

Again, Snape shook his head. "McGonagall found an imprint of the demon's body on the ground, but no body."

"So he's still out there," Hermione said quietly. "Not a very pleasant thought."

Percy nodded. "Which means he'll attack again."

"Agreed. Any theory as to how either one got in?"  
"Several, Severus," Dumbledore replied. "Each as unlikely as the next."

"We came up with several as well," Harry added, frowning. "Unfortunately, they're pretty pathetic to begin with."

Snape frowned as well, before turning his attention back to the Headmaster. "If you remember our conversation from the start of term," he said, "you'll remember my misgivings about appointing-"

"I do not believe that a single professor in this school is helping Black into this castle, or is helping the enemy." Dumbledore's tone brooked no argument, and the subject was dropped. "Now, I must go down to the dementors. I said that I would inform them when our search was over."

"Didn't they want to help?" Percy asked.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore replied coldly. "But I'm afraid that no dememtor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

"I appreciate it," Harry grumbled. "One fainting spell is enough for me."

Snape nodded. "I'll patrol the hallways for a moment longer, and inform Professor Lupin that he can lift the defense charms off of the old armory."

Harry stretched. "And Hermione and I are going to sleep." He looked at Percy. "Wake us up when everyone else wakes," he said.

Percy nodded.

* * *

And so begins Season Two of Digimon: Silver Star Story. Part Two will reveal something in the school that no one ever knew about, as well as the Quidditch match, and something I made up about how werewolves came to be. 

This is the time where I am going to shake just about every fundamental thing there is. Harry Potter is going to be slightly AU. And I'm going to keep what I am going to do with the other shows to myself for now. However, as you have noticed, I have replaced the Digimon theme song with a different one. This serves one purpose; it gives me more room to type, so the chapter's don't look as long. Oh, yeah, I am going to update the bio's page. If you think there is something wrong with it, please let me know, and I'll try to correct it.

Also, this season, the moment you have all been waiting for; I will be doing a _Secar Triad _show…or shows, depending on how far I get. Also, I've got a Sailor Scout storyline that I am going to start within the next few episodes.

Please review, all my readers!


	42. Episode Forty: The Discovery

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

In your dreams, magical thoughts

All things are real unless you dream they're not

In your dreams, love is the plot

Carried on wings of hope

Each of our souls intertwine when we do

Instantly we see it, the time to grow and be it, when everything is pinned on a hope

Let rise the dreams of your heart

That innocent youth, curious and kind

Free to roam the breeze in love

Only when two brilliantly shine as one

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

Harry Potter: Stargate

Episode Forty: Discovery

9;"Sir Cadogan!" Ginny blurted out in disbelief. "We get stuck with Sir Cadogan! I'd rather have a portrait of Lockhart than deal with that creep!"

Neville nodded in agreement. "He's already changed the password from the one the Fat Lady had. Challanged me to a duel when I couldn't give him it."

Hermione strolled into the Great Hall at that moment, Ginny's saber and Harry's sword tucked under her arms. "Here you go, Ginny." She tossed the saber to the redhead. "Sooner or later, I'm pulling a leaflet out of Black's book, and slash Cadogan's portrait to shreds.

"Don't let us stop you." Ginny caught it, then strapped it to her waist. "Thanks," she said. "I still can't believe Dumbledore is letting us do this."

"Actually, between his and Snape's reasoning, we have officially been deemed 'Hogwarts main line of defense. So we need our weapons."

"And Harry?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at him. "He's in the third floor corridor with Professor Lupin, looking over the damage." She sighed. "It's pretty bad. Harry was thrown into the wall, and then there are the two holes that came from Ermac's attack and Ermac…departing."

Ginny winced. "Bad luck. Ermac ever shows up again, we're going to give him the thrashing of a lifetime."

Ron finished swallowing the last of his breakfast. "Well, we might as well head for the corridor. Just to see if he's found anything." He turned, ad started grinning as he saw Claire walk up to them. "Is that Gryffindor red I see?" he asked.

Claire grinned as well. "The Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. Tell me, does it possess a Level Four positronic brain, an auditory chip, and a morphigenic matrix?"

"A what?" Hermione asked.

"A what?" Ron added.

"And a what!" Ginny finished.

Claire sighed. "Never mind. You guys going to see Harry?" A set of nods was the answer she received. "Cool. Mind if I tag along?"

Hermione shrugged. "If you want. Follow 'Handsome.'"

"Not you too, Hermione!" Ron groaned.

* * *

Lupin looked at the gaping hole that led the way to the great outdoors. "I think you went slightly overboard here, Harry," he said in amusement.

"I've never kicked a sentient being that hard before. Hell, I've never kicked a sentient being before, other than Racc." Harry took on a pained expression. "I also hear we got Sir Cadogan as our temporary guardian. What did we do to deserve such punishment?"

Lupin had to grin at that. "Sir Cadogan was the only one who was brave enough to volunteer." He paused contemplatively. "Though now that I think about, that's not a good thing."

Filch chuckled. "I think he fits in with the lot of you. More balls than brains, as they say."

"Which is more than we can say for you," Harry shot back quickly. "Why does Dumbledore keep you around, anyways?"

Filch glared at him, but didn't say anything. The fact that the boy managed to stand toe to toe with a demon was enough cause for him to tread lightly. Thus, he decided to continue his examination of the damage, keeping his thoughts to himself.

One look made him look twice. "Professor, Potter! There's a room in here!"

The two of them joined the caretaker, peering into the hole. In the murky darkness, they were bale to discern that it was a large room. Harry took a step back, to check and see if there was a door. Seeing none, he looked at Lupin. He nodded, letting him know that Filch had had no idea that this room existed.

"Lumos!" Harry and Lupin's wands lit up like a set of flashlights, scanning the room. In the darkness, they were able to discern that it was covered in a film of dust, as the shadowy images of objects set around the room. Other than that, they couldn't make out anything farther in.

"Harry."

Harry turned to see the rest of the group standing there. "Hermione, Ron, Ginny. Could you three come over here, and help us out? Our lights aren't enough. And thanks for getting my sword, Hermione."

"Don't mention it." Hermione set the blade down, then joined the other two. They all muttered the lighting charm, and aimed it in the same direction. It didn't help much.

"Alright then. Claire, could you give me my sword?" He waited until she had done so, strapping it on his waist, then unsheathing the blade itself. "Well, let's go see what we've found here," he said, stepping through slowly, ready for anything.

Except for what happened next.

The second he had stepped through fully, like a switch had been thrown, the room came to life. Lights activated, pushing the shadows away. The objects, they discovered, were advanced looking consoles. The dust immediately vanished, leaving everything clean.

"Okay, I'm officiously spooked," Ginny commented.

Claire, however, gaped. "This…is an Guardian outpost!" she gasped. "But how…?"

Hermione looked around, seeing a few cracks on the walls. "Well, I don't know what types of materials they used back then, but it looks like that this place was put in here when Hogwarts was constructed."

Claire entered the room, looking around as well. "These outposts were set in mountains and the side of cliffs. I've never seen one being put into a castle before."

"I think that's because of the fact that it was put in here after Hogwarts was constructed." Ginny took a look around. "These materials used for this room are different from the rest of the castle, and then it was moved into position. Pretty impressive."

"I'll go with that," Ron replied, looking amazed. "Divination, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arsenal." He said that while staring at one of the walls, where an assortment of lethal looking weapons were hanging, ranging from blades to projectile. "Look at this stuff."

Hermione turned to look at the equipment. "Actually, these consoles look like the consoles we saw on Vanes bridge," she noted, "though these ones are designed for use on a ground installation. With a little training, we could get this place up and running."

"On top of our school work?" Ron was incredulous, as he should be. "Not even Dumbledore would allow this."

Harry thought long and hard. "Not if the four of us aren't the only ones running it. We could call for assistance from the Professors and other students, even the Ministry of Magic itself. Work out some kind of schedule." He turned to Lupin. "What do you think, Professor?"  
Lupin grinned. "It would taking some organization, and you'd have to convince Minister Fudge, but other than that, it sounds like a good idea. Good thinking, Harry. Your father would be proud of you."

Claire walked over to a massive window, which was set on the far side of the room. "Well, if they have doubts, show them this." She pointed downward. Everyone clustered around her, trying to see what she was seeing.

"Oh my," Hermione breathed.

"I think 'Oh shit' is the term I'd use," Harry noted, surprised.

There, in quite possibly the largest chamber they had ever seen, were two Stargates. One interplanetary, one dimensional.

"How can this room exist! Hogwarts wouldn't be able to hide it!" Ginny exclaimed.

Claire nodded in agreement. "I don't know. But if I had to take a guess, I'd say that this room was constructed with sulcon metal, which allows the room to fit into whatever building it was put in. With sulcon, you could build an installation the size of North America, and it would fit into a three story building."

"You'll have to tell us how that's possible." Harry looked back at the two Stargates. "Let's leave the Slytherins out of this," he added.

"Ooooh, yes," Hermione agreed.

* * *

Ermac bowed. "I have failed, General. The two live."

The being sitting on the throne rose, face emotionaless. He was an impressive being…or rather,is an impressive being for a middle aged man. Muscular, though not built like a brick house, he wore a maroon uniform patterned after a ninja's suit. His upper face was mostly covered by a mask. His hair was graying, as his sideburns showed. All in all, someone who should be an honored elder.

However, there was a youthful energy about him, an energy that was at odds with his appearance. He carried himself with pride and strength, as if nothing could defeat him. "This was unforeseen," he replied. "You were wise to retreat."  
Ermac remained silent as Reiko, regent of the realm of Outworld, turned around and stared out the window, looking across the barren wasteland that was Outworld. He was silent, indicating that he was thinking. "The Mirror of Althena obviously unlocked their power's," he mused thoughtfully. "They already possess the superhuman strength of Guardians in Training. We still have a chance though. It appears that the strength and martial arts knowledge has appeared first." He turned around. "I want the information of the dementor's brought to me within the hour."

"Yes, Milord." Ermac hesitated. "What of the Emperor?" he finally asked.

Reiko observed the great seal of Mortal Kombat for a second. "His power is slowly growing. He can't retake physical form, but when he does, we will attack Liu Kang's home again." He gestured. "Your business is finished, Ermac. Return to your training grounds and await my orders. I must go to a meeting with the Deadly Alliance."

"Yes, sir." Ermac bowed again, an walked out of the room.

Satisfied, Reiko turned to stare out the window, watching the black sky's and unseen lightning. Soon, the great Shao Khan would be restored. But until then, Outworld would have to make sure that the son of James and Lily Potter was kept busy, or kill him and his female counterpart before they became too powerful. The Deadly Alliance required no less.

* * *

The teachers and the Ministry agreed, surprisingly. Snape expressed some misgivings about the Slytherins being left out of this, but even he understood all too well why that was. He was Head of that House after all.

Harry and Hermione went about selecting the teachers who would be helping in the organization of the facility. Professor McGonagall was an obvious choice, as she already had prior experience working in an organization. Professor Lupin, due to his experience in the war against Voldemort, and surprisingly, Professor Snape, as he was the best Potions brewer in England.

Now came the hard part; Getting volunteers from the houses.

Cho looked at Harry skeptically. "Alright, let me see if I get this right. You want me to spend a day out of the week to work in a place with equipment that is not even supposed to be here, and to learn how to use that equipment." She shook her head. "Have you gone mental, Harry?"

"I'm already mental. Look who I live with." Harry smiled encouragingly. "Look, Ginny and Professor McGonagall will help you adjust, and you're not going to be alone in this. Claire already has prior training working on this type of stuff, so she'll train you. And all it'll take is one day of the week. You won't even miss Quidditch practice." He thought of something. "You'll also get to learn a lot of new things."

That clinched the deal for her. Cho smiled. "Okay, you've convinced me, Harry. I'll do it, on the grounds that someone brings me my assignments for the day."

"Don't worry. That was one of Professor Dumbledore's conditions. There'll be a meeting in two days, at ten o'clock."

"I'll be there."

Harry's grin grew. "Good, and Cho…thanks for volunteering. The Gryffindors will certainly appreciate it."

Now Cho laughed. "I have no doubt on that. See ya later."

"Yeah, bye." Harry turned in the direction of the third floor corridor. He had accomplished his purpose.

Now, he only hoped that Ron hadn't activated anything destructive.

* * *

Ron stepped back, hands raised. "Okay, what'd I touch?" he asked.

Claire grinned. "Don't worry, Handsome. It's not dangerous."

Ginny picked the device in question up, giving it a once over. "This is a communicator, isn't it?"

Claire nodded. "You're right, Ginny," she replied. "That's a model six thousand. The company that made them stopped seven hundred years ago."

Lupin whistled. "It's still more advanced than anything in the muggle world," he noted.

"Most impressive." Dumbledore picked up a small, pointed object. "May one inquire what this is?"

Claire looked up. "A crocheting needle." She started laughing at the amused expression on his face.

Hermione walked into the room, looking around once. "So Ron, you're not a complete disaster. The installation is still here."

"Ha, ha, and ha." Ron glared at her. "You know, I liked the old Hermione better."

"Oh, I don't know," Ginny replied, grinning wickedly at her fellow witch. "I like this new Hermione better. She more…lethal."

"Lethal?" Hermione gasped in mock astonishment. "Me? What thoughts, woman! Me, lethal!"

Harry stepped through the hole. "So says the witch with the Say's strapped to her waist."

"Everybody's a critic. Why's Professor Dumbledore holding a crocheting needle?"

"I'm planning to add it to my collection," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling.

Harry looked at McGonagall, who was observing one of the consoles. "He has a crocheting needle collection?"

"You have no idea, Potter," McGonagall replied. "He also collects stamps."

"Anything you want to tell us?"

McGonagall looked at him.

Harry sighed. "Why do I even bother getting you to smile?" He turned to Claire. "Did you find the DHD?"

Claire pointed to the console closest to the window. "It's an advanced one, allowing for simultaneous use of both Stargates." She frowned. "However, judging from the dents I'm seeing, I think that there might be some internal damage."

"Any chance of it being repaired?" Snape asked.

"Well, I'll have to run a diagnostic before I can answer that question."

Ginny took a look around. "Any idea as to how it happened?"

Hermione stepped up to the dialing device, examining it. "Well, if I could take a guess, I'd say something solid hit it. Like a body."

"A battle," Harry said quietly. "Which Stargate was accessed before this place was sealed?"

"The dimensional one," Claire replied. "Why?"

"Find out the last wormhole trajectory in Existence. Once we've trained the others, we'll go through."

"Is that wise?" Lupin asked. "Harry, what if the Stargate in question no longer exists?"

Harry grinned. "Then this is my big chance to get away from it all."

* * *

For the next two days, the school spoke of nothing but Sirius Black, Ermac, and the finding of the secret chamber.

Professor McGonagall called Harry into her office, intent on telling him that he was Black's target, but he informed her that he already knew. He did express outrage, however, when she said that he shouldn't attend Quidditch practice.

"We've got our first match on Friday!" he exclaimed vehemently. "I have to train!"

McGonagall got up, stepping over to the window to stare out at the Quidditch field in contemplation. "Well…goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the cup at last…but all the same, Potter…I'd be happier if a teacher were present." She turned around. "I'll ask Madame Hooch to oversee your training sessions."

"Do whatever the hell you like." He checked his watch. "We need to get to that meeting. Do we have anything else we need to discuss?"

McGonagall shook her head. "Unless Ermac shows up again. Well, good luck tonight."

Harry nodded, and led the way out of the room.

* * *

Ginny observed the fifty plus people who were in the room, feeling a pang of nervousness go through her. This had to be the largest number of people she had been in front of in a long time, many of them officials from the Ministry of Magic and the school itself. And right now, she wanted Harry here.

As if to answer her prayer, the door opened, admitting Harry and Professor McGonagall. "Sorry, but the good Deputy Headmistress needed to speak to me about something." He reached the front of the room, giving the room a once over. "Well, I glad to see that everyone we have asked has decided to come. So let's get this meeting over with so we can go to bed, and be ready for Quidditch practice whenever we have it." A series of chuckles issued n the room, with even Snape's lips twitching reluctantly.

Ginny took a deep breath. Here was where she took over. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you're here, then that means you have been told about what we have found in the room, as well as the true extent of the situation. And we think that you are the best on which to help us fight the Deadly Alliance." She looked at each of them one by one. "As you well know, Sirius Black entered the school almost two days ago. What only the Gryffindors know is that a demon named Ermac also attacked. Up to this point, we were under the impression that Hogwarts wasn't in any immediate danger. We now know that we were wrong." She turned her attention to the Ministry officials. "Minister of Magic Fudge has agreed, despite reservations of having children running the organization. However, he agreed after we requested Ministry Aurors to be part of the program. Also, three Hogwarts Professors have agreed to give some of their time to this. Specifically, Professor's McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape."

"Professor Snape?" Cedric Diggory echoed, confused. "No offense to him, but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement."

"I didn't have any say in it. Harry and Hermione did all of the picking."

The Hubblepuff sat back, satisfied with the answer.

"Now," Ginny continued, "we've recently received a new student, Claire Damont. Now, the official story is that she's from the Salem Witch Institute in the United States, and that's what we'll stick with. However, in reality, she is from a parallel reality that developed this place. She'll teach us how to use the equipment, as well as the weapons. Professor McGonagall will help us organize, as she was once part of a Stargate program." She turned around. "Now, I'd like Hermione to take over now. Hermione?"

Hermione stood up. "Once we've mastered the equipment and weapons, we'll set up a schedule. This will take only one day of the week for each of you. One SG team at a time will be off world for one day, with one of the three professors. As there are thirty Aurors and officials here, they'll be helping with this. If an emergency arises, like an all out invasion, we'll send word through these." She held up one of the communicators. "They'll work in Hogwarts. We've already checked."

Harry made it to the front. "We asked all of you because many of you are the best and the brightest." He looked at the Gryffindors, particularly Neville. "You are also the bravest. However, this is your choice. We are giving you one last chance to withdraw your participation."

No one moved from their seats. The Professors shook their heads. The Ministry officials were impressed.

Harry nodded. "Well then, Claire will train those who don't have Quidditch training. They'll teach the rest of us who have to deal with Chang, Diggory, and Wood's tyrannical and obsessive need to win." A ripple of laughter helped lighten the mood in the room. "Everyone, I can't express how serious it is to not only defend this realm, but also to stop the Deadly Alliance. Everything we know depends on it." He looked at the assembled. "Any questions?"

Fred's hand went up. "Can we leave now?" he asked.

Everyone laughed at the way he said that. "Yes," Harry replied, chuckling. "Everyone, thank you for your time."

As everyone else walked out of the door, talking animatedly amongst themselves, McGonagall sidled up to them. "Not bad, you three," she said.

Harry grinned. "The credit goes to Ginny. She actually addressed more than me and Hermione."

Ginny blushed. "Harry!"  
Hermione laughed.

* * *

In the bowels of the Negaverse, the Deadly Alliance, an allegiance of evil throughout Existence, gathered at Beryl's palace, preparing to solidify their pact.

"Welcome, allies!" Beryl bellowed, quieting the enormous chamber. "Today starts the path of our eventual domination of Existence, and the destruction of all who oppose us!" She sat down. "However, we do have a few matters that need addressing. Whose first?" She gestured to one who was risen slightly. "The floor recognizes Darts, master of the Oricalco's."

Darts rose from his seat. An lean, muscular man with great white hair, and two different colored eyes, he possessed immense power. Enough to earn the respect of others. "The Pharaoh is proving more difficult to defeat than originally presumed, even when infected by the power of the Oricalco's. We are unable to locate him at this moment."

Darth Siddius, the dark Sith master, started laughing. "Perhaps you should stick to dueling, and let those more capable of taking souls deal with him."

"I need no help from you, Sith!"

Siddius started to rise. Everyone in the assembly room began to shout.

"Silence!"

Almost immediately, the room quieted down as a new person stood up, eyes blazing behind his face mask.

"The floor recognizes Reiko, regent of Outworld," Beryl intoned.

Reiko stepped away from his seat, walking for the center of the room. _"This_ is the reason why the powers of purity have always won!" he bellowed. "We have always carved up our little kingdoms and fought amongst ourselves. The time we have dreamt of is at hand, yet it will only come to pass if we can set aside our differences and work together!"

"And what of you, Reiko?" Darkseid asked, though with a measure of respect in his tone. Something rather unheard of for the ruler of Apocalypse. "Your attempt to kill your targets failed."

"Have I tried to cover it up?" Reiko retorted. "Another reason is the fact that we kill those who fail, even when they are not at fault." He turned around. "The 'mighty' Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, and the Alliance will fall before us, but it will take time. And we do have time. Also, creating portals taxes our present strength."  
Beryl nodded. "Then use the Negaverse portals. They are connected to the target realms. You may use those to attack Hogwarts if you wish."

It was common knowledge that Reiko was quite possibly one of the oldest warriors in Outworld, having served under Khan during the formative days of the empire, and was treated with the respect entitled to one of his age.

Siddius frowned. "And what of the rest of us?"

Xenobia's grin answered him. "As of this moment, your Clone War is at it's apex," she said. "Make sure that it stays that way. Soon, you'll be able to transform it into the Empire you want. And you will soon have Anakin Skywalker. Find his weakness, and exploit them."

Beryl stood up. "Now, is there anything else that we need to address this day?" No one else got up. "Then this meeting is adjourned. Victory!"

Everyone echoed that whole heartedly as they rose. Grinning evilly, Beryl and Xenobia prepared to returned to Lunar. Everything was as their mysterious benefactor had told them.

Xenobia looked at Beryl. "What about Trigun?" she asked.

Beryl looked at her. "If he interferes, we'll will destroy him."

* * *

Harry reentered the control room, having toured what had turned out to be an entire installation. He was going to have to ask Claire about that, after she had finished with the diagnostics of the equipment. There was no way sulcon metal could account for this. He saw the others going over everything they had learned about that equipment.

Actually, getting used to having the information pumped into their brains was a better description. Most of them were holding their heads, obviously having a minor headache. Something that Claire had warned them would happen. She had introduced them to a device that gave each of them a broad technological database ranging from the creation of the spear to the latest development of faster than light travel.

Strangely enough, he and Hermione didn't have to worry about that. During the night, the two of them had acquired an almost encyclopedic knowledge of everything in that room, and beyond. They knew the equipment, the weapons, and how to read the ancient scripts that were in the library. Right at that particular moment, Hermione was putting that to good use. _'How like her,'_ Harry thought, grinning slightly.

"Hey, Harry!"

Harry tuned his attention to Claire. "Did you find something?" he asked.

Claire nodded, bringing up an Existence chart. "I've finally managed to track the wormholes last course." She waited until Harry had joined her, then pointed at one particular realm in the Big Ten. "This is your realm." She slid her finger along one pathway. "This is the wormholes last trajectory." She stopped on a realm near one of the Existence Lanes. "This is the final destination. Realm 2263."

"Realm 2263?" Harry echoed. "That's it's name?"  
"No, just it's designation in Existence," Claire replied. "Most of these realms have Earth as their focal point, so it's difficult to give names for every realm. Hence, the realm designation."

Harry nodded. "Nice."

"We like to think so." Claire frowned. "Unfortunately, I also ran that diagnostic on the dialing device. The Stargate's connection protocols were damaged."

"Hold on." Harry turned around, and pulled out his new communicator. "Hermione, could you get up here. We have a slight problem."

"Sure."

Harry, Cho, and Ginny jumped almost four feet into the air. "Hermione!" Ginny gasped, clutching her chest. "What are ya trying to do, give us all heart attacks!"

"Sorry, but I just got back up here. What's wrong, Harry? You feel…distressed."

Harry looked at Claire. "Repeat what you just told me."

Claire nodded. "The dimensional Stargate's connection protocols have been damaged," she began again. "Unlike a interplanetary Stargate, a dimensional one needs a DHD to act as a connection. We can establish an out going wormhole, but incoming ones won't connect."

"And it won't connect to the Weasley Stargate?" Snape asked.

"Any particular reason why not?" Ginny added.

Hermione turned around. "Guys, two dimensional Stargates, both on the same planet, and carrying two different dialing devices, won't be affected as badly as they are equal. However, as this is the more powerful Stargate, even damaged, all wormholes will automatically go to it, regardless. And we can't exactly deactivate it. If we do, we lose the signal."  
"Roughly translated, both Stargates are out of order."

"Not entirely." Claire turned around. "The dimensional Stargate will allow one automatic incoming wormhole to connect. It's part of the default system. Afterwards, we're screwed."

"And," Harry added, "it's only a matter of time before Draco Malfoy finds his way into this place. So we need a door."

Ron looked at the hole. "Yeah, holes aren't exactly conductive to tight security."

"Thanks or stating the painfully obvious," Ginny stated exasperatedly.

"And then there's the organization details." Hermione observed the control room for a second, watching as those there were looking over some the consoles. "None of us know how to organize a school club, let alone a Stargate Corp."

"Thankfully, Professor McGonagall can help us with that. She's still brushing up on the details, but it's looking good."

Claire turned to the Stargates. "Won't do us any good with one Stargate malfunctioning, and the other one inoperative."

Hermione nodded. "I'd like to have a look at the interplanetary Stargate's blueprints" she said. "Maybe I can find a way to jury rig a temporary dialing system. That way, we have access to one Stargate until we can effect repairs."

"I'll get hem for you, after I've finished compiling a report on our arsenal." Claire grinned. "If you need any help, there's a few people you can turn to. Harry, for starters."

Harry bit back a groan. What was Claire thing?

On second thought, he didn't want to know.

* * *

On the fourth day, Harry rushed into Defense Against the Dark Arts, having finally shaken Wood off, who had bent alking his ear off. "Sorry, Professor," he gasped. "Had to…" He looked up.

"The lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

Harry didn't budge. "Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked calmly. Snape looked up again. "He says he is feeling too ill to teach today. I believe I told you to sit down."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he complied.

Snape looked up again. "Nothing life threatening."

"Thank you." Harry pulled his book out.

The Potions Master stared at him for a second in surprise, before refocusing his attention on that matter at hand. "As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far."

Hermione looked up. "We dealt with boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows. We were about to study-"

"Be quiet," Snape said coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Dean replied boldly.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you…I would expect first years to know how to deal with Red Caps and grindylows." He opened the book in front of him. "Today, we shall be discussing…werewolves."

Harry and Hermione traded looks of confusion. Hermione turned her attention back to Snape. "Professor Snape, we aren't supposed to do werewolves yet. We _were _supposed to do hinkypuffs."

"Miss Granger, I am under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page three hundred and ninety four." Snape glared at every person in the class. "_All_ of you! _Now!_"

Harry's book slammed down onto the table, and he opened to the page in question. He saw Hermione looking very irritated as she did the same thing. As he watched her expression, he heard Snape say, "Which of you can tell me how to distinguish the difference between the werewolf and the true wolf?"

Everyone turned to Hermione, and were surprised to see that her hand had not gone up immediately. In fact, she was glaring at Snape, like she could drill the information into his head telepathically. It didn't see to be working, so she slowly raised her hand.

"Anyone?" Snape asked, predictably ignoring Hermione's hand, and ignoring her glare. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"

"We told you, we haven't got to werewolves yet, we're still on-" Parvati Patil began.

"Silence!" Snape stared at the class for a second before continuing. "Well, well, well, I never thought I would meet a third year class that who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one." He looked at his notes. "I shall have to make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you are…"  
_'Of all of the obstinate, pigheaded…' _Hermione lowered her hand, and said, "The werewolf differs from the wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

Snape stared at the class for a second before continuing. "Well, well, well, I never thought I would meet a third year class that who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one." He looked at his notes. "I shall have to make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you are…"Hermione lowered her hand, and said, "The werewolf differs from the wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-" 

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know it all."

"Still a lot better than being an idiot wasting class time by asking questions that he knows no one can answer."

Snape suddenly went very still as what Hermione had retaliated with processed through his mind. The class, except for Harry, who was sighing in exasperation, held their breath. Ron was covering his eyes from the inevitable outburst from Snape.

The Potions Master started walking up to Hermione, his eyes glittering. "Would you care to repeat that, Miss Granger?" he hissed.

Hermione returned his glare. "Why? Do you have a hearing problem, _Professor?_"

Ron gave out a little moan as Snape's eyes started bulging. His hand was twitching. Hermione's hand curled into a fist.

Harry finally stood up, trying to nip this in the bud before it became a full scale fight. "Hermione, Professor, that is enough. Do it after class." He waited a few seconds, then added, "Hermione, sit down. Snape, teach the class. _Now!_"

Both of them jumped at the sudden command, having forgotten that the room had been filled. Then, with one last glare at Snape, Hermione sat down. Snape stepped back, turning his full attention to the rest of the class. "Begin reading," he growled.

For the remainder of the class, no one made a sound. Only the sound of quills scratching on parchment broke the silence, while Snape examined all of the work they had done over the last few months, and criticized it…which grated on Harry's nerves.

"Professor Snape!" Harry snapped again. "If you want us to be quiet, kindly keep your criticism of Professor Lupin to yourself!" He turned around. "And the rest of you, as you were!"

Snape clammed up immediately, and the rest of the class hastily went back to their reading.

"What the hell was that all about, Hermione!" Harry demanded as they left the classroom. "Malfoy and Flint, that's one thing, but Snape!"

Hermione sighed. "I don't know, Harry. I just…had had enough of that pompous jackass!"

"Still, I'd rather not have you yell at a teacher, and I had to stop the two of you from going into an all out war!"  
Ron grinned. "Well, I can look at it this way. If she hadn't said anything, I would have yelled at him myself, and probably gotten myself detention."

Claire nodded. "I'm sure she did that out of the goodness of her heart, Handsome," she replied sarcastically.

"Hey, if he's happy, let him be happy." Hermione looked Harry. "What would you have done had you been in my shoes?"

Harry looked at her. "I would have kept my mouth shut," he replied, "instead of risking detention with him…or worse."

The bushy haired girl thought about it, and decided that he would do that.

* * *

The fifth day started out like any other, with the school's population waking up in various ways, Harry's being Peeves blowing air into his ear.

Peeves promptly understood what being a pancake felt like.

Breakfast was somewhat animated. Hermione had made it her first priority to apologize to Snape for her behavior, while Snape decided to forgo punishment this time. It was just the first time she had ever shown a backbone, and it had surprised him. He was also impressed, which was the reason that he didn't give her.

Actually, when what had happened in the class had circulated throughout the school, the rest of the population was surprised and impressed. Hermione Granger had undergone a three day transformation from simple bookworm to being a force to be reckoned with. And the fact that Harry had stopped a fight between Hermione and Snape had also made its way through the grapevine.

And all of this on a day that was almost as bad a tropical storm.

Which was where Gryffindor and Hubblepuff found themselves a few hours later, drenched to the bone in their Quidditch robes, visibility at near zero. Bludgers flew through the air as the two teams played at the best level they could under the circumstances.

Hermione squinted upward as Harry pelted after Cedric into the sky, passing the staff booth quickly. "Come on, Harry!" she hollered. "Get that Snitch!"  
Claire watched with a contemplative air. "I have to admit that I don't fully understand the concept of the game. I'm more of a football girl."

"Football!" Ginny stared at her. "Well, okay. I'm thinking of trying out soccer at some point."

"You just want to impress Matt," Hermione accused teasingly.

Ginny blushed. "And what if I am?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at this, and turned her attention back to the game.

* * *

Harry was now neck and neck with Cedric now, both of them trying to get the Snitch. The rain was making it very hard for them to see a lot of their surroundings, but they could discern the little golden ball in front of them.

A bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, striking the Hubblepuff fourth year. Smoking slightly, the young man pitched backwards, heading back for the ground. Harry watched as he fell down for a second, hoping that he landed safely. Then he turned his attention, trying to re-locate the Snitch.

As he kept searching the area around him, a stray black cloud caught his attention, temporarily breaking his concentration. Confused, he turned to look at it…and felt his blood run ice cold.

A massive black dog was the shape of the day, the sign of the Grim. The sign that signified death in Divination.It stood out in broad relief against the flashing lightning for a few seconds. Then, it dissipated into the clouds, like a mirage.

Harry stared at the spot that the cloud had occupied for a second, trying to decide whether or not the worry he was feeling justified or not, when the Snitch flew by his vision. Cursing himself for his inattention, he swerved his broom in the direction it went, shooting off like a hawk.

"Come on, come on," he muttered, trying to get it and end the game.But he felt something was different, like his broom was becoming cold. Confused, he looked down.

The tip of his broom was covered in a thin layer of frost. He took all of two seconds to realize what was happening. Then, on a sudden hunch, he looked behind him. "Shit!"

A dementor was on his tail, black cloaks billowing like a shroud around it. And it was on his tail.

* * *

Hermione's smile faded, replaced with a slight worried expression. "Something's wrong," she muttered.

Ginny turned to look at her. "What?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

Hermione turned to look at her. "Harry's emotions, they're fluxing. They went from concern for Cedric to…worry. Now they're…" her voice trailed off as she realized what it was. "Oh my god."

Claire began peering into the sky. "I see some dark shapes. One is Harry. The other…look like wraiths."

"Dementors!" Ginny snarled.

"Bloody hell!" Ron was beside himself. "No wonder I felt cold for a second!" Then he looked at Hermione. "Hold on, you could _feel_ him?"

"Long story! Right now, let's pray that Hary makes it down to the ground in time!"  
Now the four of them stared into the sky, trying desperately to see where Harry was.

* * *

Harry evaded another dementor desperately, trying not to think about anything except flying. _'This is insane!'_ he thought. _'These guys are flying! They're not even supposed to be able to hover a foot above the ground!'_ However, the dementor's were doing exactly that!

Coming up with a desperate strategy , he suddenly stopped and flipped back in the direction he had come from, he managed to get past the two that had been behind him. Looking behind him to see if they were following him, he saw that they were coming about. Turning forward, he dodged the two on his tail as he flew towards the ground. His hope was that he could safely land before they managed to catch him.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't accomplish the goal. For he had barely flown several feet down when a third dementor suddenly appeared in front of him. A massive wave of cold washed over him, and then…

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry…"

"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside now…"

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead…"

Numbing, swirling white mist filled Harry's mind. He instantly recognized the symptoms from the train, but that was useless. Trying futilely to stay conscious, he lost his grip on his mind…and his broom.

* * *

Hermione's eyes widened. "I've lost contact," she whispered. "Which means he's lost consciousness."

"But we have acquired visual!" Ginny pointed upward. "Look!" Everyne did so.

And Hermione promptly gasped in fright.  
There, tumbling around and around, Harry Potter fell through the air. His destination was pretty obvious, as what goes up must come down.

Amidst the cries of fear and shock, Dumbledore stood up, hand raised. _"Arresto Momentum!"_ he intoned. The spell he had uttered would sufficiently soften Harry's impact to the ground. Harry would have a sore back in the morning, but he would be alive.

The spell began to form…and then suddenly dissipated, like it had hit some sort of an invisible shield. Frowning, Dumbledore tried again, this time pumping more power into it. It had the same effect. Now he was concerned.

Hermione frowned as Harry continued to fall. She had seen Dumbledore try to cast a spell, only to have it stopped by something. And what's more, the dementors were following Harry down.

Hold on…_following Harry down._

Instantly, the pieces fell together, and she came up with an instant plan. And she put it into effect.

With a powerful kick, she broke the rail in front of her, letting it fall to the ground. Stepping up to the edge, she took a breath, then jumped.

Once more performing the impossible, Hermione Granger flew upwards and at an angle, this time in view of a full audience. That last thing didn't register, as her entire focus was on Harry.

She reached him at the apex of her jump, gently cradling him in her arms. "Got you," she whispered as she continued on her merry way.

Ginny, Ron, and Claire all started down the stairs, moving as fast as they could.

"How can the dementors fly?" Ron asked. "All they can do is glide on the ground!"  
"I think the Deadly Alliance is to blame for this one. Probably Outworld!" Claire pulled out a narrow, cylinder shaped object. "Whoever is in charge has found a way to temporarily alter the dementor's genomes!" She started running.

Hermione landed, and immediately ripped her hood off of her head. "Harry! Harry!" She shook him gently. "Come on, come on! Please don't do this to me! Let me know that you're okay!"

A sudden wave of cold enveloped her, and she looked up to see the dementors approaching her position. Their intent was obvious.

And it filled her with rage. Outworld would use the jailors of Azkabanto destroy one young boy, and he was defenseless! Her eyes narrowed. "You will keep away from him!" she bellowed.

And then she became an artillery line.

Everyone in the school gasped in shock as a brilliant array of white beams suddenly shot out from around Hermione, flying in the direction of the dementors All of them starting veering, some of them getting hit almost immediately anyways. The others were hard pressed to evade. None of them broke from their course, though.

Hermione's eyes glowed with the same light as the beams that were shooting out from around her. She didn't know how she was doing it, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. And right now, he wanted to protect Harry.

Ron gaped, though he didn't stop running. All around him, he saw the two Quidditch teams flying in, Cedric still holding the Snitch, though he was oblivious to it. He knew the teachers were right behind them.

One dementor managed to evade and dodge his way, finally making its way to the center of the attack. As one, the beams suddenly all veered, heading for it. The dementor, not even realizing it, simply opened his mouth.

And Hermione screamed as she felt all conscious thought vanished. And then…she heard the screaming. A burning sensation ripped through her forehead as she fainted.

The beams all hit the dementor at the same time, disintegrating it into so much fine dust…and detonated.

Everyone flew back as a powerful shockwave erupted from the explosion, though Dumbledore managed to land on his feet. Fred and George managed to hold onto their brooms as they hit the ground and rolled. Cedric was able to right himself, wincing as his neurons reminded him that he had recently been electrocuted. All of them managed to right themselves quickly.

Ginny had her wand out, pointing into the cloud. She struggled to see something, though she wasn't having any success whatsoever. "Claire?" she asked. "Can you…sense anything?"

Claire shook her head. "I think they're both unconscious. I wouldn't be able to sense anything."

"Fred! George!" Ron shouted. "Get in there!" The two did so, flying into the cloud, ready for anything.

Thirty seconds later, Fred yelled. "We've found them! They're both out. And guys…you're going to want to see this!"

Confused, the three of them walked forward in the rapidly dissipating cloud. They saw George holding Hermione's inert form in his arms, looking at her forehead.

Ron sucked in a breath. "Oh my god," he whispered when he saw it.

Ginny agreed.

* * *

In Outworld, Reiko shut the control device down, frowning. They had both obviously become more powerful than the Deadly Alliance had originally assumed. He was going to have to change his approach.

* * *

"Lucky Hermione was able to catch him in time."

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

Harry heard voices whispering, even recognizing the voices. He had a feeling that he was in the medical wing, as his body was aching all over.

"That was the scariest thing I've seen in my life."

"You think that's bad, Fred" Harry mumbled. "Try experiencing it from my point of view."

Everyone's attention focused on him, all of them breathing a sigh of relief. "How're you feeling, mate?" Fred asked.

"Like hammered shit." Harry sat up, getting his glasses. "What happened?"

"Well…you fell off your broom."

"Really. I didn't know. I meant the match. Who won?" Harry saw that no one was answering. "We lost, didn't we?"

George nodded. "Diggory caught the Snitch," he replied. "Just as you fell. He didn't realize what had happened until Hermione jumped from the bleachers. While we were taking you two to the hospital, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Wood admits it."

"Where is he?" Harry asked.

"Still in the showers." Fred shook his head. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

"Get him out of there. I want him back in the SGC as soon as possible to look over the attack." Harry swung his feet off the bed, grabbing a piece of chocolate as he did so. "Yes, Madame Pomfrey, I'm feeling well enough to sit up. I'm not leaving the hospital wing."

Pomfrey chuckled. "Good to know that you know what I was going to say. I'm keeping both you and Miss Granger for the rest of the weekend for observation."  
"Hermione?" Harry turned his head in the opposite direction…and stared, surprised. There, still unconscious, though drier than she was before, was Hermione, chest going up and down in a regular pattern.

Harry looked at Ron. "What happened?" he asked.

Ron shook his head. "When she wakes up, she can tell you," he replied. "But…I think that you should see something on her head."  
Confusion gripped Harry again as he got up, and slowly walked over to her. Reaching her, she brushed some her hair away from her forehead. Taking a look, he inhaled sharply.

There, over Hermione's left eye, where nothing had been there before, a lightning shaped scar now occupied the location. And if that wasn't enough of a surprise, the scar was the same exact shape as Harry's.

Harry turned to stare at them, keeping his hand where it was. "How is this possible?" he asked.

Claire shook her head helplessly. "I couldn't tell you," she replied. "This has never happened before anywhere in Existence."

Harry looked at the scar again for a second, then moved his hand to rest on it for a second. He turned his attention to Ron and the others. "This has been a bad day."  
"And it's only going to get worse."

Everyone turned to look at Ginny. Her eyes were holding a mixture of anger and disbelief. Alicia got up, looking into her eyes. "What, Ginny?"

Ginny wordlessly handed the letter to Ron, who read it. His brow furrowed, and he passed it to Harry, who read it as well. Then, he turned around, helping an awakening Hermione sit up, and showing her the letter. She was fully awake in a flash.

The rest of the Gryffindor team looked at them. "What?" Angelina inquired.

Harry looked up again. "The White Dragon of Lunar has been capture by the Deadly Alliance…and Ghaleon has betrayed the Magic Guild of Vane. Does Professor McGonagall know of this?"  
Ginny nodded. "She was the one who alerted me about this."

"Warn Matt right now! Master Mel's probably next!"  
Ginny nodded, than went, (Matt?)

"Now's not the time, Ginny! We are under attack!"  
(What?) Ginny immediately used Matt's eyes to see…

"Maaaattttt!"

The battle of Meribia had already begun.

* * *

And so the two part season premiere ends. Episode Forty One will be the battle of Meribia, and the reunion of Alex and the Digi-Destined. Also, the war has now begun.

To those who have reviewed my story up to this point, I would like you to tell me if this chapter is okay. I have taken a few liberties, though I don't know if it was a good idea or not. I just hope you all approve of it. The Quidditch game was a combination of the book and the movie, so I don't get any questions about it.

Now, on to the other shows. Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption will start after Weevil and Yami's duel on the train. Teen Titans will start after the events of "Birthmark," and take a different approach. Justice League" Unlimited will take place after the last episode that aired (I can't remember what the title is.) Of course, Static Shock is going to be a year after the series ended, and so will Cardcaptors. Also, I am having some difficulty deciding whether or not to make the couple a Robin/ Raven or a Robin/ Starfire. Let me know what you want.

Please review!


	43. Episode Forty One: The Battle of Meribia

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

Episode Forty One: The Battle of Meribia

The Six, Alex and Nall reappeared outside of Meribia's front gates, utterly surprised. "Whoa, that was incredible!" Nall exclaimed, after taking a look around. "One second, we were standing in Burg, and the next…we were flying!"

Alex smiled slightly. "It's good to know that some thing's never change."

Angemon looked up. "Not in this case it isn't. The guards are absent from the perimeter wall."

"And for good reason," Kari replied, pointing at the gate. "Look!"

As if on cue, the corpse of a demon flew out of the city, a massive spear still embedded in it's chest cavity. They all looked at each other, then at the corpse. They reached an immediate decision.

Alex led the charge through the gate, ducking quickly as a guards sword came out of nowhere, slicing a demon's head off.

"Move, move, move!" Angemon shouted, staff swinging around to strike an incoming gargoyle. Then creating a knife out of nowhere, he embedded it right between it's eyes.

Kari created a pink throwing axe and threw it, slicing off an enemy's arms. She brought her scepter up, finishing the job in explosive fashion.

Nall flew in, clawing at one's eyes, then flying out of the way as Alex decapitated it. "Where'd all these monsters come from! I don't understand…"

"Oh, I think I understand perfectly!" Alex growled. "It looks like the second Lunarian War is starting to heat up already!"

"Angemon, find the other Digimon!" T.K. ordered. "Kari, you and Greg locate Master Mel and Tai!"

Alex turned. "I'll look for Jessica! Angewomon, come with me!"

T.K. looked at Mercury. "You and I are going to Black Rose Street! It'll be the hardest hit!"

"Understood!" Mercury replied, her blades coming out.

The group immediately split up, heading three different directions. T.K. and Mercury ran for Black Rose Street, stopping to help several soldiers in their fight. Greg and Kari ran in the direction of Mel's Mansion, while Alex and Angewomon hurried down the main boulevard.

Angemon flew upward, using his superior set of wings to lift him above the gargoyles. He swept the city with his gaze, looking for any of his fellow Digimon. He spotted Kabuterimon almost forty feet from him, obliterating enemy flyers at will. He flew in that direction, calling out the Digimon's name.

Kabuterimon turned in his direction. "You're late, Angemon!" he replied in greeting.

"The story of my life!" Angemon threw an energy knife into one's throat. "How long?" he asked.

"Almost two hours. Communications were jammed somehow. Fifty dead, almost a hundred more injured. We've managed to get the civilian population indoors, but we can't hold out much longer. Where're the other five?"

"Around the city. Kari and Greg are heading for Mel's Mansion."  
Kabuterimon nodded. "Tai was on his way to the front line when they attacked there. We haven't heard from him since. Matt and Sora are beneath me! Help them!"

Angemon nodded, and flew downwards, a mighty war cry erupting from his throat.

* * *

Jessica brought her mace up, blocking one monster's attack, then whirled around, hoping to catch him in the face. The creature flew out of range, cackling madly. 

Gargoyle: A more powerful version of the Harpy, the gargoyle is capable of inflicting vast amounts of punishment on his enemies. And with their flight capabilities, they are capable of defeating most ground base warriors.

Jessica ducked as the Gargoyle flew overhead, trying to decapitate her. As she stood up, another monster suddenly appeared, ramming it's iron ball into her sternum. Gasping, the priestess dropped to her knees, trying not to vomit.

Shadow Lord: A demon of the Vile Tribe's muscleman class, the Shadow Lords are primarily used for all out assaults. Trained by Parrt to withstand enormous amounts of punishment from ordinary troops, and wielding a ball and chain as their weapon of choice, they are absolutely without mercy.

Satisfied that Jessica was not going anywhere, the Gargoyle flew in, sword ready for use.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

Instantly, an arrow punched through the demon's chest, sparking for a moment as it fell to the ground, then disintegrating, leaving the body.

Jessica immediately brought her mace up, slamming it into the Shadow Lords head. The creature hit the ground, unconscious.

Jessica!" a familiar voice shouted.

Jessica turned her head. "Alex, Nall…and Angewomon!" she said in greeting. "Nice of ya to crash the party!"

"What's going on, Jessica!" Nall asked.

"What does it look like! Get over here and help me out!"

The two warriors charged into the fray, weapons ready. Angewomon released several more arrows as she landed, creating an energy blade as soon as she had landed. Quickly blocking a thrust, she put all of her power into her fist, breaking the gargoyles head off from the rest of it's body. She turned around, gutting a Shadow Lord as it came in.

Jessica blocked an attack, ducked under a ball and chain, then brought her mace up, catching the attacker in the chin. She brought her mace down, crushing it's skull in.

Alex slashed left and right, putting his anger to good use. He was the devil with a hand weapon, and he let them know it. Soon, through their combined efforts, all the enemies in their immediate vicinity were either dead, dying, or wishing they were dead.

Jessica accepted a herb, breathing a sigh of relief when the fire in her chest faded into a dull ache. She grinned. "Thanks…you guys yanked my ass out of the fire!"

"Don't mention it." Alex looked around.

Nall looked around. "What happened here, Jessica?" he asked again, now that they had a lull in the fighting.

"Well, after you guys had left Meribia, I returned to the big shine to warn them of Phacia's duplicity, and when I returned, the city was being overrun!" She shook her head, observing the fifty other battles going on. "I can't believe how fast the monsters attacked!"

Angewomon looked around for a second, taking in her immediate surroundings. "I can. What I can't believe is how they managed to get in without the perimeter guards decimating them."

"I don't think they all came through the gate," Alex noted, looking around. "There was no forcible entry. A small force teleports in, disables the guards closest to the gate controls, and then lowered it."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Jessica stopped speaking for a second, as something occurred to her. "Hey, where's Ghaleon and Luna? They okay?"

At that, Ghaleon became deathly quiet, as Angewomon winced.

"Ghaleon…" Nall hesitated, then decided to go forward with it, "has become the Magic Emperor. He's enslaved the White Dragon, and kidnapped Luna."

"And that's not all," Angewomon added. "He's also allied himself with an old enemy of ours. A Digimon called Devimon. He's probably the one who ordered the attack on Meribia."

Jessica was silent for a long time. "This…is…" Suddenly, she came to life. "I can't even comprehend it! How could any of this happen!"

"I don't know. Hold on." Alex pulled out his communicator, activating it. "Alex to Kamiya. Tai, do you read me?"

"Alex?" Tai replied, sounding strained. _"When did you get here?"_

Tai replied, sounding strained. 

"Doesn't matter. What's your location?"

"Mel's mansion. Xenobia is leading the charge. And guess what, Beryl's here as well."

Alex's eyes widened. "Why would Xenobia…oh crap!"

Jessica's eyes widened as well. "Those creeps sent those demons here to distract us from the real target…my father!" She turned to Alex. "We have to help him, Alex!" she shouted frantically.

Nall nodded. "You heard her, Alex! Let's go! Not even Mel can hold those fiends off forever!"

Alex nodded, then toggled the communicator again. "Alliance, regroup at Mel's Mansion! I repeat, regroup at Mel's Mansion!" He put the device away. "Let's go!"

As one, they started running for the mansion.

* * *

(Up on your left!) Ginny shouted. 

Matt moved immediately, avoiding the Shadow Lords attack, then ramming his sword directly into the monster's gut. From behind him, he could hear gurgling sounds as Sora literally cut off another ones air supply. He turned to see her drop the lifeless body to the ground, looking like she was ready to cry.

Matt knew that Sora could never really accept killing another sentient being, even though it was a part of war. And to take a life in such a brutal fashion was simply something she couldn't really cope with.

She turned to Matt. "Is that the last of them?" she rasped.

Matt nodded. "For now. Let's get moving. We need to find the others."

"Izumi to Ishida."

"Go ahead, Izzy."

"Our area's pretty much clear, though the second wave is approaching. Have you seen either Lilika or Mimi? Ikkakumon lost track of them an hour ago."

Matt looked around for a second. "We'll keep our eyes peeled," he replied. "And Izzy, you and Joe shouldn't be worried. Mimi and Lilika are quite capable with taking care of themselves."  
_"I know. It's a guy thing. Izumi out."_

Matt shut the D-Terminal, then turned around. "Down!"  
Sora ducked immediately, a blast of energy dissipating in the place where her head had been a few scant seconds ago.

Guardian: Not to be mistaken for the Guardians themselves, Guardians are demons of the Vile Tribe's creation. Considered a low powered mage, they are nevertheless effective in close range combat.

The Guardian teleported, appearing behind Matt and blasting him in the back. Matt stumbled forward, feeling Ginny's own wince of pain, and realized that his back had been scorched.

Sora's foot caught the Guardian in the face, whirling it around. Matt, whirling as well, caught it in the throat with the tip of his blade. The creature clawed at his throat, gagging as his life's blood flowed from the wound.

Not even paying attention, Matt turned to Sora. "Let's go," he said again.

They began running for Mel's Mansion, keeping their eyes open.

* * *

"HARPOON TORPEDO!" Ikkakumon bellowed, willing his attack into four missiles. Each one struck a gargoyle formation, removing them from the fight. 

Birdramon released a Meteor Wing, crushing a Shadow Lord. "How are you doing?" she called down.

"As Joe would say, just peachy! You have two approaching at three 'o clock!"

The giant bird immediately went into evasive maneuvers, the two creatures slashing at her. She flipped in mid air, catching one in her mouth, and biting down. She brought her clawed foot up, using a talon to catch the other in the head.

"Two for one!" Kabuterimon congratulated. "Couldn't do any better myself!"

"You have hands!" Ikkakumon released another barrage. "We don't! Thanks for showing up! Where's Metalgreymon?"

"Heading in our direction!" Togemon replied. "There he is now!"

As if to add weigh to that, the Ultimate level Digimon landed hard onto the ground, crushing several of the enemy as he did so. "Hello…did you miss me?" he asked.

Togemon, if she could grin, would have done so. "Yes!" she replied. "Where've you been?"  
"Helping out Garurumon! Kabuterimon, watch my back! I'm going to help Lilika!"

And it was a hell of an idea. Because Lilika appeared, desperately dodging and blocking against four gargoyles. She was covered in blood, though it didn't seem to be hers.

"GIGA BLASTER!"

Two of the gargoyles were suddenly blown to pieces, which in turn knocked the other two out of the air. Lilika, bringing her spear up, catching one of them in the jugular. She kicked the other one, slamming it through the wall of an abandoned building…which was almost fifty feet away. She turned in the Digimon's direction. "Thank you, Metalgreymon!" she called up, waving.

"Where's Mimi?" Togemon asked.

"Over there! She needs…no, wait, she doesn't need any help."  
For Mimi, who had been overwhelmed by the enemy, suddenly was the one doing the overwhelming. Becoming a blur of motion, she struck hard with fists and feet, swinging a gore covered blade like it was an extension of herself. She was absolutely relentless, and in five minutes time, the enemy was on the ground, no longer as threat to anyone.

Mimi, satisfied that the threat was minimal at the moment, ran up to them. "Hey, guys," she said quite calmly. "Metalgreymon, you have some gore on your foot."

"I'll take care of it in a moment." He took a look around. "Has anyone seen Izzy or Joe?"

Mimi looked around. "No," she replied, worry etched in her tone. "We lost sight of them almost an hour ago, heading for the business district." Her ears perked up. "Hey, Lilika…do you hear that?"

Lilika listened for a second…and smiled. "It appears that the Six and Alex have managed to return. That was Angemon's attack I'm hearing."

"Exactly where Izzy and Joe were heading!" Kabuterimon crowed.

Mimi grinned. "Well, let's go get our boyfriends out of this mess, sis!"  
"Joe is _not_ my boyfriend!" Lilika retorted, blushing bright red.

Laughing, the two Tachekawas led the Digimon down the path towards the two boys.

* * *

Joe's whip lashed out time and time again, wrapping it around various demons, and then throwing into other demons. After Alex and his group had left for Saith, he had finally broken down and purchased a weapon. Nothing sharp, mind you, just something that he could use to defend himself. The whip was the weapon of choice, as it could be used for more than just that. However, after this, he was going to purchase a knife. That way, he would be better prepared for fight a war. 

War. The very sound of that word sent shivers down his spine. A pacifist to the core, he pretty much abhorred violence, acting a peacemaker among the Digi-Destined from time to time. However, here on Lunar, he was learning how things were done.

Izzy, it seemed, had figured that out a long time ago. With short sword in hand. He cut his way through the opposition. His arm was covered with injuries recently healed with healing nuts. Apparently, the enemy was particularly vindictive when it came to him. Out of the two of them, he seemed to be getting the lions share of them.

Not that he was bereft of enemies to deal with.

Joe brought his shield up, backing off as he blocked. One of the disadvantages of having a whip was that you need sufficient room for it to be used effectively. And the gargoyle wasn't letting him have that room. Joe needed a miracle.

And a miracle was just what he got.

A golden sword found it's way into the gargoyle, entering through it's back. A wooden staff appeared afterwards, dislodging it from that sword. Angemon landed afterwards, moving with a speed and power that was frightening. In no time flat, he had decimated the opponents that had been going after Joe. Turning around, his sword vanishing as he clenched his fist, he bellowed, "HAND OF FATE!"

Izzy moved out of the way as the most powerful attack in Angemon's arsenal virtually vaporized the majority of the demons in front of him. He put his sword away, removing his bow and notching it almost immediately. Moving with lightning speed, he made short work of the remaining soldiers with unerring accuracy. "I was wondering when you guys were going to show up," he said nonchalantly as he shot the last one between the eyes.

"A thousandapologies, o patient one." Angemon looked around. "It looks like the battle's starting to turn in our favor."

"Yeah, we've noticed…Lilika!" Joe called out, the relief very palpable in his tone.

Lilika's own eyes widened in joy. "Oh, you're okay!" She ran up, wrapping Joe up in a great big bear hug.

"I'm okay, but you're going to kill me if you don't loosen your grip!" Joe gasped.

Lilika let go immediately. "Sorry."  
Mimi grinned. "Forgot that little detail, didn't ya, sis?" she asked.

"Oh, hush sister. You were about ready to glomp Izzy!"  
"But she didn't," Izzy reminded her. "She likes me breathing. And this fight isn't over yet.

"Alliance, regroup at Mel's Mansion! I repeat, regroup at Mel's Mansion!" Alex's voice suddenly blasted out over the communicator, startling them all.

Izzy turned in Angemon's direction. "So, what's going on?" he asked.

Angemon sighed. "We have a problem…"

* * *

"HOWLING BLASTER!" 

Garurumon's attack blasted through a mass of monsters. They were going to regret setting foot in Meribia after that. Particularly after he got through with them.

However, the Digimon that appeared with them was an entirely different matter.

Flaredramon: Not to be mistaken for the legendary Digimon of Courage, Flaredramon is an Ultimate level Digimon created by Myotismon to defend his left flank. Possessing all of Flamedramon's attacks, he is stronger, faster, and deadlier.

Garurumon bared his teeth, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

Flaredramon shrugged. "Why are fighting against the inevitable?" he retorted.

Garurumon charged forward, padded feet pummeling the ground. His attack started collecting, ready to be unleashed.

Flaredramon merely jumped up, his steak knife fingers glowing fire red. He brought them up. "FIRE ROCKET!" he bellowed.

"HOWLING BLASTER!" Garurumon retaliated, firing his attack at the Digimon.

The two attacks collided dead center, exploding in spectacular fashion upon impact…and through that explosion, Flaredramon appeared, kicking Garurumon in the snout. Garurumon skidded across the ground, managing to keep upright while blood trickled out of his nose.

Flaredramon smirked. "Well, I must admit, I didn't expect you to stay upright." He brought his hand up. "I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson in obedience. FLAME FIST!"

Garurumon looked up to see his fist approaching coming at him. He braced himself, knowing that it would do no good.

And Sailor Mercury decided to make her presence known. Her twin blades were out of their sheathes, and blocking the fist. Her foot came up, catching in the gut and knocking him back twenty feet.

"Hope Sword Blaster!" T.K.'s sword hit the pavement, sending his attack at the evil Digimon.

Flaredramon managed to get out of the way, facing them. "You got lucky this time, Garurumon," he snarled, "but next time, I'll destroy you!" He jumped into the air, soaring out of sight.

Mercury sighed, shaking her head. "You okay?"

Garurumon nodded, feeling the cuts from the talons. "You guys have go good timing."

"We aim to please." T.K. looked around. "Didn't Vane send reinforcements?" he asked.

"No, and we haven't been able to contact the Scouts for whatever reason. Where's Matt?"

T.K. turned to stare at the fried remains of the demons. "They're probably heading for Mel's Mansion. Alex just sent out the recall order."

The dog Digimon nodded. "What about Ghaleon? Did he learn anything?"

Mercury sighed, bringing her wrist communicator online. "We'll tell you later. Mercury to Alex. How're you doing?"

"Pretty well. We're currently fighting our way to Mel's Mansion with Jessica. All other members of the Digi-Destined have been accounted for, as are the Digimon."

"Good to know. Mercury out." Mercury brought her wrist down. "Alright, people. Let's move it!"

All three immediately shot out of Black Rose Street, all moving at the same speed.

Greg and Kari battled their way through a particularly large mass of enemy soldiers on their way to the mansion. Kari's powers, focused intuitively on her friends and family, picked up Tai's unique signature quickly enough. And Greg, whose experience in the area of picking up the enemy's signature, picked up Mel's position within the confines of the building.

Unfortunately, they also picked up Xenobia's and Beryl's signatures as well, and realized what they were going to do. They picked up their pace, finally entering the building.

Inside the building, enemy soldiers and Mel's personal guard were locked in battle. Bodies littered the ground, bearing testament to the viciousness of those fights.

And there, right in the middle of it all was Tai, whirling in various directions, taking out Shadow Lords left and right.

"Tai!" Kari shouted.

Tai finished off his last opponent before turning in Kari's direction. His eyes widened in surprise. "Greg? Kari?"

Upon closer inspection, the two warriors saw that Tai' s left arm was hanging limply by his side, blood soaking the sleeve and dripping off of his fingers. Sweat was pouring off of him in rivers. However, he was alive and standing, which was what mattered.

"Where's Mel?" Greg demanded. "He's the one they're after!"

"In the training facility, and I already know!" Tai replied. "Anyone have a healing nut? My arms kind of useless!"

Kari nodded, and handed him one, which he popped in his mouth gratefully, chewing for a second before swallowing. Almost immediately, the bleeding stopped, and he moved his arm, working out the kinks. "Thanks."

Greg nodded, and turned around. "Alex, Jessica, Angewomon."

"Guys." Alex stopped, assessing the situation. "Where's Mel?"

Greg pointed down the hall. "He's in the gym, facing off against Beryl and Xenobia. So come on!" He started running in that direction, the others right behind him.

* * *

Garurumon's attack caught a Guardian before it could attack Sora. The auburn haired girl turned around to see it's body fall to the ground, looking like that it had been recently excavated from a thick layer of permafrost. Thanks, Garurumon!" she gushed in relief. 

"Good aim!" Ginny added admirably.

"Garurumon aims to please. T.K., Amy." Matt grinned. "I was wondering what all of those flashes of light were."

T.K. smiled as well. "Well, big bro, it's not the size of the person that counts, so long as they can punch with the force of Ed Asner!"

"Unfortunately," Garurumon began, "the situation's worse then we thought it would be."

Mercury took a gargoyle out with a swipe of one of her swords. "We have reason to suspect that the Vile Tribe want the surviving Four Heroes out of the way. They've temporarily removed Lemia from the equation, and Dyne's already dead."

"So Mel's next," Matt said quietly, staring at the mansion. "What about Ghaleon? Did they get him, too?"  
At that, T.K. and Mercury traded glances. Neither was sure on how to tell them exactly.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Ginny finally burst out. _"Just tell us already!"_

Ginny finally burst out. 

T.K. jumped a bit, then leered at Matt. "Lovely, sweet tempered girl you've got there, Matt." He took a deep breath. "Ghaleon's probably the one who authorized this attack."

"What!"

"That's not all," Angemon added, coming up with Mimi and her contingent. "He's managed to capture the White Dragon…and he kidnapped Luna as well."

Silence pervaded the group. _"But…why?"_ Ginny asked, stunned.

T.K. closed his eyes. "Oh, but there's a special, added bonus. Devimon's also helping them."

Now the Digimon were silent.

"For that reason, and that reason alone," Angemon informed them all quietly, "we need to get to Mel now!"

Metalgreymon nodded. "I'll stand right in front of the main entrance. That way, they can't follow you. Kabuterimon, you and Birdramon take the rear zone."

"You got it, bossmon!" Birdramon saluted with one of her wings, then flew off, the insect Digimon right behind her.

Matt looked around. (Ginny,) he requested.

(Enemies being routed.) Matt felt Ginny's smugness. (Good to know that you've got a set of eyes in the back of your head, isn't it?)

(Definitely. When this is over, I am going to get the biggest ice cream sundae I can possibly carry, and bring it to Dreamscape for you.)

(Can't wait!) Ginny replied. (But at this moment, get your rear in gear, mister!)

Grinning, Matt and the others followed Alex in.

* * *

Mel's axe cut through the enemy like so much kindling, as he fought his way through their ranks. "As long as I draw breath, the Vile Tribe will _never_ take control of Meribia!" he snarled, folding another one like an accordion with his fist. 

"Not a problem, old man," a new voice suddenly replied. "You'll be eliminated by Xenobia, ruler of the Vile Tribe!"  
The beastman's eyes focused on her. "I knew it!" He started forward. "First, Lemia whips yer ass in the Heresy War, then she does it again when ya try to take over her city, while injured! You sure know how to pick yer opponents, bitch!"

Xenobia smirked. "Still as boisterous as ever, Hell Mel. A pity Ghaleon had to stay away to complete his plans. He so wanted to see the look on your face when you stared into the eyes of your betrayer."

"Ghaleon!"  
"All of Lunar shall soon bow to the Magic Emperor and the Deadly Alliance!" Xenobia declared.

"Not while we're standing, dear Aunt Xenobia! And we're still alive!"

Beryl's head, which was smirking at Mel quietly, snapped quickly to the right. "You!" she roared.

Greg smirked. "It look like Ghaleon is as incompetent as the rest of you." He grinned as Beryl's eyes began to bulge.

"Father!" Jessica shouted, entering the room.

Mel turned his attention to his only daughter, who was currently holding mace, dripping blood. In that instant, he realized how much she was like him in combat. And it made him fearful. "This is too dangerous, Jessica! Go and get out of here!"

"But…"

"This is wonderful!" Xenobia crowed, bringing her hand up quickly, energy collecting in her palm. "Now I get to eliminate you all in one swift blow!" She pointed her hand in the direction of Jessica, firing a spell at her.

Mimi and Matt got in front of her, Mimi ready to create a shield, and Matt getting ready to charge…except for one thing.

Mel, acting on his fatherly instincts, threw himself at his daughter, shoving her and the two Digi-Destined out of the way. His momentum wasn't sufficient to get him out of the way of the blast, though, and he took it in the side.

Jessica's head snapped in the direction of her father's scream, hearing the heart rending pain behind it. "Dad!" she screamed, knowing that it would do no good.

Mel stood up fully, staying in the way of the attack, shielding the three of them from it's effects. "Alex…" he gasped, using the last of his strength, "take care…of…my…daughter…"

And, before the horrified eyes of the Digi-Destined, Jessica, the Six, and Alex, Hell Mel, the last of the Four Heroes, fell. His flesh turned to stone, his expression forever locked in an expression of insurmountable pain.

Matt could feel Ginny start to cry on her end, and heard Harry and Hermione comfort her, obviously having heard everything that had happened. All he felt was a helpless rage.

Beryl started laughing again. "Your powers have failed you again, Greg. And like the last time, you were unable to stop this!"  
"The last of the Four Heroes has been rendered powerless…complete with one final, emotional moment between father and daughter. I almost died from laughter!" The Tribe Queen started laughing again. "Now, not even the First Guardian can stop us! Ghaleon will fulfill our collective destinies."

Mimi and Lilika both stepped forward as one, their eyes speaking of anger.

Alex stepped forward as well. "Xenobia, Beryl, where's Luna?" he growled.

Beryl wagged a finger at him. "Now, now, young Alex. To tell you would be too easy. You'll have to figure that for yourself."

"Till next we meet, Alliance," Xenobia sneered. "Though when next we meet, you will suffer the same fate." With those parting words, she and Beryl teleported away, as did the remainder of the enemy forces.

The Digi-Destined stood ready, just on the off chance that Xenobia decided to send them a parting gift. However, after several minutes, they realized that that wasn't the case. The Deadly Alliance had apparently decided that it had caused enough damage for one day.

Tai helped Jessica up to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Jessica shook his hand off, and hesitantly started walking forward to the statue that was once her father. "Dad?" she whispered. "Dad…" Tears starting welling up in her eyes. _"Daaaaaaaaad!"_ she screamed, falling down to the ground, sobbing, while the others gathered around her, all of them grieving along with her silently.

Grieving, for the loss of the only family that she had left.

* * *

Xenobia and Beryl reappeared in the Frontier, both grinning. Phase Two went off smoothly, without any little snags…except for the re-appearance of the Six and Alex. They were going to have to bring that up at the next Deadly Alliance meeting. 

Racc walked up, smirking. "So, how did it go at Mel's?" he asked.

Beryl's grin grew even more malicious. "I think they took it…rather well," she replied. "They never knew what hit them."

* * *

Ginny sank into the first seat she could find, tears still running down her cheeks. While she had never met Master Mel, Matt had told her about his own meetings with the man. And now, through Matt's eyes, she had watched him fall. And to learn that Ghaleon had turned his back on everything he had once believed in, was almost too much to bear. 

Harry and Hermione looked at Claire, who shook her head. "This is something that not even the Guardians can help with," she said. "If he was petrified by Xenobia…"

"…then there's nothing that we can do," Harry finished curtly. "Well, there's something they can do."

Ginny looked up. "Then they better make sure that she burns in hell."

"I second that," Ron threw in, followed by a whole hospital wing's roar of approval.

Harry nodded. "As Hermione and myself are going to be stuck here…"

"Don't worry, Harry," Claire told him. "We'll take care of this."  
"Thanks."

* * *

Meribia was in ruins. Soldier and demon bodies were strewn all over the ground. Buildings now had holes in them. The people milled about, many of them still in shock by the ferocity of the attack. Clean up crews were already taking the bodies to be burned or buried. Not exactly what people would call glorious. 

However, in the Governor's mansion, the greatest loss was the loss of a hero…and a father. As the Digi-Destined and Alex crowded around Mel's statue, they experienced quite possibly the biggest revelation they had had to date; They were now the only ones capable of fighting back against the Deadly Alliance.

"In the name of the Goddess Althena," Jessica chanted slowly, collecting all of the healing power inside of her, "let this curse be gone!" She brought her hands up, palms pointing in the direction of her father.

A powerful jet of light emanated from her hands, surrounding her petrified father in a soothing field of healing power. For a second, it looked like that it had worked, and Jessica smiled. Then the field dissipated, revealing Mel's statue, unchanged.

Jessica's shoulder's slumped. "It didn't work," she murmured slightly.

Mimi sighed. "Should've seen it coming." She turned to her sister. "Lilika, is there _any_ way to break this curse?"  
Lilika shook her head. "The only ones who would know are the priestesses. Jessica?"

Jessica shook her head. "I don't think that this kind of curse can be lifted…unless the one who cast it is killed!" She looked at her father, her eyes simmering. "That witch Xenobia…that freak Ghaleon…I'll never forgive them! I will save my father…even if it costs me my life!" She turned to the others. "I am Jessica deAlkirk, daughter of Hell Mel! I will never give up!"

T.K. turned to Tai. "It looks like we're going to go and kill Xenobia," he said in a matter of fact tone.

Tai grinned. "Welcome to the Alliance, Jessica. And don't worry, you'll get your chance at Xenobia...and so will Mimi."

"So, what's our next stop?" Nall asked.

The answer was immediate. "Vane," Jessica replied. "Ghaleon will pay dearly. But we need more information on the Vile Tribe. Lemia will be able to help us with that. And I'd like to get some advice from her daughter, too…"

"Good idea. And we get to see Mia again!"

"Well now that that's settled…" Mercury turned her computer on. "Alex, get ready to use the Dragon Wings. The Digimon are close enough to the building to be in the Wing's effects."

Alex nodded, and raised the Digimon Wings up over. As he did so, Jessica took one last look at her father's petrified form. _'I love you…Dad,'_ she thought. _'And I will never cry again. I promise…'_

And then the Dragon Wings swept them away towards Vane…and their next great battle.

* * *

"What!" Alania stared at the messenger. "What do you mean Guardian Tieranos won't allow mortal work on the ship!"  
The messenger shrugged. "He says that they're a security risk, especially if you're going to go on this mission…though he also advises against that, as well." 

Alania groaned. "Does he always have to be a jackass? And don't answer that," she added hastily. "It's rhetorical." She took a deep breath. "I want Tieranos in my office before he goes home and makes his thirtieth complaint to Guardian Demas about where his daughter currently is. Don't take no for an answer. Understand?"

"Understood, Milady. I'll relay immediately." The messenger walked out of Alania's office, leaving the first Guardian alone.

Alania sighed, leaning back in her chair. Technically, as the leader of the Guardian civilization, she didn't have to listen to Tieranos, and do whatever she damn well pleased, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.

Even if she thought that he was an overbearing clod who was only interested in power these days. "Well, I might want to collect my thoughts for a moment," she muttered, going into a meditative state.

* * *

Episode Forty One is over. Episode Forty Two will be the battle of Vane. Something will happen to Sailor Venus, and the Alliance will be reunited, so stay tuned. 

Season Two will go like this; I will type two chapters involving Lunar, then two chapters of Harry Potter, and then two chapters of Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption. Rinse and repeat. That way, I can get the other two stories started, and get the other series in.

As all of you have probably read, Permafrost, AKA Maureen Conner, will be in the story. I am doing this for two reasons. Reason One is the fact that she has a lot of potential for a storyline. Reason Two, I have that storyline. I'm presently working the kinks out in my mind, but I think that it's definitely…unique.

After careful consideration, going through the possibilities, as well as skimming through a comic of Teen Titans, (the ones where Robin in fact Nightwing) I have decided to attempt a Robin/ Raven relationship. It will start slowly, but won't be fully established until much later in the fic. And I have plan for Starfire in the relationship department. Very weird plans.

To Shi Okami, I don't know if you were really offended or not, but I do apologize if you were.


	44. Episode Forty Two: The Battle of Vane

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

Episode Forty Two: The Battle of Vane

The Dragon Wings, powered by the energy of the White Dragon, deposited them at the Vane Transmission Spring, with only a few second delay.

Garurumon's ears immediately perked up, already hearing the sounds of battle in the distance. "Guys, looks like we found the reason why Vane didn't send reinforcements. They were under attack as well. And by something large."

Then that something stepped into view, right in front of the Magic Guild.

Nall flew up, checking to see what those sounds. "D-d-do you guys see that!" he stammered.

"Oh, yes." Lilika's eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the massive creature, her memories of ancient Lunarian mythology coming back to in a rush. "It's called a Grand Demon, but I thought those things were just a myth!"  
Izzy pulled his computer out, using it to access the creatures information. What he got was not helpful.

Grand Demon: A powerful being that is distantly related to the Vile Tribe brand of demon, the Grand Demon is a virtual unknown to most people. No other information is available, as no one has ever seen a Grand Demon.

The Digi-Destined looked at each other for a second. "We're screwed," Matt said for all of them.

T.K., however, had a different opinion…

_

* * *

"A Grand Demon," Takeru growled, staring at the corpse. "I thought they were extinct."  
Lemia put her robe arm over her nose. "This is the second one that the Guild recovered. So far, all that we've figured out is that it has a natural armor casing to protect it's insides." She looked at it for a second before turning her attention back to the Guardian of Hope. "What we need is a live specimen, to see what it's capable of." _

"Yeah, and Alania's really going to Vane a live one. We might as well ask her for the furon torpedoes that they're testing."  
Lemia chuckled. "Quantum power is as high as I'm going for now. Alania's already sending me ten zero space torpedoes in case of an emergency. Now, back to the corpse."

"It's only a few days old," T.K. stated.

"Precisely. And the apparent amount of damage that to be inflicted on it was astronomical. If the Vile Tribe ever found out that their ancestral race was still alive…"

* * *

T.K. snapped out of it. "I think that the Vile Tribe found out that they're still alive," he said calmly. 

"Apparently." Izzy set his computer down, setting it for scan mode. "We won't get another chance like this, but at the same time, we can't let that thing destroy Vane. So let's take it out."

Tai nodded. "Metalgreymon, go!"

Metalgreymon jumped into the air, Birdramon and Kabuterimon beside him. Garurumon waited for Matt and Lilika to get on, then charged forward with Togemon next to him. Ikkakumon simply moved forward at his own pace.

_

* * *

"Mars…Fire…Ignite!" _

Mars's power slammed into the Grand Demon head on, enveloping the mighty beast in a fiery tornado. Jupiter immediately struck as well, her mighty Thunder Dragon attacking from above. Enough power to fry a lobster nuclear bomb style.

A powerful crimson beam shot out of the blaze, streaking through the air to strike Jupiter in the stomach. With a bellow of pain, the might Senshi of Thunder and Lightning slammed into a residence building, going through the wall.

Out of the fire, the Grand Demon scuttled forward, his many limbs scrabbling across the ground to pick up speed. It's singular eye shot out the beams in question, narrowly missing the Scouts and various mages that were helping in the fight.

"_Check this out! Thunderthrust!"_ Nash bellowed, releasing the most powerful attack that he had at that present moment. Mia added power to that, calling upon her Blizzard spell. Both watched with helpless rage as their spells deflected of it's spell.

"Impossible…" Nash muttered, as he moved out of the creatures way. "Our attacks don't have any effect on it whatsoever!"

"I will not allow this monster to destroy Vane!" Mia shouted, getting up. "Come on, Nash! We can do this!"

At that particular moment, the Grand Demon obtained that burst of speed, and was on Venus before she could react, it's teeth flashing.

Venus screamed in pain as the teeth sank into her sides, pumping something into the open wounds, then released her so she crumpled to the ground. The pain was too much for her, and she passed out.

"Venus!" Sailor's Moon's tiara was off her forehead, charged and thrown. Only a second later, it smashed into the demon monster's forward shell, forcing it to turn it's attention to the Moon Princess.

Tuxedo Mask flung a number of roses at the Grand Demon, so that it would turn to him. While those two distracted it, Pluto dragged the fallen Senshi out the immediate area of danger. "Healer!" she shouted, before heading back into the fray.

Luna and Artemis ran over to Rini, who was busy dragging an injured guard from the battle. "Rini, they need your help!" Luna shouted. "Get back in there!"  
"You got it!" Rini ran back at the demon, firing pink bursts from her hands at it. They ricocheted off of the shell, not even burning the shell.

The Grand Demon turned in the young kids direction, it's one eye already glowing. Several seconds later, it launched a full scale blast at her. Rini retaliated with a full scale blast of her own.

The two beams collided, and immediately began pushing against each other. The crimson one started gaining the upper hand, pushing the pink one back. Desperately, Rini tried to push back, though she was already going at full strength. _'I'm in trouble. God, some help here would truly be appreciated right now!'_

"GIGA BLASTER!"

Two missiles slammed into the two joined beams, destroying them on impact, and knocking Rini on her butt. She looked over at Metalgreymon. "Thank you!" she called out, thanking both the Digimon and the Lord.

"Don't mention it!" Metalgreymon turned his full attention to the Grand Demon. "Alright, Digimon, Attack pattern Graywolf Alpha!" he shouted.

Garurumon and Birdramon charged in, their attacks already flying at the enemy. Four missiles from Ikkakumon struck in one area, causing a large explosion. Finally, Togemon's Needle Spray peppered it.

Angemon and Angewomon flew in, slamming into the Grand Demon head on, knocking it back. T.K. and Kari blasted it, slightly scorching it's armor. Then Greg and Mercury used themselves like battering rams. It skidded to it's left, almost overbalancing it.

Mia's eyes widened in relief. "Guys!"

Matt grinned. "Sorry we late," he said cheerfully, "but we were delayed!"

Jessica took one look at the Grand Demon, her ferocious gaze becoming even more fiery. "First, the Deadly Alliance attacks my home…now Mia's…" Her nose twitched. "That's it! No more Miss Nice Girl!"

Tai withdrew his katana. "Well, let's get primeval on it's ass, then!" he said.

(I quite agree.)

Matt and Sora moved forward, Matt's saber striking the armor, causing sparks to fly off of the blade. Sora drove her for forward, trying to crack one of the plates. Izzy fired several arrows at it, watching irritably when they bounced off.

Joe and Lilika ran over to where the Healers were trying desperately to help Venus, who had de-transformed. "Has she responded to treatment?" he asked.

The Healer shook his head, at a loss. "We gave her an Antidote, but it has no effect. We managed to heal her, but the wounds reopen almost immediately. Even our most powerful spells have no long term effect."

Joe noted the small but steady trickle of blood that was soaking through Mina's blouse. "So I see. Lilika?"  
Lilika shook her head. "I couldn't tell you. I have never seen anything like this before!"

Tai's Katana bounced off of one of the plates, drawing two exclamations of surprise from both the sword and it's wielder. The Grand Demon, on the other hand, didn't turn around, instead hitting the warrior of Courage with one of it's legs. Tai flew back several feet, wincing a bit in pain. _'Do you know anything about this creep?'_ he asked.

(No warrior of Courage has ever seen one before!) The sword replied, sounding somewhat shaken as well.

'Perfect!' Tai stood up, rubbing his neck for a second. _'Well, now we've seen one. Let's break it.' _

(Agreed.)

Tai stood up, rubbing his neck for a second. 

Pluto fired several Deadly Screams at it in rapid succession, while Metalgreymon struck from behind, slamming his feet into it's armored backside. He moved as Togemon charged forward, fists already moving. "LIGHT SPEED JABBING!" she bellowed, hoping to break through the armor like she had broken through the Frog Lizard's skin.

At the same time, Garurumon jumped on top of it, claws and teeth being put to good use, as he tried to tear the plates off.

"Mimi, trying hitting it's legs!" Matt suggested.

"Good suggestion! Jupiter?" Mimi called out. "Shall we?"

"Let's!"

It was at that precise moment that the Grand Demon decided that it had had enough. It kicked the cactus Digimon, then started shaking as well as it could, trying to dislodge the dog.

"Sailor Moon! Kabuterimon!" Ginny shouted. _Try attacking the same area! Mercury, try freezing the ground underneath it!" _

"Moon Scepter Activation!"

Ginny shouted. 

"ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

The two attacks hit the same exact spot at the same exact time, knocking the creature forward. At the same time, Mercury froze the ground underneath it, causing it's feet to slip and slide from underneath it.

"It's down, guys!" Garurumon shouted. "Take it down!"  
Almost immediately, the collective power of the Alliance poured out with explosive speed. A half dozen long range attacks struck the Grand Demon head on, causing a cloud of smoke to obscure it's body from view. Sora, Matt and Jessica got ready, their weapons up and ready. They stood, tense, waiting to see if the creature was still capable of combat.

Then the smoke cleared, and they were treated with a shock.

The Grand Demon was still alive…and unharmed. And it had regained it's footing, the clawed feet now embedded into the ground, cracking the ice. It's eye was glowing. The armor smoked, somewhat blackened. But it was still capable of fighting at full efficiency.

Another crimson beam shot out, catching Sailor Moon in the leg. It didn't stop there, as it continued to fire, advancing slowly until it had cleared the ice patch, then it started to move faster.

Everyone else scattered, though Matt took a glancing blow in the arm. Grunting in the pain, feeling Ginny's own wince of pain from the contact, and started running.

Joe and Lilika dragged Venus's prone form further away from the battle, trying to remove her from the Grand Demon's line of sight. Unfortunately, that demon chose that moment to look at them, and turn in their direction.

Garurumon leaped from the building that he had been perched on, landing next to Matt. "Get on!" he barked.

Matt did so, wincing as his arm reminded him that he had just been used as target practice. He took one look around, spotting the three who were still there. "It's going after Venus!" He pointed in that direction. The dog Digimon leaped into action, charging forward quickly. "Hang on, guys!" Matt shouted. "We're coming!"

"Move faster!" Joe ducked as another crimson beam shot overhead. "We're target practice, and I'm not going to leave her here!"

Garurumon passed the demon, slowing down slightly to pick them up, the pelted off at top speed down the street, passing the creature again. He had given them a few seconds, and he put them to good use.

Lilika saw that they wouldn't make it to the Transmission Spring before the creature reached them. "Turn down that alleyway!" she shouted, sounding somewhat like her sister. "You're thin enough to do so! It isn't!"

Reacting quickly, the Champion level Digimon made a right turn, disappearing down the alleyway. He finally stopped after making another right. He panted slightly, resisting the urge to de digivolve as Matt and the others got off. He gently set Venus down.

Matt took a look at her, then looked at Joe. "What happened?" he asked.

"The Grand Demon stabbed her," Joe replied. "Healing spell don't work for long, because the wounds reopen. Antidotes can't even slow it down."

Lilika shuddered. "The thing is, I don't think that a Grand Demon is capable of poisoning someone."

"The Deadly Alliance," Garurumon muttered.

"I believe so."

Garurumon looked around, like he was expecting the Grand Demon to come right through the wall. Already, they could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. "Well, I'm going back out of there. Matt, you need to get her out of Vane as soon as possible."

Matt nodded, wile Ginny said, _"Be careful, buddy."_

"I will. Now go!"

* * *

The plan was simple. While Garurumon rejoined the fight, Matt, Joe and Lilika would take Venus to the Transmission Spring, and head for the Shrine. If all went well, the Grand Demon would be sufficiently distracted to no notice them. 

There was one little problem; They had no idea if the demon was already there or not.

Garurumon bounded out of the alleyway, charging into plain view. He saw that the creature wasn't there, which immediately made him suspicious.

The other three moved out of the alleyway with their unconscious comrade, Matt keeping his eyes open. Looking around him constantly, he guided them to the Spring.

They hadn't even gone five feet when the Grand Demon suddenly attacked, it's crimson beam lashing out to catch Lilika in the hip. Screaming in pain, the half demon flew within a hair breath of the Spring, her kidney practically destroyed.

Garurumon flew right in front of their adversary, his growl enough to make anyone's spine shiver. "You'll stay away from them!"

"We second that!"

T.K. and Kari came out of nowhere, their small bodies hitting the creature from the side. The Demon skidded sideways, trying to stop itself with it's other feet. It had barely done so when Sailor Moon hit it head on, knocking it back.

"Sword Dance!"

"Flaming Attack!"

Tai and Alex became blurs of motion, their weapons striking out as they released the most powerful physical attacks they knew. And they were effective, slicing off pieces of the Grand Demon's armor, and taking two of it's teeth.

And as Matt stood protectively in front of Venus, keeping his friends from further harm, his crest glowed blue.

GARURUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO…WEREGARURUMON!

Garurumon rose to his hind feet, the joints there shifting to allow such a thing to happen. His shoulder joints shifted as well, allowing him full rotation to his new arms.

Metalgreymon came crashing in, his monstrous feet slamming into it's back, his metal claw smacking it's head. The Demon lashed out with one of it's hind legs, trying to catch the Dinosaur like Digimon. It's beam lashed out again, catching Sailor Moon in the gut. She flew backwards, colliding with Joe before he could drag Venus halfway to the Spring. Mina's prone form landed next to Lilika, who was trying to eat a Healing Nut.

One of Weregarurumon's arms became garbed in a blue glove, with a brass knuckle to complete the ensemble. He was now attired in a pair of blue jeans, with leather knee guards. A shoulder strap connected to his belt. A scar now adorned his face.

Jupiter kicked the Grand Demon in one of the legs with all the strength in her body, snapping one of it's many legs. She leaped up then, kicking it's body with both feet, before leaping away, throwing a Thunderclap attack at it.

Weregarurumon threw a few experimental kicks, testing out his new mobility. Satisfied with what he now had, he let loose a howl from his throat.

Pluto grinned. "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever digivolve."

"My apologies for the delay." The warrior stepped forward, his hands clutching into fists. "Leave this bitch to me."

Jupiter gestured. "Be our guest."

The werewolf stepped forward, then leaped up, whirling in a circle. "GARURU KICK!" he roared, performing a roundhouse kick. All the power of his body was concentrated in that one foot.

The Grand Demon's forward armor suddenly shattered.

"WOLF CLAW!" Weregarurumon was relentless, once more unleashing his power. His claws dug deeply into the newly exposed flesh of it's head.

The Grand Demon tried thrashing in an attempt to dislodge this creature who had punched through it's defenses. Weregarurumon did let go, though it was voluntary. He rolled away, coming to his feet.

"GIGA BLASTER!"

"Pluto Deadly Scream!"

The two attacks, targeting the same spot at the same time, struck at the open wound, detonating on impact. A resounding explosion occurred, predictably… taking off it's head and almost half of it's body and vaporizing it.

Matt blinked. "Okay, that was different."

Moon nodded. "Not everyday someone sees a boss monster explode."

Rini merely stood there.

Matt, however checked Mina over. "We need to get her to medical wing!" (Ginny, you better get that crackerjack nurse of yours here, because we're going to need her!)  
(I'm on my way!) Ginny assured him, though her fear was palpable.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Claire, McGonagall, and Madame Pomfrey exited through the Stargate into Vane's gate room, barely pausing after saying hello to the guards as they walked in the direction of the infirmary. The message that Matt had sent to them seemed extremely urgent. 

Once they entered the infirmary, they realized why that was, and why he had requested that Pomfrey accompany them.

There, lying on a medical bed, and covered in a white sheet, was Mina, still unconscious. A monitor kept track of her vitals, while several healers struggled to keep her alive.

"My god," Ginny breathed.

"You said it," Hermione added quietly.

Pomfrey took one look, then walked over to CMO, talking to her quietly. She nodded after she got the information she needed, before heading back over to the teens. "They've used whatever healing spells and items that they have to try and heal the damage, but it hasn't lasted. They have her hooked onto a IV needle."

Claire nodded. "Sounds like some kind of neurotoxin."

"And you'd be right, girl."

The whole lot of them turned around to see Mercury approach, looking rather tired. "What happened?" Harry asked. "Ginny told us that they're was an attack after Meribia. And I had to weasel myself and Hermione out of the medical wing for this."

Mercury looked at him. "A Grand Demon, the Vile Tribe's ancestor, attacked Vane. The Scouts, Mia, Nash, and about two dozen mages responded, though with no apparent success. During the fight, it managed to 'bite' Venus with it's fangs. Apparently, it injected something into her bloodstream, where it multiplied quickly."

Hermione nodded, careful to make sure that her bangs hid the scar that now adorned her forehead. "Is it alright if I take a look at the corpse?" she asked. "Maybe there's something that can give us in the information that we need."

Joe, who had just entered, nodded. "Good idea. Izzy, Pluto, Mars, and Weregarurumon are already there, looking it over." He grinned wearily. "At this point, a fresh perspective would be helpful."

Hermione looked at Harry, who smiled slightly. "We'll stay here. Get going." He watched as she walked out of the room, then turned to Joe. "I take it that you have theory."

Joe looked at Mina's form, then back at him. "The thing is, I don't think that a Grand Demon has this ability to do this naturally."

"Genetic manipulation?"  
"That's what I think."

Harry nodded, then remembered something. "Oh, this is Ron, one of Ginny's older brothers, and Claire Damont. Claire is a transfer student from Zion Academy for Guardians."

Mercury shook her hand. "A pleasure to meet both of you. Sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances."

"Me too." Claire looked at Mina. "Will she make it?" she asked.

Mercury didn't reply, because she didn't know.

And the most likely answer was unacceptable.

* * *

Mars gagged, her nose wrinkling. "I think it's dead," she gagged. 

Greg frowned. "What was your first clue? The smell, or the gaping hole?" he asked sarcastically, peering at one of teeth. "This tooth is slightly hollow, allowing something to enter immediately after contact."

Izzy nodded. "I can't seem to find anything, even with the information that we managed to acquire." He broadened the search parameters, adding anything out of the ordinary.

"You guys sure know how to make a statement, don't you?"

"Hello, Hermione," Izzy said, not even turning around.

Hermione looked at the creature, her nose wrinkling at the stench. "We got Matt's message. Anything I can do to help with this autopsy?"

Greg gestured. "Grab a pair of gloves. Weregarurumon, see if you can remove one of the plates. Maybe Venus has an allergic reaction."  
Weregarurumon did so, making note of the ease with which he was able to do so. "These things are as strong as Metalgreymon's claw, but the connections are weak. They're just so freakin' packed that it's almost impossible to remove them. Hey, Hermione."

"Hi, pal," Hermione replied. Ginny had told them that Garurumon had digivolved, so she wasn't surprised. Happy that she had at least one thing that was good, she kneeled down, peering into the hole that was once The Grand Demon's head.

One look was all that she needed. "Izzy, Greg! Take a look at this."

Greg and Izzy walked over to where she was, peering in intently. "What in the?" Greg muttered.

Izzy scanned what looked to be a small pouch, something so out of place that it was predictably suspicious. "It's a venom sack. I'm picking up a RNA genome strain, inert."

Mars's eyes widened. "It's a viral agent," she muttered. "Those sons of a bitches!"

Greg's own eyes narrowed in anger, as he pulled out his communicator. "Tai, Serena, Alex, Harry, we've found something."

* * *

"A virus?" Tai echoed, leaning back in his seat. "We're dealing with a genetically created virus?" 

"Unfortunately." Izzy showed them what he had analyzed. "This virus is eating at every involuntary muscle she has, as well as poisoning her blood vessels to transmit the virus to every vein and artery in her body." He looked at Serena. "If it were anyone else, she would already be dead."

"Accelerated immune system," Alex murmured.

"Unfortunately, it's only slowing the virus down, not stopping it. And at the rate that it's still multiplying…she'll be dead very soon."

"However," Harry said, "Madame Pomfrey's treatments seem to be having some sort of effect. Her bleeding's finally stopped, even though the wounds aren't closing." He stood up. "Claire's uploading Zion's medical database into Mercury's computer. Maybe they'll be able to find something that can help her."

Tai nodded. "Which means that the only thing the rest of us can do is wait…and pray."

"Yep."

* * *

Matt walked slowly through the streets of Vane, watching as mages hastily repaired the equipment that had been damaged during the battle. He saw other mages running to various defense points throughout the city, as well as trying to calm the citizens down. Other than that, he had no idea what was going on. He hadn't spoken to anyone else in the Alliance since the battle, having wanted some time to himself to think. 

"Matt?"

Startled by the fact that his name was being called, Matt turned around, a little surprised. Who he saw was even more surprising "Gin?"

Ginny stared at him for a second, then, without saying a word, grabbed him into a hug, tears pouring down her cheeks. Matt reciprocated, holding her close, though he didn't cry, trying to be strong. The two of them didn't move from that spot for a long time, while the rest of the world continued to move at a regular pace.

Matt finally looked at her after five minutes had passed, though the two didn't let go of each other. Neither was conscious of this. "I didn't think you'd come," he said quietly.

Ginny smiled tremulously. "I may not know Mina as well as the rest of you, but she is still your friend. And I came to help that friend."

"Thanks." Matt suddenly realized that he was still holding onto her, and blushed slightly. Stepping back and coughing a bit to hide his embarrassment, he managed to bring that blush under control. "Well, I'm still glad that you came," he said, smiling a bit, while trying to figure out how that happened. "Everyone could use a good hug once in a while. And you're very good at giving hugs."

"Oh, so that's the only reason I'm your friend?" Ginny asked in mock indignation, smiling as well, though she still had a bit of a blush on her cheeks. "Well, that's okay, because that's all that you're good for anyways."

Matt gaped like a fish, then started laughing. "Well, now that we both know where we stand in the grand scheme of things…"

"Which is always a good thing to know," Ginny added, giggling.

The two of them laughed for a few seconds more, before calming down. "Anyways," Matt began.

"Yeah, anyways…do you think she's going to make it?"

Matt thought long and hard, a small smile forming. "Yeah," he finally replied. "I think that she's going to make it."

Ginny's smile grew. "So do I, Matt."

* * *

Agumon sat next to Althena's Statue, thinking dark thoughts about demons and old enemies. He was also thinking about Mina, and her being in the Infirmary, helpless to fight the battle raging inside of her. 

Palmon sat down next to him, her flower drooping somewhat. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

The head of the Digimon looked at her. "No." He turned to look behind him. "I just learned from Mercury that the Statue couldn't do anything to help her. So I'm not exactly a very happy digi-lizard at the moment."

"I can imagine. I don't think that she's going to make it unscathed. And if she does…"  
Agumon stared at her. "Hey, I didn't say that she wasn't going to make it! Sailor Venus is a tough cookie, as tough as any of the Scouts. If anyone can survive this, it's her."

Palmon looked at him in surprise. "Is that Agumon talking, or is that a person who speaks everlasting hope for all of creation?"

"It's Agumon," Agumon replied, chuckling. "You don't have to worry about me becoming some kind of priest, preaching eternal peace between enemies. I still want a fight every once in a while."

"That's good to hear."

* * *

Izzy stared at the broken blade of Knowledge, concern for his comrades survival. At the moment, her odds weren't so good. He rubbed his chin, feeling the bristles of the beard now growing, and decided that he needed a shave too. 

"It looks good."

"Hmm?" Izzy turned his head to look at Mimi, who was standing there now. "What do you like?" he asked.

Mimi smiled gently. "Your beard. I like it. Makes you look rugged."

Izzy started smiling as well as Mimi sat down, giving her a hug and kiss on the head. Mimi reciprocated his actions, though she skipped the kiss on the head, instead giving a warm, heartfelt kiss on the lips. However, after a moment, Izzy's expression fell.

Mimi noticed this. "What's wrong?" she asked.

The Digi-Destine of Knowledge let his eyes rest on the sword again. "I'm just worried," he replied. "I mean, Mina's a friend, and she's been fighting the forces of darkness for far much longer than any of us. To lose her now in this manner…is something that I don't dare dwell on."

Mimi nodded, knowing very well what he was talking about. A soldier deserved to die on the battlefield, not in a bed, helpless against a foreign invader. "Mina's a tough lady. She'll pull through."

"It's not just that. It's…" Izzy took a breath, letting his thoughts order themselves. "It's selfish of me, but every time I look at Mina, I see you on that bed…and if anything were to happen to you…" he choked up, unable to complete his thought.

Now Mimi realized what Izzy was so upset about. And in his place, she would have had the same thing. "Oh, Izzy." She turned his head to face her. "Believe me when I say that you have nothing to worry about where I'm concerned." She grinned. "Besides, I know for a fact that Mina's going to be fine."  
Izzy started smiling as well. "You're right," he replied. "When did you become so optimistic?"  
"I've been around Serena too long. She has a tendency to rub off on people."

"Don't we all?"

"Guess you're right." Mimi gave him another kiss, then cuddled against, givning him strength.

* * *

Lilika watched from the observation window as Joe applied another treatment to Mina, then staggered slightly in exhaustion. "She'll need another one in about four hours," she heard him tell Pomfrey. "I don't know how long it'll be effective." 

Pomfrey nodded. "Go and get some sleep, young man," she told him. "You're no good to your friend half asleep on your feet."

Joe made his way over to Lilika, who had risen from her seat, clutching a cup in her hands. She handed it to him wordlessly. "Thanks," he mumbled, taking a sip."

The half demon smiled. "I am glad that you think so. I figured that you'd be thirsty, so I went and got a drink from the cafeteria." She blushed. "If I had tried to make it from scratch, I'd likely poison you."

Joe finished the drink off. "Well, I'm glad that you did something. Thanks."

"You're welcome. How's Mina?"

"Not well. The virus is still spreading, despite all of our efforts to stop it." Joe sighed. "I hope Amy's found something, otherwise. We're going to lose this fight."

Lilika nodded. "Perhaps you should rest, Joe," she suggested. "If you let your mind and eyes rest, maybe a solution will present itself where none was before."

The Digi-Destine of Knowledge grinned. "You're right. Wake me up in four hours…"

"Seven," Lilika interjected firmly. "I do not want to see you anywhere else but in a bed until you are fully rested. Now go!"  
"You're as bad as Mimi," Joe said, as he walked out of the room.

"And proud of it."

* * *

Mercury sighed, rubbing her eyes for the tenth time in that hour as she stared at the computer screen, going over the three hundred files they had. "I still don't have anything. You?" 

Claire shook her head. "More than eight hundred attempts over the last twenty years, with no success."

"Wonderful." Mercury skimmed through the files. "Hold on…what's this Dycan Root?' she suddenly asked.

Claire came over to look over her shoulder. "Dycan Root is a root that is in Realm 7684, on the planet of Dagobah. It's my home realm," she explained. "Now, in theory, it's supposed to have uncharted regenerative capabilities. Unfortunately, we were never able to use it."

"Hmm." Mercury peered at it. "This root reminds me of a root that existed. Moon Kingdom scientists were experimenting on it before the war started, trying to harness it's remarkable properties in medicine. They were ready to test a serum, but they never got around to it." She brought up the specific file. "According to this, Dycan Root has similar properties to it, and the formula is in the database."

Claire looked at it, grinning. "It's the best chance we've got."

Mercury grabbed her communicator. "We've got something that might be useful. Better get everyone assembled."

"Will do," Serena replied. _"Let's just hope that it's more useful than you're letting on."_

Serena replied. 

"That's my biggest hope, too. Mercury out."

* * *

"Dycan Root?" Sere echoed. "It's like Crass Foot Weed?" 

Claire shrugged. "However you look at it, the Moon Kingdom came closer to creating a cure than the Guardians did. Mercury's gone through the research, but it's sound."

"We have a problem," Alex said, "Lunar doesn't have this kind of root. So we have to go through the Stargate to the 'Dagobah.'"

"And there's another problem," Harry informed them. "Even if we get there, we're still going to need transportation."

"No problem." Claire grinned. "The Stargate is located in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, right in the heart of the Republic. Master Yoda and the Jedi Order already know about the Guardians, and have met a few. I actually trained there for a time."

"Well, that's good to hear." Serena stood up. "Alright, I'm going."

"So am I," Tuxedo added.

"Hear, hear," Angemon threw in.

"As am I." Sere stood up as well. "Crass Foot had to be harvested in a certain way for it to remain effective. It can't be dug out or pulled out of the ground."

"Alright then." Moon turned to Joe. "How is she?" she asked.

Joe sighed. "Madam Pomfrey's treatments have slowed the virus down even further, but it won't last. She's got about two weeks, give or take a few days. There's nothing more I can do."

"The we don't have any time to waste." Harry got up. "We'll accompany you as well. You'll need some serious firepower."

"Agreed." Lemia looked at them as well. "Everyone, start praying that they succeed."

Everyone agreed with that, thus not seeing the shadow that had been listening in on their conversation, and disappearing silently.

* * *

"They have found something," J'onro reported the second he reappeared in the Frontier. "A root rumored to have potent healing abilities has been found in Realm 7684, Planet Dagobah."  
"7684. I believe that world is currently in the throes of civil war, if I'm not mistaken," Xenobia mused. 

"And it's in Siddius's area," Beryl added. "Contact him, and tell him to have his allies standing by. We're sending the _Vigilant _their way to intercept them."  
J'onro bowed. "As you command, Queen Beryl." He turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.

Ghaleon turned to look at her, his eyes glinting behind his mask. "Are you sure that you can trust Siddius with this?"  
"Remember what Reiko said," Beryl reminded him. "If we don't trust each other, then we're simply back to carving up our own little kingdoms. Then the powers of light will walk right over us, making us look like fools. And we have Trigon to contend with as well." She glared out the window. "The Negaforce will not allow a being equal to her in power rise to power in Existence."

Xenobia nodded. "Royce!" she bellowed.

"Yes, dear sister," Royce replied from the shadows, her staff glinting in the firelight.

"Go and summon our generals. Tell them to prepare for Operation Nanza Assault. I will lead them."

"As you command."

* * *

Episode Forty Two is now done. Episode Forty Three will begin Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption. It'll start immediately after Yami's duel with Weevil, and Joey's duel with Rex Raptor. The next chapter will have Yami meet up with Static and Gear, though it's not going to be a permanent arrangement. 

How many people have seen the most recent episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh? I have to admit, I don't think Mai's totally in control of herself. She shifts from being genuinely scared to extremely uncaring. And the way she speaks reminds me a little bit of Marik. That's just what I think anyways.

As always, review.


	45. Episode Forty Three: The Journey Begins

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption)

Episode Forty Three: The Journey Begins

If there was anything more disastrous to a true duelist than losing a duel to someone, it was losing a duel through carelessness, then losing a friend seconds later after it.

And as Yami slowly came back to the world of the living, he found himself reflecting on that, and one more thing in his groggy mind. Once he was able to bring coherent thought to the table.

He had given into his rage…again! He lost control in the duel when he began punishing Weevil Underwood by playing his Berserker Soul Magic Card. He had continued to make Weevil suffer long after the insect duelist's life points had gone to zero, and when the Orichalco's had closed in around his body. He would have evencontinued punishing him until he had drawn a magic card.

It had taken Tea, who was Yugi's best friend and Yami's confidant, to stop him from killing the insect duelist.

And that had become a distinct possibility when he had drawn the Dark Magician Girl.

Almost two minutes later, the train derailed, due to the fact that no one was in the control room, making sure that something like that never happened.

Yami now found himself lying on the ground, staring at the mangled husk of their former transportation laying only an inch from his nose, pain shooting through one of his shoulders. Crawling away from it, he took a look around.

He found Weevil's soulless body almost ten feet away behind him, battered, but none the worse for wear, all things considering. "Tea?" he called out, looking around him.

"Up here!"

Yami looked up, and saw Tea clutching onto a tree branch, a nasty looking bruise already forming on her cheek. Other than, he couldn't see any other injuries on her. He also noticed how pretty she was.

Deciding that now wasn't exactly the best time to think about that last statement, he called up, "Can you get down?"

"Yeah." Tea started to climb down. "Remind me never to take the train ever again-"

As she was said this, her foot slipped from it's foot hold, and she lost her grip on the branch. With a shriek of surprise, she fell down…into Yami's arms. The force of the impact knocked the two of them to the ground.

Yami let out a grunt as a slight lancet of pain went through his left shoulder, his eyes clinching shut for a second. When the pain had subsided, he opened them…and felt a bit awkward with the situation as it stood,considering the position in which they had landed.

Tea blushed, as she was presently on top of the ancient spirit. "Ummm…sorry," she mumbled, getting up. "I made it down, just not the way I was expecting."

"As long as you got down." Yami got up, being careful to use his right side and not his left. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" Tea countered. "You went all the way to the ground, hitting several branches along the way."

No wonder he felt sore. Every muscle in his upper body felt like that it had been put through a twenty hour workout, and his legs felt like wooden planks. His shoulders hurt the most. He rotated one of them, not answering. Instead, he walked over to Weevil's body. "We need to get him to a hospital. There may be internal injuries."

"I know." The brunette took a look around. "But there isn't a hospital near here…wherever 'here' is."

No hospital indeed. They were in the middle of a forest, one that stretched for miles in three directions. The fourth direction had the very cliff that they had recently on top of, with no way to climb up. The perfect ending to a perfectly horrid day.

This just wasn't Yami's week. First, the warriors of the Orichalco's had attacked, learning his dueling styles and cards. Leviathan attacked, launching a preemptive first strike. Mai had attacked Joey, trying to prove something to herself. One of the bikers attacked Seto Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom. Raphael lashed out at Professor Hawkins, destroying all of his research and photos. And finally, that same man challenged Yami to a duel, and manipulated him into using the powerful Seal of Orichalco's, then defeated him. According to the rules, that meant that his soul was forfeit.

But his soul had not been taken.

As the Seal had closed in around him, Yugi Motou, the young boy who had put the Millennium Puzzle back together again, and whose soul was as pure as driven snow, had pushed his soul out of the way, letting the Orichalco's take him instead.

Yami, the King of Games, the ancient pharaoh of Eygpt,was still free, and able to fight Dartz and his minions.

And he was a hair breath to succumbing to despair. For the first time in his life, both past and present, he was without an important part of himself…and a slew of problems that were beyond anything that he had faced.

And his most immediate problem was getting Weevil, and the two of them, to a hospital. He didn't know a great deal of anatomy, but he did know that they're were probably internal injuries.

As he thought this, he saw Tea slowly start to pick Weevil's prone form up from the ground. Moving quickly, Yami stopped her. "Allow me," he said quietly.

Nodding, the young lady helped get defeated duelist's body onto Yami's back. "I wish we had a clue as to what direction we had to walk," she said.

Yami took another look around. "Perhaps the Millennium Puzzle can help us. That is, if my use of the Seal hasn't severed my connection with it completely." He closed his eyes, and concentrated for a second.

The puzzle slowly rose up with the unspoken request, it's bottom point slowly turning to point in one direction.

"That way?" Tea asked.

"That way." Yami started walking in that direction, Tea right behind him.

* * *

In the outskirts of Dakota City, in an old abandoned gasoline station, two teen were preparing to try an experiment. An experiment that would determine whether or not things could float. 

"You ready, Static?" Gear asked, holding a projectile weapon in his hand.

"About as ready as I'll ever be." Static Shock raised his hands, allowing his power to emerge from it. It struck the object they had chosen for this experiment, a piece of sheet metal. "Okay, how do you wanna do this? Welding or magnetism?"

"Just get ready to release it when I say so, Virgil." Gear brought his weapon up. "And…release!"

Static immediately cut the field, allowing the sheet to fall. Almost immediately, Gear opened fire. Coming out of the weapon were several small devices, moving slower then a bullet. They hit the piece of metal before it reached the ground. Quickly, a electrical field surrounded it, slowing it down considerably, so that it hit the ground slowly.

"Okay." The electrical meta human stared at the shimmering field. "What is it, Ritchie?"

Gear held up the delivery system. "It's an artificial gravity field," he replied. "These littlebuggers emit a slight electrical field charges patterned after your own abilities. Enough of these things would be able to stop a plane from falling from the sky." He looked at the sheet metal. "I was hoping that it'd float."

Static grinned. "Hey, nothing's perfect the first time around. And I think you've made one hell of a lifesaver." He walked over to the metal. "What're these things made of?" he asked.

"Uh, uh, uh. That's my little secret, Virgil."

"I wouldn't understand it if you explained it to me. Too much techno mumbo jumbo coming from you. Now, if we're finished here, Static's got to make an appearance at the center. Pops wants to talk to me about something." His ears suddenly perked up. "Finally!" he exclaimed, picking up a police report. "I was wondering when the Bang Babies were going to come out of hiding!"

Gear turned around. "Backpack!" he called out. The device in question, designed like a backpack, jumped onto his back, the restraints clamping around his chest. "Well, let's go say 'hello' as only the Dream Team can."

Static brought his disk out, charging it, then jumping on it. He shot out into the distance, Gear right behind him.

* * *

Maureen Conner walked down the streets of Dakota City, whistling aimlessly to herself. Several years ago, she wouldn't have thought that she could do something like that. Being homeless did something like that to someone's hopes and dreams. 

Then the Big Bang happened, and she gained abilities that were absolutely impossible for her to obtain by herself. For a while, they had been a novelty. She had fashioned a room for herself in the old abandoned building she had shared with almost two dozen other people, patterning it after her old room.

But after a while, that had passed, and she found out that she was no better off than before. That took a toll on her, and she struggled with her sanity. Thank God that all she suffered from was loneliness, and not a real mental illness. Otherwise, she could have done a great deal more damage.

Then Static entered the picture. He, who understood what it was like to lose family, had wanted to help her, and he did, giving her hope in a time when she needed it most. After that, he came by at least once a month, schedule permitting.

_'The life of a hero,' _she thought wistfully, stopping to stare at a poster. _'Must wreak havoc on your personal life. Grant you, I wish I had that kind of work. It's not exactly high paying, but I'll bet it's interesting.'_

She stopped at the local barber shop, staring into it, then twirling a bit of her hair between her fingers. "Definitely need a haircut," she muttered aloud. "Unfortunately, that requires money." Something she didn't have an abundance of. No one wanted to hire a bang baby, especially one who was still homeless. Apparently, no one wanted to adopt one either, these days..

Other than that, she was feeling, and looking, a great deal better than she did several years ago. She no longer had the bags under her eyes, or a thin, starved appearance. She was well fed now, and puberty was making it's presence felt. She had blossomed as a young woman. No that it mattered to her at that moment.

Tensions had rocketed over the last several years. Since the day that mutants had been brought into the picture, meta humans had slowly been phased out of most places, even if they had jobs, and were hard working folk. Those like the Flash and Static Shock were still loved, though that could change.

Deciding that it would be best if she spoke to Reverend Addison about getting a job helping the church in some shape, form, or matter, she started walking in the direction of Community Center. Along the way, she hoped to find a Help Wanted sign that didn't say, META HUMANS NOT ELIGIBLE.

And, secretly, she hoped to run into Static. She didn't know why she wanted to. She just did. She found herself thinking about the young man at the most inopportune moments.

As she crossed the street, an ear splitting sound suddenly erupted from almost three feet away, shattering windows on the surrounding buildings, and her trail of thought in the process. Startled, Maureen looked up to see several stories worth of glass starting to fall. When they hit, they were going to do a great deal of damage to anyone underneath it.

And there were people underneath it.

Reacting as quickly as she could, she called her powers into play, freezing the air immediately above her and the immediate pedestrian's heads to create a thick shell of ice, complete with supports on the sides. The glass slammed into it, some of the points sinking into it, though thankfully not breaking through. For the first time, she was grateful that the cure hadn't worked on her.

The Bang Baby turned to those closest to her, all of them terrified. She saw a mother hold her daughter close to her. Protecting her from harm. "Stay here!" she ordered, before leaving the sanctuary she had created. She didn't notice the fact that her skin had gone to pale white and blue, or that her hair had gone from dirty blond to pale white, which usually happened when she utilized her powers, as she observed the surround, trying to determine where the explosion had originated from.

Suddenly, on one survey, she spotted four people approaching one of the buildings. Realizing that they were up to no good, Maureen started running in that direction.

* * *

Hotstreak andShiv tied up the last of the guards, before heading over to the hole they had created, keeping an eye out for Static and Gear. "You guys find it?" Hotstreak asked, keeping his explosive impulses under control. "Because we've only got thirty minutes before the cops start arriving in force." 

Talon finished accessing the computer database. "The satellite's on the fifth floor, Room 313." She looked at the floor of bodies, then went to one in particular, pulling a key code off of her belt and tossing it to Ebon. "You're the only one who can pick it up, boss," she said.

Ebon nodded. "Alright, boys and girls, I need five minutes. If Static shows up, keep him and his little stooge busy for as long as you can."

"Got it." Hotstreak scanned the skies, looking for a familiar purplish streak.Shiv did so as well, though they remained inside the building. Talon pulled out a powerful looking rifle, stepping up to the stand right in front of the hole. Despite the fact that she was working for Ebon again, she had decided not to join the others at the dock to become a meta human, instead relying on her street smarts. And besides, she had a good set of eyes before the first Big Bang, as well as a set of binoculars.

Ebon snaked his way down the corridor, knocking out everyone he came across. He wanted to do more, steal more, but he was on a tight schedule. He needed to get that satellite, before Static showed up and stop him from achieving his objective. He chuckled. Him, doing something that didn't involve robbing a store or setting up someone.

Reaching Room 313, he slid the security card through the slot, then opened the door and sliding inside, looking around for the device in question.

He found it quickly enough, as it was the largest thing in, and set in the center of the room. Looking around for a second, he stretched his arms out towards the device, encompassing it in a dark portal. Once it was completely gone, he went for the door. "I'm on my way out, guys," he said into his jacket.

Talon did another sweep, ready to give the all clear…and spotted something heading in their direction. "Static's coming! Get ready!" She toggled her communicator. "We've got company."  
Hotstreak powered up. "Let's see if all of this training we got from our new friends paid off," he muttered.

"I'll go with that,"Shiv quipped, ready.

* * *

Maureen hid in the shadows, watching as Ferret, Hotstreak, and the one they called Talon take position. On a sudden hunch, she looked up. _'Static,'_ she thought, a feeling a relief going through her. _'These guys are in trouble, now.'_

* * *

Static and Gear approached the building, a good six minutes away. "So," Static looked at his friend, understandably curious, "what's so special about this satellite that they're going after?" 

"It's no ordinary satellite, man," Gear replied. "It's an experimental system. I should know, because I was developing it for the Justice League using Kryptonian technology Batman let me use. He asked me to create a prototype."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you tomorrow, when Batman came to pick it up." Gear grinned. "When have I ever left you in the dark?"

Static returned the grin. "My tenth birthday."

"That was a surprise. Your sister threatened to give me an atomic wedgie if I told you."

"That's my sis." Static's gaze suddenly sharpened. "I've got Talon, Hotstreak and…Shiv?"

Gear focused on that as well. "They're just…standing there. Talon's pretty cute without wings and feathers." He took another look, suddenly putting together the clues to form the answer. "They're waiting for us."

As if to add weight to that, Talon suddenly brought up a sophisticated looking rifle, and opened fire. Hotstreak andShiv followed suit, using their powers to fire projectiles. Static and Gear veered quickly, barely missing the first volley. A second volley almost took Gear out of the sky. He corrected his flight quickly, aiming to land.

Static pointed at some debris on the ground, using his power to pick it up, then throwing it at the assembled group, trying to force them to scatter.Shiv immediately moved into motion, changing his arms into blades and slicing anything that came their way. Talon evaded some as well, then opened fire again.

Static started dodging again, becoming seriously concerned. He already knew thatShiv and Hotstreak were powerful, and difficult to beat. But Talon had been part of another bang baby gang before she had decided to go back to a normal life. Why were they working together? And how were they working with such cohesion? They were working like a military unit, watching each other's backs, and keeping him and Gear from getting too close. Not how crooks usually acted.

Ebon reached the hole, staring outward. "Static's here?"Shiv nodded. "Thought so. Drive him and his stooge away from here. I'm going to have to move through the shadows until I get to the rendezvous point."

"Got it, boss! Talon! Attack pattern Farol Beta!"  
Talon nodded. "Hotstreak, attack pattern Farol Beta!" She opened up again, this time in a wide dispersal pattern.

Hotstreak immediately began throwing fireballs one by one, targeting the two met human superheroes at the same time. Then he started throwing fireballs at the nearby buildings when they moved right in front of them.

Static dodged a particularly powerful attack, then turned to watch it slam into one building, leaving a scorching hole in it's wake. "Gear, we've gotta get them away from the city, before they hurt someone!"

Gear nodded. "There's a forest about ten miles from the outskirts Northeast!" he said, remembering the layout of Dakota City. "Let's lead them there!"

"Good idea!" Static veered in that direction, Gear following suit.

Shivstepped out of the hole. "Ebon wants us to follow them," he informed his fellows, "just to make sure that they don't come in from a different angle." He pulled his sleeve back, revealing something that looked like a watch. Pressing the sides, he watched as Hotstreak and Talon did the same.

Instantly, three advanced looking rocket packs appeared on their backs, looking like they had grown out of their backs. Willing them to life, they took off in pursuit of their prey.

* * *

Maureen watched as Ebon left the building, then turned her gaze in the direction of Static and Gear's retreating forms. She was faced with a dilemma; Follow Ebon, or try and help the stalwart hero. 

Deciding that Static was more than capable of taking care of himself, and that he would want someone to follow the criminal, Permafrost turned in Ebon's direction, following him through out the side alleys and empty streets, remembering to stay out of sight, and to remain a few good feet away. Living on the streets gave one experience on those sort of things.

* * *

Yami shifted Weevil a bit on his shoulder, trying to relieve some of the pressure. He couldn't stop a wince from making itself known, however. 

Tea turned to look at him, rubbing her arm a bit. "Want me to take him?" she asked.

"No, I can manage." Giving up with it, he stopped shifting, and he bit back a groan of pain. "So, Tea," he began, wanting to take his mind off of his pain, as well as wanting to get to know Yugi's best friend, "why is it that you want to become a dancer?"  
"Huh?" Tea blinked, a little surprised to hear Yami ask. The last time that the two of them had had a conversation without Yugi was when Yugi had set them up on that date. And that had been before the Battle City Tournament. Afterwards, the two of them hadn't had a single moment of privacy to themselves. "Well, I've never really thought about it," she replied, smiling slightly. "I guess it's because of the fact that I've always wanted to be graceful, and I've always loved dancing.. She turned to him. "Why drives you to be the best duelist in the world?"

Yami faltered a bit. "Fate of the world, or to teach a lesson to someone." He started smiling. "Yugi, on the other hand…"  
"…Has no ambition beyond being Yugi," Tea finished, giggling. "Yeah, I figured that out in the first grade. You always duel when something's at stake? Not just for the thrill of it?"

Yami nodded, his smile fading. "I've always had to fight those who would do harm to others, are in it for fame and not honor, or are on a quest like me. I don't think that I've ever had fun once."

Tea nodded, staring at her companion in sympathy. "Maybe you had fun when you were Pharaoh," she said hopefully.

"Maybe…" Yami suddenly caught himself on a roof, stumbling slightly. A lancet of pain went through his shoulder, and he stopped, bending slightly.

Tea was immediately by his side, steadying him. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Yami nodded. "I'm fine, all things considering. Thank you." He took a look around. "We've been walking for several hours," he noted.

Tea looked around as well, noticing the fact that the sun was starting to set. "You're right. Let's take a break." She smiled. "I don't know about you, but my feet are killing me."

The ancient spirit thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Thirty minutes won't hurt," he replied, setting Weevil down, and propping him next to a tree. He groaned in obvious relief as the pressure disappeared from his shoulders. He took a few steps, then sank down, rubbing his shoulder fretfully for a moment. "He may have no soul, but he still has mass."

Tea sat down, moaning in relief. "This was not a good day for any of us."

Yami didn't respond to that. All of the stress and exhaustion from the last two days seemed to literally seep into every pore of his body. Suddenly, he didn't want to move anymore. He needed to sleep, having had no rest for the last two days.

Apparently, Tea had had the same thought, as she dragged herself over to where he was sitting. "Want to talk some more?" she asked sleepily.

Yami shook his head wearily. "We might as well get some sleep. We cango on tomorrow."

Tea nodded. "Is it alright if I use your shoulder as a pillow?"

"Go right ahead." The Pharaoh blushed slightly as Tea leaned on him, though the darkness helped obscure it. He also noticed that she was snuggling up against him, and he put his arm around her, holding her close.

Tea's eyes slowly slid shut, feeling extremely safe…then opened slightly again in confusion. "Do you hear something?" she asked sleepily.

Yami opened his eyes as well, focusing his waning concentration into his surroundings. "Yes." He sat up.

"It sounds like…thunder, and…_oh no!_"

Yami and Tea shot to their feet as adrenaline shot through their systems. They watched as several fireballs flew overhead, quickly followed by a bolt of purple lightning. It was like the herald of the great Leviathan._'_

_No,' _Yami suddenly realized, noting something different about that display. For starters, there was no multicolored light in the sky. Second, he didn't recall fireballs being part of the menu. And finally, the lightning was purple, and at a horizontal slant._ 'It's a battle of some kind between opposing forces.'_

As if to add weight to that statement, something shot by at an impossible speed. Despite that, Yami was able to discern that it was a person in a green-white uniform of some kind. Reacting to the adrenaline rush, he turned to Tea. "Go hide, and take Weevil with you! I'm going to find out what's going on!"  
Tea nodded, eyes reflecting fear. "Be careful," she whispered, dragging Weevil's body to the bushes.

Yami started climbing up the nearest tree, the twinge in his shoulder forgotten.

Upon reaching the top of the tree, he wished that he had remained on the ground, hidden. It would have been less painful.

* * *

Talon replaced the cartridge in her rifle with a fresh one, and fired off another volley at Static. She noted that they were far enough from the city, right in the middle of a forest. Satisfied, she prepared to call off the attack. 

And she saw, out of the corner of her eye, something in the trees. Turning around, she saw a person, staring up at them. Someone very recognizable. "Hotstreak! Shiv!" she shouted. "The Pharaoh!"  
The two in question quickly turned their attention to her, then looked down.Shiv grinned, like he had been given a bag of candy. "Let's waste him!"

Hotstreak shrugged. "Feel free. I'm heading back to the city to report to Ebon. Let him know who we found." He angled off, flying full throttle back to the city.

Talon chuckled. "Let's go deal with the King of Games," she suggested pleasantly, angling downward, aiming and firing.

Static turned around when the first shot was fired, realizing that it wasn't aimed at them. He saw Talon andShiv heading for the trees, saw Hotstreak swerve back in the direction of Dakota City, and was immediately suspicious. "Gear, see if you can't chill Hotstreak off a bit!" he shouted. "I'll takeShiv and Talon!"

"On it, dude!" Gear turned around and started flying back in the direction of the city.

* * *

Yami took one look, then felt something shoot past his arm. He started climbing down quickly, realizing that he was being shot at. Those people certainly looked like that they were willing to kill, and he didn't want to be an extremely easy target. He just hoped to get down to the ground. 

Yeah, right.

He had only managed to get down three feet when the branch he was on suddenly detached.

Then his handholds got sliced.

Giving a yelp of surprise, which was all he could do under the present circumstances, Yami started falling, hitting every tree branch on the way down.

Tea watched as Yami hit the ground, grabbing his shoulder in pain. He sat up, his one arm pretty much useless, and she started to leave her spot.

Yami barelyrolled out of the way, abused muscles screaming in protest, as something flew down, blades emerging from his arms. Hesurged to his feet, staring at the person who had almost turned him into shiskabob. He saw another person land as well, this one a normal looking female. He recognized her as the one who had shot at him. "Who are you people?" he demanded.

"Names Shiv…and you got a problem, Pharaoh." The bladed man grinned as he stepped forward, a slightly maniacal look in his eyes. "Namely, us!"

Yami blinked. How did they _know_ him? He had never met them before.

The young woman stepped up next to Shiv. "To answer any questions you've got, your pal Dartz told us about you," she informed him.

Now Yami felt the familiar lickings of anger at the edge of his consciousness. "Explain yourselves, then," he growled, his fists clenching.

"No can do. Now, we don't have those fangled magic cards that trap souls, so we'll do this the old fashion way." Shiv's blades gleamed as he stepped forward. "We'll extract it from your lifeless corpse!" With that, he charged forward, blade whistling through the air. Yami got ready to move.

He didn't have to bother.

Before the blade could finish it's descent, a thin bolt of electricity caught it, wrenching it back. With a yelp of surprise,Shiv staggered back a few feet, turning around. "Static!"  
Yami's eyes widened as he also took in the newcomer. It was an African American, wearing some kind of blue-black color clothing with a white mask to complete the ensemble. Tangled dreadlocks marked the hairstyle for the day, And he was presently hovering on a disk, purple energy flickering at his fingertips.

"Next time, take out the hero first, then go after others." He looked at Yami for a second. "Though why'd you go after this guy is beyond me. I mean, he's not even a snazzy dresser."

Talon turned to look at him. "Shiv, take care of Static. I'll deal with the Pharaoh."

"Will do."Shiv went in slashing, driving Static back.

Talon turned around, and brought her rifle up, pointing it at Yami. "Any last words?" she asked pleasantly.

Tea, without a single thought her own safety, came out of her hiding spot, grabbing one of the broken branches up off the ground, then brought it down on Talons weapon, knocking it out of he hands. She then whirled around, catching Talon in the side. "Yeah, mess with someone else!" She turned. "Yami, go help Electro Boy with Blade Guy. I'll take her!"

Yami nodded, then ran for where the two meta humans were currently squaring off.

Shivretracted his blades, driving his foot into Static's chest. The hero let out a gasp as the air was driven from his lungs. He fell off of his disk, and hit the ground, gasping for air, barely moving out of the way when Shiv's foot came crashing down where his head once was.

Yami slammed into the crazed one with his shoulder, ignoring the lancet of pain the went through him as he did so. He stood up fully, glaring at his opponent.

Shivstraightened up. "You know, most people run when faced with a Bang Baby."

"I don't run from battle," Yami retorted.

"Oh, so your pal Yugi was the exception?"

Yami's eye narrowed dangerously.

Tea swung viciously at Talon, who evaded all of her attacks easily. She kicked the branch out of Tea's hands, punched her in the gut, then swept her feet from under her. Tea, trying to catch her breath, saw Talon's foot coming in. She moved out of the way in time, watching the foot slam into the ground. She kicked out, catching Talon in the leg, taking her down as well.

Yami stagger backwards, Shiv's blades slicing at him for a second, before he turned around to attack Static, forcing him back. He nicked the Pharaoh in the arm, then punched Static in the jaw. He completed the strike with a kick to each of them, forcing them back into trees.

Tea got up, ready to fight for her's and Yami's life…and saw Talon pull a knife out of her belt. _'Oh, great, I'm in trouble now,'_ she thought.

Talon came in quickly, knife up and slashing, catching Tea in her arm. Tea backed up quickly, barely avoiding being impaled by it. She dodged an overhead, and received a kick in the face for her troubles, which knocked her on her back. She rolled when Talon's foot came down, barely missing her head yet again. She felt the knife graze her shoulder blade, sending a little lancet of pain through her spinal column. She rolled, getting up to one knee, panting.

Talon flicked the blade back, watching the brunette slowly get up. "You know, girl," she said, her own chest heaving slightly, "most people usually come in with a half baked plan into a fight. Whatcha got?"

Tea suddenly surged forward. "Guts, girl!" she retorted with, her hand coming in with a solid right hook. She hit harder than she thought, because Talon whirled once before hitting the ground, unconscious.

Tea panted, holding her stomach as she stood up fully. "Don't underestimate your opponents," she said quietly, then added, "or yourself."

Yami's fist connected, snapping Shiv's head back. Static lashed out with a lightning bolt, catching him in the chest. He staggered back, realizing that he was out matched. Making an instant decision,he jumped over Yami, making a beeline for his fallen comrade, slashing at Tea. He picked Talon up, then activated his rockets, blasting out of there quickly.

Static watched as the two criminals flew out of sight. "Now that was weird," he muttered, before turning his attention to Yami. "And why'd he call you Pharaoh, pal?"

Yami sighed. "It's a long story, sir." he massaged his shoulder, wincing in pain. "And I think I need a doctor right now."

Tea walked over to where she had stashed Weevil's body. "We all need a doctor right now. Excuse me…Static, could you help me with this guy?"

Static grinned. "I'll do you one better, lady," he said, powering up. "Now, a bit of warning to you both, this is going to feel a bit weird."

Thirty seconds later, Static, Yami, Tea, and Weevil's body were flying towards Dakota City, the last three encased in an electrical field.

* * *

Ebon turned around at the sound of a rocket pack approaching. "Hey, dude, what's shakin'?" 

Hotstreak landed next to Ebon, grinning slightly. "We've removed Static from the city, took him to the forest nearby. The others should be back right about…"

Forty minutes later,Shiv landed, carrying Talon in his arms. "Sorry 'bout our delay, but we ran into a complication."  
Ebon stared as Ferret helped the young woman to her feet, holding her steady. "What happened to you two?" he asked.

"We ran into the Pharaoh,"Shiv replied. "He survived the train wreck."

"Say what? He survived the wreck?"

Talon nodded, still a bit groggy. "But he's hurt. I think he was injured in the crash."

"And,"Shiv threw in, chuckling maniacally for a second, "we think he can't access the full power of his puzzle box."

Ebon nodded, eyes narrowing in glee. "I'll let our new buddy about this. Now, the lot of you get back to the hideout. If they need us again, they'll call."

Talon nodded, standing on her own again. "Alright, boys, let's go." She started walking back in the direction they had originally came from, the two Bang Baby's right behind her.

Ebon nodded once, bringing the satellite out of that dark dimension he had put it in, and waited for the helicopter to show up. He had no idea why this Dartz wanted the satellite, but they were paying him and the others a great deal of money, as well as putting them in contact with someone called Ghaleon, in exchange with helping them prepare to beat Static once and for all.

And that was good enough for him.

* * *

Maureen barely breathed as Talon and her companions walked past her, not even noticing her in the shadows. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. And she had questions that she wanted answering. 

Deciding that to remain any longer would be a bad idea, she started running back in the direction she had come from, remembering to keep to the shadows, and to keep quiet. She had no desire to be caught before she got to Static.

The question was; where was Static? Dakota City was a decently sized city. How does one find a meta human?

Something in the conversation came back to her, and she almost smacked her head in irritation. A hospital, duh. That Pharaoh guy was hurt. Static would take him there.

She picked up her pace.

* * *

"Well?" Yami asked, looking at the doctor. "What's the prognosis, doctor?"  
The doctor shook his head, smiling. "You're both extremely lucky. Most people are barely able to crawl out of a train wreck, let alone walk long enough to run into someone who can help. I'd recommend that you don't over exert your arm for a few weeks, and I'd like to keep you two overnight for observation." He smiled. "Your friend was very lucky, too. A few bruises, and those cuts from her attacker, but other than that, she's okay." 

"And the Weevil?"

"Still in a coma."

Yami nodded. That was as much as he expected. And Weevil would remain in a coma until his soul was freed from Dartz's control.

The doctor walked out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. For a moment, neither one of them said anything, content to just lay there.

"You alright?" Tea finally asked, unable to bear the silence.

Yami smiled slightly, not moving his head. "I thought that that was my question."

"I beat you to it."

"I'm okay, all things considering." The spirit rotated his shoulder blade, wincing slightly. "What I want to know, is how did those people knew who I was. Why is Darts telling others about me, and _not_ give them the Seal of Orichalco's?"

For that, Tea had no answer. "I don't know, but for whatever reason, they know." She paused for a second. "You know, know that I think about it, that attack didn't seem too sudden. You said they saw you, then attacked?"  
"Yes…in fact, they looked surprised to see me around here. They didn't even know that you were there."

"Spur of the moment."

"That's what I'm thinking."

Tea was silent for a second. "This is starting to get out of hand," she said quietly.

Yami nodded, laying his head back. "Let's get it back in hand," he replied. "Starting tomorrow. In the meantime, let's get some sleep. We're going to need it."

Tea nodded, and closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion of the last few days flow over her.

Sleep settled in quickly for both of them.

* * *

Maureen walked down the hospital hallways, trying to find that familiar head of tangled hair, and the blue trench coat that always seemed to be part of his wardrobe. 

As she went along her way, several medical personnel said their hello's o her, which she returned, smiling slightly. Doctors, among the few professions where they didn't care if you were homeless. They still treated you like you were a human being.

And one of the people who was in one of those other professions was currently walking in her direction.

"Static!" Maureen called out, picking up her pace.

Static stopped, turning in her direction. "Maureen?" He waited for her to reach him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were heading over to the Community Center to help out Mr. Hawkins."

Maureen nodded. "I did, and he told me that I should take the day off, and relax. So I decided to go to the church. Try and find a job. Never got there, though." She sighed. "I saw Ebon leave that building after you left."  
"Ebon! Now I am confused." Static looked at her face. "I get that feeling that you did something," he said.

"I followed Ebon," Maureen replied, grinning slightly, "right into an abandoned lot. He had something with him." She wracked her brain for a second. "I think it was a satellite," she finally added.

Static groaned. "Great. Gear's going to go ballistic."

"What's that like?"

"He'll fear for his ever-loving life, and think that Batman's going to kill him."  
Maureen winced. "That's bad." She smiled. "So, can I meet him?"  
"Gear?" Static thought about it. "Well…he's just outside the hospital, so I don't think there's going to be no problem. Come on."

* * *

"They took it!" Gear wailed. "All my hard work, gone!" Batman's going to kill me!" 

Maureen winced. "I was right. This is bad." She held up a hand. "Look, Gear, the fact that they stole your hard work means that they think that you were onto something." She frowned. "I do have a question, though. What does your satellite do, anyways?"  
"Huh…oh!" Gear brought himself back to the present time, getting his mind off of his apparent demise. "It's designed to detect emanations that aren't natural, mostly Bang Baby and mutant. I just finished testing it yesterday. Batman was going to pick it up today."

"That's not going to look on your resume," Static noted.

"Tell me about it. Listen, bro. I'm going to head home. Maybe this will all be a bad dream."

Static nodded. "I'll take Maureen back to the shelter before heading back…unless you've finally been adopted," he said.

"The shelter," Maureen informed him, then yelped as he promptly scooped her up, shooting off like a rocket.

Gear watched them go, shaking his head. "You really need to tell her, man. Otherwise, you're going to go crazy." With those parting words, which never reached the ears of those intended, he turned, and shot off in the other direction.

* * *

Raphael stepped up to his boss, kneeling before the great soul wall. "The Pharaoh's in Dakota City," he reported. 

Dartz looked up, staring at the stone impression of Yugi. "That was fast. Does he live, and can his soul be removed?"  
"He's alive, but he's in the middle of a hospital. As of this moment, there are too many people present to make a move."

"Agreed." Dartz got up. "Have Allister, Vallen, and Mai Valentine head for Jump City. Tell them to bring the soul of Terra to me. She will help in Leviathan's revival greatly.

"Yes, master." Raphael got up, then looked at the soul wall. "Master Dartz! Yugi's soul is gone!"  
"What!" Dartz turned around. He was sure that he saw the young boy's soul was there. He had just seen it!

Now it was gone.

Raphael nodded to his boss's unspoken order. "I will find him, master. He can't have gotten far. There's no place for a free floating soul to go in this temple." He turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.

"No, Raphael," Dartz suddenly said. "Add that order to Allister's mission. You are to track the Pharaoh and his friend. Make sure that they don't make it to Professor Hawkin's laboratory in Florida."

"As you command, Master." Raphael continued on his way.

Dartz turned back to the soul wall, staring at the now empty slot contemplatively. "Well, played, Yugi Motou," he said quietly, and with respect. "But you won't be able to get far. There is only one place for you to go, and there is no escape from there." He grinned. "Soon, you shall be mine once again."

And in a decimated building in Jump City, a stone statue glowed briefly.


	46. Episode Forty Four: The Resurrection

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption)

Episode Forty Four: The Resurrection

DMG: Dark Magician Girl

CG: Celtic Guardian

CoD: Curse of Dragon

REBD: Red Eyes Black Dragon

HL: Harpy Lady

CH: Cyber Harpy

AMW: Alpha Magnet Warrior

Sunrise in Jump City.

Throughout the city, birdsbegan chirping, signaling the start of a brand new day. People started out, doing whatever it was they did on a day to day basis. A single, normal day.

Except for one particular person.

Raven sat at the kitchen table in Titan Tower, lost in her thoughts, the vision she had several days before intermixing with the vision she had seen of her future. Two visions that filled her with fear. Not for herself, of course, but for her friends.

Running her hand through her shoulder length hair, she focused her gaze on the cup of tea in front of her, gathering her thoughts, and preparing herself for the day ahead. And good thing, too, because the other four Teen Titans entered the kitchen, which was surprising. Beast Boy in particular was notorious for sleeping in until ten in the morning.

All of them stopped when they saw Raven sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea. That was also surprising. Raven always waited until everyone else had finished eating, _then_ had a cup of tea.

"Good morning, friend Raven," Starfire said hesitantly, her usual cheerful smile on her face, though it didn't meet her eyes. "Did you wake up to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise?"

Raven looked up, not even smiling. _That_ wasn't surprising. All the Titans could count on one hand the number of times Raven had smiled. "Morning. Couldn't sleep."

"'Nough said," Robin replied, turning to the others. "Guys, could you give us a second? I want to talk to Raven alone."

Beast Boy blinked. "Umm…okay." He turned towards the kitchen. "Okay, I going to make some tofu pancakes."

"You can have the damn tofu!" Cyborg thundered, opening the fridge door. "I'm gonna have bacon and eggs!"  
"I too shall have eggs and bacon," Starfire said.

While the three of them argued about what they were having for breakfast, Robin sat down across from Raven, putting two and two together as he did so. "Your destiny still bugging you?" Raven nodded. "Want to talk about it?" She nodded again, eyes downcast. "But that's not all, is it?" he added shrewdly, correctly interpreting her expression.

Raven shook her head, her bangs swishing. "I had another vision," she replied, "several days before my birthday. It…wasn't exactly one I'm used to. Then I started thinking about Terra." She looked up, staring at her friend. "I haven't been sleeping very well since that day, either."

"So we've noticed." Robin leaned in. "If you want to stay in for the day…"  
Raven smiled. "I'll…think about it. Actually, I was planning to visit Terra today." Her smile faded. "The first vision was more of a…warning…then a prophecy. There was a dark man…and a monster. They were hurting a group of people. Two kids, two people who looked like angels, and three teenagers. Then, they took a young woman, and a dragon. I'll have some cereal!" she called over her shoulder.

"Ya got it!" Cyborg rummaged through one of the cupboards, pulling out a bowl, then grabbing a spoon and the box of cereal. He put all three things in front of Raven. "I remember that you like this cereal." He winked with his good eye before heading back to the stove.

Robin grabbed the box before Raven could put her hands on it. "'Cookie Crisp?'" he recited quietly, a smile gracing his face. "You like Cookie Crisp?"

Raven snatched it back, blushing slightly. "What I like is none of your business, Boy Wonder!" she hissed amusedly. "Would you like it if I told Cyborg how you like-?"  
"Shhh!" The Boy Wonder managed to get his hand over her mouth. "The difference between us is the fact that Cyborg already knows that you like Cookie Crisp, and I just found out," he informed her. "Hey, Cyborg, bring me a bowl and a spoon!"  
"You got it, partner!"

Raven looked at him skeptically. "I thought you didn't eat cereal."

"So I want to eat something different today."

"You _never_ try anything new, unless it's related to fighting crime."

"Neither do you, Raven," Robin retorted.

Raven giggled slightly. "Good point." She started opening the box.

And the Titan alert went off.

* * *

Joey Wheeler panted, sitting down as he dropped his cargo behind him unceremoniously. "Why do I have to carry him!" he asked as indignantly as he could. "Why don't you carry him for a change?" 

The 'him' he was referring to was none other than Rex Raptor, the Dinosaur Duelist. He, like almost every duelist that Joey and Yami had ever faced, had becomeancient historyafter his defeat at Joey's hands. As their dueling stars rose, Rex's fell quickly, until they had no more than a mere shadow of their former glory.

And finally, out of desperation and anger, Rex Raptor made a deal with a devil. He took the powerful, and evil, Seal of Orichalcos, joining up with Dartz's forces.

And then the dinosaur duelist came after Joey and Tristen.

In the brutal duel that followed, one that had made their first match seem like a warm up, Joey was finally able to call upon Heramos, the great Guardian Dragon that was his to call upon. Merging it with his powerful Red Eyes Black Dragon, which transformed it into a sword, he gave it to his mighty Gilgfried the Iron Knight. In a single strike, Rex Raptor was sent into Hell. His soul was locked away by the Orichalcos, and would remain so until they defeated Dartz and his pet, the powerful monster Leviathan.

_'You'd think losing a soul would make dis creep lighter!'_ Joey thought irritably.

And Tristen wasn't making things easier. "Because of the fact that you suck at Rock, Paper, Scissors!" he retorted gleefully. "And my back's still sore!"  
"What! You haven't carried him at all, so how's your back hurtin'!"

"Phantom pains? I share your pain."

Joey growled. "How's about I duel you?"

"Don't have a deck," Tristen replied, smirking. "Which means _you_ have to keep carrying him. Unless ya want to lose to me again."  
"Damn asshole." Joey grabbed Raptor's body, and slung him over his shoulder again, trying not to think about the heat, and the fact that he was thirsty, hungry, bone assed tired, and sore. They had been walking all through the night, pausing for only a few minutes every hour to rest. That was all they had to keep them going.

And staying on the train was out of the question. Raptor managed to find them quickly enough, which meant Dartz's other lackey's would find them as well. Which was something that neither one needed, obviously.

Joey, at that particular moment, was all for leaving Raptor's soulless body for the vultures, but that went against his grain. So, grumbling, he had picked up the young man's body. Then, he and Tristen had set off in the direction that the train had gone.

Unfortunately, they had quickly stumbled upon a fork in the road. The railroad had split into two directions. And neither of them knew which way the train had gone. So, after several minutes of debate, they opted to go right.

"Maybe," Joey panted, blinking sweat out of his eyes, "we should have scavenged some drinks from the boxcar."  
"What drinks?" Tristen retorted, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "I checked the whole damn thing before we left. There was nothing there!"  
"Great." Joey tried readjusting his hold, but he wasn't able to hold on. "Tristen, I don't care if I have to drop this guy and beat the living tar out of you," he said, "but you're going to take this guy right now, before I collapse!"

Tristen stopped, turning around. "Okay, man! Geez, aren't we in a touchy mood today?"  
"I've been carrying him since yesterday afternoon! I've got a right to be grouchy! Now take dis creep before my shoulders fall off!"

Tristen made to do so, then stopped. "Hey, man. You hear that?"  
Joey was about to ask what, but then he caught the sound as well. "It sounds like…a car engine," he replied. "And it's getting closer."

Suddenly staring down the tracks, their bodies tense. Joey set Raptor's body down, and got his duel disk ready.

And waited.

* * *

"And why did friend Raven not want to come?" Starfire asked. "She could have helped us with the evacuation." 

"Ask Robin," Beast Boy muttered. "He's the one who told us Raven didn't want to come."  
Robin sighed. "She's going to see Terra. Hopefully, with a cure. Also, the police department wanted us to check out the scene. Apparently, they only found eight five percent of the train."  
"That means the train itself and one of the boxcars are missing," Cyborg stated. "What about survivors?"

"That's the funny thing. They said that there were no survivors."

Starfire gasped. "Those poor people. How did they die?"  
"I meant that there was no one there to save. The boxcars were empty." Robin frowned. "There were also signs of a struggle. Some kind of duel."

"A Duel Monster's Duel," Beast Boy guessed.

"That seems to be it."

Cyborg nodded. "Well, it looks like that that's getting dangerous. What with the increasing number of monster sightings these days, people don't even want to leave their homes unless they're in groups of five." He looked at Robin. "I also learned that Kaiba Corp lost more ten more shares today."

"And they haven't found out whose doing this?" Robin asked.

"Nope." Cyborg sighed. "That guys losing control of his own company to someone who won't even show himself."

Beast Boy winced. "I feel bad for the dude."  
"I, too, feel sympathy for this…Ka-iba person," Starfire said.

Cyborg checked his sensor grid. "I've got something about a mile from us." His one eye widened. "I think it's alive, and on the move." He blinked. "Now they're stopping. I think they heard us."

Robin nodded. "Let's go, then."

* * *

Consciousness flowed back into her, though she had no idea why. 

Groaning, Terra sat up, rubbing the back of her head with one of her hands as she looked around. She saw that she was in a meadow of some kind, with some of the weirdest looking trees she had ever seen. The air was fresh, though, like it would have been before industrialization.

Looking down at herself for a moment, she saw that she was wearing a blouse and a blue skirt, instead of the suit of bio-neural circuitry that she had been wearing when she had…

She shot to her feet, everything coming back to her in a flash. The lava, her saying good bye to her friends, the Teen Titans, hugging Beast Boy, speaking to Raven telepathically, then calling upon every ounce of her power to contain the developing volcano.

Then, nothing.

So why the hell was she now waking up in the middle of a forest, wearing such nice looking clothes?  
"Hey."

Yelping, Terra shot up into the air about four feet, whirling around. "Don't do that, kid!" she exclaimed. "You scared the crap out of me!"  
The boy held up his hands. "Hey, take it easy. Didn't mean to scare you like that." He held out a hand. "I'm Yugi. Yugi Motou." He looked at her. "You look like Terra. One of the Teen Titans."  
"Formerly of the Teen Titans." She shook his hand, then realized who she was talking about. "You're the Duel Monster world champion! Great to meet you!"  
"Likewise." The meta human took a look around. "Are we…dead?" she asked.

Yugi looked around as well. "No…at least, I don't think we are. The jury's out on this one still." He turned his attention back to Terra. "So, what's your story?"  
"Used my powers to stop a volcano, got encased in stone because of it. You?"  
"Lost a duel, then saved a friend from getting his soul locked away because of it."  
Terra grinned sadly. "Then we're both in the same boat, then."  
"Actually, in a sense, we are." Yugi's smile faded, and his gaze firmed up. "I have information for your friends, and mine, concerning a man named Dartz, and the Orichalcos."

"Dartz? The Head of Para-Dias?"  
"Never heard of it."

"Slade did…and didn't like them much."  
Yugi nodded, realizing the truth in that, and finding the information interesting. "Well, anyways," he continued, "Dartz and his followers have joined some sort of coalition called the Deadly Alliance. Its some sort of…extra dimensional force trying to conquer our world."

Terra sat down. "Great. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. It's the story of my life."

"Not exactly. I managed to escape the Orichalcos Soul Wall rather easily. I found myself here…wherever here is."

"Good point. So, what do we do now?"

Yugi looked down at his Millennium Puzzle. "Well, I need another magic source, but I think I can use my puzzle to free you from your prison. After that, you're on your own."

Terra nodded, smiling. "I think I know someone who can help us with that. I just hope she shows up."

* * *

In a small cavern, hundreds of feet below the surface, a man kneeled in reverence before his lord. "You summoned me, master?" 

If there was anyone else present, they would have thought that this man, who was clothed from head to toe in a uniform of some kind, leaving only one eye open to see, was certifiably whacko.

Then they would look at the cavern wall in which was staring at, and they would see a sight that would terrify them to the bone, thus wiping out the old thoughts.

A blaze of fire appeared, spreading outward in a specific fashion, forming a symbol on the wall. A symbol that spoke of evil beyond any evil that existed before.

Then the symbol itself spoke.

"I HAVE SENSED A POWERFUL FORCE OF EVIL STIR IN EXISTENCE, AND IT HAS ALREADY BEGUN ITS ASSAULT."

"Then we must accelerate our plans," the man replied. "We must choose the other two, before we lose what little ground we have."

**"YOU HAVE SERVED ME WELL, SLADE," **the voice of Trigon the Terrible informed him, showing his servant the respect he deserved. A respect that he rarely showed those who he controlled.** "AND WHEN I AM FREE TO ENTER EARTH, YOU SHALL BE REWARDED. NOW THOUGH, YOU ARE TO RETURN TO JUMP CITY, AND HAVE MY DAUGHTER OPEN THE PORTAL IMMEDIATELY. BEFORE THOSE OF THE ORIChALCOS CAN TAKE HER SOUL."**

"As you command, master." He stood up. "And I believe I know where she is going to go."

* * *

"Thanks, dudes," Joey said, stowing Raptor into the back seat before getting in himself. "If I had to carry this creep any longer, I was gonna ta go postal." 

Starfire looked at him. "Postal?" she echoed. "You would go to a post office?"  
"Don't worry about her," Robin said, as the blond shot the Tamarian a worried look. "She's still learning about our planet…and every weird catch phrase we've got."  
"Isn't that the truth?" Tristen sat down. "So we're close to Jump City? Joey, isn't that where…?"  
"Yeah, that's where Serenity is currently," Joey replied. "She and Mom are there on vacation."

"Well, when we get there, you can look them up." Cyborg adjusted the rearview mirror, before turning the van around and headed back in the direction of the city. "So, what's your story?"  
"Well, let's just say that we had to evacuate an empty train." The blond duelist buckled Raptor in, 'accidentally' cuffing him in the head with his elbow when he drew back. "We're guessing that's why you guys are out here."  
"Pretty much. Why'd you leave the train?"  
Tristen sighed. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

Robin smirked. "Try us. We've heard, and seen, some things in our time."

Joey grinned. "Alright. Have any of you ever heard the Orichalcos?"  
"Orichalcos?" Beast Boy asked. "Creepy name."

"Well, it's a creepy thing. It's a powerful magic seal. Creates a freaky six point symbol."

"When a duelist loses," Tristen added, "his soul gets locked away by the seal." He gestured to the unconscious duelist in the van. "That's what happened to him."

"And do you have this…'Seal of Orichalcos' with you?" Starfire asked.

"Don't know…Joey, could you give me Rex's deck? I think the Seal's still in there, somewhere." Joey did so, then sat back as his friend started shifting through the cards. After a moment, Tristen finally pulled out the card in question. "Here it is!" He handed it to Robin. "You ever see it before?" he asked.

Robin looked at it. "No, but I have a feeling Raven has. She's our resident sorceress."  
"Well, why isn't she here?" Tristen demanded.

"Other business."  
"Down, Tristen. We've still got some time."

"Time?" Robin echoed. "What're you talking about?"

Joey sighed, making himself as comfortable as possible. "It's a long story. And it sorta begins like this…"

* * *

Through the skies of Jump City, a single figure flew. 

Raven, her hood up, cape billowing behind her, soared over the heads of the people underneath, going over everything that she had read. But for the most part, she just wanted to talk to visit Terra, without the rest of the Titans with her. It was something she had to do. But more than that, she wanted to. Unlike the other Titans, she was a solitary person by nature. And while the majority of them showed complete faith in her, they still tried to get her to open up a bit.

Terra, despite the fact that she had been a spy, had treated her like she treated the rest of the Titans; With respect and trust. And she earned Raven's trust when she made the ultimate sacrifice.

She deserved no less than all the help Raven and her other friends could give her. Unfortunately, everything they had gone over was useless in this case, so she started checking over all of her magic books. Still nothing.

Then she had checked a book called _Ancient remedies for extraordinary sicknesses,_ where she had found a very unique chapter on petrifaction. It was so unique, in fact, that she was surprised that she had never found it before.

Had she been paying total attention to her surroundings, instead of thinking about her beloved tombs, she would have felt several powerful magical forces about thirty minutes behind her. A group of bikers, all of them with their visors down, their duel disks in rest mode. All of them intent on the same destination as Raven. Their goal; to acquire the soul of the fallen Teen Titan Terra.

And, almost ten minutes after them, a lone figure jumping from building to building. His goal; to acquire Raven herself, so she could open a portal.

None of knew what would happen with in that next half hour.

Raven landed in front of the remnants of the building, her mind going back to that day…

_

* * *

"You can't control me, anymore!" Terra shouted, eyes glowing gold with fury, as she stared at Slade, her former mentor. The one who taught her how to control her powers. The one who gave her a purpose. Now he was nothing more than an enemy to her. Someone who tried to use her to destroy the one who deemed her friend. _

Almost instantly after that, Terra's full power was unleashed, opening a fissure in the ground. It also served to blast Slade away from her at almost fifty miles an hour.

The other Titans, Raven among them, watched as Slade slammed into a rock face about thirty feet down, all of them knowing that he couldn't survive at that velocity. It was confirmed when he didn't get up, his open eye staring out at nothing.

Terra sank to her knees, exhausted. The use of her powers, and the beating she had taken at the hands of the Titans had taken a lot out of her. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, as a surge of fiery lava suddenly shot upwards before falling down again.

"Terra's power…it's triggered a volcano!" Robin shouted, watching another surge go up.

"Big enough to wipe out the entire city," Cyborg added, checking his scanner. "And way too big to stop!"

Raven brought up a force field, deflecting some before it could do any damage to them. "We have to get out of here!"

Robin nodded, gesturing for the other Titans to follow him.

Raven turned again, saw Beast Boy stand at the edge. She heard him yell, "Terra!" as she approached. "Come on! We've gotta go!"

And she knew what Terra's answer was going to be, even as the young meta human replied, "I have to stay."

"No…"

"I'm the only one who can stop it."

"Please, Terra, you can't. It's too late!"  
Terra brushed her hair back from her other eye. "It's never too late." She reached in, hugging the young boy. "You were the best friend I ever had," she whispered.

And Raven saw tears fall from her eyes. She felt tears welling up in her own eyes as she watched this, an turned around, preparing to leave.

'Raven, thank you.' _Raven jumped a bit as Terra spoke to her telepathically, which was surprising. Never before had any of her friends done that._' I just want to say…thank you for being there. And…look out for Beast Boy.'

'We'll do everything we can to help you,'_ Raven replied, one tear falling down her cheek. _'Thank you, by the way, for being there for Beast Boy. Good luck, Terra.'

'And thank you…for trusting me to make the right choice.' _Raven felt Terra's joy course through her._ 'Good bye, Raven.'

The half demon nodded, smiling. 'Good bye…friend.'

* * *

Raven felt the tears well up again as she thought of those last moments, how Terra selflessly sacrificed herself, entombing herself in stone. 

Afterwards, she, more than any of them, save for Beast Boy, immersed herself in finding a cure for the Earth manipulator.

Walking into the ruins, she saw the remnants of the devastation from the battle. The broken girders, the hardened lava rock, the debris that was never removed. It was the one place that the mayor of the city decided to leave as is, by the request of their resident crime fighting team.

Raven ignored the scene around her, keeping her eyes in front of her, pulling her hood back as she walked. Her eyes were focused on the stone statue situated at the center of the ruins. A fresh bouquet of flowers had recently been placed there, and at the base of the statue, a Titan communicator, on the off chance that Terra ever managed to free herself.

And, the plaque, set right into the base, the only memorial for the young girl.

TERRA

A TEEN TITAN

AND A TRUE FRIEND

Simple, yet so eloquent in it's scope. The underground church was sacred ground for the Titans. The place where Terra returned to their side. It was a place where the people did not go.

And now the place where Raven would try to help her petrified friend.

Stopping in front of the statue, she looked at it for a second. "Hey, there," she said in greeting. "It's been a long time, Terra." She looked around her, seeing no one else present. "We all miss you, Beast Boy the most. He doesn't let us know…but I can tell. He's more obsessed than I am in finding a cure for you." She sighed. "Terra, I think I found something that can help. I know you can't hear me, but I think you'd want to hear this."

Wiping a tear from her eye, she place her hand gently onto the stone…and stared at it in surprise. "You're conscious!" she whispered.

"Gee, I wondered when you'd figure it out. You're as dense as me."

"You, dense? Fooled me."  
"Hush, Yugi."

Raven's eyebrow had risen so far, that it had completely vanished. Terra was speaking to her…and there was another person there as well. Talk about surreal moments. "There's someone in there with you?" she asked unsteadily.

_"Depends on your definition of 'in here,'"_ Terra replied, and Raven realized that she was actually speaking, her voice coming from everywhere and every when._ "I'm presently in a forest of some kind, with some of the weirdest colored trees that I've ever seen, wearing a blouse and skirt, and presently talking to the soul of the greatest duelist in the world."_

Now Raven was in a state of shock for about five minutes. "You're in Dreamscape!" she asked. "But I thought that that place was just a myth!"

_"Listen, Raven,"_ Yugi's voice said. _"I'll be happy to tell you anything you want to know, but right now, I'd like Terra to get out of here, before the Orichalcos comes here."_

"The Orichalcos? You know of it?"

_"He knows more that it. He's faced it...and lost."_ Terra sounded impatient. _"Listen, he's given me information that I need to tell Robin and the others about, but I can't do it as a stone statue. So I need you to hit me with whatever miracle cure you've got ready, then hide."_

"Hide…?"

_"You really think Yugi's absence went unnoticed?"  
_Raven immediately turned around, closing her eyes quickly. _"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!"_ she chanted, stretching her powers to their utmost limit.

As it turned out, she only had to stretch them to the outside of the building. Because they were presently parking their bikes at the entrance, all of them putting their duel disks into ready mode.

* * *

One of the bikers pulled her helmet off, releasing a pretty decent mass of blond hair. She was a gorgeous specimen of a woman, with curves in all the right places. The effect was spoiled by the look in her eyes. They were hard, flinty, showing a ruthless duelist who could tear any rookie apart within three minutes. 

Another one, a man with spiky brown hair, put his deck into it's slot. There was a cockiness to him that was slightly…psychotic in nature. A duelist who took great delight in hurting people in his duels.

The third member of the group had hair that was parted down the center. His eyes held a great deal of anger in them, to world in general, and to one person in particular. A duelist who wanted vengeance for wrongs committed against his family.

Mai Valentine looked at the ruined building, shaking her head in disgust. "You'd think the Titans would have removed her from here, instead of leaving her like she was nothing more than a commodity."  
"They couldn't," Vallen replied, grinning. "She was stuck to the piece of rock, and they didn't want to break her."  
Allister frowned. "Why are we wasting our time on her? She's not going anywhere. We should be going after Wheeler and Kaiba."

Mai nodded in agreement. "The sooner we get them, the sooner we can focus our entire attention on the Pharaoh."  
"Whoa, I'm just the messenger! Orders came directly from Dartz, through Raphael. Apparently, Yugi's also there."

"Motou!" Mai turned around. "He managed to escape the Soul Wall?"

"That's right."

"He's good," Allister said, some respect in his tone.

Mai just closed her eyes for a second, then started into the building, Allister and Vallen right behind her.

* * *

Serenity Wheeler stepped outside, looking around her. She saw the various walkers as they went on their way, either friends, a couple, or alone. She looked up, seeing the slashes of light in the darkening sky, and let a smile grace her face. 

Ever since the surgery, where she had her eye sight repaired, she had found a new found appreciation for her sight, seeing things in a new light. Everything seemed brighter, more awe inspiring. She would never take her eyes for granted again.

As she walked down the street, thinking about what she was going to tell Joey when she talked to him next, her gaze was drawn to the remains of a building. She knew the story of what had happened there, how a fallen hero rested in there, encased in stone.

However, she also saw something that hadn't been there before. Three motorcycles were now parked in front of it. Curious, she walked in the direction of the building, remembering to look both ways before she crossed the street.

* * *

Raven left her meditative state, eyes wide. "Crap!" she hissed. 

_'Now you see the problem,"_ Yugi replied. _"I don't think I need to tell you what the Seal can do."_

_"Look, just hit me with the spell, and go. It'll take a few minutes to work, but Yugi's got something that can help with it."_

Raven raised her hands, closing her eyes. _"Azarath, Nefertit, Amarats!"_

Black energy snaked out of her hands, hitting the stone statue, enveloping it for a second before entering. Raven stared at it for a second, a little surprised. "Umm, Terra…it didn't work."

"Actually, when you look at it from my angle, it was an unqualified success. Now go make yourself scarce."

Raven looked around her, spotting an outcropping of rocks. Moving quickly, she jumped behind it. And not a moment too soon, as Vallen, Allister, and Mai entered the building, not even stopping to look around. Raven looked around the rock, watching them.

"So, what do we do?" Vallen asked. "Get a chisel?"  
"You'd end up killing her, you twit!" Mai retorted. "We can't get hers or Motou's soul if she's dead!"

Allister sighed. "I still say we use the Seal of Orichalcos."  
"It wouldn't work." Vallen observed the statue. "The Seal of Orichalcos is only useful in a duel. She was a cute girl in life."

"So, how do we get their souls?"

Mai grinned. "What say we find us a little black bird?"

Allister smirked. "I'm going to head over to Titan Tower, and make my presence felt."

"You have bigger problems than finding Raven, warriors of the Oricalcos. You have me to be concerned with."

Raven's eyes widened. _'No,'_ she thought, realizing who it was.

Vallen grinned, clearly enjoying the situation that was starting to form. "Well 'allo, Slade. Fancy meeting you here."  
Mai snorted. "_This_ is Slade?" she asked scornfully. "I've seen scrub brushes that look more terrifying than him."  
"Oh, it's not what's on the outside that counts," Allister replied. "You see the symbol on his head. That's the sign of Trigon the Terrible." He stepped forward. "So, what brings you here, Slade?"  
Slade's one eye narrowed. "I'm here to inform you that you will not be taking these souls…or Raven's. My Master has plans for them."  
"Like we care." Mai's eyes glowed red for a second. "Now get out of our way, before I have to hurt you." As if to add weight to her statement, her pendant started glowing bright green.

"Interesting." Slade stared at her. "Obviously, you're new to their group. Otherwise, you would know that I am more than simply endowed with the powers of Trigon. I am also a very formidable fighter."

"Allister," Vallen said, not taking his eyes off of Slade, "head for the Tower. Mai and I can handle this blowhard."  
Slade stared at them for a second, then slid his gaze to the right. "Actually," he said quietly. "I don't think you need to look very far." He brought his hand up.

And Raven let out a cry of astonishment as she was physically thrown from her hiding spot. Tumbling through the air, she hit the ground right in front of Terra's monument, somewhat dazed.

And an eye started to glow faintly on the statue.

Allister's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Mai, she's all yours."

Mai took a step forward, pulling a card out of her deck. "Harpy Lady," she said, placing it on her disk. Instantly, a Harpy Lady appeared next to her, ready to do some damage.

Raven got to her feet. "I'm not going to let you take Terra's soul, and I'm not opening the portal."  
Slade chuckled. "Raven, you don't have a choice."  
"On that," the harpy stated maliciously, "we are in complete agreement. Just not for the same reasons." She brought her clawed hand up.

"Hey, Mai. What're you doing with these guys?"

Startled, Mai turned around. "Serenity!"

Vallen stared at the young girl in surprise as well. "Wheeler's little sister?" he asked.

Serenity Wheeler looked at everyone present. "Did I interrupt something?"

The eye started glowing brighter. Cracks started appearing in the stone.

Allister brought his duel disk up. "If this is Wheeler's sis, then we can use her soul as bait-"

"No!" Mai shouted. "She's pure of heart and soul!"  
Serenity looked at the blond girl. "Mai, what's going on?" she asked, fear and concern creeping into her tone.

"Get out of here!" Raven shouted. "There are supernatural forces at work here that you couldn't possibly understand!"  
"Like the Millennium Items?"  
The sorceress's eyes widened. This girl knew of the Millennium Items! Would the revelations never cease today?  
No less startled were Allister, Vallen, and Slade. Mai, on the other hand, nodded. "Just leave, Serenity. You don't want to get involved in this."  
Slade smiled under his mask. "She already is, Miss Valentine."

Serenity looked at the statue. "Okay, since I'm now involved, could you tell me why there's a symbol of an Egyptian eye on that statue's forehead?"  
Everyone's attention turned to Terra's monument. "What the-?" the harpy muttered.

Then the Statue exploded outward, pieces of rocking sailing past everyone, heading for Serenity.

And they stopped three inches from her head, flying back at Slade, forming into one solid mass. The newly developed rock slammed into masked one, knocking him off his perch, and letting him plummet to the ground. Everyone else turned their attention to the monument.

Correction, to Terra.

Where a stone statue of a human girl stood, a human girl now stood, wearing the tattered remains of a blue suit, with the letter S emblazoned on the chest plate. Blond hair flowed down her back for the first time in months, and her blue eyes sparkled with humor and renewed purpose.

Terra was back, and ready to kick some ass.

Mai looked at her. "You think you can take us on, freak?" she snarled. "You and Raven couldn't even hold our bags!"  
Terra grinned. "Apparently, the amount of power Yugi possesses is a lot more than you realized."  
"And why's that?"  
"He came back with me. Look behind you, Harpy Lady."

The monster turned around, confused…and found herself staring into the eyes of the Celtic Guardian. He was last thing she ever saw, as the sword flashed outward, cutting it in half.

Mai's let out a roar of rage as her monster disintegrated, returning to the monster world. She turned around, ready to unleash her full arsenal of monsters upon the young meta human.

Yugi Motou was standing there in front of Terra, already putting another monster card onto his duel disk. "Dark Magician Girl!" he called out, summoning the monster in question into their world.

Opening her eyes, the Dark Magician Girl looked down. "Yugi…?" she asked, surprised.

Yugi smiled for a second, then said, "Protect Serenity. I'll explain how I'm here later."  
Terra elevated herself, staring down at the three Orichalcos. "Let's play, boys and girls." She brought her hands up, levitating three boulders with her powers. "Ever bowl?" With that, she released her ammo.

With a yelp, the three duelist moved out of the way, the boulders following them. Distracted as they were, they didn't see Raven bring her hands up. _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_

Immediately, one of the boulders became a baseball bat, hitting each one of them in rapid succession, taking them off of their feet. They hit the ground, rolling a ways, before coming to rest several feet away.

While they were trying to get to their feet, Terra flew by, picking up Yugi. "Come on, Raven!" she shouted. "And grab Serenity on the way out!"

"I'll do you one better!" Yugi placed another card down on his duel disk. _"Curse of Dragon!"_

A dragon appeared next to him, and flew forward, picking up Serenity and the Celtic Guardian. Dark Magician Girl floated upwards, flying out of the area, Yugi and the two Titans right behind her.

Mai got up, brushing her jacket off. She saw Allister and Vallen get up as well, both looking rather irritable. "Okay, that's it! I'm gonna-"

Vallen's cell phone went off. Confused, Vallen pulled it out. "Boss?" His eyes widened fractionally, then narrowed in glee. "Got it." He shut the phone off. "Change in plans. It's ready."  
Mai grinned. "Then it's time for a Cyber Harpy and Harpy Lady Invasion." She pulled out three cards, placing them on her disk.

Two minutes later, three bikes roared away from the ruins, all following their prey.

Seconds after that, the ruins collapsed as Slade blasted out of there, fire trailing behind him. Angling in the direction that the escapees had gone, he took off like a rocket.

* * *

Joey walked out of the hospital, sighing in relief. "Well, Raptor's now in good hands. Now we've gotta find where Mom and Serenity are staying." 

"Is there any place that'll accept Japanese currency?" Tristen said.

Robin sighed. "I don't think there's any place in Jump City that does…except a bank."  
"Oookkkkay, where's the bank?"

"It's…" A beeping sound cut Robin off. "Excuse me." He pulled his communicator. "Robin."

"Robin? It's Terra."

Almost immediately, the other three Titans were clustered around her. "Terra?" Beast Boy repeated.

"Yes, Terra, Beast Boy. Blond hair, blue eyes, thinks you're funny? Look, we need your guys help. We've got three bikers on our tails, and Slade, too! How's he able to fly, anyways? Raven said something about her birthday, and that was it."

Robin sighed. "It's kind of a long story. Is Raven okay?"_"I'm fine,"_ Raven replied,_ "but we are under attack. It's a powerful force known as the Orichalcos."_

"Hold on, did you say the Orichalcos, Friend Raven?" Starfire asked, as everyone turned in Joey and Tristen's direction._'Yeah. Why?"  
"Because we've got us two people who've faced it,"_ Cyborg replied._"So do we. A guy named Yugi Motou."_

Joey's eyes widened. "Yugi!"  
_"Give me that, Terra! Joey?"_

"It is Yugi!" Joey tore the communicator from Beast Boy. "Hey, Yug!"

"Joey!"

"Yeah, and I've got Tristen with me! How'd you get out of the Soul Wall?"_"I'll explain later! Joey, it's Vallen, Allister, and Mai! We've got Serenity too, by the way!"  
_"Mai? You got Serenity?"

_"Get your sorry carcasses down here!"_ Terra said, jubilant._ "Because…oh, shit!" _They heard a grunt, then a screech of pain._ "Get here, fast! We're en route to Titan Tower! We're under attack!"_

"We're on our way, guys!" Cyborg looked up. "Let's go!"

Joey nodded. "Mind if we tag along?" he asked. "You're gonna need all the help you can get."

"Be my guest," Robin replied. "Titans, _go_!"

* * *

Terra swerved to the right, a HL flying past her in a blur of color. She dodged another one, and watched as CoD incinerate a third one as it approached. "We're almost there!" she shouted. "Once we get there, we can activate the security system, and that should take care of our Harpy problem!" 

"Yugi, what's going on?" Serenity asked. "What's the Oricalcos?"  
Yugi looked at her. "Our newest mystical problem," he replied. "I'll give you a full explanation when we're not under attack. Dark Magician Girl, up on your right!"

The young female monster moved quickly, launching a magic attack at the Harpy Lady in question, crushing it into dust. "Mai Valentine certainly hasn't made any changes in her deck since the last time I've seen her!" she called out, bashing another one in the face with her staff.

"No, but she's got those Cyber Harpies, as well as the Harpy Dragon! She's also a warrior of the Oricalcos!"  
"So I've noticed! Serenity, how are you?"  
"I'm doing fine," Serenity replied. "A little creeped out that I'm talking to you, but fine!"

"Don't worry," Celtic Guardian assured her. "We are just as confused!"

Terra turned as well. "So am I, but I'm used to it!" She broke off a piece of rock from her flying implement, fashioned it into a small spear, then sent it at a Harpy Lady, stabbing her through and through. Some blood emerged before the monster vanished.

Which quickly made Yugi suspicious. "This is too easy," he muttered. "These are only a few Harpy Ladies. Where's the rest of them?"

"How many does Mai have?" Terra asked.

"No idea! Serenity? She talked to you more than anyone?"  
Serenity shrugged. "She never said anything!"  
"Dark Magician Girl?"  
"I've never faced the Harpy Ladies before. I don't know how many there are!"  
"Don't even ask me!" Celtic Guardian informed him quickly. "I've never even seen one!"

"You've never seen one?" Dark Magician Girl turned to look at him. "What kind of monster are you?"  
The two monsters would have continued their bickering, had Raven not said, "There's the tower!"

Yugi whistled. "Now that's a unique place to stay! A building shaped like the letter T!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Titan Tower! Now let's get down there!" Terra crowed.

Quickly going into a formation of some kind, they kept their eyes open for any other approaching enemy monsters. Seeing none, it should have meant that their way was clear. Instead, they started to share Yugi's suspicions about the situation. This _was_ too easy.

Acting on a sudden hunch, Raven suddenly brought her powers into play. Waiting for a second, she fired a mid range blast at the Tower.

Terra gaped. In all the time she had known Raven, she had never seen her take potshots at anything. "Have you gone…?" Her voice faded when the blast struck some sort of barrier.

A barrier that, oh so briefly, showed the Seal of the Orichalcos surrounding it before fading again.

Dark Magician Girl's eyes widened. "Oh my god," she whispered. "It's a trap."  
"Break off approach!" Yugi yelled, as Terra banked hard to port, breaking off her approach.

The monsters and Raven had a similar idea, quickly veering every which way. Yugi immediately placed a card face down on his disk. "Keep your eyes open! Terra, could you…?"  
Terra brought her communicator up again. "Terra to Titans! Robin, come in! Where the hell are you?"  
_"Approaching your position. Why aren't you in the Tower?" _Cyborg asked. _"And why am I picking up more life signs?"_

"Long story made short, they are monsters who are helping us, and we're cut off from the Tower! Raven?"  
Raven looked around. What she saw didn't make their situation any better. "Oh no," she whispered, then shouted. "We're surrounded!"  
Serenity gasped. "What are those?"  
"Cyber Harpies!" Celtic Guardian replied. "They're in Phoenix formation, forming a wall around the lake! We're trapped!"

DMG brought her staff up. "And we have incoming, as well!"

The other Harpy Lady's had arrived, flying at them, their talons ready to slash them into ribbons if they didn't move. And they're were hundreds of them.

Quickly, the group scattered in various directions, evading the majority of the harpies as they went through.

"Accelerate! We need to draw them away from the Tower somehow!" Raven shouted.

"Agreed!" DMG replied. "Everyone, be careful!"

Everyone nodded, as the fight began anew…

* * *

At the edge of the island where Titan Tower was located, a hole suddenly appeared. A bald, round head popped out of it, looking around. "Okay, you guys, the coast is clear!" he called down the hole, before leaping up the rest of the way. 

A massive looking brute of a man climbed out of the hole, a mane of red hair and a monkey like face. His gaze was malevolent, complete with a sneer.

The young woman who jumped out of the hole was petite, wearing a version of witch robes, her pink hair done up in ponytails. Her eyes were big, and showed quite a bit of expression in them. They also seemed to radiate compassion from them, as well as mischief.

"Alright," Gizmo said, looking at the Tower, "here's the plan. We go in and trash the place, until the dweeb squad shows up."  
"That's the plan?" Jinx turned to stare at her pint sized friend. "I don't know whose more pathetic, the Titans or you." She grinned at his put off expression. "Well, your plan sucks anyways. And besides, I have a better plan. Why don't we just wait?"  
Mammoth and Gizmo looked at each other. "I like her plan better," the giant man said.

"You would," Gizmo grumbled. "Why are you so against making re decorating this place, girl?"

Jinx's grin turned into a glare. "Look, I just want to beat the Titans, not turn them to scrap like you two. Besides, I like their tower. It's…got class."

"I think it's because of _Cyborg_." Mammoth made a fake puking noise. "You forget he's the enemy? We're supposed to beat him into the ground?"  
"Oh, shut up. It's not that."  
"Then what's with the blush, pinky?"

Jinx didn't speak to them for several minutes after that remark. She looked up, looking around, anywhere but where they were standing. She really didn't want to say anything, but she still did like Cyborg, though she was angry that he had misled her back at the H.I.V.E. Academy. But even then, she could understand. He was the hero. She was the villain. That was how the game was played. Though now, it seemed that it wasn't so black and white anymore.

She wondered if Batman and Catwoman ever had this type of problem.

As she pondered her thoughts, she noticed something approaching from just ahead. "Well, here comes Raven," she said. "And…Terra!"  
"Wha-?" The other two stared in that direction as well. "Well, whaddya know?" Gizmo sneered. "Slade's little girl got out!"  
"Forget Terra. Look at them." Mammoth pointed at the small collection of creatures around them.

Jinx stared at them long and hard. "Monsters," she replied. "Duel Monsters. I think that's the Curse of Dragon, Dark Magician Girl, and Celtic Guardian." She squinted. "I also see two humans with them." Her eyes widened. "And they're being followed by a lot of Harpy Ladies!"

Gizmo grinned. "Oh, is that all? I thought it would be something worse."  
"_Is that all?_" The sorceress turned to stare at him, putting some pieces together. The way that he had said that told her that there was something he hadn't told her. "You knew this was going to happen. You knew that they were going to come back here." She rounded on the two of them. "Who are we taking orders from, Gizmo?"  
"Brother Blood."  
Now Jinx stopped in front of him, her eyes glowing. "I thought we agreed that we weren't going back to him!"

Mammoth grinned as well. "That's why we didn't tell you, Jinx. Besides, the Headmaster is a minority member."

"Minority member? What is he part of?"  
Gizmo's grin grew more malicious. "The Deadly Alliance. And guess what, Jinx? We're part of it, too. Even you."

* * *

Cyborg slammed his foot on the accelerator, the speed gauge pushing almost eighty five. "Come on, come on!" he grumbled, urging his vehicle on, while the others held on for dear life. He never had driven this fast for such an extensive amount of time. Now he was pushing his vehicle to the limit. 

As he made a right, a monster suddenly came out of nowhere, it's foot hitting the ground just inches from the car. With no way to maneuver in time, Cyborg held on tight. "Better hold onto something!"  
"We already are, you maniac!" Joey shouted.

The van went over the toe, flipping onto it's back, and sliding down the road a ways before stopping.

Quickly the doors were forced open, and everyone tumbled out of the vehicle, most of them bruised and rather irritated.

"Okay," Joey snarled, getting up, "whatever monster it is, it's gonna get it's ass handed to it!" He brought his duel disk into ready mode again, pulling a card out of his deck. "Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

In a flurry of black wings, the most powerful monster in his deck, save for Heramos himself, emerged from Joey's deck. Instinctively knowing what needed to be done, it turned in the direction of the monster.

The creature in question, the Harpy Dragon, was laying docile on the ground…and then vanished.

Joey and Tristen, as well as the other Titans, all stared at the impossible scene, then looked at street level.

"You two sure took your sweet time getting here," Rebecca Hawkins said, smirking slightly, two Celtic Guardians standing by for a second more, before vanishing as her duel disk shut down.

"Umm, Rebecca?" Tristen asked. "When did you get here?"  
"A few hours ago. I heard about the train, by the way." The young woman turned around. "Hey, Duke, Grandpa."

Duke poked his head out the window of the car. "Yo, Joey, Tristen!"  
"Hello, gentlemen, Titans," Professor Arthur Hawkins greeted them. "It's certainly good to see all of you in one piece!"  
"Likewise, Professor!" Robin looked around. "So, I'm going to assume that you're here for the same reason as these two."  
"You betcha." Rebecca looked at the remains of Cyborg's ride. "You guys need a lift to Titan Tower?" she asked rhetorically. "Because I couldn't help noticing that your car's in no condition to go anywhere."

Starfire nodded. "We would most appreciate it, friend. By the way, do you know of someone named Yugi Motou?"

"Yeah, why?"

Joey grinned. "He's here, in Jump City."  
"I'm sure that you mean the Pharaoh," Hawkins said.

"No, I mean _Yugi_, not Yami, is here."  
_"What!_" Rebecca stared at them, shocked. "If either of you are playing with my emotions, I swear to the great Lord above, I will give you a first class ticket to Hell!"

"We ain't fooling with you. But if we don't get to the Tower, then he's gonna go back to that Soul Wall."

"Then get in!" Duke shouted.

Everyone complied, getting into the trailer attached to the car, after Joey gave the Red Eyes Black Dragon instructions to follow them. Thirty seconds later, the car started pushing eighty down the street.

* * *

Terra evaded a group of HL's as they came in, looking up as she did so. "Watch it, Dark Magician Girl!" she shouted. "Three above you, coming in fast!" 

DMG looked up. "Celtic Guardian, Curse of Dragon, watch my back!"  
CoD roared in acknowledgment, as he and CG came in, getting the attackers from behind. They immediately separated in two different directions.

"Two of them coming in, up on your right!" Yugi called out from his newly called Alpha Magnet Warrior.

"Cut to the left, I'll take the center!"

Moving quickly, AMW moved in, hitting one of them with a well placed strike. It evaded the one on it's tail, making sure that it struck the field surrounding the Tower.

DMG got the remaining HL before she could evade her. She moved out of the way as Raven flew by, moving like the bird she was named after as she pursued another one. Her eyes glowing white, she let a burst of energy shoot from her fingertips like a machine gun, peppering the enemy. The Harpy gave shriek of pain before disintegrating.

Terra came about on her boulder, turning back in the direction of the CH barrier. "What's wrong with this picture?" she asked.

Serenity looked behind her. "Besides the fact that Mai's attacking us?" she asked.

Raven whirled in mid air, observing the wall as well. "Only the Harpy Ladies are attacking. Why are the Cyber Harpies staying in formation?"

Yugi used his powers to hit another one. "I don't know, but knowing Dartz, it's probably part of his plan."

"And it's being put into effect!" Raven pointed up. Everyone followed her gaze.

High above them, directly above Titan Tower, a series of incantations began to appear, forming a circle around the entire lake. Then two circles formed around them, rotating slowly. Then a series of lines starting forming inside the inner one, forming a form of a six point star. The whole thing was green.

* * *

A CH landed next to Mai. "The last of my flock is in position," she reported. 

"Hold that position," Mai ordered.

Allister turned to look at her. "They aren't going to attack?"  
"The boss's got something ready for them. Namely, that." Vallen pointed into the sky. Allister looked up as well, and grinned.

* * *

Joey's eyes widened. "The Seal of Oriczalcos!"  
Rebecca and Starfire traded worried gazes. They both knew what that meant. "Step on it, Duke!" Rebecca called.  
"I'm going as fast as this bucket of bolts can go!" Duke retorted. "Unless you've got a better car that I don't know about!"  
"Just drive!" Robin bellowed.

* * *

Jinx's eyes widened, and she whirled around, anger simmering in her pores. "Were you also going to tell me that Brother Blood and the Oriczalcos joined forces!" she snarled, the sting of betrayal making it's presence felt. She could understand Cyborg, but her own teammates? She had been their friend for almost four years! "You know how I feel about that!" 

"That's why we didn't tell you." Gizmo chuckled. "And who cares? They can get rid of that half breed, and Yugi Motou at the same time."  
"Yugi Motou? The keeper of the Millennium Puzzle?" Jinx rounded on them again, her eyes flashing pink in anger. "I thought we were crooks, not monsters! Any magic user whose worth anything knows better than to join forces with that…abomination of a seal!" She suddenly put the remaining pieces together, and her anger finally broke loose. "You knowingly did this without any thought what it might mean to me! You son of a bitch!" She blasted Gizmo back a few feet, following him as he flew.

A powerful explosion erupted behind her abruptly, knocking her off of her feet, and onto her face. Rubbing her jaw, she stared at Gizmo.

Gizmo smirked, his thumb holding down a button on his remote control. "Boss wouldn't want one of his pupils doing something stupid," he said. "Like warn the enemy."  
"Come on, Jinx," Mammoth pleaded. "We've been trying to beat the Titans for two years now. We've got a chance to do that. So what's the big problem?"  
Jinx got up. "If using the Seal of Oriczalcos is the only way to beat them, then I'd rather lose the fight than sell my soul for that! And if that means turning my back on everything I've learned in Blood's academy…so be it!" Another shockwave lashed outwards, catching both of them this time, throwing them back several feet. While they were on their backs, stunned, Jinx turned around, throwing her faith into her adversaries. "Guys, run! All of you, before the seal activates completely!"

Raven looked down. "Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth are down there," she said.

Terra looked down as well. "What the hell? Gizmo and Mammoth are on their backs, and Jinx is yelling at us to get out of here? What alternate reality did we step into?"  
DMG frowned. "Regardless, it look like she needs our help."  
"I'll get her!" Serenity said. "Curse of Dragon?"  
The dragon roared in acceptance, then swooped downward to where Jinx was. When it was low enough, Serenity stretched her hand out. "Take my hand!" she shouted.

Jinx complied, grabbing her hand, and holding on as the dragon flew upward. "Thanks!" she said.

Serenity smiled as she pulled upward, until Jinx was safely on, conjuring up a seatbelt type bind for her and Serenity. "What happened down there?" she asked.

"Let's just say that I don't like the Oriczalcos anymore than your friends or the Titans," Jinx replied, looking up. "Besides, I swore never to return to Brother Blood!"

"Hey, Terra, have you ever heard of Brother Blood?"  
Terra shook her head. "After my time! Raven?"  
Raven's eyes, which were glowing white, became whiter still. "Oh, yes. In fact, the last I heard, he was still in jail!"  
"Apparently he's not, anymore."  
Jinx nodded, her eyes fixed on the seal fixed above them. "Why isn't it lowering?"  
Yugi looked up as well, while AMW destroyed another HL. "Don't know, but I don't think that's a good thing! Keep your eyes peeled!"

* * *

Dartz watched the flames, seeing in his mind the battle that was taking place. "Blood, your former pupil Jinx has already betrayed us," he said. 

Brother Blood, his cybernetic components glistening in the flickering flames, sighed. "I had a feeling she would, but we have what we needed from her. So she's expendable."

Dartz grinned, standing up. " I figured you would say that. Great powers of the Orichalcos, heed my command!" he intoned. "You are needed. Take the souls of those who oppose us! In the name of great Leviathan, I command you!"  
And the great serpent eyes glowed.

* * *

Rebecca looked up. "What the hell?" she muttered. "The Seal's…pulsing." She toggled the communicator Robin had given her. "Hey, guys, something's happening to the Seal above the Tower!"  
Joey poked his head out the window, almost getting beheaded in the process, and took a peek. He ducked back in, positively stumped. "She's right. The seal's starting to power up for some reason." 

Robin nodded. "Rebecca, let us know what it's doing. If it starts lowering…"

Ten seconds later, he wished he hadn't said that.

* * *

Above the tower, the seal started pulsing. 

A massive amount of power started collecting at the points of the star, glowing more intensely with each burst, until it glowed brighter than the lights of the city or the tower. For a second, everyone thought that the seal was finally going to start it's descent.

So it was to the shock of everyone watching, or present when beams started to shoot out, all of them connecting at the center point, then firing downward…right at Terra.

"Terra, move!" Raven shouted.

Terra looked up, yelped, then pushed herself harder, barely missing the blast. It hit the water…and promptly forced the entire lake to burst upward abruptly.

The small group of heroes picked up some altitude, though they were still drenched with water all the same. "What the hell!" Raven shouted, wiping water out of her eyes.

"That was the Seal of Orichalcos!" Yugi stared upward in shock. "Dartz must be able to use it as a weapon, too!"

"We have to get away from the city!"  
"Won't work!" Serenity replied. "If Darts is anything like Marik, then he'll go after our friends and family!"  
Terra nodded. "No more running, guys! Not now, not ever! We're going to beat these creeps!"  
"Here, here!" Jinx pumped her hand into the air.

* * *

Joey nodded, then poked his head out the window again. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, head for the tower! Don't wait for us!"  
REBD started picking up speed, it's great wings beating faster and faster, until it was moving faster than the car, shooting forward quickly. 

"Is there anyway?" Beast Boy asked.

"No," Tristen replied quickly.

"Great."  
Starfire smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry, Beast Boy. Raven, Jinx and Terra can take care of herself. And I believe that your friend Yugi can do so as well."  
Joey nodded. "But this is too big for even all of us!" We need-" A thought struck him. "We need more help."  
"Like Heramos?" Tristen suggested quickly.

"Oh, yes."

Robin grinned. "Whatever Hamos is, I guess you should call him."

Joey pulled the card in question out, chuckling. "Boy, isn't Dartz gonna be surprised?"  
"Probably," Professor Hawkins replied.

* * *

Several massive boulders from the bottom of the lake rose to the sky, forming together to form a massive shield. Floating upward, it situated itself right in front of the Seal of Orichalcos. And not a moment too soon. 

The seal fired again, this time hitting the giant rock shield, shattering it into little pieces. However, it served it's purpose, as Terra and the others were already out of range.

However, their situation didn't improve at all.

"We're flying right into the Cyber Harpy formation!" CG shouted.

"We don't have a choice!" Jinx shouted. "We have to go in quickly, and take them on at point blank range!"  
Raven turned to her former foe. "At that close range, we won't last longer against them!"  
"We'll last against them longer than we'll last against the Seal! And I've got a plan! Listen up!"

Everyone did so, all them nodding. The plan was foolhardy, and a tad bit deranged. In short, it was the only plan that would really work.  
The CH quickly closed ranks as they approached, a little surprised by the change in tactics. And thus, they were unprepared for the next part of the strategy.

The group suddenly separated, striking the weakened links around the CH's, forming holes in their defenses. Moving quickly, they darted through the holes in question.

Unfortunately, not all of them made it through.

A blast of light caught Yugi's attention, and he turned his head. "Celtic Guardian!" he shouted.

CG had been slashed from behind, grimacing in pain as the talons of a CH cut through him before he vanished.

Jinx looked up. "Serenity, jump!"  
CoD turned around as Serenity leaped off, as three other Cyber Harpies suddenly came out of nowhere, hitting it's wings. It shrieked as it vanished as well, gone from the battle. Thankfully, Raven swooped down, bringing her Soul Self into play, catching the two females before they hit the ground.

Yugi leaped off AMW as four HL converged on it, talons slashing in rapid succession. He fell into the soul self as well, a little disoriented, while the Magnet Warrior dissolved.

DMG destroyed another one, then cried out as a CH caught her in the back, catching her unawares. Her concentration disrupted, she started falling from the sky, the Cyber Harpy right behind her.

Hitting the street, she rolled as the CH slammed down, her foot breaking the concrete. Rolling to her feet, the young monster braced herself as her opponent charged.

The CH was still five feet away when a red energy blast suddenly hit her. She didn't even get a chance to shriek when she vanished from the Earth. Two more were destroyed in a similar fashion, without even knowing that they were the DMG looked up.

REBD looked down, it's eyes flickering in satisfaction. It roared once, inquiring if she was okay. "My thanks, old friend!" DMG replied, smiling. "Let me guess, Joey is here?" An affirmative roar was it's response. "Raven, bring them down here! Reinforcements have arrived!"  
Raven immediately landed, dispensing her passengers, and pulling her soul self back into her. "That's the Red Eyes Black Dragon, isn't it?" she asked.

Yugi nodded, grinning. "Joey's here!"  
"And so are we!"

Terra grinned, recognizing Robin's strong voice. "Hey, guys! Nice of you to show up!"  
"We aim to please!" Cyborg replied. "Now let's kick these sorry Harpies asses!"

* * *

Mai frowned. Now things were going to get a lot worse before they get better. "Call off the remaining Harpies," she ordered the chief. "I don't want them trying to take on Heramos and Wheeler."  
The CH nodded, and took off, heading for her flock. Meanwhile, Vallen was talking into his cell phone, nodding. "He's calling the seal back. Says he doesn't want to risk Heramos striking it head on."  
Allister nodded, grumpy. "Looks like Yugi gets to keep his soul for now." He put his sunglasses on. "Let's roll on out of here." 

Mai nodded, staring out there. "Before we head out, let's grab Gizmo and Mammoth. I don't want them left there for the Titans to find."

With that, the three of them started heading back to their bikes, Mai shutting off her duel disk as she went.

* * *

The CHs and HLs, who were posed to attack the group on the roof, suddenly stopped, as they were listening to new orders, then vanished. At the same time, the Seal hovering over Titan Tower disappeared in much the same way it appeared. 

Robin kept his guard up for a moment longer, before he put his staff back into it's clip. "Look's like they've left for now. I think you're all safe."

Serenity sighed. "That's good to hear." She looked up as the REBD disappeared as well, meaning that a duel disk had shut down. She turned around. "Joey, you're always saving damsels in distress!" she shouted joyfully.

"Hey, what are big brothers for?" Joey replied, giving her a great big hug. "Geez, I don't want to know what you were doing. I'm just glad that you're okay."

Starfire took one look at Jinx, then turned to Raven. "Friend Raven…?" she began.

"She's a self respecting magician," Raven replied. "Joey, that young boy standing next to the Dark Magician Girl…I believe you and your friend know him."  
Joey turned his attention to Yugi. "Yugi!" He charged forward, grabbing him up in a bone crushing hug.

Yugi choked. "You're choking me! You're choking me!" he managed to gasp out as his face started turning purple.

"Oh. Sorry, Yug." Joey quickly released him. "I'm just glad to see you!"

"Don't worry, I'm glad to see you guys as well, and that I _can_ say that. Thank you, Dark Magician Girl."

DMG nodded. "I'm glad to see you free, Yugi. Now, I must return to my world now, so I can heal. Call me if you need my assistance."  
Yugi nodded. "See ya later." He shut his duel disk down.

The Dark Magician Girl closed her eyes, expecting to open them again in the monster world.

"Umm, we might have a problem."

* * *

Dartz stood up, as the serpents eyes stopped glowing. "Most impressive. Young Terra has definitely proven her worth as a warrior." 

Blood smiled. "Slade always did do a good job with his apprentices. A pity that that little witch had to betray me."  
"It doesn't matter, as you said before. And besides, Jinx had no idea that her teammates had joined the Deadly Alliance. She can't give them any of our secrets."

Blood nodded, then walked out of the room. It was time to send a report to their superiors.

* * *

Slade, watching from afar, nodded once. "It would appear that Raven is not so weak after all. And neither is this Deadly Alliance." He grinned under his mask. "I'll need a new plan if I am to succeed in my mission."  
He shot off towards the edge of the city, where his old hideout was located. It was time to call in some favors.

* * *

"How's that?" Raven asked. 

Dark Magician Girl smiled, feeling the last of her injuries close. "That feels great. Thank you, Raven."

"A pleasure." Raven's slight smile turned into a frown. "I wonder why you didn't return to your world when Yugi's duel disk shut down."  
"I have no idea. Miss Hawkins…Miss Hawkins!"  
Rebecca started, having been looking at Yugi for a pretty decent amount of time. "Oh, sorry." She looked at DMG for a second. "I couldn't tell you. I think it might be because of the fact that you were tainted by the Orichalcos when the Pharaoh played the Seal. Because of that, you're stuck here until we can cleanse your soul."  
"Perfect. Just perfect. The Council of Monsters was expecting a report from me."

"Gee, that's bad." Joey was eating a sandwich, and guzzling a soda. "Thanks for letting us crash here, guys."  
"Don't mention it," Robin replied, grinning. "Besides, I think that Beast Boy would love to give you guys the world for helping Terra." He turned around. "Speaking of which…"

Terra walked into the living room, rubbing her head, which was free of interfaces. After they had entered Titan Tower, she had asked Cyborg to remove the suit from her. Now she was wearing her Titan uniform once again, a real smile on her face. "Man, it feels so good to have a shower, and to get out of that damn suit!"

Beast Boy silently agreed with her. The uniform was definitely more flattering that that cybernetic piece of crap that Slade had had her wear.

Jinx, in the meantime, was standing in the corner of the room, looking rather out of place, Starfire talking to her. She smiled nervously as she replied to whatever questions Starfire was asking, apparently wondering why her former enemy was talking to her like she was a great friend.

Yugi waited until everyone had assembled near the couch, fidgeting a bit. Once everyone was settled, he said, "Alright, as everyone has noticed, we had a bit of a problem." And he began to tell them everything that he had witnessed.

Cyborg groaned. "Man, Blood's out! Can't he ever take a hint and just stay in jail!"

"And he's joined forces with this Dartz character?" Serenity asked, turning in Joey's direction. "You guys never do get any breaks, do you?"

"Nope. It's just one disaster after another." Joey leaned back. "And this Deadly Alliance?"

Jinx shook her head. "My own teammates didn't even tell me that we were working for Blood again, let alone that we were working with someone who had successfully mastered the powers of the Orichalcos." She laughed bitterly. "Some friends, huh?"

Raven smiled wearily. "If I had been in your position, I would have done the same exact thing. No self respecting magician would want to be near the Oricalcos, let alone serve it."

Jinx's smile became a little more steady. "Looks like I was wrong about you guys. You're not a bunch of geeks, after all."  
Terra grinned. "They'll stick around for their friends, too." Her grin faded. "So, what do we do now?"  
Duke got up. "Well, for starters, you guys can high tail it to Dakota City. They found the other part of the train, wrecked about thirty miles from the city."  
Joey shot out of his seat. "Yami and Tea?"  
"No bodies. Not even Weevil."

"Weevil?" Yugi asked.

DMG sighed. "It's a long story."

Robin got up. "I'll contact the Justice League, to see if they picked up anyone matching your friend's description, and warn them. Cyborg, contact Static and Gear, see if they found anyone."  
Cyborg nodded, and got up. Jinx quickly got up as well. "Is it alright if I go with you, Stone?" she asked. "I'm feeling out of place here."  
"Sure. I could use the company. Come on." Cyborg grinned as he went to the Earth based communication grid. "Oh, by the way, welcome to the Teen Titans."

"Thanks."

Beast Boy groaned. "Great, we're outnumbered."

Robin chuckled. "Oh, well. We out numbered the girls for almost two and a half years."  
Yugi smiled for a second. "Raven, could you tell me everything you know about the Oricalcos? I want to be ready for them the next time they come for me."  
Raven grinned. "You got it. And you can tell me how you put the Millennium Puzzle together."

"You got yourself a deal."


	47. Episode Forty Five: Star Light, Star Bri...

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

Harry Potter: Stargate

Episode Forty Five: Star Light, Star Bright

In the end, Harry was able to get Pluto onboard as well, as her lifetimes of experience would prove useful. Then they managed to convince Pomfrey that they were fit to go on this mission. A much more difficult battle to win, though one they did win.

"This is an IDO," Mia explained as they walked to the Stargate room. "It sends a radio signal to the gate, deactivating the force field surrounding the opening. Press the sides to turn it on."  
Harry took the device from her hand, nodding once. "If Claire's calculations are correct, then you should see us in about two days." He grinned. "Keep the rest of the Alliance out of trouble."  
Mia laughed. "I'll definitely try, and…Harry...all our hopes."

Harry nodded. "We're going to need them."

* * *

Realm 7684. One of the few parallel realities where Earth was not the focal point. Instead, Earth was a virtual unknown in that reality. Instead, it's focal point was a city planet called Coruscant, located at the heart of a massive Republic. 

On Coruscant, in the great halls of the Jedi Order, there was a room that the Jedi Knights rarely entered. In fact, the only time they ever entered was to check on the device inside.

A Jedi Knight was doing just that that day, observing it with a curious air. No one, Jedi or Republican scientist, had been able to discern how the device worked. Only Yoda remembered how to activate it, and he hadn't done so for the last ninety years.

So it was surprising to see it suddenly start spinning around on it's own, before one of the locking mechanisms closed, lighting up as it did so. Then it repeated the process again.

Quickly, the Jedi ran out of the room, where three more Jedi were walking by. "Get Master Windu and Master Yoda immediately! The device has activated!"

Nodding, one of the Jedi ran in the direction of Windu's classroom, while the other two ran into the room, their hands on their light sabers. Keeping a wary eye on it, they moved as close as they dared to go.

Mace Windu, a senior member of the Jedi Council, walked in quickly, his robes billowing around him. "What is it, Sana?"

Sana pointed at the device. "That device suddenly activated," he explained. "Whatever's happening, it's-"She suddenly stopped as the device suddenly erupted outward spectacularly, like a gout of water. Instinctively, all the Jedi in the room activated their lightsabers, holding them in defensive positions.

Something stepped into the room, took a split second to observe the situation, then up brought a strangely shaped staff , bringing it up in a defensive position of her own.

Several more people came out, two red hairs, two blondes, and two raven hairs. Three of them were wearing robes with a red inseam, while the fourth was wearing completely black robes. Two of them were wearing a strange type of uniform, which consisted of a body suit, knee high boots, bows, and tiaras. One looked like an angel, wearing a helmet that covered half of his head. Another one was wearing a formal suit of some kind, complete with hat. And the last one was wearing a traveling dress. All of them went into defensive positions quickly upon seeing the apparent threat.

The last person stepped out, looking around as the device shut down, then sighed. "Oh, for the love of Mary!" She leaped over the others, landing right between the two groups. "Master Windu," she said, bowing once. "I see you were successful in obtaining a seat on the Jedi Council. Nice color for a light saber, by the way."  
Windu blinked once. "How do you know who I am?"  
"Isn't it obvious, master? It's me, Claire."  
Windu immediately deactivated his lightsaber, having sensed the truth in her statement quickly. "It's okay, she's a former Jedi student. She used to be my Padawan learner." He stepped forward. "Welcome home, Claire."

"It's good to be back." Claire turned around. "They're with me," she added, "so, please don't kill them." She stared at her friends. "You can relax. They're good guys as well."

Slowly, the group lowered their weapons, though they remained tense. They were in an unfamiliar reality, and they didn't know all the rules that went with it.

Windu stared at her for a second, coming up with a singular conclusion. "I'm surprised to see you, especially looking so…young."

Claire smiled. "Zion time is running at a slower pace at this point. It's only been two years from my perspective."

"Care to explain that?" Serena asked.

"I'm from this realm."  
"Bloody marvelous," Ron muttered.

Harry grinned. "Ron, it was bound to happen. Don't be surprised."  
"Yeah. There are many more surprises out there in Existence." Claire gestured to them. "They are Sailor Moon, Sailor Pluto, Tuxedo Mask, Angemon, Serenity, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter."  
"Potter, you say?" a new voice asked. "I have not heard that name in a long time. Intriguing, it is."

Claire's smile grew wider still. "Master Yoda. Still alive, I see." She bowed once.

"Good to see you I am, Claire Damont."

Harry and Darien looked at each other. "She knows this guy?" Darien asked rhetorically.

"Guess so. The question I want answered is, what does he know about my family?"

Yoda, a small, elderly man with green skin, three fingers on each hand, and large ears, nevertheless exuded a presence that reminded the Hogwarts students of Dumbledore. He even had the same personality to him, complete with that piercing gaze.

And at that moment, his gaze was resting on Serenity. "So, still alive you are." He sighed. "A terrible tragedy, the loss of your kingdom was."  
Serenity nodded, her eyes conveying her own grief. "The Kingdom knew the risks, and were prepared to die to stop the Negaverse. My only regret is that I did not die with them." Abruptly, her own commanding presence made itself known. "We need to acquire a vessel with light speed capability to the Dagobah System."

Yoda's body stiffened. "Why there?"

Hermione sighed. "It's a very long story. And it concerns a friend of ours."

Windu nodded. "Then you can explain it in front of the Chancellor," he said. "Because as of this moment, we have no ships that can be used."  
Claire sighed. "I was afraid of that," she muttered.

* * *

"…And that is where the situation stands," Serenity finished. "We have two Lunarian weeks until the virus kills Sailor Venus."  
Yoda sighed. "Disturbing, this is," he said. 

"Indeed." Supreme Chancellor Palpatine rose from his seat, looking weary. "And this…Dycan Root is the only cure?"

Sere nodded. "Dycan Root apparently has several unique healing properties that, when mixed with the proper ingredients, can create a powerful antidote, capable of suppressing or even curing a person of a particularly deadly disease." She sighed. "Unfortunately, the root is particularly rare, and has to be harvested in a certain way for it to remain useful."

"And we need to get it within…Claire?" Harry asked.

Claire checked her dimensional lock. "We're in luck. The time flow of this realm is moving at a much slower rate than on Lunar. We have an additional week and a half."

"Not a great deal of time," Ginny said.

"No, it isn't. And with the Clone Wars still raging, ships are very rare," Windu added.

"The Jedi have some vessels left," Palpatine said. "Perhaps two Jedi Knights should accompany you on your endeavor. Master Kenobi…and his apprentice, for example."

Windu nodded. "That's possible. I received word that they had just returned from the front to give a report to the Jedi Council. Then they're heading to Naboo to escort Senator Amidala here for an emergency meeting."  
Serena stood up. "Then she's going to be very late. Oh, can I ever sympathize with her on that?" She turned her attention to Claire. "Claire, in terms of Existence, are there any threats near by?"  
Claire access her files, blinking as she did so. "I was afraid of this. We're perilously close to the borders of the Negaverse."

"I knew you were going to say that," Hermione sighed.

"Then we better get moving." Angemon stood up, bowing to the Chancellor before heading for the door, everyone else behind him. "Because I get the impression that the Deadly Alliance knows what we're up to."  
Harry sighed. "How did I know that _you_ were going to say that?" he asked.

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi finished prepping the ship for launch, running through the various diagnostics. "Anakin!" he called out. "Are the hyperdrive repairs complete?"  
"Yes, Master," a voice from the back replied. "The damage wasn't too bad." Anakin Skywalker walked out from the back. "Do you know how many troopers we'll be taking with us?" he asked. 

Obi-Wan understood all too well his young Padawan's anxiety. It was no secret that that he and Padme Amidala were good friends. But only he and Master Yoda, whose powers were only succeeded by his wisdom and control, knew that the two of them were in love. So, the two of them decided to keep that to themselves. It didn't interfere often with Anakin's duties, or his training.

But now, they had a new mission to add to their list of problems, as well as a tight schedule that could afford few delays, to add on to that little deception. "We'll have two troopers, which is all the Republic can spare." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. From what I have sensed, our passengers are pretty formidable warriors in their own right."  
The young man sat down, slightly more at ease, though his mind was troubled. "I wonder if we can trust them," he murmured.

"Who? The troopers, or our passengers?"  
"Take your pick, Master. I just…have a bad feeling about this mission."

Obi-Wan looked at him. His apprentice was inexperienced, headstrong, and still had trouble reining in his emotions from time to time. However, his instincts, and ability to use the Force were rapidly being refined, as well as growing stronger."Do you have any theories?" he asked.

Anakin was silent for a second. "I think the Seperatist's are part of this Deadly Alliance...and that they are now under orders to stop us."

"Then we should just go to Dagobah, instead of Naboo."

"There's a problem with that," a new voice stated behind them. "A Sunak Battle Cruiser of the _Vigilant's_ caliber is worth twenty Trade Federation Capital Starships. And if they are under orders to stop us, then they'll probably head for Dagobah, anyways."

The Jedi Knight turned around. "Claire Damont, I presume."

Claire grinned. "Well, Ben, it's good to see that you've become a full fledged Jedi Knight. How time flies."

"Speak for yourself. You've only aged two years, I've aged about thirty."

"Excuse me," Anakin suddenly spoke up. "Why are you calling Obi-Wan, 'Ben'?"

Claire stared at him in mock amazement. "You've never told your apprentice about me? Ben Kenobi, I'm shocked!" She turned to Anakin. "Ben is a nickname that I gave him when we were both six, and aging at the same time frame. It was definitely a better nickname than 'Little Benny,' let me tell you."

"Ahem." Obi-Wan cleared his throat, a little redder on the face than before. "I may be a Jedi, but I can still be embarrassed when someone starts talking about my childhood."  
"How fascinating," Claire murmured, a mischievous expression on her face, before sticking out her hand. "I'm Claire Damont, by the way."  
Anakin shook it. "I'm Anakin Skywalker." He frowned when her eyes grew distant for a second. "Is there something wrong with my name?" he asked.

Claire shook her head. "No, it's…nothing. Just thought that I had heard that name before." She grinned. "When I remember where I've heard it, I'll let you know."  
Obi-Wan started grinning as well. "You haven't changed."  
Anakin smiled as well.

* * *

Yoda sat in the meditation chamber, trying to reach out with the Force as he always did. And, like so many times in recent days, he found the future cloaked in haze. The Dark Side of the Force was rearing it's ugly head again, blocking his abilities. 

The head of the Jedi Council sighed. Eight hundred and eighty four years of life, and that life still threw him a curve ball every once in a while.

As he contemplated the Jedi's collective problem, as wellas the ever growing gap between the Jedi Council and the Republican Senate, a knock on the side of the wall brought him out of his meditative state. Turning around, a small smile emerged as he stared at his visitor. "Yes, young man?" he asked gently.

Harry stepped into the room, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry to intrude on your meditation, sir, but I wanted to ask you something." He took a breath. "I was wondering, if you knew anything…about my parents."

Yoda observed him for a second. "Your parents are James and Lily Potter," he replied, not asking. Harry nodded. "Came here once they have. Strong they were, as strong in will as anyone I have ever met." His smile grew. "Friendly they were as well. Curious of everything around them."  
Harry sighed. "I wish I could have been with them." He lowered his gaze. "They're dead."

Yoda, had he been anyone else, would have been saddened. However, a Jedi was taught to not make attachment with anyone. "Unfortunate, it is. How?"  
"A dark wizard named Voldemort."  
And throughout the Jedi Temple, the entirety of the Jedi Order staggered in surprise, as Yoda stared at Harry Potter in absolute disbelief.

* * *

"What!" Ron stared at Harry in shock. "These people knew about You-Know-Who!" 

Claire sighed. "What force doesn't know about Voldemort?" she asked bitterly, not noticing Ron's wince. "He was considered one of the deadliest beings in Existence, more powerful than any Sith Lord out there. A preeminent swordsman, he was the one being who even the Guardians were wary to cross."  
Hermione winced. "That is not a good thing."

"Definitely." Harry adjusted his watch. "Though thankfully, he's not the problem."

"Good point," Ginny said. "But it's definitely something that we can think about. He' still out there."

As they all nodded in agreement, Darien walked in. "Serenity has just informed me that the shuttle is now ready for departure."  
"Then let's go." Ginny got up, stretching her arms. "The sooner we get that root, the sooner we can get it back to Vane."

* * *

The shuttle bearing the group launched from a docking platform almost thirty seven minutes later, with enough rations to last three weeks, as well as two troopers. 

Obi-Wan made his good byes to launch control, then piloted the ship out of Coruscant's atmosphere, giving everyone a god view of the planet itself.

Serena noted that it looked like a massive city, to which Anakin replied that it _was_ a massive city. This, in turn, prompted a round of laughter from everyone as Serena blushed.

Obi-Wan programmed the navi-computer for a jump to Naboo, noting his Padawan's tension, knowing that it wasn't entirely unnecessary.

Upon leaving the outer atmosphere, the craft turned on it's nose, angling in the direction of the Naboo star system., then accelerated into hyperspace, vanishing from normal space.

* * *

A stream of light appeared, stretching out in a straight line…and then reality tore open. 

Seconds later, the _Vigilant_ entered Realm 7684, immediately plotting an intercept course, and accelerating beyond the speed of light, entering a transwarp conduit.

Preparing to attack the shuttle carrying the only hope for Venus.

* * *

Four hours into the trip, and they were still traveling at speeds that humanity on the worlds they were from couldn't even comprehend. At the rate that they were traveling, they would be at Naboo with in the next two hours. 

And Angemon and Anakin were engaged in a stimulating game of chess…with Anakin losing badly. Ron was watching from the sidelines, waiting patiently to face the winner.

"Checkmate." Angemon grinned as his rook and his bishop cornered Anakin's king. Anakin stared at it in surprise, then nodded, getting up.

Ron slid into place, grinning as well. "Well, I'm feeling lucky. So let's set up the board."  
Angemon's grin grew. "Ron, you really need to curb your confidence. Otherwise, I might wipe the floor with you. And then I will introduce you to Sailor Mercury."

Serenity chuckled from her seat. "I see Mercury is still the terror of the chessboard."

Serena nodded vigorously. 'Nobody's been able to beat her, though one of our friends came pretty close."

Ginny started laughing. "So Matt has gleefully told me. It's…what now, two hundred to zero?"

"Then I need to get busy." Angemon looked at Ron. "Well, let's get this game-"

A sudden ping caught all of their attentions, and they looked up at the control panel in the room. "What was that?" Ron asked.

Anakin walked over to the panel, punching in the requested information. "It's something on the sensor grid." His tone conveyed his surprise.

Ginny got up. "What's the problem?"

"We _shouldn't_ be picking up anything on the sensor grid. Sensors shouldn't have anything to pick up in hyperspace."

Claire nodded. "Which means that we have a visitor moving at the same speed…and can be picked up."  
Ron, who wasn't the most knowledgeable of the lot, was the first to figure it out. "There's a ship in the hyper stream corridorwith us."

Angemon and Ron immediately shot out of their seats, heading for the blaster's controls, while Anakin and Claire ran for the cockpit.

Serenity looked at Serena and Ginny. "Something tells me that we're going to want to buckle up," she said.

"No kidding," Ginny replied. "I wonder what my mum would say if she knew what I was doing."  
Serena shrugged.

* * *

Hermione glared at the aft screen. "Okay, someone explain to me how a hyper stream corridor gets breached by a _transwarp conduit_!" 

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I have no theories on the subject. I've never even heard of transwarp until today."  
Claire made her way into the cockpit. "What's going on? Anakin says that they're something in this corridor with us."  
Hermione pointed at the screen. "Some old friends of ours decided to visit. Namely, the _Vigilant._"

"Shit!"

"How'd they get into the corridor?" Anakin asked.

Claire turned to him. "They use transwarp technology, which is as fast as light speed," she replied. "After the _Terek_ class of vessel, the Sunak began equipping their ships with both warp and transwarp engines to their ships." She frowned. "Looks like they've modified their engines to breach hyperspace corridors."

"That's nice to hear," Harry replied. "Can they fire on us?"  
As if on cue, the shuttle shuddered around them from a disruptor blast. Hermione turned to look at Harry. "Are you happy now, Harry? And stop being so tense! Your emotions are making me nervous!"

"I'm a glutton for punishment, and sorry. Potter to Pluto."

"Go ahead, Harry."

"The _Vigilant_ is on our tail. Get to one of the empty blaster cannons. We're going to have to drop out of hyperspace to fight back."  
_"Understood. I just hope to god that you have a plan, otherwise we are so screwed. Pluto out."_

"If I decelerate from light speed, it'll make our job more difficult," Obi Wan reminded him quietly.

"So will being blown to pieces. We don't have that much of choice." Harry nodded. "Claire, can we do any damage to them?"  
Claire shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. The Galactic Republic, in terms of armaments, are nearly on par with the Goa'uld. Their defenses are pretty powerful as well, capable of deflecting the energy of fifteen proton torpedoes. Unfortunately, the Sunak's shields and weapons _are_ now on par with the Goa'uld, capable of withstanding the energy of almost a hundred times that." She shook her head. "It's probably not even going to be a close contest."

"We don't have any choice." Harry nodded, coming to an instant decision. "Take us out of hyperspace, and go into evasive maneuvers. Also, start looking for any vessels within the next few light years. With any luck, there should be one."

"And if there isn't?" Darien asked from his seat.

Hermione sighed. "Then we're slag."

Anakin sighed as well. "Dropping out of light speed…now."

* * *

For a moment, space was empty, with the stars twinkling in the background. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Then, as if a cloak had suddenly been removed, the shuttle reentered normal space, angling downward and to an angle, heading in a random direction.

Seconds later, the _Vigilant_ exited from transwarp, following the transport's direction precisely, weapons primed.

The turbo laser batteries of the shuttle suddenly lit up in a blaze of red. Powerful weapons, capable of firing almost immediately upon discharge, they were the most powerful weapons the Republic had to offer. The Jedi Council had a number of them installed into the shuttle in case of an emergency.

However, the _Vigilant _was the work of almost two thousand years of hard work, technological advancement, pure determination, and over a hundred species preparing for war against Sakar. It's shields could withstand a Goa'uld vessel of equal power, and hold against an Asgard vessel for several hours. It's weapons could easily destroy a planet very little difficulty. And at that moment, all of those weapons were pointed at the little fly in front of them.

Turbo lasers and disruptors flashed through space past each other, impacting on nearly impregnable shielding. The Sunak vessel fired several torpedoes, which hit their mark. But through the onslaught, Obi-Wan maintained his course, using the Force and his own extensive piloting skills to weave and dance through the fire, while Anakin helped with the course.Working together, they were successful in avoiding the majority of weapons fire, while the shields absorbed what punishment connected.

Then one grazed the port engine, causing a slight flutter in it's flight. After the shaking ended, the flutter remained.

Anakin took a look at the damage report, his face betraying the tension he was feeling. "The port engine's losing power. If we don't repair it, we'll be sitting ducks for them."

Claire nodded, then got up. "Where are your space suits?" she asked.

"Why? We have astromech droids to repair the damage."  
"Because I'm going out to do the repairs. The droids can't create a force field around themselves. I can."

Harry nodded. "Do it. And be careful, Claire. I don't want to have to explain to Zion why one of their students is dead."

Claire grinned as she walked out of the cockpit.

* * *

Zarad sat back in his seat, watching as the shuttle continued to swerve around, evading the majority of their weapons fire. He had remembered studying about those strange knights with their mystical like abilities, and glowing swords. In fact, some of the technology the Sunak had developed was patterned after those abilites and weapons. 

"Sir," Tactical reported, "enemy craft shields are down to fifty percent. I'm also a fifty two percent decrease in their port engine."

Zarad nodded. "Prepare to target their cockpit. Fire on my command."  
"Yes, sir."

* * *

The port door opened slowly, releasing a plume of oxygen into space. Claire, now garbed in a space suit and tethered with a cable, started on her way, creating a shield around her in the process. Activating a set of magnetic clamps, she started her journey towards the port engine. 

Three blasts struck her shield, almost dislodging her grip on them. She readjusted her grip, and kept moving forward, never losing sight of her objective. _'Please, oh please, let me make it to the engine without incident,'_ she thought.

Thankfully, this was one of those times when the fates seemed to show her mercy, because she made it to the engine without any trouble. Popping open the panel, she peered inside. She quickly zeroed in on the problem, pulling out a tool kit as she did so.

"Thank God that this is standard issue for Zion students," she muttered. "I've reached the port engine. Beginning repairs." She stuck in one of her tools inside, and got to work. Four minutes later, another disruptor blast whizzed by her, missing her head by a matter of inches. "Those blasts are getting pretty close."

"Engine efficiency is down to forty eight percent," Anakin replied. _"We may not be able to evade the next one!"_

Anakin replied. 

"Understood." Claire made several more adjustments. "Engine status."

"It's steady now."

Claire made one final adjustment, then closed the panel. "I've done all that I can. Now?"

"Climbing to sixty six percent. It'll be enough."

"Good, I'm heading back in." Quickly, Claire made her way back into the shuttle.

* * *

Harry pumped more power into the port engine, and not a moment too soon, as the _Vigilant_ launched a bracket of torpedoes. 

"Now!" Obi Wan bellowed, trusting his Padawan's piloting skills.

Anakin quickly wrenched the ship starboard, then accelerated immediately. "I won't be able to keep this up, master! Are there any ships out there?"

"I've got one!" Hermione crowed. "Ten vessels, all Republic, on an intercept course!"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Head for them!" He toggled the intercom. "Mister Weasley, Angemon, we have help on the way!"  
_"About bloody time!" _Ron replied. _"How soon?"_

"About two minutes!"

* * *

"Sir, ten ships approaching. They're Republic, sir."  
Zarad and Klagh traded looks. It wouldn't do them any good with a fleet. While they could destroy them easily, it would reveal their existence to the rest of the Galactic Republic. And a few hundred ships were nothing to sneeze at for any reason. 

Faced with this dilemma, they made an instant decison. "Cloak," Klagh ordered. "Then make for Trade Federation controlled space. We'll need back up for this one."

"Yes, sir."  
Zarad nodded, thoughtful. Those Jedi were certainly capable. They were going to have to try something different.

* * *

The _Vigilant _suddenly veered off, engaging it's cloaking device and entering transwarp. 

A minute later, the Republican fleet arrived on the scene, sensors sweeping the surrounding space to try and find their missing opponent.

Claire sat down heavily, looking at Serenity and Serena. "That was fun."  
Serena sighed. "For you, everything is fun."

Obi-Wan simply chuckled, toggling the communications grid. "Shuttle to Republican fleet. Thanks for the save."  
_"Our pleasure, Master Kenobi,"_ the captain of the flagship replied, grinning. _"Which brings up my question; What are you doing out here with a vessel I've never seen before firing at you?"_

"I can answer those questions on Naboo, which we are heading for right now. If you want to accompany us, feel free to."

"Understood. Victorious _out."_

Victorious _

* * *

"The Vigilant __was unable to destroy the shuttle, though not through any fault of their own. A Republican fleet was in the vicinity when the shuttle exited hyperspace."_ Vigilant 

Siddius scowled. "Lord Tyranus, I don't need to remind you that our allies are watching, and that none of them will tolerate failure."

"Don't be so hard on your apprentice, Siddius," Xenobia stated. _"As for failure, I believe that it was because of the fact that Anakin Skywalker was there, as well as those accursed Hogwarts students."_

Xenobia stated. 

"Damont," the Dark Lord of the Sith murmured. "She probably repaired whatever damage that wasinflicted."

"Quite possibly," Darts replied. _"The question is whether or not we can stop them from acquiring the root." _

"Perhaps Beryl has someone that can help in that regard," Reiko stated.

Darts replied. Reiko stated.

"Indeed I do, Regent." Beryl gestured to someone in the background to come forward. Immediately, a blond haired man stepped into the holograms, his military style uniform accentuating his body. _"This is General Jadeite, head of the Negaverse armies. He will help Outworld and the Seperatist's deal with Harry Potter and Obi-Wan Kenobi's forces. He will answer to your will, Siddius."_

Beryl gestured to someone in the background to come forward. Immediately, a blond haired man stepped into the holograms, his military style uniform accentuating his body. 

Siddius nodded. "Very well. Tyranus, I want you to brief him on the Jedi, and what he can expect from them. Understand?"

"As you wish, Master Siddius. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a meeting with General Grievous."

As Count Dooku's image faded, Devimon snarled quietly. _"What of Angemon and his Senshi allies?"_ he asked. _"They are quite powerful in their own right."_

Siddius nodded. "As of this moment, as they are in my area, I will speak to the Seperatist's, and have them send their forces to Dagobah." His grin grew malicious. "Soon, we shall see if the Alliance has the strength to withstand us."

"Do not become overconfident, ally," Darts stated. _"With Yugi Motou free, and the Pharaoh still able to fight back, we might have more of a problem than before. And with what Sakar has told us..."_

Darts stated. 

A new image appeared. _"Which reminds me, one of your Jedi's old friends is alive once more."_

Siddius, indeed, the rest of the Deadly Alliance leaders, all stared as Sakar, the Spirit of Death, reappeared in the meeting. _"We already know Lily Potter is alive,"_ Beryl stated impatiently.

"It's not her. It's a Jedi. One that I seem to recall died almost eight of your years ago."

Siddius's eyes narrowed. "It's..."

"Him."

* * *

The moment the summons arrived, Senator Padme Amidala knew something was wrong. Running out of the Queens' Palace at a good speed, considering the fact that she was wearing high heels, she made her way to the shuttle platforms. She didn't know what was wrong, only that she knew. 

When she saw the scorch marks on the shuttles hull and port engine pod, her suspicions were confirmed. She looked over at Captain Typho, who nodded, his blaster already out and ready.

The shuttle door opened, dispensing the two Jedi Knights, two troopers, as well as a number of people who Padme had never seen before. Two of them were wearing uniforms that left their legs bared, though the knee high boots compensated for that. One of them was wearing a simple dress, though she comported herself like someone who had been training to take over a great kingdom. One was wearing some kind of formal wear, though it felt more like a military uniform. However, the majority of them were wearing black robes. The Senator had the vague suspicion that they were school uniforms of some kind. And the last passenger...

Padme blinked as got a good look at him. Were those...wings! Where did they come from, Forcus Prime?

As she was having those thoughts, she heard one of them say, "Space travel, I don't mind. It's when people start firing on you that's annoying."  
"Of course Serena," a bushy haired girl replied sarcastically. "And a Sailor Scouts life is any better?"

"I'll ignore that remark, Hermione."  
Padme shook her head. Weird, weird...

Obi-Wan bowed, smiling gently. "Senator, it's good to see you again."

Padme smiled genuinely. "Master Kenobi, Anakin, I'm glad you could make it. It's always the three of us, isn't it?"

"It would appear so." Anakin turned to stare at the shuttle. "As you have probably guessed, we've had a few problems."  
"A few?" One of the girls looked at him. "I'm hanging out there, repairing an engine with weapons fire all around me, and you say we have a _few _problems!"

"And," Obi-Wan stated quickly, "a few new passengers."

"So I've noticed." Padme looked at the two of them. "So, what happened that required that you have a Republican fleet guide you the rest of the way to Naboo?" she asked.

The green haired Senshi sighed. "It's a long story, milady. And one that will require the your ruler to hear. Also, to warn you right, when we board this shuttle, we're not going back to Coruscant."

"That's all I needed to know. Follow me."

* * *

The Stargate on the Trade Federations home world, one that had been placed there by the Magic Emperor himself at the beginning of the Clone Wars, suddenlyflared to life. 

Seconds later, Jadeite stepped through the wormhole into their realm, breathing the air in deeply, grinning as he caught the scent of Nute Gunray.

Fear. The creature was rank with it.

However, the human next to him radiated feeling of power and security. Two things that were impressive in it's scope. "Dooku, I presume?"

Dooku nodded. "Come. I shall brief you on the Jedi."  
And, just like that, pomp and circumstance was thrown out the window, as the two of them started walking towards the main building. No respect for the old customs.

* * *

Queen Jamillia sighed. "So it is no longer a question of whether or not we can win the war, but a question of whether or not we can survive it." 

"I am afraid so, your Highness," Obi-Wan replied. "Thankfully, the damage to our shuttle was relatively light, and it shouldbe repaired in a few hours."

"That's good to hear." Sio Bibble turned to them. "But if this mission is so dangerous, why are you putting Senator Amidala in danger? One of the capital ships could take her to Coruscant for the meeting."

Anakin looked up. "Actually, knowing Senator Amidala, she'd accompany us." He smiled. "She would make a good Jedi, given different circumstances."  
"However, she isn't the only target," Pluto added. "So are the rest of us. So is every planet in your Galactic Republic, and beyond. The Deadly Alliance isn't interested in negotiation, or simply domination. They want control of a person's _destiny. _The ability to choose, and the ability to act on that choice."  
"Roughly translates into, if you can control your own destiny, you're considered a target."

"Regardless," Padme stated, observing them all shrewdly, "I'm going with them. If I have to, I will resign as the representative of Naboo, but I'm going."  
Jamillia smiled. "You will not have to do that, Senator. I am hereby authorizing a leave of absence for you. You will be designated unreachable for the time being, should anyone try to locate you." She turned her chair in the direction of the two Jedi. "I trust that you two are capable of protecting her," she inquired.

"Yes, but who shall protect us from her?" Anakin asked jokingly, which got a chuckle out of his master, as well as the majority of the people there, though Padme sent him a mock glare.

Pluto, however, remained silent, as her mind checked over several additional factors to her equations. It had taken a while, but she now had a basic understanding as to how time work in Existence, and she observed the events that Were To Be. In short, it was going to take a miracle to get out of this mess.

She wondered if other time guardians ever had troubles like this.

"Well, now that that's settled..." Serena rubbed her hands together. "Anyone have an idea as to what to do for the next few hours?"  
Harry face faulted. "You're hopeless sometimes."

Hermione agreed with him on that.

* * *

Episode Forty Five is now complete. Episode Forty Six will have them arriving on Dagobah, and facing off with the warrior species of the Sunak. 

Forty Six will feature a character who, I will admit, isn't one of my creation. It belongs to a fellow reviewer named Akalon, who has allowed me to use his character in my story.

After careful consideration, I have decided that my story will have guest appearances from anything I decide to...which means it could be from the outlandishly childish, like Kids Next Door, to the extremely mature, like X/1999. And I mean that literally.

Finally! It has taken me three days, but I can now safely say that I can take my mind off of this chapter for now, and concentrate fully on Episode Forty Six.


	48. Episode Forty Six: Roots form

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

Harry Potter: Stargate

Episode Forty Six: Roots Form

"Repairs will be complete in several minutes," Pluto reported, walking back over to the others. "I've also taken the liberty of boosting our shield power."

Serena grinned. "Good idea. Maybe this time, we'll actually make it to our destination without problems." She frowned in sudden thought. "By the way, what about the good senator?" he asked Obi-Wan  
The Jedi turned his attention from the flight controls. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know her. What's she like?"

Obi-Wan observed the young girl intently, trying to see some sign that she was a spy. When all he found was simple, eager curiosity, he relaxed. "Senator Amidala is one of the most willful people I have ever met. She's one of those people who would gladly give her own life to save others. But she won't bow before anyone else."

"Roughly translates into she will sue for peace, but if pushed, she'll kick someone's ass to save a life," Ginny stated.

"Basically."

Harry nodded, not surprised. "We'll need that combination on this mission. Undoubtedly, the Deadly Alliance will have the Separatists and this Darth Siddius send forces to defeat us. Quite possibly, the _Vigilant_ herself."

"And that's the good news?" Ron asked skeptically.

Hermione snorted from the co-pilot's seat. "Honestly, Ron, did the space battle rattle your brain? Of course that's the good news! Do you think that's all they'll do?" Without waiting for him to reply, she stated, "They'll be ready to raze the planet if they think we're getting too close, whether or not we're on the planet."

Ron winced. "Thanks for telling me. I really needed to hear that." He got up. "I'm going to go talk to Claire. Maybe she can give me something to cheer me up."

"You do that." Harry got up as well. "I'm going to go get the others."

"Okay."

The shuttle launched from the Naboo spaceport almost two hours later, as it had taken that long to get everyone assembled. Which now included Artoo-Detoo, Anakin's ally and friend since the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo, and See Threepio, Anakin's protocol droid, which he had built himself.

Everyone's hearing is doomed.

_"Your orders are simple. You are to head for Dagobah, and take them out before they get that root. The Trade Federation Fleet will answer to your will, Commander Zarad."_

Zarad nodded. "Understood. _Vigilant_ out." He waited until the screen shut off, then addressed Klagh. "Prepare to leave orbit."

Klagh growled, staring at the blank screen. "I don't see why we need their research. General Chang's new vessel is supposed to have enough firepower to decimate a world ninety times over."

"General Chang's orders are explicit. Until we have the thalaron, the Deadly Alliance is to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity."

The XO growled as tune to address Helm. There were some days where he just didn't like his job.

While Klagh did that, Zarad turned to Tactical. "What of your report on our combat capabilities?"

Tactical looked up. "Shields and disruptors are back to full power, and we have boosted armor plating by a factor of two. We shouldn't have any problems with the Republic now."  
Zarad nodded once more. "Inform Nute Gunray that we are heading out now."

Communications began sending the message down to the planet surface, and the Commander sat down in his seat, thinking of the sacrifices to his own personal morals. Soon, this would all be nothing more than a bad memory.

He hoped it would be.

It better be.

Reiko sat back in his seat, observing Siddius's visage on the dimensional screen. "So, your 'dupes' are on an intercept course," he stated.

"Yes. Is your soldier there now?"

As are a number of extermination warriors. What of the Trade Federation Fleet?"

"Approaching."

"Excellent." Reiko's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Note this, Siddius. Even if we do not kill them, we should at least learn something about their fighting styles."

Siddius glared at that. _"We must succeed,"_ he reminded him. _"Even if we kill one of them, that is one less warrior to contend with."_

"I understand what your concerns are," the Regent reminded his ally calmly, "but I must remind you that these are formidable warriors. In fact, I seem to remember you telling the rest of us that Senator Amidala is quite the markswoman. And then there's the little fact that Anakin Skywalker is growing stronger."

Siddius chuckled. _"Thank you for reminding me about that discussion. I shall try and be patient then. Siddius out."_

"Likewise." Reiko shut off the communication grid, then turned his attention the only other being in the room. "Ermac?"

Ermac bowed. "Scorpion is on his way now, General," he replied. "Unfortunately, the Timelord and has been spotted on their way to Dagobah."  
Reiko nodded. "So be it. Alert our warrior and Scorpion, and tell them to be wary."

"By your command, Regent." Ermac bowed again, and exited the room.

"So, what's Lunar like?" Padme asked.

Serena looked up, a little surprised by the question. For the better part of the journey, no one had seemed interested in talking, so Serena had been bored out of her mind. Now, though, she had something to do. "Well, it's kind of like Naboo, only nowhere near as advanced. It's actually orbiting a much larger body known as the Blur Star." She grinned. "It's a parallel reality of our Earth."

"Oh." Threepio nodded once. "Then it's sort of like Endor."  
"What?"  
Hermione sighed. "I'll tell you about _Star Wars_ later, Serena."  
"What's _Star Wars_?" Ron asked.

Ginny shrugged. "Must be a muggle movie."

Anakin entered the room, grinning. "We'll be at our destination in fifty four minutes," he informed them. "So you better get ready."

Sere nodded, getting up. "Serena, Darien, I hope you two are ready to fight in a swamp again."

"Like we have a choice, mother," Serena replied, chuckling. "So long as we don't have to fight another Frog Lizard, I'm cool."

Ginny giggled, remembering that poor excuse of a boss fight.

Harry sat up. "We need weapons, and provisions."  
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said. "We'll be fine. I mean, if I can survive the Basilisk, I can survive a few battle droids."

Ginny laughed. "Honestly, Harry, it's like she can read your mind."

"She can read my emotions, Ginny. There's a difference."

"There you have it, folks," Angemon chuckled.

Padme laughed lightly. "Impressive. Can Jedi do that, Annie?"  
"No idea. I would have to ask Obi Wan."

Harry stood up, stretching out his muscles. "I'm sure his explanation for it will be most impressive. Everyone have their wills ready?" he asked lightly.

Pluto sat quietly in the co pilot's seat, silently observing the hyperspace corridor. Next to her, Obi Wan was in a Jedi trance, which passed as both sleep and as a way to reaffirm his connection with the Force. She called it doing several things at once with his eyes closed.

Darien sat at an unused console, reading a book and twiddling a rose around in his fingers. He had come in here when Threepio had entered his third hour of dialogue, which his girlfriend found extremely interesting. _Why_ she found it interesting, he didn't want to know.

Pluto turned around, smirking slightly. "That passage interesting, Darien?" she inquired.

"Mmm-hmm." Darien looked up. "Reading about droids is _very_ fascinating. How did the Moon Kingdom live without them?"  
"We worked for living. There just isn't any replacement for good old fashioned humanoid instincts."

"How about a muffler?"  
"That bad, huh?"  
"How Serena can stand listening to that, I'll never know."

Pluto chuckled. "She's Serena. She doesn't apply herself, but she is very intelligent."

"And long winded, but you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course not." Pluto checked the chronometer. "Well, we're almost there. Could you tell the others?"

Darien nodded, getting up. "Could you...wake him?"

Pluto nodded, then gently shook the Jedi Master. "Come on, we're almost there."

Obi Wan's eyes opened. "I know, and I would have come out of my trance when it was time."

"Call me old fashioned."

The Jedi Knight chuckled. "It looks like I would have 'awakened' in time, anyways. Alright, you better strap yourself in. I'm decelerating from light speed."

"Oh, what fun."

With nothing to show that they had been traveling at faster than light velocities, the shuttle emerged back into normal space, entering the Dagobah System at sub light speed. In truth, they could have gone on until they had reached the planet, but Claire wanted to prep them for what they were looking for.

"This is what Dycan Root looks like," the young trainee explained, as they all stared at the holographic image in front of them. "It's appearance matches that of moss, though it's much more massive in it's scope." She changed the image, showing them a schematic of the root structure in the ground. "Now, in order to remove it, Serenity here is going to have to sift the dirt away using her powers, and you're going to have to be slow as you do it. Any faster, and you'll rip it to pieces."  
Sere nodded. "Kings Foot on the moon had a similar fragility, so I'm prepared."

Claire shut the screen off. "Now, we don't know when the _Vigilant_ will arrive, so three people will stay here with the droids, while the rest of us go and search the root out. Serenity has to be in the group."

Ginny nodded. "Fortunately, I have just the way to figure out who goes, and who stays." She pulled out some straws. "Short straws stays put. Long straw goes. As Sere is going to go, she's exempt."

Hermione sighed. "Do you always carry straws around?" she asked, as she pulled one out.

Ginny simply smiled.

"I can't believe that I'm not going," Ginny groused, sitting down. "And don't you dare say anything, Threepio!"  
Threepio stared at her. "Oh, I won't say anything about those circumstances. Personally, you are much better company than that trooper." Artoo beeped sympathetically.

Ginny sighed. "Alright. So, whose up for a game of chess?"

"You all do realize that we are walking through a swamp," Ron said, nose wrinkling. They had been walking several hours, and he decided that this was a good time to mention that little detail.

"Don't remind us, Handsome," Claire groused. "I've forgotten how much marshes smell."

"That makes two of us." Serena avoided a pile of something green. "Is that food?"  
"Let's just say it used to be food."  
Obi-Wan controlled his impulse to gag. He and Anakin could control every aspect of their involuntary processes, thus allowing them to function normally.

Anakin looked up. "What was then name of that one planet with that one particular marsh, Master?"  
"Terik Prime, and it wasn't one marsh. It was ten marshes fifty miles wide, and they were all filled with poisonous fumes." The Jedi Knight smiled. "There are no poisonous fumes here, only normal."

"Speak for yourself," Padme grumbled. "Unlike you two, the rest of us don't have the ability to shut off our sense of smell."

"Hear, hear," Hermione asserted.

Harry chuckled, enjoying the banter. He had smelled worse, so he wasn't too affected. "Let's take a break. We've been walking for a few hours, and Ron might collapse on some animal's excretions."

Ha, ha, and ha." Ron found a log to sit on. "I liked you better when you weren't at Hermione's level of intelligence."

Hermione grinned. "But I like him a lot more now. It means I actually have someone to argue philosophy with."  
Ron turned his glare to her. "I liked you better when you just lectured us."

"I can still do that! Just with some attitude!"  
"That's what I'm afraid of."

Harry nodded. "I wonder how people do this without dying from the stench," he wondered.

"Human tenacity, Harry." Hermione smiled. "Ron's the poster boy for it."  
Ron perked up quickly. "Hey, I'm good for something."

"Apparently, Handsome." Claire threw a ration pack to him. "Here, we might as well eat something."  
Pluto turned to Harry. "'Handsome?'" she asked.

"Long story made short, Claire's nickname for him."

"You are all crazy." Padme pulled out a ration pack of her own, sniffed it. "Smells like old hyperdrive fuel," she said, grimacing.

"Tastes like it too." Anakin took a bite. "We've been eating this stuff for the last year."

Darien watched as Serena polished off one part of the ration pack, going for another bar. He turned to observe Sere, who was doing much the same thing. "Must run in the family," he murmured.

Sere looked up. "Holding the Silver Crystal has a tendency to take up a great deal of energy, so we have to eat a lot of food to restore it. Even if we no longer use it."

"Well, that's gotta suck."

"Not really, Darien. It means that we're not too picky."

Pluto smiled. "Well, that's the truth."

Angemon would have retorted, but decided against it. Instead, he took a look around. "We're making good time, all things considering."

"Which includes the little fact that we're walking through a marsh with fog rolling in," Hermione stated, closing her eyes for a moment. "If we're lucky, we should be halfway there by the end of the day."

Ron looked up. "I take it there's some sort of lab on the shuttle."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The only vessel's that have labs on them are the science ships. And none of them are armed."

"Then we need to get it back to Lunar," Sere said firmly. "The labs in Vane are more than advanced enough. It will still take several days for us to find a viable antidote. And to top it all off, it will have to be administered to Mina immediately."  
"Very little margin of area," Anakin guessed.

"Unfortunately, but there's nothing else we can do."

Harry sighed, shutting his ration pack. "Then we better get moving. The sooner we get that root, the better."

Padme turned to the trooper, who had been silent the whole time. "Take point," she ordered. "If you see anything out of the ordinary, alert us immediately."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ginny sighed, leaning back in her chair. She was _sooooo_ bored! Artoo wasn't the best droid to try and have a conversation, unless she quickly learned how to interpret those whistles. Threepio was entirely _too_ talkative for his own good, making Ginny wonder who had built the damn robot in the first place. And, of course, the trooper was outside, keeping an eye out for anything that wasn't indigenous.

So she was pretty much alone...and slowly falling asleep.

Something on the console beeped, rousing her from her stupor. Sitting up, blinking her eyes for a moment, she checked the small screen. What she saw was what they had all expected, but not what she liked seeing. "Damn," she grumbled, picking up her communicator. "Weasley to Team Leader."

"Potter here. What's up, Ginny?"

Ginny took a breath. She didn't like being the bearer of bad news, but it had to be done. "The _Vigilant's _here, and she's brought along some backup. Five Trade Federation ships."  
_"How do you know they're Trade Federation?"_ Obi-Wan asked.

"A sphere with an almost complete circle around it sound about right?"

"Sounds correct."

Ginny nodded. "It's a safe bet they know we're here, and that they're sending troops done to stop us."

"We'll alert the others. Ginny, shut off all power except communications. Potter out."

"Got it." Ginny thumbed the intercom. "Trooper, better get back inside."Sighing, she shut off communications, then began powering the shuttle down. That was the easy part.

Now came the hard part...the waiting.

A Federation troop transport landed in the jungle, almost fifty miles away from the small group. Immediately opening, it started releasing battle and destroyer droids in perfect formation.

As that was occurring, a series of golden green lights suddenly appeared, the sign of a Sunak transporter at work. It ended, leaving behind almost a hundred Telazian and Reman warriors, all looking imposing in their battle armor. At the head of them, there stood a powerful female Reman, with the markings of command on her armor. She obtained that rank through her exemplary work throughout the years.

Lieutenant R'Carra, head of the _Vigilant's_ strike forces, took a look around, breathing in the murky air. Satisfied with the conditions, she turned to her troops. Personally picked by her, they were the best of the best.

A skinny battle droid approached. "All forces are deployed. We are ready for instructions."  
R'Carra winced. The droid's voice was irritating to her ears. "Ssssssplit up into groupssss of four," she hissed, her serpentine tongue flicking in and out of her mouth. "Sssssearch the jungle. Find them. And when you do... disssspossssse of them." She turned to her own troops. "Do you undersssssstand? _Find them!"_

Her troops saluted, then broke off in predetermined groups, heading in different directions. Satisfied, R'Carra led her group down one jungle path.

Sere sighed, thanking her own mother for her necessity to have her learn survival training. Otherwise, walking through the swamp's of Dagobah would really be unpleasant.

Serena, having no such training, was nevertheless handling it rather well. It also helped that she had been to places a lot worse than a swamp.

Harry apparently had had experience with similar circumstances, was keeping up rather well himself. In fact, the only one was even the slightest difficulty was Padme. Obviously, she wasn't given jungle terrain training during her studies to become a senator. She didn't complain, which was a token to her resiliency and spirit.

Dusk was falling when they decided to stop for the night. Hermione staggered over to a tree, propping her pack on it before sinking down next to it. She was understandably tired, and so were the rest of them. Many of them were just hoping to get a few hours of sleep before they had to leave.

And the Force decided to send a disturbance their way, thereby ruining their chances for that.

The two Jedi and one Guardian student suddenly perked up, their perceptions alerting them of incoming. They shot up quickly, lightsabers out, and ready for use.

Harry's gaze sharpened. "What?"

Obi-Wan looked around, finally, staring in one direction. "Droids," he replied. "Battle and Droideka's."

Harry nodded, taking the words at face value. "Hermione?" he asked. One word, but Hermione grasped it. She began sliding her says out of their holsters. He turned to Ron, who was unclipping his plasma rifle

Angemon turned around, his helmet feeding him a sensor mage of the entire surround. "More bad news," he reported. "I have five Sunak soldiers on an intercept course." He turned around. "We need to get moving now."

Claire nodded, her grip on her own lightsaber tightening slightly. "Ben, Anakin, Sunak foot soldiers use energy weapons similar to our lightsabers when they engage in hand to hand combat. Also, they are resistant to Force abilities. If they show up, you better hope to god that you have the luck of the banshee."

"Understood."

Sailor Moon looked around. "Then we better get moving," she suggested. "I really don't want to be here when they arrive."

Moving quickly, adrenaline pumping through their bodies, they went on their way.

The figure in the distance smirked as he watched them move. "Talk about preparing for a fight," he said. "I put as much effort into my wife after she gets angry at me." He found his gaze moving towards Pluto. "Now there's a gorgeous specimen!"

Chuckling to himself, he started leaping over to where they were, keeping his eyes open. After all, the Sunak and the Trade Federation weren't the only creatures after them.

R'Carra halted for a moment, bringing a hand up and closing it. Taking the hint, her fellows stopped.

Looking down, she observed the ground, then sniffed the air, catching a faint scent. "They ssssssstopped here," she stated gruffly. "And then went in that direction." She observed the droids. "Come. We have a group of humansssssss to kill."

"Roger, roger!" The lead droid piped.

The three Reman's in the group hissed in disgust at this. Their people didn't like droids too much.

Hermione finally stumbled, having tripped over a root. "We can't keep going, not in this fog!" she finally blurted out. "Not if we want to have our limbs intact!"  
Padme nodded, the adrenaline rush fading. "We might as well stop for a few hours, and rest." She pulled her blaster out. "I'll take first watch."  
Angemon got up. "I'll help you with that."  
"So will I," Harry added, too keyed up to sleep at that moment.

For six hours, they stood guard, taking shifts until the sun rose, bathing the ground with very pale luminance. Immediately, they set out again.

Unaware that some of the mist was moving along with them.

Jupiter stared, unblinking, into the medical bay where Mina lay, her mind grappling with what she was seeing. Her very being was sickened by this kind of battle, where the enemy couldn't be defeated by mere physical power, or weapons of any kind. She preferred an opponent that she could face outright.

Lilika stood next to, watching as Madame Pomfrey, Joe, and Sailor Mercury struggled to keep her alive. It had only been a day since their friends had gone through the Stargate, and yet it seemed like ages. "I wish there was some way that I could help," she confessed abruptly.

Jupiter sighed. "So do I." Suddenly, she burst out, "I hate this! She's dying in there while we're out here, helpless to do anything!"

"Perhaps being here is enough for now."

"Yeah, maybe."

"And besides," Lilika continued, "if the entirety of the Alliance were to have gone through the Stargate, then there would be no one here to help defend Vane."

The Thunder Senshi had to concede that point. As a soldier, her skills were more useful in open battle. But still, the inactivity didn't settle well with her

Lilika looked at her. "I don't know how things work out on that world they are on, but I do know that they will never give up."

"I just hope they get back soon," Jupiter replied, sighing.

"So do I."

Ron watched with a discreet eye as Harry and Hermione argued about something or other quietly to each other. He was a little concerned about how the two of them were acting around each other. And while they hadn't ignored him at all, it only made it more disconcerting.

And beside him, Claire was watching him expectantly. "Something on your mind, Handsome?" she asked.

"Two things. One: why do you call me 'Handsome?'"

"Because I find you cute, and that's my little nickname or you. What's the other one?"  
"Them." Ron jerked a thumb in his two best friend's direction.

"Ah."

"They just seem to be..."

"...getting closer."

"Yeah." The red head turned to look at her. "How'd you know I was going to say that?"

Claire looked at the two in question. "Now, as you probably have already guessed, Harry's parent's were Guardians. Well, it's not uncommon for two who are of the same abilities to grow attached to each other." She smiled understandably. "You have a crush on her, don't you?" she asked.

Ron blushed. "I'm that obvious?"  
"Just to me."

"Oh, thank God." Ron frowned a bit. "But that's not all," he added. "I mean, Harry's has had almost everything handed to him, even if he never wanted it. He has fan clubs, girls who want to date him, and boys who want to be him. My family had to work tooth and nail to keep what we already had, so I can't really blame Fred and George for their desire to make money. And the Weasley name...is laughed at by a lot of our peers."

"Hmm..." Claire thought it over. She, like all, Guardians, couldn't really understand how the less unfortunate souls survived, as all of them were extremely rich. "Ron, Harry would be happy to help out with your expenses. In addition to the money in his vault, he has over seven hundred trillion credits in his Zion account. That would be enough to last your family for the next four thousand years."  
"No, I don't think my parents would accept any money from Harry, or anyone else for that matter."

"Pride?"  
"No, at least I hope it isn't pride. But once, just once, I want Harry to just be...Harry. Not the Boy-Who-Lived, not the Guardian Trainee. Just Harry."

Claire nodded sadly. "You know what? I think that's all he wants too," she said quietly. "Unfortunately, some thing's will not be denied." She observed her lightsaber. "Handsome, there are three classifications for people. There are those to whom fame comes easily, even if they don't want it. There are those who fame is earned through years and years of hard effort. And then there are those who will never be remembered for any reason."

"You sure know how to make someone feel better, Claire," Ron stated sarcastically.

"Huh...oh!" Claire blushed. "I wasn't hinting that you were part of the last group! I just think you need a little bit of help."  
Ron nodded, appeased, and opened his mouth to say something.

It ended in a yelp of surprise as a burly Sunak soldier slammed into him from behind.

R'Carra put her hand to her ear. "Yessssss?" she asked.

"We've found them! Now engaging!"

"Make sssssssure there issssssss nothing left!"

Every single one of them turned around at that startled yelp, saw Claire get punched, saw Ron scrabbling to get up, and saw a Telazian stand above them, an energy weapon in his hand.

Anakin reacted quickly, his lightsaber igniting the second it had left his belt. He jumped, using the Force to keep him on target. And it did, his lightsaber halting the sword before it could swing down fully. He pushed back, sending the Telazian stumbling.

Obi-Wan's lightsaber was out as well, a blue blade coming out, while Sere pulled out the Crescent Moon Wand.

Serena eyeballed it for a moment. "I was wondering where that had gone to," she said.

Sere shrugged. "I just got it back." She brought it up, bringing her magic into play. "Here's something you wouldn't have thought possible, Serena."

An energy blade shot out of it, similar to the Jedi's, though white. She whirled the new weapon around for a moment, before going into a battle position.

Angemon's staff was out, as were Harry's and Hermione's weapons. Sailor Moon brought the Moon Scepter into play, gripping it like it was a club. Padme pulled out her blaster, checked the charge, then set it for stun. Bringing it up, she aimed, and fired.

At the same time, Anakin moved out of the way, and the coruscating blue beam slammed his opponent full in the chest. He staggered back, surprised, and Ron capitalized on this, slamming his foot into the Telazian's chin. He finished up with a frontal strike, taking him out of the picture. He sure taught him never to attack someone from behind ever again.

Unfortunately, that still left four very powerful warriors to deal with. Four very powerful, very well trained warriors. And they were all armed.

Hermione was already lashing out, striking at one of them viciously, who retaliated in kind. He kicked her, then whirled to block Angemon's attack.

Meanwhile, a small cloud of smoke was gathering, unnoticed, becoming more potent, and rising behind Padme. And as she was preparing to shift targets, she had no idea that she was going to attacked.

Anakin, whose mind was on the fight he was engaged in, still felt the threat to his wife instinctively. "Padme's in trouble!" he said quietly to his master.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Go."

Quickly, Anakin's lightsaber whirled around as he turned around, heading for where the smoke was consolidating.

The Naboonian senator suddenly had a prickling sensation going down her back. Quickly turning, she was just in time to see a cybernetic warrior, decked in some kind of metal armor appear, staring at her coldly.

Smoke: One of Outworld's more formidable fighters, Smoke is a Lin Quei assassin who possesses the ability to become his namesake. He is a powerful fighter whose skills have been handed down throughout the generations.

Smoke's foot lashed out, catching Padme in the stomach, knocking her back a dozen feet to land next to a tree. He quickly turned around, his foot lashing out to catch Anakin in the thumb, breaking his grip on his lightsaber. His fist caught him dead in the face, forcing him back. "EXTERINATION SQUAD, ATTACK!" he ordered.

Almost immediately, forty ninja garbed warriors appeared from behind the trees, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Oh, shit," Harry muttered, seeing the newest dancers.

Pluto sighed. "I don't get paid enough for this."

Anakin finally shook the cobwebs off, and focused on Smoke...who at that precise moment had once again focused on Padme. Taking the split second that he had, he let the Force flow through him, as well as a massive wall of adrenaline. Then he charged forward, leaping up and delivering a powerful kick to Smoke's face.

Padme watched as her assailant stumbled from the blow to his face, then sent a look of gratitude to her husband-in-secret before getting up. Her eyes then widened as she saw the squad approach, all of them ready to kill. One thing's for certain, they sure didn't teach her combat skills in her political courses.

However, she was a fast learner.

Getting up, she avoided the first attack, then grabbed the ninja's arm, flipping him on his back, then kicking him in the face...hard. She quickly picked up his weapon, then used it to block an incoming strike.

Hermione was next to her immediately, blocking several attacks, and retaliating in kind, slashing their chest, and knocking them out with her feet.

Obi-Wan struck hard and fast, matching blows with a Reman possessing an energy staff , similar in design to the lightsaber staff that some Jedi liked to use rarely. They had been warned about this, but to actually see it wasn't a ringing endorsement.

Claire sat up, rubbing her nose for a moment. "Geez, that hurt!" she stated.

"You were bloody punched!" Ron helped her up. "Come on, we've got to help them!"

Claire nodded, then activated her lightsaber, igniting a golden blade, while Ron removed his plasma rifle. The two nodded, then charged into the fray.

Pluto and Darien were doing remarkably well, helping Padme deal with the extermination warriors. Soon, Ron and Claire wadded into their midst, striking left and right.

Anakin and Smoke fought for a few moments, pummeling each other's defenses methodically...which changed quickly when Smoke slammed into the young Jedi with a forearm strike directly to the chest. Anakin flipped in a circle, landing on his feet, and took a kick to the jaw. He was on his back in a moment, unable to believe the speed and strength of his opponent. However, he could still see well enough to see the foot come down for a finishing blow, and quickly rolled out of the way.

Harry and Serena stood head to toe with the third Reman warrior, who brought out an energy sword, and launched himself forward quickly, launching the first strike.

Harry blocked, and let Moon come in, scepter swinging. She forced the soldier back, then fired low level burst from her weapon, knocking him into a tree.

Obi-Wan ducked a vicious over head slash, then came up, lightsaber moving upward like a current of air, aiming to cut the energy staff in half. The Telazian did it for him, though, sliding the two pieces apart so he held two swords. The Jedi was soon blocking for all he was worth.

Sere quickly came in, her own energy blade blocking a particularly deadly blow, then settled with evening out the playing field. Forced to fight two targets, the Telazian was hard pressed to retaliate.

Anakin blocked several blows, then lashed out with a kick to Smoke's metal face, taking him down again. This small bit of good fortune was quickly evened out when Smoke retaliated with a kick of his own, knocking Anakin in a loop. He flew several feet, using the Force to slow his descent, so that when he landed, he landed on his feet. Staring at his opponent, he called his lightsaber to him.

Smoke, however, didn't have that type of weapon. Nor did he need it. Bringing his arms into a particular position, he stood at complete attention.

A small compartment opened on his chest plate, revealing a missile launcher within... with a missile ready for launch.

The young Jedi looked behind him, saw Padme and Hermione fighting the ninjas, saw that Obi-Wan and Sere were fighting one of the Remans, and saw Ron and Claire charging towards them. And they were all behind him. If he jumped to evade, they would be in the way.

'This could be a bit of a problem,' he thought, even as another plan came to the forefront of this thoughts. He just hoped that he could do it with a mobile object.

Angemon's staff knocked his opponents weapon out of his hands, then leaped in circle, slamming both of his feet into the Reman's jaw with enough force to break most humanoid's jaws. The Reman was lifted off of his feet, before landing on the ground, an insensate heap on the ground.

The missile launched, it's target very obvious. And it wasn't going to miss.

It wasn't even going to hit.

Anakin would make sure of that.

Anakin let the Force flow through him, allowed it to fill him up until he was one with it. Then, he put it to use by grabbing the projectile while it was in the air, slowing it down, while angling it upward into the sky. He held onto it until it had reached a certain altitude, then released it, letting it explode.

Unfortunately, it also left him open to a counterattack. And Smoke obliged.

A hailstorm of kicks suddenly rained upon him, making his elbows bruised, like he had been smashed with a piece of wood. His defenses held though for a time.

That changed when Smoke changed his attack pattern, suddenly relaxing, and forcing Anakin to move forward slightly. Then he struck hard, his elbow catching the young boy in the side of the head. His foot came up, connecting with his chin. And finally, he kicked him into one of the trees...hard.

Sere finally got an opportunity to strike back, punching the Reman in his gut, then doing a three prong finger jab at his throat. While the Reman gagged, Obi-Wan finished the fight up with a Force enhanced punch, knocking him out.

The soldiers out of the way, everyone turned in time to see Smoke line up with Anakin, his launcher opening again.

"Can we make it?" Pluto asked.

Padme shook her head, gazing at the scene fearfully.

Anakin stood up fully, his lightsaber out and ready. There was no way for him to stop it, but he wasn't going take it laying down.

And then someone else decided to interfere.

The missile was barely out of it's silo when a katana suddenly came bearing down, slicing it in half. The detonation caught Smoke full in the face, smashing his face mask. He flew back through air, landing in a swamp about fifteen feet away, smoking, if you pardon the pun.

Anakin blinked, scarcely able to comprehend what had just happened. One second, he was facing certain doom, the next, he was staring at the flat end of a katana.

"Well," the newcomer said, grinning, "that was kinda fun."

Pluto gaped at him for a second. He was a strong looking specimen of a man, with brown-black hair, blue-green eyes, and strong features. _'He's so handsome,'_ she thought, then frowned. _'And old. I can feel his age.'_

Panting, Claire deactivated her lightsaber, clipping back on her belt. "Well, wasn't that enlightening?" she groused.

"Oh, yeah," Ron replied sarcastically. "Loads of fun. You okay, Claire?"

"Nothing hurt but my pride...and jaw."

Padme stared at the man in front of them. "Sir, who are you, and how did you do that?"  
The man grinned. "You guys can call me Akalon, the Timelord. And how I did that was because of the fact that my katana just happens to be stronger than a little missile." He turned his attention to Harry and Hermione. "You two sure know how to kick some ass, you know that?" He set his eyes on Pluto. "_Enchante', mademoiselle_," he said in greeting, lifting her hand and brushing his lips over her glove.

Pluto blushed a little, then said, "Pleasure to make you acquaintance, sir. Now, why are you here?"  
Akalon jerked a thumb at the raven haired wizard. "I'm keeping tabs on him. Though judging by the state of his combat skills, I think I should be keeping more tabs on the Jedi!" He laughed at Anakin's indignant expression. "Don't worry, lad! I'm not staying long. In fact, I was just leaving." His smile vanished. "And you all should, too."

"Good idea," the trooper stated sarcastically. "Why didn't any of us think of that?"

The Timelord looked at him for a second. "A clone with a sarcastic wit," he muttered. "Corporal, you do know that you are the genetic duplicate of Jango Fett, right?" The trooper nodded. "Okay, just wanted to make sure." He waved. "Bye, ya all!"

And he vanished. Just like that.

Sere blinked, then traded glances with Serena. "Did he just...?" she asked.

"I think so." Serena stared at the spot the Timelord had just occupied. "Weird man. Reminded me of Gomamon."  
Pluto bit back a grin. Gomamon had never looked so good.

Padme picked her blaster up, checking it over. "Well, we better take his advice and get out of here, before reinforcements show up." She started moving in the original direction they were going. The others quickly followed her.

R'Carra and her small force reached the area of the battle, stopping at what they saw.

One of her soldiers stepped up to her. "What do you think, ma'am?"

R'Carra hissed. "They have a Guardian," she replied irritably. "And Missssster Potter and Misssssss Granger are more dangeroussssss than we originally assssssssumed." She gestured to their unconscious comrades. "Revive them, find Ssssssssmoke, and mark hisssssss possssstion for an Outworld recovery team."

"Lieutenant!"

"Yesssssssss?"

The Reman grinned. "They went thissssss way," he reported, pointing in one direction.

R'Carra nodded. "Exxxxxcellent. Once they are revived, we move out. Alert all units to converge on those coordinates."

_"Looks like you were right, Ginny," _Harry stated. _"And they're well trained."_

Ginny groaned. "Great, just great. They aren't going to make this easy for us, are they?"

"Guess not," Serena replied cheekily._ "They seem hell bent on stopping us. What I don't get is why?"_

Serena replied cheekily. 

"That makes two of us." Ginny leaned forward. "But we can't stop now. Talk to you in a few hours."

"In a few hours, then. Potter out." The comm went dead.

Sighing, Ginny got up, heading for the aft compartment. "Enjoying the conversation?" she asked the trooper.

The trooper winced. "I don't know what Skywalker did, but this droid talks more than most gossipers."

"You've noticed this, huh?" She walked over to the food stores, pulling out a package. "You want anything?"  
"No thanks. I think I'll just sit here and let my ear lobes throb for a bit."

Ginny nodded in sympathy.

"This is it!" Claire said the next day. "The Dycan Root is down there."

Everyone crowded around her, staring downward. Ron grimaced. "You have to got be bloody kidding me."

The hill descended almost twenty feet, spanning almost forty miles in diameter. And it was a small lake.

Harry sighed. "Sere, you sure you want to go down there?" he asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Sere retorted. "And besides, I've been in worse places." She hoisted her backpack onto her back. "Alright, Mister Skywalker, Miss Amidala, Mister Weasley, and Miss Damont, come with me. The rest of you, please wait here, in case they show up."

Serena sighed. "Don't you mean, when they show up?" she asked. "Mother...be careful."

"I'll be as careful as the three legged mouse, because that's how I feel like right now." Sere nodded. "Well, everyone, let's get wet." She started down the hill, the other three right behind her.

Ginny was dozing in her seat, like she had done for the last few days, when an alert sounded off on the sensor grid. Sitting up, blinking for a moment to get the grit out of her eyes, she checked the image.

Instantly, she called the trooper up to the cockpit. "Can you fly this ship?" she demanded.

"Well, yes. It was part of my training."

"Then fly this ship straight to the others exact position! I'm going to power up the turbo laser cannons!"  
"Understood, Miss Weasley."

Ginny shot out of the cockpit, heading for the aft laser compartments.

Ron looked around, shivering a bit in the water. "This fog's thicker than pea soup," he grumbled.

"And that gives the Sunak the advantage. Telazian's and Reman's eyesight are evolved to see through conditions through these," Claire replied. "And they love the water."

"Wonderful. I'm going to have to change my clothes when we get back to the shuttle. And I hope Hogwarts has a good health plan."

Padme smiled. "Don't worry, Ron. All we have to do is get that root, then get back to the shuttle. We have plenty of time."

"I think that's what's worrying him," Anakin replied. "And that's what's worrying me, too."

While the discussion was taking place, Sere kneeled in front of a plant. "We have an intact root structure here," she said in triumph.

Padme looked at the plant for second. "How do we dig it out, then?"  
"Very carefully. It'll take about thirty minutes to remove it from the ground, and I will need complete concentration." Sere focused her attention on the task at hand, using all of her mystical energy to begin shifting the dirt, exposing the root structure.

Anakin, who could sense disturbances on planets light years away, picked them up first. "You better hurry up," he said. "The Sunak are approaching."  
Obi-Wan activated his light saber, bringing it up into a defensive position. "We've got incoming. Better get ready."

That was confirmed when battle droids began emerging from the fog, blasters already firing at their targets.

And behind them, the Sunak regiments.

"There's too many of them!" Pluto shouted, her staff whirling in a circle. "Down the hill, now!" She turned. "Angemon, Sailor Moon! Let's turn these things into scrap!"  
Angemon nodded, then brought his fist up. "_Hand of Fate_!"

"Moon Scepter Activation!"

"Pluto Deadly Scream!" Pluto bellowed.

Pluto's attack destroyed the first four Droidekas that came within range, the sheer power of it overloading their shields rather handily. Sailor Moon and Angemon's attacks, which were continuous, started taking out whatever Battle Droids came into their line of sight. Not a difficult thing, seeing as those droids only had preprogrammed responses and tactics. The Trade Federation didn't want their droids to think for themselves.

However, the Reman's and Telazian's behind those battle droids were an entirely different matter. Trained to think on their feet, and trained to fight against any opponents, they were considerably more dangerous than the clones. A fact proven when one of them stabbed the trooper right through the heart.

The three of them began falling back down the hill as the battle droids and Sunakian soldiers started overwhelming their position, taking out chunks of the machines as they did so. The humanoids merely activated their weapons, staying back long enough for the droids to be destroyed, then moved in themselves, weapons flashing.

Darien unleashed what appeared to be a garden's worth of roses, blocking with his staff in his other hand. He was like a spinning top, cape whirling around him as he continuously blocked strike after strike.

Sailor Moon punched one soldier in the jaw, swept another one's legs from underneath her, then blocked another strike with her scepter.

Obi-Wan blocked and countered, using the Force to give him a mathematical precision to his blows. It served him well, keeping him alive.

Harry turned. "Ron, stay here. The rest of you, with me!" He charged for the battle, blade out, the others right behind him.

Their entering the fray temporarily stalled the advance of the enemy, but only stalled them. They fought brilliantly, but sheer numbers still could do the job. And the Droids had no real desire to enjoy the killing. They were simply built to obey.

The Sunak, on the other hand, were out for blood.

Ron brought his weapon up, aiming it. "How much longer?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Just a few more minutes!" Sere grunted back in reply, sweat beading her brow. She had never had to use her powers for such an extended period of time, and it was starting to take it's toll on her. Still, she continued on.

And so the battle raged on, with the small group slowly being pushed back, though still doing a great deal of damage in the process.

And what was more, they had entered into Ron's firing range. "_Down!_" he bellowed, bringing his weapon up, pointing it in the direction of the enemy.

With a final burst of magic, the root system was finally revealed, which thankfully wasn't a great deal. Quickly, she put it into a container, sealing it in. "Got it!" She stood up, though she was trembling from extreme weakness.

"Great!" Anakin parried like mad. "Unfortunately, we're not going anywhere, unless you've got a magic portal that you can call here!"

Sere decided not to reply sarcastically, instead bringing out the Wand. She was still weak, but she would have to make do with good old fashion adrenaline.

However, before she could take a step forward, an arm snaked its way around her neck. Gasping, she felt another hand rip the container from her grasp. "Hold!" she heard a Reman hiss to the others.

Serena turned around in surprise. "Mother!"  
R'Carra glared at the group. "Sssssssssurender, or she diessssssss!"

Obi-Wan brought his lightsaber up, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were surrounded. "If you kill her, then nothing will stop us," he informed her calmly.

"And what of thissssssss root? Do you want to risssssssk it being damaged?"

Harry put a hand on Serena's shoulder, steadying her. "Don't make any rash moved," he whispered. "Wait for the right moment to attack." He took a step forward. "Why are you taking orders from Beryl?" he asked. "You're better than that. You're better than her!"  
"It issssss not for you to assssssk quesssstionsssss!" R'Carra hissed, her grip tightening a bit. "Now put your weaponssssss, and put your handsssssss up!"  
_No!_ Sere wanted to shout, but her supply was cut off, so she couldn't say anything. And she knew that Serena wouldn't sacrifice anyone's life.

Claire didn't budge. "No one do anything. They'll kill us anyway. That's what their orders entail."  
"Are you willing to risssssk Sssssssserenity'ssssss life on that?" the lieutenant asked.

Claire brought her lightsaber up. "Am I wrong?" she asked.

R'Carra shook her head. "No. Very good human. A pity." She nodded. "Kill them!"  
And then the ground underneath one of the remaining battle druids exploded.

"Got one!" Ginny shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "I am good!" She toggled her communicator. "Hey, guys! The cavalry is here!"

"Kudos to you and your impeccable timing!" Sailor Moon replied, sounding jubilant. _"As you can see, we have a bit of a situation here!"_

Sailor Moon replied, sounding jubilant. 

"So I've noticed, and we're here to pick you up! Stand by!" Ginny switched to the intercom. "Bring us about, trooper! Artoo, open the shuttle door! Threepio...buckle up!  
_"Oh, dear, this is why I hate space travel!" _Threepio replied.

Ginny giggled, then shut off the comm system, heading for the disembarking area.

R'Carra's grip slackened a bit in surprise...and Sere capitalized on that, ramming her elbow into the Reman's gut. When she folded over, releasing her grip on the Moon warrior, she quickly grabbed the container from her grip. As she moved out of the way, Claire came in, golden blade flashing.

R'Carra rolled underneath the attack, and activated her own energy blade, meeting the next attack head on. She retaliated with a series of vicious blows, electrical power emanating from each attack.

Sailor Moon ran over to her 'first' mother, grabbing her by her waist. "Ginny, prepare for your first rescue!" she shouted, as the shuttle door opened. "And alley-oop!"  
Sere yelped in surprise as her daughter threw her upward. She yelped again as Ginny's surprisingly strong grip fastened itself around her wrist, hauling her into the shuttle.

Anakin used the Force to propel his wife, then Darien into the shuttle, before parrying a particularly brutal attack from a particularly burly Telazian, who wielded a weapon shaped like a mace.

Obi-Wan parried another strike, kicking another one away. "Anakin, get out of here!" he shouted.

"You first, Master!" Anakin used the Force again, this time forcing the Telazian back. He moved over to where his instructor was, watching his back. "Go, I'll cover you!"

Obi-Wan, conceding defeat, jumped into the shuttle, followed by Anakin.

Claire parried again, forcing R'Carra back and knocking her down, then turned to see Ron fall from a blow one warrior delivered. She saw him raise his weapon, and moved with a touch of panic.

So did her lightsaber.

So did the Reman's head...off of his shoulders. The body remained upward for a moment longer, before falling to the ground.

Ron brought his head up, spitting water out of his mouth, and stared at the head of his assailant for a second in shock. Looking up, he stared at Claire.

Claire stared back at him. "It was either you, or him. Not a tough choice."

Ron nodded, then got up, picking up her deactivated lightsaber. His eyes widened. "Claire!" he shouted, tossing her it.

Claire caught it, reactivated it, then turned to block another attack from R'Carra.

Harry and Hermione each punched their opponents, pumping almost half of their strength into the attacks. This served to hurtle them almost twenty feet away. They didn't bother lingering, instead leaping into the shuttle.

Angemon struck out with all his might, his staff breaking one Telazian's leg. He flew upward, landing next to Harry. "You all okay?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "We're fine. You?"

"I've been better."

Anakin looked down. "Pluto, Ron, and Claire are still down there!"

Obi-Wan turned around. "Anakin, have the pilot bring the shuttle down a few more feet. I don't think Mister Weasley can jump as high as the rest of us."

"Yes, Master!"  
Pluto called all of her powers into play, blasting the remaining Droidekas into so much scrap metal. She quickly sped herself up, her abilities over time allowing her to become faster than her opponents.

Ron fired shots out of his rifle, forcing the soldiers to scatter. It also served to keep them off of Claire, who had her hands full with their commander.

Claire whirled like a top, fighting with a skill that surprised even Master Yoda. And that was only the preliminary training for a Guardian.

R'Carra blocked time and time again, her experience in the fight's against the Goa'uld serving her well. It brought the confrontation to a standstill.

The shuttle dropped lower, until it had reached a height where Claire and Ron could get onboard. And Claire did do so, kicking Claire in the back of the head as she did so.

However, Ron didn't have that option. He was a wizard, though. And he knew a spell that would help.

"Wingardium Leviosar!" he intoned, pointing his wand at himself. Instantly, he started floating upward, as the shuttle flew overhead.

Harry grabbed him by his arm, hauling him inside. "I didn't know that a simple levitation charm could do that" he said, impressed.

Ron frowned. "I just thought of the first spell that came up. I didn't know that it could do that either."  
"Pluto!" Serena shouted. "Jump!"

Pluto fired one last shot out, then leaped up, wincing as one last shot grazed her leg. Landing in the shuttle, she staggered, rubbing the area fretfully.

Ginny slammed the intercom button. "Get us out of here!" Immediately, the shuttle started ascending, out of range of the Sunak's blasters.

R'Carra crawled over to where the fallen Reman was. Upon seeing his headless body, she hissed in grief.

Sere clutched the container like it was a lifeline. "We did it," she whispered.

Serena grinned. "Yeah, we did. We can head back now."

Padme looked at her. "It's not that simple. We still need to get past the blockade."

Ginny nodded. "How do we do that?" she asked.

Pluto shook her head. "I don't know. I'm all out of tricks, now."

Angemon sighed. "And despite all of my new found powers, I don't think I can breathe in space."

Darien grasped the problem. "So, the minute we breach the atmosphere..."  
"...They will blow us out of space," Obi-Wan finished. "Unless we can penetrate their shields-"

Claire suddenly jumped up in revelation. "That's it!" she shouted. "Ben, you're a genius!" She turned around. "Angemon, you have all of Angelus's powers, only at a reduced level! And since a Guardian can do anything..."  
"...especially use kinetic energy into a turbo laser battery!" Angemon finished. "And we have two cannon turrets!"

"Pick one! I'll take the other!" Claire turned around.

"Wait."

All movement stopped as everyone turned in the direction Serena. "What?" Claire asked, surprised.

Serena grinned. "You've done enough." She took a breath. "I'll do it." She moved for the other cannon. "Guys, tell them to raise shields."  
Darien nodded. "Good luck, love."

Serena nodded, grinning as she went down the ladder.

R'Carra stormed onto the _Vigilant's_ bridge, furious. "B'Fokra isssssss dead!" she hissed.

Zarad and Klagh traded glances. "I served with him on the _Torrent_ for six years," Klagh said, anger simmering in his pores.

Zarad nodded. "Vengeance must be satisfied. Destroy that shuttle."

Serena strapped herself into the seat, taking a moment to try and balance herself, trying to remember all the meditative techniques Rei had taught her. And, lo and behold, it came back to her.

The threat of imminent death was irrelevant.

All of their trials and tribulations were not important.

All that mattered at the moment was _the_ moment, that one moment that would dictate whether or not they were going to survive.

The outside world faded into the background as she started concentrating, slowly pumping power into the laser batteries. It was impossible for many...unless you possessed the Silver Imperium Crystal.

For the Silver Crystal was more than just a transformation device, it was also the most sophisticated power in her universe, brimming to the rim with kinetic energy. And she knew she could use it.

Concentrating on her objective, she was barely aware of the fact that they were leaving the atmosphere, or the almost immediate thumps on the shields as the blockade opened fire on them. All that mattered was the timing.

She heard Ginny over the intercom, telling her and Angemon to hurry up a bit. "Hold your horses, girl," she replied calmly. "We're almost ready." She toggled her communicator. "Angemon, are you ready?"  
_"As ready as I'll ever be. You?"_

She _felt_ the lasers reach the full power they could contain. "I am now."

Angemon grinned. "We're ready, Ginny."

"We've just lost shields. Artoo can't get them back on without compromising life support! You better fire now!"

Angemon nodded, even though Ginny couldn't see it. "Sailor Moon, fire!"

The right moment had presented itself.

The two turbo laser batteries shot out from the shuttle, sheer raw power concentrated into a single blast, heading for the Trade Federation vessel. An attack that normally would have been a suicide mission.

So it was to surprise of the other vessel's present when the two blasts punched through the seemingly impenetrable shields, still possessing enough power to destroy a slue of unshielded vessels. And it proved it by slamming into the sphere of the ship.

The vessel exploded in a spectacular fashion, spewing fire for several seconds before the vacuum of space snuffed it out. The shuttle flew on, it's progress no longer impeded.

Sailor Moon stumbled back into the main area, still unable to believe what had just happened. She fell into Darien's arms, exhausted beyond all belief. Vaguely, she heard her mother yell for Anakin to jump to hyperspace, but it didn't connect. All she could say for certain was the fact that they had made an enemy of the _Vigilant_ today.

And then sleep overtook her...

Zarad felt like bellowing in rage as the shuttle bearing B'Fokra's murderer jumped into hyperspace. Vengeance had been denied this day. "Open a portal back to Lunar immediately!" he ordered. "I will deliver my report in person.

R'Carra's eye slitted. "Claire Damont," she hissed silently to herself, as the portal director did just that, "one day, you will die. I swear it!"

Episode Forty Six is now finished, at long last. The struggle for a cure, and the fight for Nanza will make up the next Episode, as we head back into Silver Star territory. Also, another appearance from the mystery girl from the Katana of Courage episodes. See if you can guess who it is.

As I stated in the author's note last time, Akalon belongs to Akalon, a fellow reviewer. And though his time was brief in this episode, I will do an episode revolving around him. Though you'd like to know.

Concerning my other fic, I've decided that, if the story will permit it, I will do a M-Rated chapter in the future. Also, I have another M-Rated chapter coming up for this story. Once again, to all of my younger readers, you have been warned.


	49. Episode Forty Seven: Search for answers

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)

(Theme music for Justice League: Starcrossed, The Movie.)

(Pushing the T rating with a brief, very brief, scene of partial nudity.)

Episode Forty Seven: The Search for A Cure

Lemia and Pomfrey stood in the disembarking area, waiting patiently as the small group, as well as a few new arrivals, exited the wormhole, Sere clutching a canister in her hands. "I assume that you were successful?" she asked, leaning on her cane heavily.

Sere nodded, handing the canister to Pomfrey. "Get this to Mercury. She'll want to start immediately. Then get your best potion brewer here as soon as you can." She sagged. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I am going to find a quiet place to collapse." She walked out of the room, head downcast.

Lemia looked at Harry. "The _Vigilant_?"  
Harry nodded. "The _Vigilant_. They almost did us in."

Serena also nodded, then started walking out of the room. "I'm going to check on Mina," she said.

"I'll join you," Angemon stated, accompanying her as she headed in the direction of the Medical Wing.

Lemia sighed, before turning her attention to the new people. "And, you are...?" she inquired.

The bearded man bowed. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi," he replied. "This is my apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Amidala of Naboo."  
Lemia smiled for a second, as she processed the name. "Amidala...you wouldn't have a sister named Sola now, would you?"  
Padme blinked. "Yes. Why?"  
Lemia's smile faded. "I know... someone who met her once." She didn't say who, because even thinking of him made her heart ache. _'Old wounds,'_ she admonished herself, though the pang remained. _'They're not worth thinking about in this time.'_

Obi-Wan and Anakin both decided not to push her on that. It was obviously an old wound for her. One that she didn't want to deal with at this moment.

* * *

Mercury looked up as Pomfrey entered, clutching the canister. "They made it back," she stated simply.

Pomfrey nodded. "The root is in one piece. They even brought back some new friends."  
"Good to know." The Mercury Senshi stood up, stretching her arms. "Could you help Joe applying the next set of treatments? I'm going to scan the root for any impurities."  
Pomfrey nodded, handing the Dycan Root over to her. "Good luck."

"You too," Mercury replied.

* * *

The Stargate opened up again, this time revealing Snape with a cauldron and a full ingredient case. What he didn't have, he was sure that Vane would provide.

Thirty seconds later, the Stargate burst into life again, allowing Doctor Janet Fraiser to enter Vane. She took a look around, deciding that she liked the place already, before turning her attention to the Potions Master. "Professor Severus Snape?" she asked.

Snape nodded. "Doctor Fraiser," he replied in greeting. "I'm told that you're the CMO of your SGC by the Guardians. I sincerely hope that you're up to the challenge."

"Likewise." Fraiser gestured. "Lead on."

* * *

Mercury activated the screen, showing them the viral like strain, before turning to observe her audience. "As you can see, we don't have a lot of time. We have only a week and a half before this disease kills her. Now, if we can correctly create a cure, we'll effectively make sure that this never happens again."

Fraiser nodded, looking at the medical screen. "This won't be easy. I've never seen anything like this before. But then again, I've made it my business working with things I've never seen before."

Snape got up. "It works like many magical maladies, slowly siphoning a person's life force. I believe a simple potion should be sufficient."  
"It's a virus," Fraiser replied. "We'll need a vaccination to counter it."  
The disagreement would have progressed into a fight, had Mercury not cleared her throat. "You're both right," she said. "It's both, which means we're going to need a combination of the two." She brought another picture up, this time the Dycan Root. "This is the primary ingredient. If we are successful, then we'll have created a vaccination that will either suppress the virus, or destroy it altogether." She grinned. "Any questions?"

"When do we start?" Fraiser asked rhetorically.

* * *

Tai and Serena stood and watched as the Doctor, the Potions Master, and the Doctor-in-Training began their efforts to find a cure, pouring over the research, then moving around the science lab. "You think they can do this?" Tai asked.

"I hope they can," Serena replied. "All the research they need is there, except for the part on how to add the root. I just hope they can figure out how."

Tai nodded. That was the part that worried him. But there was nothing he could do. "Let me know if they've come up with something. I'm going to go talk to Lemia."  
"Feel free." Serena didn't turn her head as her fellow leader walked away, keeping her gaze on the three inside. She had absolute faith in them, but that probably wouldn't be enough to find a cure. Hence, they were going to have to be ingenious for this one.

"Hello, Serena."

The Moon Princess turned her head to stare at a young woman, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "How do you know my name?" she asked.

The girl looked at her. "I know everything about the Alliance," she replied simply. "And I would have thought that Tai and Lady Tachekawa would have told you about me."  
Suddenly, Serena put the pieces together, snapping her fingers once. "Now I know who you are! You're that girl who helped Tai back in the Cavern of Courage!"

"That's right."

"Who are you?"  
The girl shook a finger at her. "Uh, uh, that would be telling. And I can't do that. It's not as fun as you figuring it out for yourself." She looked into the room. "This sucks, sometimes. Being powerless to help someone."  
"Yeah, I've been there before."

"But you're not powerless. If you want a bit of advice, when all else fails, use moon power." She snapped her a two finger salute. "Good luck," she said, before walking away.

Serena stared after her for a second. _'Moon power? What did she mean by that?'_ she asked herself. _'What does she know that we don't?'_

* * *

Jane quickly walked out of the Magic Guild, heading for the Transmission Spring. Once she was down on the surface, she could use her latent teleportation abilities to go to Nanza. Afterwards, it would be matter of days before the Alliance showed up to aide in it's eventual defense. Once again, she was thrilled to have a front row seat for this.

Showing her passport to one of the sentries, she stepped onto the platform, disappearing in a flash.

Now she could prep Kyle for what was coming.

* * *

For almost three days, Fraiser and Mercury went through simulation after simulation, trying to determine the best way to put the root in, while Snape began adding ingredients. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the second that the root was cut, it was useless, everything they came up with was no good.

And this, in turn, led to many heated arguments between the three. And a three way argument between a doctor, a Potion Master, and a Sailor Senshi was not a pretty thing to witness.

Which is what Serena found herself entering into at the end of the week, wincing as she did so. "And Rei says I'm loud!" she shouted over the din. "You three do a good impression of Moe, times three! Shut up!"

Mercury and Fraser jumped, while Snape refrained from such a display of nerves. Grant you, having rats chew out bottom of his socks probably wouldn't phase him, either. Why should a fifteen year old girl?

"What is the matter with you three?" Serena continued, building up a full head of steam as she did so. "You're supposed to be working together!"  
Fraiser sighed. "Kid, we're having a disagreement."  
"Disagreement, my Sailor Scout ass. You three look like you're going to kill each other!"  
"That's usually what happens between doctors," Mercury replied stiffly.

"Not on my watch, it doesn't! Now, what have you tried?"  
Fraser brought one of their simulations back on the screen. "I developed the formula needed. Well, the dear Potion maker has already begun brewing the potion. Now, all we know is that we have to add the root last." She sighed. "We just don't know how we can add it. It's much too big to put into the...cauldron."  
Snape didn't even look up from his work. "You have a problem with cauldrons," he stated brusquely.

"Nothing personal. I'm just not stuck in the Middle Ages."  
Serena took her tiara off, charged it, then threw it, so it would whirl around both Snape and Fraser before returning to her hand. "Let's remember, I have a razor sharp energy Frisbee," she said quietly, as the two of them stared at her in surprise. "So why don't you keep your apparent animosity for each other's way of life to a minimum while you're here. Okay? Okay." Without waiting to hear their replies, she turned back to Mercury. "Any ideas?"

Mercury hesitated, then punched up one that she hadn't shown either of her colleagues. "Well, the only idea that is plausible is de-moleculerizing the Dycan Root, and add it that way." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I know no way to do that without destroying the root itself."

Serena nodded. While not a great thinker, she remembered a few things. Chief among them was that while mass could never be destroyed, only changed, in an energy state, it didn't someone a whole lot of good if they were creating a vaccination.

And what was more, she felt like she had a solution, but she didn't know what that solution was.

Mercury frowned as she saw something flash in her friend's eyes. "What?" she asked.

Serena shook her head. "Just thinking about someone said a couple of days ago. How if all else fails, use moon power..." she trailed off as that solution came to her, and she looked up. "That's it!"

Mercury caught on quickly enough. "Serena, you are a genius!" She went to a work console, and started punching in keys.

Fraser looked at her. "What are you doing?"  
"Adding some calculations," Mercury replied, tongue sticking out for a second. "There is something that we hadn't thought of."  
"We're listening," Snape said. "Please continue. I haven't had my know it all comment for the day."  
Serena glared at him. "Yeah, so Hermione has sooooo helpfully told us. My advice, getting a hobby."

Mercury looked up. "The Silver Imperium Crystal is capable of breaking down the molecular structure of an object, while helping it maintain a physical link. If Sailor Moon can learn how to do that, then we stand a chance of finishing the mixture." She frowned. "Of course, there are variables, like the power needed to do this, as well a mitigating factor..."

"Ames," Serena interrupted her quickly, a headache forming. "Dumb it down."  
"You only have until the cauldron's contents have matured."  
"That's all you needed to say."

Mercury sighed, inwardly this time. Her very being was into massive technical explanations, and Serena forced her to look at things simpler. It grated on her sometimes, while at other times, she was glad for it. This was one of those times.

Serena looked around. "I'm going to need a few things to practice on," she said.

Frasier nodded. "Enjoy yourself. Mercury, I need you to take a look at this..."

* * *

"That's it?" Rei asked, surprised.

"And this information came from that mystery girl I told you all about?" Mimi added, while Lemia winced in the background as a healer rotated her shoulder blade, feeding her another Healing Nut.

"In a nutshell." Serena looked around. "You guys have anything that I can use to practice with? I've got very little time."

Lemia looked at her. "The Galley. Use some of the food down there. It'll be safer for all concerned."  
"Around Serena?" Mars snorted. "You might as well tell Jupiter to become a pacifist."  
"Not helping, Pyro!"

"Quiet down!" Alex snapped from the other side of the room. He had been throughout the conversation up until that point. "Right now, she needs practice, and she needs everyone to not disturb her." He looked at her. "Good luck."

"Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm actually going to go do something worthwhile."

* * *

Lemia rotated her shoulder blade, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. "How much more of this do I have until I'm back in fighting shape?" she asked.

The Healer smiled. "Well, we've managed to repair all of the damage to your arms. Tomorrow, we'll start working on your torso. Be thankful that the damage wasn't as severe as before."  
"Well, before, I spent eight months at Gallitep, with out access to state of the art equipment and healer knowledge. I had gangrene. Now, all I have were broken legs." Lemia shifted. "Thankfully, all I feel now is a slight soreness there."

"Which means the treatments to your legs are progressing nicely. You can start physical rehab tomorrow as well."

"Oh, joy," Lemia grumbled. "And here I thought I'd be ship shape quickly." She stood up, grabbing her cane. "Are we done here?"  
"For now," the Healer replied. "See you tomorrow."

"Right." Lemia began walking out of the room, heading for Ghaleon's office. She knew Mia and Nash were looking over everything in there. She could help with that, at least.

* * *

The half mangled fruit dropped to the table, looking like it had been warped by someone who was extremely vindictive. Another attempt gone to waste.

Serena sighed. Three days. Three days had gone by, and she was making progress. It just wasn't fast enough. At this rate, she would be ready in about five or six months.

And she thought that trying to make it to her classes on time was tough.

Breathing in, she centered herself again, and picked up the next piece of fruit, setting it in front of her, and once again concentrating.

Slowly, the fruit began to dissolve, though swirling in a small orbit, still linked to the main fruit at the moment. The disassociation continued for a time, the fruit slowly disappearing until only the pit remained.

And then, even that was gone. The cloud hovered for a second, still a mass, before vanishing into thin air.

Serena stared at the now empty spot for a second, then let out a whoop of triumph. "Yes, I am sooooo good!" she exclaimed. "Lady, I owe you one!"

She had to maintain it for almost thirty seconds, but the fact that she was now able to do it was cause enough for celebration.

But she wasn't going to do that. Picking up a banana, she started the process again...

* * *

Two days later, Serena stood in front of the cauldron, the Dycan Root next to her. She was nervous about trying, but she didn't have a choice. They had literally run out of time.

Fraiser stood next to her. "Well...do whatever it is you're going to do," she said lamely, stepping back. "I'm going to stay back here."  
Serena shook her head. "You work in an installation that deals with aliens almost every day, and you're worried about a fifteen year old girl." She shook her head. "Fascinating." She silently crossed herself briefly, then started concentrating.

And, like everything she had practiced on, the root began to dissolve into a mist.

Fraiser stared at the young girl in surprise. Mercury had warned her about that little detail, but to see it actually happen was still a shock to her.

The Root finished dissolving, and hovered, a hazy mist. Serena slowly directed it towards the cauldron, sweat beading her upper lip as she did so. Already, she was passing her time record, and that was saying something.

"Slowly, slowly," Mercury chanted quietly. "Come on..."  
Slowly, the mist descended into the bubbling cauldron, until it had completely disappeared. Immediately, Serena relaxed, stumbling back a few feet.

Almost as quickly, the cauldron bubbled at an accelerated rate, making Snape jump up in surprise. The mixture turned black, then red, and finally green before settling down.

Fraiser blinked. "Well, that was different."  
"You're telling me," Snape replied, staring at the cauldron suspiciously. "Mercury? Please tell me that it's ready."

Mercury scanned the mixture. "Yes, it's ready, so you can stop jumping around like a Mexican Jumping Bean. Doctor, you're up."

Fraiser picked up a syringe, and stuck it into the cauldron, collecting some. She started for the door. "We're going to have to administer it immediately," she said.

"Then go."

* * *

The entirety of the Alliance clustered in front of the massive observation window in the Infirmary, watching as Fraser entered the room, syringe in hand. They watched as she talked to Pomfrey, then injected whatever it was that was in that syringe into Mina's body. Then Mercury moved in, her visor out as she took readings.

"Guess they finished the vaccination," Rei commented.

Jupiter nodded, apprehension gripping her soul. "Now let's hope that it works."  
For several tense minutes, no one dared breathe. It was an untried formula, having never been tested in a lab before. And now, Mina had become it's first guinea pig. It wasn't a comforting thought.

Finally, when no one could stand the silence any longer, Mercury let out a whoop of triumph. "It's working!" she shouted. "Viral count is decreasing rapidly!"  
Everyone was silent for a second longer. Then, they all let the collective breath they were holding out in relief. But Mercury was not done. "It's slowing down...ninety five percent of the virus has been destroyed. The remaining five percent is in recession." She looked up. "We've developed a suppression agent."  
"A suppression agent still gives us time to find a cure," Pomfrey reminded her, still smiling. "And it means that you can all continue your mission."

"Too true." Mercury turned around, giving the others a thumb's up. "She'll be fine in a few hours!" she called out.

"Alright!" Serena pumped a fist into the air, as everyone started cheering. Mercury had done the impossible once again.

* * *

Mina groaned for the first time in a week and a half, cracking an eyelid open.

Half a second later, she shot up, taking a look around. "Where the hell am I?"

"The Infirmary. And if you have any modesty, I would pull that sheet up. The room is going to be invaded by boys in a few minutes."

Mina looked down, belatedly realizing that she wasn't wearing any clothing, and quickly wrapped the sheet around her, groaning a bit as her sides suddenly stung. She turned to se Lilika standing next to her bed, smiling mischievously. "What happened?" she asked. "The last thing I remember was that demon monster thingy coming at me."

Lilika frowned. "You were 'bitten' by the Grand Demon. It injected a powerful viral substance into your bloodstream, which was developed by the Deadly Alliance. You've been unconscious for almost two weeks."  
Mina's eyes widened in shock. "You mean, I almost kicked the bucket?"

Lilika almost asked what bucket she would have kicked, but decided that she meant that she almost died. "Yes."  
"Well, that would've sucked." The Senshi suddenly perked up when she saw the bay door's open. "Hey, guys!"  
The rest of the Alliance entered, all of them grinning immediately when they saw her awake. "Hey, yourself," Serena replied.

"How are you feeling?" Biyomon asked.

Mina grinned. "Well, other than the pain in my sides, I'm feeling fine." She grinned. "So, Lilika told me that I was out for a while. What happened?"  
Angemon grimaced. "Well, nothing much, except for developing the suppression agent, and getting the ingredients. We'll tell you all about that later. However, we've got more important things to talk about, so you better make yourself presentable quickly, and report to the briefing room. We've got a few things to tell you all."  
Mina nodded, then slid off the bed. "Then all of you, scram... except for you, Jupiter. I want to talk to you."

Jupiter nodded, feeling nervous all of a sudden. It was an odd request, but she didn't see any problem with it. She and Mina had been friends since they first met.

Mina waited until everyone else had filed out, then sighed nervously. "Lita, I was told that I was this close to dying. Is this true?"

Jupiter, not trusting herself to speak at that precise moment, nodded.

"I see." Mina looked around for a second, as if making sure that there was no one else in the room. "I have something to say to you, Lita. Something I didn't want to say with everyone else present. Something that I was too scared to tell you before." She smiled nervously. "Lita, I think that I'm in love with you."  
Jupiter was silent for a second, her eyes wide in shock. Did she hear...what she thought she just heard?

Mina blushed. "I just wanted to get that off of my chest, you know, on the off chance that this happens again and all-"

Mina was cut off when Jupiter's lips came down quickly on hers. In surprise, she accidentally released one of her handgrips on the sheet, exposing one of her breasts as her eyes closed.

After a moment, the brunette moved back, coughing silently. "Well, that was... sufficient to get my point across," she said, before looking down. "Um, Mina. Your modesty's been compromised."

"Huh?" Mina looked down, gasping when she saw what was showing. Reacting quickly, she grabbed the sheet. "Okay! Go!" she exclaimed, blushing beet red. She waited until Jupiter had bolted, then grabbed her transformation wand. She'd find herself some clothes later. And maybe talk to Lita about this.

"Venus Star Power!"

* * *

Lemia sank back into her chair, shock permeating her system. "I can't believe Mel fell to the Tribe," she whispered, putting a hand on her head. "This is becoming the worse possible nightmare in a long history of nightmares."

Jessica leaned forward. "Are you all right, Lemia?"

"I'm... I'm just a little dazed, that's all. Probably the shock of what happened to Mel."  
"It's the aftereffects of that deplorable mask, and the torture from Thorak and Parrt!" Mia stated. "The one Ghaleon put on you!"  
"Really, Mia? I couldn't remember," Lemia replied sarcastically.

Nash grinned. "Now I know where Mia gets her tangy personality."

The Head of the Guild smiled a bit. "You think I'm bad? Dyne was ten times worse. He rubbed off on me." She turned her attention to her daughter. "You worry too much. Compared to giving birth to you, this headache is a trifle..." She suddenly stopped, gripping her head with one of her hands. "Scratch that, it's up there."

"I have no doubt." Obi-Wan turned to Matt. "Now, Mister Ishida, I have been told that you share a psychic connection with Miss Weasley..."

"Excuse me?" Ginny replied. _"The connection isn't psychic, and Professor Dumbledore is listening."_

Ginny replied. 

The two Jedi jumped a bit, while Padme bit back a smile. "Well, the Jedi Council has granted us permission to travel to your realm, as representatives of the Galactic Republic." He slid a side glance over to Padme. "And if I know Senator Amidala, she'll be accompanying us."

Tai grinned. "Welcome to the Alliance, boys and girls."

"I'll have my Molly make the travel arrangements," Dumbledore informed them.

Serena turned to observe Venus, who was sitting next to Jupiter. "You up for travel, Mina?" she asked.

Venus gave her a weird look. "Serena, I'm a Sailor Scout. I keep fighting until I'm dead."

"In our line of work," Darien reminded her gently, "that's always a distinct possibility."

"Thanks for the little reminder, Darien."

Fraiser nodded, before getting up. "Now, Mina, there's enough of the vaccination to last you for the next four years. I suggest that you take it whenever you feel the pain in your sides starting to increase. Understand?"

Mina nodded. "Thanks, Doc. I owe you one."

* * *

Nash stared at the office of the former Premier, lost in his thoughts. He was supposed to be searching for clues as to determine what could cause one of the Four Heroes to go renegade. So far, he had found nothing.

Mia, who was helping him, turned around, noticing the fact that he had been staring at the same thing that he had been for the last three minutes. "Nash, what's wrong?"

Nash started for a second, then looked at her. "I'm sorry," he said, taking a breath. "I'm so stupid, Mia...I was so blind to the truth. Ghaleon would send me across the land to gather information about singers and dragons..."

"Nash..."  
"I would report everything I learned to him, or to Royce, or to both of them on occasion. I believed I had the most important job in the Magic Guild." He lowered his gaze, ashamed. "I was so proud," he whispered. "So proud to be selected by a hero."

Lemia sighed, setting down the file she had been looking at. "I thought it was a little strange," she replied. "You, whose talent was strong, but confidence low, was usually my department. Instead, he jumped at the chance to take you under his wing, and encourage you to realize that potential. Now I'm wondering why he would do that."  
That was the kicker. Why _would_ Ghaleon take the time to encourage a student to realize his potential? A self conscious person would have made a better lackey.

Lemia frowned. He probably had some kind of plan for his former apprentice. But what was the plan?

Well, for whatever the reason, he had created a powerful magician. Her frown dissipating, she picked up Ghaleon's Journal.

Leafing through the small book, she skimmed through the entries. She remembered that he had begun using the journal after Dyne's final days, so she had fifteen years of entries to see.

However, the more she saw, the angrier she became. "That son of a bitch," she whispered. "That son of a bitch!"

Mia looked over her mother's shoulder, reading one of the entries. Her eyes widened. "He's been planning this for years."  
"I knew he was behind this, but he had the audacity to put it in his journal!"  
Nash didn't say anything, but that was due to shock. For the first time in his life, he didn't have a clue as to what he was going to do.

Lemia slowly rose from the chair, grabbing her cane as she did so. Her entire body was quivering with rage. ""Come on," she said, "let's get everyone together again."

* * *

"_Damn his elfish ass!"_ Venus bellowed, itching to wreck something. "He's going to wish he had never heard of us!"

Everyone agreed whole heartedly, though nowhere near as vehemently as the irate Senshi.

Lemia chuckled humorlessly. "I share your anger, Venus," she said calmly. "But there's only one way to satiate that anger, and that's to defeat Ghaleon. Any of you game?"

Mia nodded. "If defeating him is the only way save our world, then so be it." She turned to Alex. "I'm going with you."

"Mia, you can't do that!" Nash exclaimed immediately, as various mages exploded in protest. "Your mother's still injured, and the Guild is in chaos!"

"Nash's got a point," Agumon stated.

"Which is why I'm going, Nash." Mia remained calm, though a formidable fire had suddenly appeared in her eyes. "Because I help both if I help defeat Ghaleon.

Lemia looked at her daughter, smiling with pride. "Your father would be proud of you, Mia," she said, before becoming somber once again. "I'm more than capable of running the Guild's political structure. Sere has agreed to help with the military, as well as getting her network of spies to start observing all areas of Lunar." She leaned forward. "But let's remember something. Everything you all do from here on out, is on a military footing. As of this moment, we are at war."

War...fifteen years of peace was suddenly over with those words. And something told all present that this war was going to be more devastating than any war before it in Existence.

And that they may not survive it.

Fraiser got up, sighing as she did so. "I'll head back to the SGC, and inform General Hammond. All of you, good luck."  
"Good luck, to all of us," Alex replied somberly.

* * *

(He left it all in his journal!) Ginny asked. (Talk about conceited.)

(Tell me about it,) Matt replied. (But I guess that he didn't care if we found out or not. It's not like we could have stopped him.)  
Ginny was silent for a moment. (So, it's come to this. We're really at war.)  
Matt didn't nod, knowing Ginny would correctly guess his answer. (Just tell Harry and the other's to be ready for an attack,) he said. (We don't know how massive the Deadly Alliance really is.)

(Probably larger than the Republic Senate,) Ginny replied sarcastically.

Matt had to agree with that. Existence was infinite, and thus there was no limit to allies that Beryl and her ilk could rally or call upon. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the good guys.

(Look, Matt,) Ginny said, soothingly. (Be thankful that all you have to do is fight in the war. I've got school on top of it!)

Matt started chuckling. (Good point.) He looked up when someone knocked on the side of the wall, seeing that it was Darien. (Look, Ginny, I've got to go. We're heading for the Nanza Barrier.)

(Talk to you later, Matt.)

(Yeah. Later.) Matt stood up, noting the look on Darien's face. "What happened?" he asked.

Darien shifted. "Sorry if I interrupted your conversation with Ginny, but Tai and Alex are calling everyone to the front of the Guild. Something's come up."

Confused, Matt started moving.

* * *

"You're really doing this?" Nash asked. "You're really going to face Ghaleon?"

Mia nodded, packing the rest of her supplies into her bag. She had changed out of her Guild robes, now wearing traveling robes of similar design. "Yes, Nash, I am. And don't try to talk me out of it. My mind is made up."

Nash struggled with his speech for a second, as well as his thoughts. He didn't know what to say for a time. "I'm coming with you, Mia!" he finally blurted out in frustration.

The young Ausa turned around in surprise. That was literally the last thing she would thought to hear from him. "What!" she exclaimed. "Nash, you shouldn't...you can't!"  
"I have to. Some of the blame of what happened to the White Dragon...and to Luna...lies with me." His gaze hardened, becoming more focused. "But I can try and make amends for what I did. I can help you rescue Luna...and I can try and earn your forgiveness. That's all I want, Mia...that's all."

Mia went over his reasoning, found it reasonable. It was so unlike him. "Thank you, Nash." Impulsively, she reached over and hugged him. "But don't go with me because I'm the future Guildmaster, and don't treat me as such. Come with me as a friend." She smiled. "I could use a friend."  
Nash returned the smile. "I can't make any promises...but, I'll try." He hoisted his own pack onto his shoulders. "Come on, let's go talk to your mother. She'll know where to find the Red Dragon."

Mia frowned. "Yes, she would," she murmured. And she once again mused on the question that she asked herself at least once a week.

'How does she know where the Dragons of Althena reside?'

* * *

Lemia stared at Alex's assembled team for a second. "You want me to change the rules by _telling _you where to find the Red Dragon?" She started chuckling. "Alex, I can't. Regardless of the fact that we're at war, the aspiring Dragonmaster has to find the Dragons by himself." She frowned. "Though in wartime, he's allowed to cheat by bringing allies into the cave with him."

"But, Mother, the Dragons themselves are in danger!" Mia exclaimed. "If Royce even finds a sniff of a vision regarding them..."  
"Let me put it this way; If you don't know where they are, neither does Ghaleon. And Seer power can only take you so far."  
Jessica nodded. Lemia's reasoning was flawless, as usual. "Well, when you put it that way."  
"Yes, when I put it that way." Lemia stretched her arm out, savoring the lack of pain. "It feels so good to use my arms again," she said. "I shall envision ramming my fist down Xenobia's throat, now."  
Nash burst out laughing. "You'll have to wait in line after Mimi, but I think you'll actually pull it off!"

Lemia grinned. It was good to have Nash no longer bowing before her. She was about to say something extremely hilarious, but a beeping on her desk interrupted her. "Yes?"

"We have just received word that the Nanza Outpost is under attack." Someone from the bridge replied. _"We just received this because of a communications blackout."_

Someone from the bridge replied. 

Nash and Mia exchanged dark looks. The Deadly Alliance was one step ahead of them again.

Lemia looked at them. "Go," she said.

Alex nodded, then pulled out his communicators. "Team Leaders, assemble your groups in front of Vane immediately! We are on the move!"

* * *

The Alliance quickly converged in front of the entrance to the Magic Guild, all of them having been found all over the vast school. "What's going on?" Agumon asked, having been found in an unused classroom. "Tai said something happened."

Alex waited until they were all assembled, then said, "The Nanza Outpost is under attack. As we are already going there to gather reinforcements, we're go to help them defend it."

Mia nodded. "We have the Dragon Wings."

"Precisely."

Tai nodded. "Digimon, once we reach the barrier, digi-volve, and move to attack."

"Then get those wings out!" Venus exclaimed. "I want some payback."

"Chill, Venus!" Tentomon replied. "There's a lot more of us now!"  
"And we haven't tested the Wings for this number before." Alex observed them for a second. "Not to mention the fact that Xenobia's probably going to be expecting us."

T.K. grinned. "Well, let's not keep her waiting. Gimme them. I can pump some power into them, so we can all go in one shot."

Alex handed the Wings to him. "Everyone, gather around," he said. "We're about to go flying."

T.K. waited until they had crowded around him, then held the Wings up. "Take us to the Nanza Barrier Outpost!" he intoned.

* * *

The Alliance materialized in the outskirts of the Outpost, looking around...then ducking as several enemy soldiers flew overhead, almost severing their heads from the rest of their bodies.

Almost immediately, the five Digimon who weren't digi-volved did so. At the same time, the Sailor Scouts jumped, the Six behind them, taking the second wave by surprise.

Then the Alliance did what it did best, and that was kick demon ass.

Surprisingly, though, the enemy force was already partially decimated already. It was still a formidable force, to be sure, just not as formidable as the defending force. So far, all they had seen were the corpses of demons.

Then Mimi's hearing picked up the head demon over all of the noise. "Xenobia's here, alright!" she snarled. "She's near the center of the Outpost!"  
Tai nodded. "You're going to have to wait, Mimi! Digi-Destined, Digimon, we're taking the upper levels!"

"Scouts, we'll take them down the center with Alex's group!" Sailor Moon shouted.

T.K. casually sideswiped a demon as it got too close, removing it's limb. "Six, we're taking below decks! Let's move out!" He ran for the first door he saw, his small team behind him.

The Digi-Destined made their way to the upper levels, while the Scouts and Alex's teams ran right down the center.

Sailor Moon's scepter spat all out retribution, decimating about twenty demons in the first shot.

Mars's fire turned some of the survivors of that first purge into Luna's version of fried chicken. And it probably didn't taste any better.

Venus's chain attack whirled around and around, taking out enemy soldiers as they came too close. Her Crescent Beam took out those she missed with the chain.

Jupiter didn't bother using his powers, instead waiting for them to come in range so she could deal with them the old fashion way. And brute force could do a great deal of damage in close quarters.

Nash and Mia helped Pluto and Rini clean house, while Luna, Artemis, and Nall started giving demons the patented three way claw strike. Not lethal, but certainly distracting.

Alex methodically picked them off one at a time, his sword moving almost too quickly to be seen. "Is this all the Deadly Alliance has to throw at us?" he bellowed.

"Probably!" a new voice replied from the right.

Jupiter turned to see an unfamiliar red head slicing her way through the enemy's left flank. _'She matches that description Serena gave me,'_ she thought.

"Demon up on your right, Jupiter! And for the record, yeah, I'm that girl!"

The Senshi of Jupiter smashed her fist into the demon's head so hard, that it bent into an awkward angle. It hit the ground at her feet.

Pluto turned to her. "Okay, you apparently you know who we are, but we don't know who you. You mind giving us a name?" she asked, lazily kicking a male demon in the crotch, bringing him to his knees in agony before putting him out of his misery.

The girl turned around, slicing through one demon with what looked like a pink lightsaber, then smirked. "Call me Jane," she replied. "And right now, you might want to get to where Xenobia is. Or Kyle's going to have all the fun."  
The whole lot of them agreed with that plan.

* * *

Xenobia stood patiently...well, as patiently as she could, as her forces fought the Outpost's tooth and nail. Apparently, Kyle had chosen, and trained, his soldiers well.

However, the man in question was not in thick of it, which immediately made Xenobia suspicious. The way the guards were fighting, it made her think that they weren't taking her attack seriously. In fact, it looked like a game to them. A game! "These people are crazy," she commented.

J'onro nodded. "They have a right to. They are winning because of it."  
"Let's just find the singer before Kyle decides to show up, then get out." She paused. "And let's kill the Alliance while we're at it," she amended after a moment.

J'onro nodded. "If Tachekawa doesn't go into a berserker rage."

"Don't remind me."

* * *

Mimi landed, literally _landed,_ on top of one demon, smashing it like it was a bug. Quite an apt description, seeing as how it looked like a giant cockroach. Mimi made a mental note to talk to her mother about this when she got back home.

"Well, Lady Tachekawa, it looks like you're still kicking demon butt. Ever think about taking some vacation time?"  
Mimi turned around, not really surprised. She had been wondering when she was going to see her again."Well, lady, I can't say that I'm surprised to see you," she replied. "Lemme guess, you've been following us."

"Correct. You can call me Jane, by the way." Jane slashed at another one, her energy blade decapitating it with no problem at all. "We were never properly introduced."

"No, we weren't." Mimi launched an ice ball at mach speed, caving another demon's skull in. "And call me Mimi, I'm no princess."

Jane's smirk grew more mischievous. "Would like me to argue that point with you?" she retorted impishly.

"Could you two can it?" Alex asked. "We'd like to get to Xenobia at some point today."  
"Then by all means." Mimi gestured, her eyes glittering. "Don't let me stop you."

Jessica bowed sarcastically. "We'll leave some of her for you."  
"Thanks. Now go!"  
They went.

* * *

"We have her!" one demon shouted. "We have her!"  
J'onro exhaled. "Finally! I thought we were going to have to burn this outpost to the ground."

"Hold her!" Xenobia shouted, exultant. At long last, they could leave!

The girl, who looked like clown in a bad dress, screamed, "Help! Help me! Get away from me, you fiends! You'll regret this!"  
The two demons winced. This was a _singer_! Sounded more like nails on a chalkboard! Still, she was the target.

"Xenobia!"

The Vile Tribe Queen's head swiveled. "Well, hello, fools! I see you're all standing again!"  
"No thanks to you and your friends, bitch!" Venus snarled.

Jessica started forward. "Get out of my way, Alex! I'm going to kill that over inflated bimbo right here and now!"  
Immediately, the four demons that had surrounded the girl closed in around her. "Come any closer," J'onro informed them calmly, "and I will give the order to have her ripped to shreds."  
Jane's arm lashed out, stopping the half beastman in her tracks. Mia grasped Jessica's arm. "Come on, Jessica!" she pleaded. "You know they'd kill that poor girl in a heartbeat! Don't let your emotions cloud your common sense!"  
"And besides," Jane added quietly, "your friend is about to give them a rude awakening."  
Jessica stopped struggling, then looked at her. She looked at the clown singer, then back at Jane, and came to an instant realization.

Xenobia smirked, enjoying the fact that they were helpless to stop her. "Grab her!" she ordered.

"Noooo! Help!" the singer shrieked as the demons grabbed her...

...and then she proceeded to knock all four of them into a loop.

Jessica smirked, then started to chuckle. "Umm, you know, 'she' didn't really appreciate being touched in that matter."  
Jane grinned. "You see, even singers with bad voices can cause pain here."

Xenobia, predictably, was surprised. "What the hell? Get her!"  
One of the demons came in, once again grabbing the 'woman'. The 'woman,' in turn, exclaimed, "Ewww! Don't touch me you...beast!" 'She' then proceeded to wrench his arm off of 'her,' and knee him in the groin.

Jessica's chuckles escalated into full scale laughter, while the Scouts collectively blinked in surprise. "Oh, you go, girl!" she shouted.

Xenobia's eyes widened as all of the pieces fell into place. "You!"

The 'woman' straightened up. "Oh, pardon my heels! What's the world coming to when a decent girl has to go to such lengths to protect herself?" And then 'she' dropped the act. "Now let's end this cheap charade." 'She' ripped off the dress...

...to reveal Kyle, makeup already wiped off of his face, his katana glistening in the sun.

"Who? What? Where?" Nash stammered, staring at the impossible.

Pluto started clapping, still staring in shock. "Okay, so he's a cross dresser."

"You have no idea," Jane informed her.

Kyle worked the kinks out of his neck, grinning lazily. "Oh, yeah...I make this look _good_!" He turned in Jessica's direction. "I don't get it, Jessica...what went wrong? Wait. You got kicked out of the Shrine again, didn't you?"  
Jessica tried glaring at him, but her continuing giggling ruined the effect. "Why...you..." she sputtered in glee.

Kyle chuckled. "That's okay," he said. "I'll listen to your story once I've cleaned up after these kids!"  
Xenobia snarled under her breath. She hated people like that. "Take him!"

As one, the four demons brought scythes from their sides, black edges glinting darkly. As one, they moved in, ready to kill the human.

Kyle waited until they had came in range, then leaped upward, blade moving in a blur through the air. One of the demons soon had a splitting headache.

The second turned around, it's weapon clanging with another's. Kyle took advantage of that, slicing through his head with very little resistance. In the space of fifteen minutes, two demons had been taken out of the game...permanently.

The third one brought his scythe up, ready to dismember this human. Roaring in retaliation, he brought it down.

Kyle pivoted quickly, blocking the attack, then drove his sword through the demons gut, then pulling back. He turned again, quickly blocking the final attack, before slicing off the demon's arm. He completed his retaliation by decapitating it.

In the time that it took Xenobia's jaw to drop, all four demons had been removed from the equation. She stared at their dead bodies for a moment, then at Kyle. He hadn't even broken a sweat. To top it all off, he was grinning. Grinning!  
"Well, Xenobia," Kyle stated, taking a step forward, "looks like it's just the strong and gorgeous against the ugly. And I'm not talking about the demons."  
_"Lightning Wave!"_ Xenobia bellowed, her hands pointing outward. Lightning lashed out, forcing the lot of them to scatter. J'onro quickly fired an arrow at Jane.

Jane, displaying reflexes that weren't normal, caught the arrow before it could hit her. Just as quickly, she formed a pink bow, notched the arrow, then launched it back at him. The Uruk-Hai evaded it, giving the young girl a rather unpleasant look.

Venus charged in with Jessica, chain whipping around and around, before lashing out. Xenobia ducked, then brought her blade up, blocking the priestess's mace. She punched her several times, before throwing her into Alex. She quickly backhanded Venus, before jabbing her in the side.

Jupiter's Thunderclap attack struck J'onro head on, electricity crackling over his form for a moment before dissipating. He turned to stare at her. "I _am_ thunder and lightning," he informed her, before moving in quickly, slamming her into one of the wooden support struts. It almost snapped in half, causing the structure it was holding up to start swaying.

Jupiter turned around, quickly grabbing the pole with both of her hands, and holding it in place, giving anyone above her time to get out.

Xenobia slammed into Mars, knocking her into Jupiter, forcing both of them through the post. The walkway above them crumpled, heading for the ground. Jupiter quickly shoved Mars out of the way, before being swallowed by debris.

"Jupiter!" Venus shrieked, running over to the remains, her concern for her friend overriding everything else. _'Please, please, Lita, be all right! Please!'_

Venus shrieked, running over to the remains, her concern for her friend overriding everything else. 

Her prayers were answered when Jupiter abruptly stood up, shaking pieces of wood off of her. "What was that!" she demanded. "A mosquito!"  
The Demon queen blinked once, her only reaction to Jupiter's rising, as well as the fact that she was insulting her. "J'onro, take care of the Sailor Scouts! I'll deal with the Dragon Twerp's team!"

J'onro's blade appeared in his hand like magic, and slashed at Tuxedo Mask, forcing him to block. He leaped up, giving him a double foot kick to the sternum. He turned around, and jabbed both of Venus's sides.

Venus bit back her groan of anguish as the nerve endings still effected by the virus flared up in pain. She staggered back a bit, clutching her sides. A blow to the side of her head put her out of her misery for a moment.

Jupiter saw Venus go down, and felt a berserker rage. She charged forward, slamming into the Uruk-Hai like a runaway freight train. She started pummeling him, fists coming down with extreme prejudice. J'onro deftly deflected them, though the smirk he had been sporting underneath his mask has slipped. He quickly threw a punch of his own, knocking Jupiter off of him, then leaped to his feet.

A second afterwards, Mars and Moon struck as one, their different fighting styles meshing well together. They struck with hands and feet, attacking with enough power to break most people's bones.

Xenobia charged at Kyle her blade whistling through the air to clash with his. She brought her closed fist up to slam into Jessica's face, taking her out of the game, and off of her vertical base.

Her foot swept the head of Nanza off of his feet. She quickly brought her sword up, preparing to finish him off.

"Vigor! Sword Dance!" Alex powered up, then attacked at extreme prejudice, forcing Xenobia to dodge and evade just as quickly. _"Explosion Point!"_ he bellowed, jumping upward, and bearing down on her.

Alex powered up, then attacked at extreme prejudice, forcing Xenobia to dodge and evade just as quickly. he bellowed, jumping upward, and bearing down on her. 

Xenobia, in a surprising move, leaped up as well, catching the sword tip with her own in a counter measure. It canceled the attack, and forcing Alex to bring his blade up. He compensated by kicking her in the jaw.

"Power Slash!" Kyle's blade came down viciously. Xenobia evaded quickly, though, which had the added downside of unbalancing Kyle. She took advantage of this, tripping him, then kicking him. He skidded about ten feet.

Mia's Ice Spear attack, struck the Demon queen in the side, penetrating her tough hide. With a roar of rage and pain, Xenobia turned around, unleashing her full power at the young Ausa.

Jane quickly moved in, creating a shield around both her and Mia. The attack slammed into it, causing it to oblongate, though it held.

Jupiter and Jessica both got to their feet, watching as Moon and Mars got beaten back. "Which body part do you want?" Jessica asked.

"I'll take the head!" Jupiter took a step forward.

And Mimi Tachekawa entered the fray, her boot connecting with J'onro's face. The Uruk-Hai staggered back, clutching his head.

The half breed stared at the full breed. "I think you need to work on your sixth sense," she said. "Otherwise, your undefeated streak will become a thing of the past."

J'onro went into a defensive stance, keeping his gaze on her. "My fight is not with you, Sincerity."  
Mimi blinked. His fight wasn't with her? Why?

And then J'onro quickly moved forward as Mars's foot slammed into where he had once stood. He blocked Jupiter's fist, backhanding her.

Xenobia kicked Alex, then punched Nash as he came in. She turned around, ready to take Jessica down.

And the rest of the Digi-Destined came in, ready to kill.

The two demons started backing off quickly, realizing that the odds were no longer in their favor. In fact, they were starting to become worse.

The Alliance started closing in around them, what they were planning to do was obvious. But first things first…

"Why are you and the DA kidnapping singers?" Mia demanded, fire flickering on one hand, ice forming in the other. "There has to be a reason beyond the sheer cruelty of it!"  
Xenobia started laughing. "You couldn't even begin to fathom the real reason, Ausa!"  
"Then you can explain it to us, 'dear Aunt,'" Mimi snarled.

"I have more important things to do than explain our tasks to you, half breed! Have a nice day!" With that, Xenobia and J'onro teleported away, just before a massive fireball impacted where they once stood.

Jessica started trembling in rage, her eyes expressing her hatred. "Damn it!" she bellowed. "Damn it all!"  
"So close!" Serena turned to the others miserably. "We were so close!"

Kyle stared at the now fried spot for a second more, shaking his head. "Damn curvaceous magic using wench," he grumbled, before turning his attention to Jessica. "Pardon my ignorance, ladies and gentlemen, but could someone tell me what the hell is going on around here!"

Darien sighed. There were just some days where he didn't like his secondary occupation. This was one of those days. "Let's go sit down somewhere. We have got one hell of a story to tell you."


	50. Episode Forty Eight: Friendship's Fight

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

(Theme music for Justice League: Star-crossed, the Movie.)

Episode Forty Eight: Friendship's Fight

"She did that…to Mel?" Kyle sank down into a seat, shock emanating his system. "Beastmen are supposed to be impervious to magic. How can she…how can anyone have that type of power!"

Nall fluttered for a second. "Because his ally is Ghaleon, the Magic Emperor! And he's the one who kidnapped Luna!"  
"Luna? You mean that other blue haired girl that was with you?"

Alex nodded, a pang of grief making itself known. "She's…very special to us," he said quietly.

Kyle caught the hidden meaning behind that statement, and his eyes crimped.

"And they're friends of mine," Jessica interjected. "She's a singer, like all of the others that had been kidnapped." She sighed. "But we still haven't figured out why the Deadly Alliance is doing that."

"Neither have we." Kyle sat up. "I sent the singer to a secure location only I know, and set a trap, hoping to catch one of them." He grinned. "It was pretty funny when I threw them around."  
"On that, you'll have no argument from me." Jane frowned. "Unfortunately, Xenobia doesn't like being fooled. She'll want revenge."

"Now, Kyle, since I know that you have nothing better to do than imbibe more than is healthy…" The priestess leered at Kyle's put off expression, "You're going to help us beat Ghaleon and his cronies!"

Kyle recovered quickly, and pretended to think about it. "Ghaleon, huh? …Oh, what the hell…when do we leave?" he asked.

Serena grinned. "Immediately…hey, where did Jane go?"  
The entirety of the Alliance looked every which way. "She disappeared again!" Tai sighed. "How does she do that?"

No one decided to answer that question.

Immediately, it turned out, didn't happen for all of them. No sooner had the game plan been set when Matt's D-Terminal beeped. Confused, Matt exchanged look with Tai. "I have an email?" he asked.

Tai looked at him. "You're asking me? Find out, for crying out loud!"

Matt pulled the device out of his pack, then opened it, finding one email on it. Hitting the icon, he began reading the email.

Found information about weapon of Friendship. Return to Vane.

Sere

Matt blinked, reading the message again, before looking up. "Tai, Sere might have found something about my sacred weapon. I need to return to Vane."  
Tai nodded. "Hey, Alex!" He waited until the young man had come over, then told him the situation.

Alex nodded, then took out the Dragon Wings. "Here, take these. You know how to use them?" Matt nodded. "Good. Now, remember, it only works in a place that we've been before. You might want to have Gabumon stay behind, so you can reach us when you get back."

"Good point. Gabumon?"  
"Heard it. I'll be waiting."

"Thanks, buddy."

* * *

Matt reappeared in Vane, quickly heading for the Magic Guild, still trying to figure out why he was here. If it weren't for the importance of the weapons themselves, he wouldn't have even made the journey in the first place.

Still, he was irritated.

That irritation faded when he saw who was with Sere. "Ron?" he asked, stumped.

Ron grinned. "Hello, Matt. Sorry for the appearance."  
The two boys shook hands. "Not to sound rude or anything, but what the hell are you doing here?"

Sere sighed. "The SGC personnel, while going through the facilities library, found information pertaining to the weapon of Friendship, which included it's exact location."  
"And that tells me…what?" Matt asked. "We were about ready to head for Reza. Not to mention the fact that Ginny will probably kill you, Ron.

"_I am going to kill him!_" Ginny replied, irate.

Matt sighed. "Keep me out of your sibling fights, Gin. Thank you." He turned his attention back to Ron. "Now, where is the weapon, right now?"

Ron grinned.

* * *

Matt stumbled out of the Stargate, righting himself quickly, deciding that Stargate travel was definitely different. He took a look around his immediate surroundings. "Where are we, Ron?"

Ron looked around. "St. Otterypole. We're on my parents property." He pointed across the ground. "See? There's the Burrow. So come on, mate."  
Matt squinted. "Ah…okay." He started following Ron in that direction.

After a fifteen minute walk, they were in front of the Burrow, staring at two adults.

Matt turned. "Lemme guess…your parents."

"Yeah." Ron nodded. "Mum, Dad, this is Ginny's 'imaginary friend,' Matt."  
"'Imaginary?'" Matt echoed. "Do I look remotely 'imaginary' to you?"

Molly stepped forward, eyeing the young man before her. "Do your parents know what you're doing?" she asked sternly.

"No," Matt replied bluntly. "In fact, she has no idea where I am, as I was forcibly removed from my home realm and deposited on Lunar alongside my friends, and that I am presently fighting a war that'll probably reach apocalyptic proportions before too long. She does know, however, that I am perfectly capable of handling myself." He grinned. "Hello, Mister Weasley. Ginny tells me that you find people like me fascinating…and that you enchanted a car to fly once."  
Arthur frowned. "Did she tell you anything about what happened at the school last year?"  
"No…and I didn't press the matter, yet. But I really need to use your 'Floo Powder' to get to Hogwarts."

Molly came out of her shock. "Oh, of course, dear! Right this way!"

* * *

Kirok punched in the coordinates for the target world, then turned around. "I will return, but the only one I will kill will be Ishida. No unnecessary death among the non warriors of that world."  
Racc growled. There were days when he was simply irritated with Kirok's sense of honor, and then there were days when he just couldn't stand it. This was one of those days. "Your honor is the only weakness you have, brethren. Don't let it get in the way of your duty."  
"I think we have a different view on what weakness is, sir." With those parting words, he stepped through the gate, leaving his leader alone, fuming.

* * *

"So," Harry began sympathetically, holding out a hand, "how was your first trip through the Floo Network?"

"A pain in my rear." Matt got up, rubbing his backside fretfully. "I see why Ginny hates it so much. Hey, Hermione."

"Hey." Hermione gave him a light smile. "Sorry about calling you, but I figured that you might want your weapon before you got too far."

"I still can't believe that it's in Hogwarts," Ron grumbled.

Matt turned to look around. "Where are we in the school?" he asked.

"My office, young man."

Startled, the young man turned around quickly, looking up. "You're…" he managed to get out.

"Yes, I'm Professor Dumbledore." Dumbledore walked down the staircase that was part of his library, eyes twinkling. "And it is certainly a pleasure to meet you at long last, Mister Ishida."

"Likewise, sir." Matt shook one of his hands. "Mrs. Weasley gave me the sternest lecture about Ginny before I stepped into the fireplace. What was that about?"

"You will find that where Miss Weasley is concerned, Molly is extremely overprotective of her. And honestly, I can't blame her, after what happened last year."

"Last year…hold on. Is what happened last year the reason why she didn't want to be here?"

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore replied.

Matt turned to Harry. "Where is she?"

Harry gestured. "Follow me."

* * *

"Back off, Malfoy!"  
"Perhaps you'll make me, little Ginny?"  
Matt's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. "Malfoy?" he growled.

"Malfoy." Ron stepped forward. "I'll kill him."  
"No, allow me." Matt started walking over in their direction, a grin on his face.

Ginny was backed up against the wall, though that little detail didn't compute. "Look, Malfoy, I've had a long day, and unless you want to feel how long it was, I suggest you get the hell away!"  
"Hmm, not very friendly," Malfoy tsked, turning his attention to Crabbe and Goyle. "Boys, I think we need to teach little Ginny here how to respect her superiors."  
"And where are these superiors?" a new voice inquired. "Because the only being I see whose superior around here is Ginny."

The three young wizards turned around in surprise at the voice. "Who are you?" Malfoy asked.

Matt glared at him for a second. "Yamato Ishida. I'm a friend of Ginny's."

"Oh, yeah." The Slytherin gave the Digi-Destine of Friendship a raking glance. "The muggle."

"Yeah, the muggle. What's it to you, little man?"

"Little? I'm more of man than you'll ever be!"  
Matt gave a grunt of disbelief. "And what do you base this on?" he asked. "Your head of hair, or your sorry sack of shit excuse for a father?"  
Ron started to chuckle. "Oh, yeah, Matt is cool."

Harry laughed. "And he's not afraid to make his opinion known."  
Hermione sighed in amusement, shaking her head.

Malfoy blinked. "Excuse me?"

"What? Are you deaf, little man?"  
Malfoy's hand shot into his robe, bringing his wand out, pointing it at Matt-

and Matt's hands shot out, one grabbing his wand hand, the other striking, flat palm, at Malfoy's chest. He then kicked the boy in the stomach, bringing him to his knees. Then, before the two lackeys could step forward, Matt drove his fist into Crabbe's face, then kicked Goyle in the family jewels. In the space of fifteen seconds, the three Slytherins were down on the ground, moaning in pain.

"My hero!" Ginny giggled, giving Matt a hug. "You've saved me again!"  
"Oh, I saved you before?" Matt asked innocently. "Why wasn't I told of this?"

"Very funny." Ginny turned to her brother. "I'm still going to kill you…but, thank you, Ron."

"Don't mention it," Ron replied, grinning. "Well, seeing as how you're going to be here for a while, how about we give you a tour of the school…"

* * *

Kirok stepped out of the Stargate, assessing his new surroundings. He saw the grassy plains, the lack of military personnel, and deduced that the Stargate was in control of the civilians living nearby. _'Perhaps Miss Weasley's family,'_ he thought. _'And they have been using it recently.'_ He could feel the slight indentations of footprints beneath his feet. Footprints not his own.

Deciding that remaining here would serve no useful purpose, Kirok quickly started jogging away until he was far enough from the gate to teleport. Then he teleported to Hogwarts.

Or, rather, as close as he could. He remembered from his briefing that Hogwarts blocked all forms of magical teleportation abilities. So he teleported into the alleyways of Hogsmeade, and started moving in the shadows.

_

* * *

Evil is generous._

It draws its power from the darkness, from the hatred that spawns in humanity. It prepares for the day when it will rise up, and strike like a poisonous snake at the heart of purity itself.

The evil knows that it was defeated. Defeated by the boy who destroyed Voldemort, and the girl who it had manipulated.

And so it waits, gathering form and substance.

* * *

Claire looked up as the Portrait Hole swung open, and voices emerged. "…And this is the Gryffindor Common Room."

The blond girl grinned. "Hey, Handsome," she said. "I see that you brought him back."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, and he took out Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle just a few moment ago."  
"And I missed that? Geez, you should have called me!"

Matt sighed. "You weren't missing much. They didn't put up a fight."

Claire deflated. "Well, that's not fun."

"Can we get back to why we brought Matt here!" Hermione demanded irritably. "He does need his weapon!"

"Sorry."

Matt chuckled as he sat down on the couch. "You're all like a sucky rendition of the Brady Bunch. So, how do we find this thing?"

Hermione held up a data pad. "Up for some research?" she asked.

"Me and my big mouth."

* * *

By noon, they had moved to the SGC portion of the school, where Neville and the Weasley twins eagerly greeted Matt, and were soon helping them. All the females goggled at the young boy in their midst, known only to them through Ginny's description. And they quickly averted their gaze when Ginny glared at them.

Matt was silently grateful. He really didn't want to be the center of attention in a realm that he had no real knowledge about. So he could vent his frustrations out on other things. For example… "This makes no sense!" he finally exclaimed, waving a data pad around.

Hermione giggled. "I told you, but nnnnoooo, don't listen to genius!"  
"You didn't say a damn word!"  
"You're right, I didn't."  
"Ha, ha, ha. Harry, how do I switch this to Japanese?"  
Harry grinned. "Hit the button on the upper left corner. The red one. It'll translate it for you."

Matt turned to him. "Now how the hell do you know that?" he asked.

"Because we can read it," Hermione replied, laughing.

"Oh." The young man hit the button in question, and the text switched to his native tongue. He nodded, impressed beyond measure. He looked around. "Where're the Jedi and Senator Amidala?"

"Taking care of some business at the Ministry of Magic." Ron frowned. "I've got a question for you, mate. How can you speak English?"  
Matt looked up, turning to Ginny. "Do you want to answer this?" he asked in his native language. "Or should I?"  
Ginny grinned. "Best let those who can't speak multiple languages stew in confusion," she replied in the same tongue.

Harry, Hermione, and Claire erupted into laughter while the Weasley's, and everyone else within hearing range gaped at them.

Ginny returned their gazes innocently. "Yes?" she asked sweetly, while Matt choked on his own amusement.

Ron sighed. "Could you two _not_ have fun at our expense?"  
"Call it payback for all the years of torment that you put me through."

"Oh."

_

* * *

The evil soon had a form. And it found it good._

It was soon a he, wearing the clothing of a student of old. He had piercing eyes, a strong frame, and a powerful sense of magic to him. He knew that he was free, and found it good.

His time…had finally come.

* * *

Kirok observed the school from a distance, staying out of the dementor's range of smell. Disgusting things, those dementor's. Why this world's magical government didn't simply destroy them was a mystery to him. He observed where they situated, and found the school's primary entrances to be impregnable. So the question became; How did one enter the school right under the dementor's noses?

Answer; Enter via a passageway that no one would know about.

Moving quickly over to the lake, he jumped in, unaware that he was being watched, and started swimming towards the pipe that led to the Chamber of Secrets.

Sirius watched as the Uruk-Hai disappeared from view, curious as to why he was here. From what he remembered, Kirok had no quarrel with James or his family.

For whatever reason, Sirius vowed to stay around, wagging his tail and waiting.

* * *

Matt sat back in the couch, rubbing his eyes. "We've been at this for hours," he grumbled. "So far, nothing!"

Hermione sighed, rubbing her neck fretfully. "We probably haven't found it yet," she replied. "And these are all of the files pertaining to it."  
"They talk about the people who held it!" Ron exclaimed. "And we've only seen thirty of them!"  
Neville winced. "And I thought it was a one shot deal. How long do you have, Matt?"  
Matt sighed. "I'm giving myself three more hours time to locate it. Then I'm going back through the Stargate."  
"Those three hours can wait." Fred yawned. "We need to sleep. It's after nine."

Matt nodded with them, agreeing. They had been at it nonstop, pausing only to have dinner. Matt had found himself the center of attention, as the person Ginny had been talking to suddenly had a face attached. He had noted with a vague sense of delight that Malfoy didn't even look in his direction, while he fielded questions about himself. He also saw how big the school really was.

And he thought his school was big. It didn't even compare.

Afterwards, they had retired to the Gryffindor Common Room, where they continued the search, only reaching more dead ends. And now, they were bone dead tired.

Harry got up, stretching his arms out. "Well, I'm off to bed. Hermione, please try to not wake me tonight."  
"Likewise, Harry, likewise." Hermione got up, gave Matt a quick pat on the shoulder, then disappeared up the girls dormitory, Claire right behind her.

George looked at Matt. "You staying down here, Matt?" he asked.

Matt nodded. "Unless one of you guys have a spare bed I can use." A series of head shakings confirmed his suspicions. "Didn't think so."

"Well, me and my illustrious twin shall now leave your presence," he said. "Ginny, behave."  
"C'mere." Ginny crooked a finger at them. "Let me show you my 'best behavior.'"

"We were just leaving!" The two twins shot up the stairwell, with Harry and the other boys laughing their guts out.

Matt chuckled, turning to his English friend. "The terror of the Weasley Clan, I see."

"More powerful then Percy, more wicked than the twins. My methods of torture are…unique."

"Nice. What do you do?"  
"Ever hear of the Bat Bogey Hex?"  
"Ouch."  
"Oh, yes, but so terribly funny."  
Matt's grin started to reassert itself. "You have traumatized them, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yeah." Ginny smirked. "I may be the kid sister, but I'm the kid sister with attitude!" She looked at the fire, before getting up, and giving Matt a hug. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Matt."  
Matt smiled. "Night, Gin." He grin grew as he watched her walk up the stairwell, before making himself comfortable on the couch, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

After months of sleeping on the ground, with only a sleeping bag, you'd feel happy to be on a comfortable structure that wasn't contorted. He waited to pleasantly drop off to sleep.

* * *

Two hours later, Matt still hadn't fallen asleep. He was tired, but his mind was still very much awake, dealing with many issues. Chief among them was the weapon of Friendship, but that wasn't foremost on his thoughts.

Ginny was.

Over the month that he had known her, Matt had seen how much of a free spirit that she was, going where the wind took her, and letting people know what was on her mind. He also knew that she did had a deadly secret that she was keeping from him. One that he was afraid to tell him. _'Probably has something to do with this Tom Riddle,'_ he thought, jaw clenching tightly. _'If he hurt her in anyway, I'm going to…hold on! Why am I thinking that way? She can take care of herself, and I'm not her boyfriend! She's your friend. I mean, sure, she's cute, with that fiery red hair of hers, those expressive blue eyes, and…'_

Matt suddenly realized that he had a crush on her. It shocked him, but what shocked him the most was that he was wondering whether or nor Ginny liked him the same way.

As he struggled with himself, a set of footsteps broke through his trail of thought. Cracking an eye open, he saw the object of his thoughts creeping silently across the floor. "You know," he mumbled, "from what I know of this school, being out of bed is against the rules."  
"From what I've heard about you and you friends, you've broken a few rules in your time," Ginny retorted, not really surprised. "I thought you were asleep."

"Thought the same thing about you. Where're you going?" Silence greeted him, but Ginny had turned around to stare at him. Matt sat up, the sleepiness leaving him. "Does this have something to do with last year?" Ginny nodded, obviously not knowing how to answer that. Matt nodded, then stood up. "Well, then, let's get going."  
"Whoa, Matt, it's not that important…"  
"Then why are you going?"

Ginny stopped speaking for a moment, not able to counter that, then sighed in exasperation. "Alright, you can come along if you want to."  
Matt grinned. "Thank you, oh great mistress," he intoned.

"Come my slave," Ginny retorted, rolling her eyes.

_

* * *

The evil sensed one of the quarry approaching, and smiled. Vengeance would soon be his._

But he then sensed another presence with her. A presence that felt strangely familiar, and yet, alien, at the same time. It surprised him, but that was acceptable. Things had apparently changed.

So it waited, curious as to what the new presence was.

After all, the new presence would die with the old, soon enough.

* * *

Hogwarts, Matt discovered, looked different at night. A lot darker…a lot more forbidding. He felt an irrational shiver of fear go through him, as if there were monsters in the dark.

Ginny's wand was out and glowing at the tip, much like a flashlight, as they walked down the hallway. She seemed very sure of her sense of direction, like she had done the journey many times before. He had the funny feeling that she had.

Down one corridor, and they reached their objective. "The girls bathroom?" Matt blurted out in disbelief. "You were going to the bathroom?"

Ginny sighed exasperatedly. "You want to be here, or not?"  
"Okay, okay! Geez, lead the way!"

"I'll do that. Bit of a warning; Beware Moaning Myrtle."  
"Who?"

Ginny smiled, pushing the door open. "She's the ghost who inhabits this bathroom…and the second most irritating in the castle." She sighed, smile fading. "She's also the one ghost I can pity."

"Let me guess; last year?"  
"Well, it has something to do with last year." She looked in. "Okay, the coast is clear."

Quickly, the two of them hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Afterwards, Ginny started walking in one direction.

Matt settled on the sinks, noticing that they were in a strange formation. "Are sinks all over this castle set like this?" he asked.

"No, just this one, It's one of the older bathrooms in Hogwarts, and it's out of order."  
"Because of that?" Matt pointed at the massive hole in the center of the sinks.

Ginny nodded. "Because of that." She turned to stare at him directly. "Remember when you asked me what had happened that made me not want to come to Hogwarts this year?" Matt nodded. "Well,…I'll show you." She started climbing down.

Matt watched her for a second, then started down after her.

* * *

Kirok entered the main area of the Chamber of Secrets, looking around. _'Salazar Slytherin certainly knew how to build a Chamber,'_ he thought. _'Though he himself was dishonorable. He didn't even have the decency to die in battle. Much like Voldemort.'_

As he pondered this, he turned his attention to the great serpent impression, where the basilisk once lived. It had been emptied, though never closed. _'Young Potter probably didn't see any reason to. Not very surprising.'_

He prepared to remove his sword, when two sets of footsteps caught his attention. Melting back into the shadows, he saw Yamato Ishida enter the chamber alongside Ginevra Weasley, and closed his eyes.

And, in doing so, he didn't see the air stir with malice.

* * *

Matt's nose wrinkled as he detected a faint stench in the air. "Okay, I am now officially spooked. What is this place?"  
Ginny stared at the Basilisk's Nest. "The Chamber of Secrets," she replied quietly. "It's a formerly hidden structure that Salazar Slytherin built when the school was first constructed. He created it because he believed that magic training should remain among the pure blooded families. When the other three founders disagreed with him, he sealed the Chamber, and left the school. And it remained closed…until fifty years ago, when Tom Riddle, his exact descendant, came to the school." She sighed. "The reason why I pity Myrtle is because of the fact that she was the one who murdered fifty years ago because of that." She turned her attention back to Matt. "Last year, when I came here…or, I should say, before I came here, Lucius Malfoy slipped a diary into my school supplies. I found it, and thought it was a present from my Dad. Especially when it started speaking to me."  
"So where does Voldemort come in? I can practically feel the fear coming off of you when Tom's name comes up." Matt suddenly put it together before she could answer. "Voldemort and Tom Riddle are the same person, aren't they?"  
Ginny nodded. "Yes. Tom found the Chamber when he was a student here, and tried to finish his ancestor's work. Dumbledore became suspicious of him, though, so he was forced to seal it up again, placing his sixteen year old self into a diary. Well, I got that diary."

Matt stepped closer, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" he asked.

Ginny took a breath, holding her tears back. "Whenever I wrote in the diary, I was unknowingly transferring some of my life essence into him, giving him strength. In turn, he used that to his advantage, using me to reopen the Chamber, and awaken the Basilisk. Hermione, and a number of other muggle born wizards and witches were soon petrified."  
"Hold on. I thought a Basilisk's gaze killed who looked at it."  
"None of them looked it directly in the eye."  
"Ah."  
"But that wasn't all that I was forced to do. I also killed the roosters, wrote frightening messages on the walls, and basically scared the living daylights out of the school." Ginny looked up, eyes haunted. "But there was one thing that Tom hadn't counted on."  
"Harry," Matt muttered.

"He was able to defeat the Basilisk, destroy the Diary, and save me." The few rogue tears ran down her face, and she brushed them aside angrily. "I almost destroyed the school, because of my own naivety."

"And that's why you didn't want to stay at Hogwarts?"  
"It's all my fault."

"You were manipulated by the echo of some creep who couldn't even kill a little baby. You didn't know you were being used until it was too late."  
Ginny looked at him. "How do sound like you know what it's like?" she asked.

Matt turned to look at the serpent impression. "Because I was unknowingly coerced into killing my best friend."  
"You almost did _what_?"

Matt nodded. "It was after we defeated Metalseadramon. I was still under the impression that my duty in life was to protect T.K.. Well, when Puppetmon took him, I kind of lost it. Started yelling at Tai because he wanted to fight instead of finding my brother. But when T.K. came back, telling us that he managed to fool the creep, I suddenly saw that he no longer needed me."

"You didn't take it very well, did you?"

"I walked away, wondering what was wrong with me," Matt continued, blue eyes distant. "While I was walking, I came across a Digimon called Cherrymon. He manipulated me, telling me that in order to find out who I was, I would have to defeat Tai. It apparently took every bit of cunning that he possessed, but he managed it. I went back to face Tai." He winced at the memory. "Tai has a mean streak when it comes to combat."  
Ginny managed a slight smile. "So I've noticed."  
Matt chuckled, before sobering up. "I couldn't understand that the reason Tai acted so cold in battle, was because of the fact that it was because he was our leader. And he was right. In a war, people die. Digimon are destroyed. He had to make decisions that he knew could get us killed. But I couldn't see that."

"So what happened?"  
"Gabumon." Matt's sudden smile was filled with fondness for his furry friend. "He helped me through that dark period of my life, helping me realize that I am not alone."  
Ginny stared at him. "Just like you helped me," she whispered as realization set in. "We've been through harsh times, but we've always had friends to help us." Another tears slid down her cheek, but she saw that she didn't have anything to be ashamed of. The tears began flowing down her face as she hugged Matt fiercely. "I'm so glad that you're my friend."

Matt felt tears falling down his face as he returned her hug. "And I'm glad to call you friend," he whispered. "More than you'll know."  
The two stood there in silence, their tears and mere presence giving the other strength.

* * *

Kirok watched the two embrace, feeling an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time go through him. _'Sympathy,'_ he thought. _'These two have seen hate and fear in their short lives, and still have honor. It is a pity that they must die. I would have wanted to know them better.'_ He prepared to step out of the shadows…

…and then saw something move. He turned his head, and instantly recognized who it was. _'No, it cannot be!_

Ginny stepped back, smiling, wiping one last tear from her face. "Well, Matt, I don't think I need to come down here anymore. I don't have anything to fear, anymore."

Matt nodded, grinning. He chucked his head in the direction of the exit. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Ginny nodded, and made to turn around, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head instinctively, she quickly recoiled in shock and terror. "No…" she whispered, backing up. Confused, Matt turned to look in the same direction.

Someone was walking out of the shadows. A boy, around sixteen years of age, wearing robes of an age before even Ginny's parents. A miniature version of the insignia of Hogwarts adorned those robes. He had wavy black hair, a strong chin, and a set of eyes that seemed to bore directly into a person's soul.

But it was the feeling of power that he radiated that stood out the most. Power…and malice.

Ginny was absolutely terrified. This monster, this specter from the past, strolled forward, observing them with an almost clinical detachment. His gaze swept over Ginny's trembling form, and seemed to like it. Then he locked gazes with Matt, staring at him curiously.

Matt felt a surge of rage go through him as he stared at the new presence. "Tom Riddle, I presume?" he snarled.

Tom Riddle, the memory of Lord Voldemort's past, stopped several feet from them, head tilted. "I don't know you, but you know me. I suppose this silly girl has been talking."  
"Oh, she and her friends told me all about you, and what you've done." Matt gave a derisive snort. "I'm not impressed."

"Clearly not." Riddle observed him for a second. "You have the look of someone whose faced the darkness before."  
"I've been through the proverbial fire and brimstone."  
"And so you've befriended Ginny here. How…fascinating."

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Matt asked, stepping in front of the young witch, eyes not even blinking. "You weren't a very good friend for her." He was visibly restraining himself from attacking the creep, wanting to know how he had managed to survive without the Diary to sustain him.

As if reading his mind, Riddle chuckled. "You know, I have no idea as to how I managed to survive, but that's irrelevant to the current situation. You see, I was waiting for either Harry or Ginny to return, so I could have my revenge on them. But, for some reason, I couldn't take a physical form when Ginny came down throughout the last month…at least, until now."

Matt, while admittedly not a genius, was still capable of putting two and two together. "It was me," he breathed. "You were able to take a form because of me."  
Riddle stared at him in a new light now. "So _you_ were the familiar/alien presence I sensed. How fortuitous. Do you have any questions that I can answer before I leave? I have so much catching up to do."  
"Yeah, I have one." Matt's blade was out, glistening palely in the Chamber's light. "Can you die?"

* * *

Kirok looked from one boy to the other, realizing what it was he was seeing. "The destiny of Friendship," he murmured. "The great battle between equals. And to think, it is my counterpart against a younger Voldemort." He struggled with himself for a second, then came to a conclusion. "My orders are to kill Yamato Ishida, and to acquire the weapon if possible. But I can do neither if Tom Riddle kills him. Therefore, I must do as my own honor demands of me." He withdrew his sword. "I must help my opponent against his new enemy."

He stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

Riddle chuckled at Matt's threat, creating a blade with a flick of his wrist, swinging it experimentally for a few seconds. Satisfied, he assumed a defensive position. "You think you can defeat me, boy? Come on, let's see if you can carry out that threat."

Matt came forward, sword flashing into a series of strikes. Riddle effortlessly blocked each attack, before retaliating with a roundhouse kick.

Matt hit the ground hard, hearing the drumbeat begin in his head, and increase three fold. Shaking his head to clear it, he came to a simple conclusion; For someone who was just a memory, Tom Riddle had one hell of a kick.

Ginny charged forward, her fear dissipating in the wake of the attack. She brought her sword, swinging forward.

Riddle, sensing the attack, whirled around, blocking her downward stroke, then backhanding her. Grabbing her by her hair, he threw her in the direction of Matt. "Pathetic. Learning how to use a sword was mandatory in school when I was there." He brought his blade up.

And Kirok blocked the attack. With a forcible heave, he turned it away from him. "It is dishonorable to strike warrior when they are down. As a warrior, you should know this."

Riddle observed him for a moment, clearing trying to understand why he was here. "And...you're here, why, Uruk-Hai?" he asked.

"My original purpose is none of your concern, wizard." Kirok turned to the two teens. "We will have our duel in the future, Friendship. But you are not ready to face this monstrosity. Go. Obtain your weapon and leave." He looked at Riddle. "I will hold him off." He immediately moved forward, his saber moving like a viper.

Matt was struck dumb for a second, then started running around the edge of the pool, Ginny right behind him. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that this was the way he wanted to go.

Reaching the edge of the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin's head, he gestured for Ginny to catch up. "Start climbing! I'll be right behind you!"  
Ginny nodded, and started up, quickly finding hand holds. She felt Matt start up after her after she had made it up several feet. "Matt?" she asked.

"Keep climbing. Don't wait for me," Matt replied. Time in the Digital World had given him plenty of experience in climbing.

Though, climbing up the side of a statue was slightly different.

Kirok's and Riddle's blades moved at blinding speed, little more than blurs of metal. Kirok suddenly disengaged from it, launching a kick at Riddle...

...only to have his leg grabbed.

"You honestly think you can defeat me?" Riddle roared, flipping him on his back. "I was killing creatures like you when I was eleven!"  
Kirok scissored his legs together, sweeping the young man off of his feet. "I am not one of your mystic beasts! Now stop trying to annoy me, and fight with honor!"  
Ginny finally reached the top of the statue, turning around. "Hurry, Matt!"  
"Oh, I'm hurrying, Gin! I'm hurrying!" Matt began climbing faster, eternally grateful that Harry had killed the Basilisk. He didn't need the added aggravation. Reaching the top, he took a look around. "Now what?"

Ginny looked up, then down. "The Basilisk's lair!" she exclaimed. "I think we need to get down there!"  
"Lot of good that does us! How do we get down?"

Ginny turned to him. "You. Not us."

"We're both in this, Gin. This is something we both have to do." Matt looked down. "I'll drop you down to his mouth, then climb down. With a little luck, neither of will be taking a swim."

Ginny nodded, looking at the fight between Kirok and Riddle. "I don't get it," she said. "Why's he helping us?"  
Matt looked down as well. "Don't know. But he is. Let's do this."

Ginny clasped Matt's hands, then started down the statue, idly thinking how much she hated the Slytherins. Soon, she let go, grabbing the edge of Salazar's bottom lip, pulling herself up quickly. "Okay, I'm down!"

Matt swung his legs over the side, then started down himself. He made sure to find handholds before heading down.

Then his foot met thin air, and one of his hands missed the grip. _'Oh, shit,'_ he thought, as he fell towards the water.

Before he hit the water, two hands caught his arm with surprising strength, almost wrenching his arm out of it's socket. "Got you!" Ginny grunted, pulling up with every ounce of power in her body.

Matt quickly used his free hand to grab the edge of the statue, pulling himself into the cavern. "Thanks," he gasped. "Now, are you okay?"  
Ginny smirked. "I should be asking you that question." She turned around. "Now what?"  
Kirok looked up. "You will know instinctively!" he shouted. "Be patient!"  
That two second hesitation cost him, as Riddle struck quickly, blasting him with enough power to kill ordinary humans. Kirok, predictably, didn't suffer that fate, though he was winded. Shouting triumphantly, the wizard kicked him into the water. "Farewell, demon!" he crowed, turning his attention to the two teenagers. "You're next, boy!"  
Matt put a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll take him time to climb up here."  
Riddle jumped.

"Son of a bitch!" The two backpedaled quickly as their enemy flew upward, weapon ready to destroy them.

And Kirok erupted out of the water, kicking him with both feet. He flipped backward, using the statue to propel himself forward, sword out like a javelin.

Matt turned around, making a quick decision as he did so. "Ginny, go on. I'll be right behind you."  
"You first." Ginny moved to the side. "It's your test, not mine."  
"We're both going, and that's final. Trust me on that." The boy sighed. "Alright, I'll go first." Taking a deep breath, he started into the darkness, Ginny following him.

Relentless, Riddle pressed his attack, forcing Kirok back. Kirok, ever systematic, fell back, then swerved, forcing the wizard to break off his offensive.

* * *

Matt exited the tunnel, standing up and wrinkling his nose. He felt Ginny standing up next to him, looking around. "Where the hell are we?" he asked.

Ginny gave him a pitying look. "The Basilisk's nest," she replied.

Matt frowned. "That explains the smell." He squinted. "Now what do we do?"

"Not us, you. You're the one who has to do this."  
"How do we know that? For all we know, you're the one who has to do this."  
"Me? I'm not the warrior of Friendship."  
Matt smiled. "No, but you're my friend. And that's all that matters to me."  
Ginny's eyes shone with tears, but now, they weren't tears of grief. "We'll do it together," she said. "Like friends do."

Matt thought about it, and grinned. "You're right. We should do it together. It's only fair." He held out his hand. "You ready?"

Ginny clasped the hand firmly. "I'm ready." Taking a deep breath, she said. "I'm your friend, Matt, and I won't let you be alone anymore."

Matt nodded. "And I won't leave you alone, or deceive you, Ginny. You're my friend, and as good of a person as any I know."

And, in that instant, just after he had said those words, a sudden blue light erupted inside the room, hitting all corners of the space before consolidating into a single form. It soon became a circular doorway, something that looked suspiciously like the maw of a Stargate.

Enter, and see what you must face, a voice said out of nowhere.

Following the mysterious voice's instructions, though they didn't go in blindly.

Kirok felt the shift in the winds, and smirked. "It would appear that you have failed, Tom Riddle," he said.

Riddle snarled. "Then I'll take my frustrations out on you!"

Kirok brought his blade up, entering a defensive stance.

Riddle charged forward.

* * *

The two teens stumbled out of the portal, their eyes adjusting to the sudden change in lighting. After several moments, they took a look around their new surroundings. They both absently noted that they were still holding hands, but they didn't let go.

"We must be in the testing ground," Ginny finally observed. "But from what you've told me, only the bearer of the particular crest can enter."  
Matt turned to her. "I guess you were judged worthy, or something. I'm just glad you're here."

I, to, am glad that you both arrived safely.

Both teens looked around. "We're both supposed to be here?" Ginny asked.

Matt grunted. "Guess so. So, what's the test?"

No test here. The end of the test is what opened the portal, but the test began when you both entered Dreamscape on that first night.

Ginny blinked, a sudden suspicion gripping her. "I was the test," she whispered.

Correct. And now, Yamato Ishida, Ginevra Weasley, claim the fruits of your labors. The two of them turned to stare in front of them.

There, on a large altar, covered in scabbards of silver, lay two sabers. Their handles were ornate, made of a gold like plating with the symbol of Friendship engraved on both. Jewels were set into the slight depressions, making look more like identical works of art instead of weapons.

"There...two of them?" Matt muttered. "But...how?"

These blades are held by the warrior of Friendship, and the female he is closest to. Like all of the sacred weapons, they hold a repository of knowledge and experience from those who held them before.

"Wait, hold on. I was the test?" Ginny shook her head as it completely set in. "Why was I the test?"

You were in pain, and friendship and loyalty were what was needed to help you through. At the same time, Yamato was still contending with the issue of his place. So I let you two bond without my interference. However, not even I could anticipate Tom Riddle's memory arising again.

Matt nodded, understanding dawning. "He killed two birds with one stone, only to have a new bird show up."  
"Guess so." Ginny turned, smiling. "So, which sword's which?"  
_The one on the left is yours, Miss Weasley. But there is one thing that you should know before you do. Once you pick up these weapons, you will set yourselves on a path that will have far reaching consequences for both of you. Are you ready?_

The two looked at each other, then at the swords. Both of them made up their minds. "We're ready," Matt replied, walking forward, Ginny at his side.

Both of them reached for the swords at the same time, hands still clasped together.

* * *

Kirok stumbled back, righting himself before he fell into the water again. Leaping back fifteen feet, he brought his blade up again, readying himself for another attack.

Riddle brought his blade up again, striding forward. "You're going to wish that you didn't survive past five hundred."

"Many have said that," Kirok retorted. "All have failed." Deep down, though, he was becoming concerned. Voldemort's stamina and prowess were renowned throughout Existence, and even an Uruk-Hai had limits. If this battle progressed, those limits would be tested to the breaking point.

Riddle's stride began picking up speed until he was running forward, blade up to skewer. Kirok braced his feet apart, preparing.

And Yamato Ishida leaped from the statue's mouth, foot slamming into Riddle's face, forcing him off of his attack run. Ginny leaped out next, both feet planting themselves into his chest, knocking him off of his feet. Whirling like a top, she landed next to Matt.

Riddle leaped back to his feet, staring at the two of them in surprise.

Matt smiled pleasantly, like he was greeting an old friend. "Hello, Tom," he said calmly. "Are you ready to die?" He unsheathed his new sword. Mirroring his actions, Ginny did so as well. Immediately, the two of them assumed different battle stances.

Riddle observed their stances, realizing that it wasn't going to be as easy as the last time. Quickly creating another sword from the ether, he braced himself.

Matt and Ginny moved as one, blades little more than blurs of steel. Riddle's blades moved just as swiftly, blocking their attacks at an inhuman speed. He leaped over them, kicking the two of them in their backs. He quickly blocked Kirok's blade with both, disarming him, then slashing at him. Kirok quickly rolled, collecting his sword as he went. He whirled around to block another attack, before launching a counter attack.

Ginny struck from the other side, effectively dividing Riddle's attention between them. The two of them forced him back, and also had the added bonus of effectively distracting him from Matt's approach. In fact, it was so successful, that when he struck, Riddle was hard-pressed to stop it.

Unfortunately, he was able to stop, by forcing Kirok's blade into the sword's path, then whirled, catching all three of them at once with a whirling kick. "Nice try, little boy!" he snarled. "You almost had me!"

Then his mouth was forcibly shut by Matt's fist as it connected. "So I'll try again!"

With a snarl, Riddle brought his blade up again...and whirled, as if sensing the Uruk-Hai's approach. He quickly began blocking, though he kept his senses open for any other attacks.

"Ishida! Weasley!" Kirok shouted. "You have to get out of here! If you fall here, then the land of Dreamscape will be open for destruction!" He looked at Matt as his blade continued striking out. "We will have our battle one day, but you leave now."

Matt nodded, still somewhat confused. "Ginny, let's go!" he shouted. Ginny nodded, sheathing her sword, and running for the exit.

"Oh, no." Riddle started turning around. "You're not leaving that easily!" He launched a dark attack that was so powerful, that it made the very air crackle with power. It barely missed the two warriors as they fled.

Kirok re-directed his attention back to him. "Oh, yes, they are!" He brought his hand up. "_Duelist Ice Storm!"_ he bellowed, launching a large number of ice balls at Riddle.

As the two of them continued their fight, Matt and Ginny flew down the slimy corridors of the Chamber of Secrets, never looking back.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley brother's all stood at the entrance to the Chamber, going over the battle plan; Go in, get Matt and Ginny out, then beat the living hell out of Tom Riddle. After what Professor McGonagall had said about the memory walking out of the shadows, it seemed the like the best plan they had ever had. And in any other circumstances, it would have worked too.

So it was not surprising that they were caught unprepared, as Matt and Ginny suddenly flew out of the hole like demons were chasing them. "Ginny...?" Harry began.

"Shut the Chamber of Secrets now!" Matt shouted. "We can't let Riddle loose in the school!"

Harry nodded, then turned his attention to the sinks. _"Close!"_ he hissed in Parseltongue. Immediately, the sinks started closing in around the hole. Another sink rose up from the ground, a grate sliding into place.

"Close, close, close," Ginny chanted. "Close up, you bloody piece of junk!"

'Hold on, Kirok.' Matt was unexpectedly concerned for his counterpart. _'You won't get your chance at me if you die here.'_

Matt was unexpectedly concerned for his counterpart. 

Riddle broke off his attack, leaping back. "You may have stopped me from getting my revenge, but you've only delayed the inevitable!" He suddenly jumped upward, and out of sight.

Kirok glared. "You are as cowardly as your ancestor's!" he roared after him. "One day, you will die, Tom Riddle!"  
He started back the way he came.

The top of the sinks clanged into place, sealing the entrance. And, for the first time in over four months, the Chamber of Secrets was sealed.

Ron looked at Matt. "You two okay, mate?" he asked.

Matt nodded, wiping some sweat off of his brow. "Bruised, but alive."  
"We've gotten new swords," Ginny added.

"What about Riddle?" Harry asked. "Professor McGonagall said that he was down there, looking like he was fifty years ago. Do we know if the Deadly Alliance repaired that damn diary?"  
Matt shook his head. "There was no diary down there. He's alive...and he's free." He sighed. "And I don't think that we've seen the last of him. Not by a long shot."  
As one, those assembled turned to stare at the closed Chamber entrance, all of them knowing that there were other ways out of there. They all knew that it was a matter of time before Tom Riddle returned.

And came for them all.

* * *

And on that pleasant note, I shall end Episode Forty Eight. Episode Forty Nine will continue where this left off, basically turning into another Dreamscape episode.

After some consideration, I have decided to not limit myself to two chapters per my two mini series, instead going for as long as I need. For the two mini-series, I do have a great deal of material to cover. Also, a Rated M chapter for Captain Planet: Armageddon will be posted as soon as I finish it.

I have acquired a membership for Mediaminer. Org., and am now in the process of tediously posting Digimon: Silver Star Story. It's where I will have slightly more...explicit versions of several chapters. I am also going through the process of improving on the Episodes already on, so please bear with me. Also expect an updated Bio's within the next week or so.


	51. Episode Forty Eight Point Five

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Forty Eight Point Five: Change in the Air

Kirok quickly exited the pipe, swimming for the shore at an accelerated rate, before jumping to the shore. He quickly unsheathed his blade, quickly whirling around to a presence he sensed immediately.

Sirius Black stared at him, wand out. "What are you doing here, Uruk-Hai?" he asked bluntly.

Kirok sighed, putting his sword away. He could easily overpower the wizard escapee, but he had no quarrel with James Potter or his friends. "I was not here to attack your godson, Sirius Black. In fact, my reason changed when I entered the Chamber." He walked around the wizard casually. "I am curious to know how you escape Azkaban, but it isn't necessary for you to tell me."

Black took his statement, weighing its believability, and found it to his liking. He lowered his wand. "Well, in that case, it's been a while, Kirok."

Kirok bowed. "I see that you haven't forgotten me. But now, I must depart. Farewell." He started walking towards Hogsmeade, then stopped. "Oh, yes. Keep an eye on your godson. He has his father's strength of character." He started walking again.

"Give my regards to Phacia!" Black called from behind him.

Kirok stopped, then smiled slightly, continuing on his way. Azkaban hadn't changed him one bit.

* * *

Matt opened his eyes to trees and bright sunlight, and smiled, feeling more at home than he ever had in Tokyo. Getting up, he surveyed the area he was in, looking for Ginny.

"I'm over here."

Turning around at the sound of her voice, he was greeted to the sight of Ginny wearing a white dress, a blue robe over it. He gaped for a second. "How did you...?"

Ginny giggled. "Well, I realized that if we can bring things into Dreamscape, then we can manipulate certain aspects of it. Well, I decided that I didn't want to wear pajamas here, so I...made a change in my apparel."  
Matt nodded, smiling. "Well, you have my humble approval." He held out a hand. "I see you also brought your weapon."  
Ginny grinned. "So did you." She took the hand, holding it firmly. "So, let's see how good the two of us are in a duel."

"After we get to the meadow."  
"But, of course."

The two of them walked down the familiar path that they had gone down every night they had been there, reaching the meadow with in a few moments. They walked a few moments longer until they had left the forest entirely. Then, Matt stopped walking, Ginny's hand slipping out from his as she walked a foot more, before turning around. She curtsied. "Shall we?" she asked impishly.

"We shall." Matt bowed, then unsheathed his blade, going into a stance. Ginny did the same thing.

The two blades crossed, and the duel began in earnest.

* * *

Obi-Wan entered what would be his living quarters during his stay at Hogwarts, nodding. "Most impressive, Mr. Dumbledore."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, Master Kenobi, I glad that you're pleased with the accommodations. I'll have a map of the castle made for you and your apprentice, so you don't get lost."

"Thank you. AmbassadorAmidala's staff should be through the Stargate in a few hours." Obi-Wan shrugged. "I have no love for politics...neither does the good Senator, now that I think about it."

"Now you know why I'm content being the Headmaster."  
"I have no doubt."

"If you need anything, please send word through one of the ghosts."

"Of course." The Jedi Master set his travel bag down on the bed as Dumbledore left, thinking to himself. While he was sure that he wouldn't need anything, he appreciated the wizard's good nature. It reminded him of Yoda.

Anakin walked in, taking a look around. "Reminds me of the caves of Yavin," he noted.

Padme sighed. "Anakin, anything made of stone reminds you of Yavin."

As soon as she said this, Peeves made a strafing run over them, forcing them to duck so they wouldn't get hit by a Dungbomb. Blowing a raspberry at them, he flew through the next wall, cackling madly.

Slowly, the three of them stood up fully, looking at the wall that Peeves had just gone through. "Master, are you sure that we'll survive?" Anakin asked.

"Oh, I'm perfectly sure, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, observing his surroundings. "I'm just wondering if we'll be sane by the time we leave."  
Padme looked around as well. "I'm going to bring Threepio with me when I head for the Ministry. If only to keep him safe from that...thing."  
"Oh, you mean Peeves?"  
Obi-Wan turned around in surprise...only to see Nearly Headless Nick floating at the door. "That's Peeves?"

Nick nodded, partially severed head bobbing slightly on his neck. "If you have any problems, just go find the Bloody Baron. He's the only one who can control Peeves with any success. Well, I must be off. Good day, and enjoy your time at Hogwarts." With that, he floated away.

The two Jedi and oneambassador silently agreed on one thing; There was a lot that they needed to adjust to in this realm.

* * *

Blades flashed faster than anyone could have tracked, if there was anyone to try. Thousand of years of experience flowed through the two combatants as they dueled, pitting their strength against each other. A friendly sparring match between two equal opponents.

Matt and Ginny moved fluidly, with a grace that would have made Zorro look inept. They both had small smiles on their faces as they moved, trying to one up one another.

Matt whirled, aiming low, while Ginny jumped, moving in perfect coordination to avoid losing her feet. She lashed downward, only to be blocked by Matt. They were two halves of the same person.

The two of them separated quickly, stepping back and observing each other appraisingly. "Nice," Matt commented.

Ginny's smile grew. "Likewise, Matt." She brought her sword up. "Let's make this interesting, shall we? Whoever can be tripped over that hill has to...do the first thing that goes through their mind."

Matt paused, his smile faltering slightly. The first thing...the _only_ thing going through his mind at that moment, was an insane urge to kiss Ginny. Quite honestly, he was concerned what would happen if he fell down the hill, because of what he would be jeopardizing.

'Gives me more incentive to win,' he thought, shrugging mentally. "Okay, Gin, you're on." He brought his sword up as well. "May the best Warrior of Friendship win."

Ginny nodded, then lunged forward, blade moving impossibly fast. Reacting just as quickly, he blocked, and launching a counterattack, which she blocked in turn.

Apparently, the sparring match was over. This was now about two warriors unleashing their full potential upon each other, both of them wanting to win.

Matt was hell bent on being the one to prevail. He had more than his adolescent pride to be concerned about. His friendship with Ginny was also, unconsciously, on the line. And he always valued his friendships with the others.

Unknown to Matt, Ginny felt the same way. The only thing she had been thinking about since she had observed Izzy and Mimi's date, was kissing Matt. However, she was afraid that if she did that, ifshe let him know how she felt,then she would lose his friendship. And she wasn't so keen on giving her heart to anyone.

Gone were the smiles on their faces. Gone was the playfulness Instead, as the two of them sunk into a battle state few reached, their blows became more systematic, the blows a great deal stronger. And still, they were evenly matched. Then again, they did have the same experience being pumped into their brains, so it wasn't surprising.

Still battling, they both edged their way towards the hill, trying to find that one moment that their opponent made a mistake. Neither did, though.

Matt was getting desperate. This game was getting very dangerous, and it was in danger of being drawn out longer than he wanted it to. He had to find a way to end this soon, before he slipped up, and Ginny one upped him. Making a quick strategy, he suddenly relaxed, moving slightly to the side. When Ginny moved instinctively to counter his movement, he sidestepped around her, giving her a light push. With a shriek, she started pitching forward, her arms scrabbling, looking for something to grab onto. And, through sheer luck, she managed to get a handhold.

Unfortunately, the handhold was Matt's arm. And he wasn't prepared for that type of thing.

Roughly translated; They both lost.

The two tumbled down the hill, rolling around and around, neither one of them knowing what had just happened. And both were wondering when they were going to stop tumbling. Their heads were spinning.

After about thirty five seconds later, they came to rest at the bottom of the hill. Not to be overly concerned of, except for one thing.

Ginny landed right on top of Matt. An awkward situation, if there ever was one.

Ginny blushed slightly, looking into Matt's eyes, drowning in them. "Umm, does this mean that I win?" she asked after several moments.

Matt didn't break eye contact. He couldn't, really. "I don't know. I'll have to check the rulebook on this one." He smiled sheepishly. "What say we never do that type of challenge, ever again?"  
"Agreed."

After a moment of them staring at each other, neither one saying anything, Matt finally shifted, cracking a grin at their situation. "So, are you going to get up, or shall we continue staring at each other?" His eyes grew mischievous. "Or shall I kiss you now, and get it over with?" he asked teasingly.

Ginny's breath caught, and she felt her adolescent feelings coming to the surface. She knew her face was red enough for her to look like a cherry. "What...whatever you want to do," she replied without thinking, then blushing even further as what she said sank in.

Now Matt's breath caught in his throat, as he stared into her face. He realized that what she had just said had slipped out of her mouth. _'And it's such a cute mouth, too,'_ he thought. Before he realized what he was doing, he had gently placed his hand on the back of Ginny's head, and brought her down to him.

And when their lips gently, hesitantly touched, Ginny learned what it meant to be on Cloud Nine.

She caressed the side of Matt's face as they continued kissing gently, nothing hurried, nothing deeper than simply lips to lips. Coherent thought flew out of the window for both of them, until only the two of the existed.

After a minute had passed, they parted, staring at each other once, trying to come to grips with what had just happened. Matt looked very unsure, while Ginny looked like she was still deciding what to think.

"Ginny?" Matt finally asked, unable to bear the silence.  
Surprisingly, Ginny smiled, blush gone. "I'll say this...I'd say we both won." She giggled at the dumbstruck look on Matt's face. "I've been wanting todo thatfor almost a month now."  
Matt smiled. "Wait, let me guess. You were just too scared to, right?"  
Ginny blinked. "Yes, that's right. How'd you...?"

Matt grinned. "Well, between Dreamscape, our telepathic conversations, and the surges of emotion that we feel at inopportune moments, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind ever since we've met." The grin turned sheepish, as he stroked her cheek for a second, letting his hand linger. "I've been wanting totell you for that long, but I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship."  
Ginny rolled off of him, then stood up. "Well, we don't have to be afraid anymore, Matt. And you're a pretty good kisser...for a first time" She smiled mischievously. "Let's go take a swim," she suggested suddenly.

Matt got up, staring at her. "Swimming?"

"Yes, swimming. This place does have a body of water, if I remember correctly. And remember, we can make anything in our immediate vicinity change."  
"Oh...right. I'm still wrapping my mind over the fact that we're not just friends anymore. Don't you think this is going rather fast? We've only known each other for a month."  
Ginny giggled as she grasped his hand. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" she asked.

Matt smiled. "I do now."  
"Then stop asking questions like that. And let's go swimming." The young witch started running towards the beach, the amused Japanese boy in tow.

* * *

Matt observed his new attire, which was a pair of blue swimming trunks. "I think I'm getting the hang of this manipulation," he said. "Hey, Gin, you ready?"  
"See for yourself," Ginny replied, stepping up.

Matt observed her conservative swimsuit, noting how it clung to her body. It was a one piece affair, red as her hair, and cut modestly. "You know, if we were both older, I'd say that you were teasing me."  
Ginny shook her head, smiling in amusement. "Sorry, that can wait a few years, when I actually _have_ something to tease you with."  
Matt decided not to respond, as he was a male after all. Instead, he turned his attention to the water. "Nice lake, this world has."

"Yeah." She turned her gaze back to him. "So, Master Yoda, are you going in?"  
"Yoda?" Matt sighed. "Well, just remember, for comparing me to the greatest Jedi Master of the Republic, you've brought this on yourself." With that, he walked over to her, gave her another gentle kiss, and then hoisted her into the air, putting her over his shoulder, and making his way to the water.

"Matt!" Ginny shrieked, half heartedly beating his back with her fists, laughing all the way. "Put me down this instant!"  
"Hold on, Gin. I'll put you down," Matt replied, grinning wickedly. "But you've been a bad girl, so I have to punish you." He continued walking...well, wading...until the water was up to his waist, then flipped her into the water. "Does that cool your ardor? he asked, when she had resurfaced.

Ginny smirked. "Not really." She dived under again, grabbed Matt's legs, and pulled. Matt promptly fell into the water, resurfacing several seconds later, sputtering. He stared at Ginny for a moment, amazed. "One for one, now," she said, satisfied.

"You do realize that this means war."  
"Bring it on."  
What that amounted to was a water war, the two of them drenching each other with big sheets of water, tripping each other, and losing their balance through no fault but their own. They were having fun, something that neither of them had done in a long time.

After about thirty minutes had passed, the two of them were in each other's arms again with water lapping all around them, kissing passionately, though it was still only lips to lips. Perfect training for when they were older.

Matt looked at Ginny, panting from lack of oxygen. "I think we're going to have to think long term in our relationship, as well as practicing restraint."  
"Good idea," Ginny replied. "You want to get out of the water?"  
"Why? I'm having so much fun."  
Ginny laughed. "Very well." She brought her lips back down onto his, and thoughts of the outside world faded from them again.

* * *

Swimming was fun, but Ginny was chock full of ideas on this night. And chief among them was the fact that she wanted to play tag. Which was something Matt had never really done before. Your parents separating kind of made you grow up a little faster than usual.

Which was why it was so strange to see Matt still chasing after Ginny after ten minutes, seeing as how he was physically stronger, and faster than her. It should have been a no contest.

Except Ginny was a Weasley, and Weasley's were notorious for getting out of tight spots. So what had started as a two minute chase had become a full scale marathon, where Matt was forced to try and second guess his newly dubbed girlfriend. Not an easy feat, to be sure.

Ginny laughed as Matt kept on her, an extreme look of concentration on his face. He obviously wanted to catch her, but she kept outwitting him at every turn. He was enjoying this, but he also wanted to win. A pride manner, apparently. _'Well, who am I to trample on his pride?'_ She immediately turned around, ran by him, then stopped, turning around to face him. She also braced herself.

Matt slowed down, panting slightly. He saw her standing there, giggling. "Minx," he muttered good naturedly, walking up to her, and engulfing her in a hug. "Tag, you're it," he growled, staring at her intently.

Ginny's giggles escalated before she stopped, returning his stare, transfixed. "Stop that," she murmured.

"Stop what?"  
"Staring at me like that. I keep losing myself in your eyes."  
Matt nodded in agreement. "That's good," he replied. "Makes you easy to catch."

Ginny smirked a bit. "But now, I'm it. So, tag, you're it!" She immediately started tickling Matt, hands sweeping up his sides, breaking the spell he had weaved over her. She kept it up as Matt tried to scrunch up into a ball, laughing hysterically.

After about a minute of this, Matt suddenly blurred into motion, flipping her onto her back, returning the favor. Now it was Ginny who was ward off those hands, and the torture they inflicted.

Matt stopped after a moment, moving away, and sat down, observing the flowers around the two of them, a silly smile on his face.

A hand soon found his, holding it gently. "Where does this leave us?" Ginny asked, leaning her head on his shoulder, her arm landing on his arm.

Matt didn't reply, thinking it through for a second. "Well, we can't exactly let anyone know about this. We're going to have to keep our relationship a secret."  
"I hate keeping secrets."  
"So do I. But for some reason, if the enemy finds out about us, they'll focus their entire power on either of us." Matt shrugged. "Just what I think."  
Ginny nodded, leaning into him. "I had the same feeling, Matt. But what happens if they find out on their own?"  
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her in. "But for now, let's just enjoy our time here."  
Ginny smiled. "I can get used to that," she replied, before losing herself in yet another string of kisses.

* * *

Kirok reached the Weasley Stargate, looking around to ensure that the Weasley's were not anywhere near it, then started punching the DHD, entering the coordinates for Lunar. He had much to report to Racc, and none of it was good.

At the same time, he felt a sense of satisfaction at knowing that Ishida had obtained his weapon successfully. It would make their duel all the more worthwhile when they had it.

But there was more to it than that. He had seen the bond that had formed between him and Miss Weasley. He didn't want to be the one to end that. And he wasn't going to tell his brethren about it, either.

The Stargate erupted outward, startling him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to the swirling maw for a moment. Without a second glance, he stepped through, making the journey to Lunar...unaware that someone was running up the hill with her wand out.

Molly stopped at the dialing device, looking at the symbols. _'Who the bleeding hell came from Lunar?'_ she thought. _'Ron would have told me if someone was coming through, or going back.'_ She resolved to send a letter to Hogwarts on that.

When it was morning. Stifling a yawn, she started on her way back to the Burrow. Her bed beckoned.

* * *

Phacia waited impatiently as Kirok departed from the Stargate, before she engulfed him in a hug. "I've missed you," she whispered.

Kirok smiled behind his mask. "I was only gone a day. It makes me wonder how you would be if I was gone longer."  
"I don't want to think about it. So, how did your mission go?"  
The Uruk-Hai stifled his smile. How like her. "It was...an unmitigated failure. Someone else appeared. I will give you a full report in a few hours." He didn't want to tell her here, where he knew J'onro was listening. In fact, he felt his presence near the doorway, his ear pressed against the door.

Phacia nodded as well. She had never really liked the other Uruk-Hai. She cared for Kirok because of his compassion, his sense of honor, and the fact that he had a nice sense of humor. And he was handsome, too, when he didn't have that mask on. "Well, I'm going to give you an update on our operations here. Dinner?"  
"Certainly. I will be at your quarters in three hours."  
Phacia nodded, smile now gone from her face, and she strolled out of the gate room, head held high.

Kirok suppressed a chuckle. The gesture reminded him of Sheyra, with the straight back, but the head merely pointed ahead. Confident, but not arrogant. It was the one of the many things that he liked about her.

Bringing himself back to the present, he made his way out of the gate room as well, heading for his quarters. He didn't want to smell like lake water for tonight.

* * *

Matt sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, feeling very refreshed, and ten times happier than before.

But then again, he was no longer single. And the thought of a girlfriend he would never truly part from was something that he was going to get used to.

As he contemplated this, the focus of his thoughts bounded down the stairwell, and made a beeline for him, plopping down next to him. "Morning!" Ginny chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

Matt felt a smile emerge on his face. "Morning." He looked around, then gave Ginny a small kiss. "So, I'm going to assume that your isolation policy is no longer in effect."

"You assumed right. Are you leaving right away?"  
"Not until I've had some breakfast. And I thought you were going to give me a tour of the school grounds."  
Ginny smacked her head in mock surprise. "You're absolutely right. How could I ever forget?"  
"Could have been because of the four dozen kisses we had."  
"I'm sure it was. Morning, Harry!"

Harry stopped, Hermione next to him, both of them staring at Ginny in bewilderment. "You're awfully chipper today," Hermione noted.

Ginny shrugged. "It's the first night that I've actually had good dreams, and then winning a duel against Matt," she said, lying through her teeth.

Matt sighed realistically. "She managed to bring me down a hill." A half truth.

Hermione grinned. "Good to have you back, Ginny."

"Great to be back." The redhead suddenly realized something. "Harry, Hermione, why did both of you walk down the boys stairwell."  
Harry grinned. "We were talking with Ron. Then Hermione fell asleep on my bed. I fell asleep on a chair."  
"No need to get defensive. I was just curious." Ginny giggled. "So, everybody up for some breakfast?"  
Matt's grin started to reassert itself, as his stomach growled. "Yeah."

And to breakfast, they went.


	52. Episode Forty Nine: Shayera's Discovery

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption

Episode Forty Nine: Shayera's Discovery

Nighttime in the Watchtower.

Only three members of the Justice League were on active duty at this time, as well as twenty civilian workers who were employed by them. The rest of the League was either back on Earth, or sleeping.

Now direct your attention to one of the residential corridors, right in front of an intersection between hallways. These are the quarters of Shayera Hol, the last of the seven founding members of the Justice League. The Thanagarian who had once betrayed the Justice League, and then betrayed her own people when she discovered the truth. The enigma that no one could approach, save a select few.

Shayera Hol herself was presently asleep, which unto itself was normal. Even she needed rest. Where she was sleeping, on the other hand, was not her bed, or even on her couch.

She was sleeping at her personal computer terminal...while it was still on. Her back rose and fell at regular intervals as she slept, peace reigning on her features for once. That was unusual for her.

The computer screen had various articles from the supermarket tabloids scrolling down it, all of them focusing on old rumors and sightings of one particular person.

The person she was searching for: Alania.

Ever since the volcano incident, when Superman had locked Doomsday in the Phantom Zone, Shayera had been feeling something in her gut, a feeling that she realized that she had had her entire life, since she was old enough to be aware.

Shayera Hol was...different.

As different from other Thanagarians as she was from the other members of the Justice League. As different as anyone she had ever known throughout the galaxy. Because she cared too much for other life forms. And because she had questions that she had no answers to, and wanted said answers. Something a Thanagarian usually never concerned himself/herself with.

And the name of Alania kept popping up in her mind since her return to the Justice League, so she had started to look for her, going through every tabloid magazine from thirty years ago.

Because she had the feeling that Alania had the answers to the questions she had. And so, for the last several weeks, she had locked herself in her room, leaving only to get something to eat, and for her shift. Other than that, no one ever saw her.

As she slept peacefully, dreaming of a life that she had never had, her computer screen reached the end of it's search, coming up with nothing...and then went blank.

And a message appeared.

WAKE UP, SHAYERA.

Slowly, as if obeying the command, emerald green eyes blinked open, looking up at the screen. Slowly sitting up as the message began to sink into her sleep fogged brain, she removed her headphones, shutting off her CD player, and stared at it. "What the-?" she muttered, confused.

The message disappeared from the screen, only to be replaced by another.

THE GUARDIANS NEED YOU.

The Thanagarian blinked once in surprise, then pressed the CTRL+ALT+DEL combo, trying to restart her computer. When nothing happened, she lightly smacked the side of her screen. "You have got to be kidding me."

FOLLOW THE BIRD WHOSE POWER COME FROM HER VOICE.

Shayera blinked again in surprise, hitting the ESCAPE button. When nothing happened there, she sat back, trying to decide what to try next. She idly thought about using her mace, but decided against it. She had promised Bruce that she wouldn't cause any damage to the new Watchtower.

KNOCK, KNOCK, SHAYERA.

"Knock, knock? What the hell?"

As this new message finally sank in, there was a sharp rapping on her door, startling her out of her staring contest, and she turned her head slightly. "Who is it?"

"It's Black Canary. I've got Question, Huntress, and Green Arrow."  
Shayera looked back her computer, at the now completely blank screen, and blinked in surprise once again. Shaking it off, she called out, "I'm coming." Getting up, she made her way to the door, scratching the back of her head for a second before unlocking her door. "I was expecting you guys an hour ago."  
Green Arrow shrugged. "My fault. Batman kept me later than usual. Question's wondering if you've got the information that he's looking for."  
"Yeah, hold on." Shayera walked back over to her desk, shifting through the small pile of disks she had filled up, before finding the one she wanted. Walking out of the room, she handed it to the Leagues resident super skeptic.

Question nodded, his emotions perfectly concealed. "Thank you. Hopefully, I'll find the connection to Cadmus that's eluded me so far. Then I'll find out whose financing them."

"You get caught using that by anyone outside of the League..."

"I know. This conversation never happened. You don't exist."  
Shayera nodded vaguely. "Right..."  
Huntress looked at her. "Something wrong? You seem a little pale."

Shayera spared a glance at her computer. "My computer...it..." Shaking her head, she turned back to the four in front of her. "Have any of you ever had a day where nothing feels..._right_, to you?"  
Question nodded. "Every day. But why are you feeling this?"  
"That's the question, I know."  
Canary smiled. "Well, how about you join me and Arrow in Jump City? We're planning on clubbing."  
"I can't. I've got monitor duty to-"

Follow _the bird whose power comes from her voice._

"Sure. Let me get a change in the schedule, and I'll see you in the Javelin Bay in about...ten minutes," Shayera finished smoothly, checking the clock.

Arrow smiled. "Yeah, see you there."

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Shayera found herself sitting at the bar of Jump City's most exclusive club, nursing a brandy while Arrow and Canary hit the dance floor. She saw how close the two of then had become, and found herself reminiscing about the old days, when there were only seven of them. When two heroes named Green Lantern and Hawkgirl also took the first steps in having a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, unlike the two lovers down there, Hawkgirl was a spy from the Thanagarian Military, sent to determine humanity's weaknesses, and the Justice League's. The official story she was given was that the Thanagarians would construct a massive shield generator, one designed to protect them from the Gordanians, both Thanagar's and Tamaran's deadliest foe.

Unfortunately for her, that was only the cover story.

The real story was that the Thanagarians were constructing a hyperspace bypass, designed to breach the defense grid of Gordania, thereby opening a line of attack into the heart of their empire. The downside of that effect was that every planet in the chain would be instantly destroyed, torn apart the immense gravitational forces brought upon them from within. Only a final desperate act, which accumulated with the destruction of the old Watchtower, had stopped Earth from being destroyed. But by then, it was too late.

Because of her actions against Earth, Shayera had lost the respect she had earned during her years living there. And due to her actions against her own people, she was exiled, stripped of her rank and position in Thanagarian society, and declared an enemy of the state. Afterwards, she resigned from the League, hightailed it for the most obscure location she could find, and spent the first week of her exile drinking her woes away. Doctor Fate found her in a drunken stupor, brought her to his home, and helped her come to grips with what she had done.

Then Grundy returned, and she came back to help. Superman and the others welcomed her back, however reluctantly, to the League.

And she spent the majority of her time alone, trying not to form close bonds with the new people.

And she found that she didn't have much taste for her drink. Pushing it away, she turned to observe the throng of people behind her. She saw Arrow and Canary among them, rather easy to spot, and bit back a smile. They were awfully close. She'd have to make sure to tell Flash about this.

"Neo?"  
The Thanagarian jumped about three feet off of her stool, before swinging around, her hand moving instinctively to her mace, before remembering that she had left it at the Watchtower. Instead, she braced herself. "How do you know that name?" she demanded.

The person, another woman, slightly shorter in stature though slender in nature, stood before her. Her hair was brown, the color of wood, and her eyes were red green. And she was staring at Shayera in awe...and something else. Something the other woman couldn't decipher. And the thing that got her was that she thought that she looked familiar.

And the woman simply replied with, "I know everything about you, Shayera. I've kept a close eye on you throughout the years."  
Shayera stared at her in confusion, that feeling getting stronger. "Who are you?" She saw Canary and Arrow making their way towards the bar, having seen the woman come up to her, silently approving.  
"My name is Trinity."  
"Trinity?... The Trinity? Who cracked the IRS T-base?" Canary asked in surprise.

Trinity nodded, not even turning around. "That was a long time ago."  
Arrow whistled. "Well, we just thought..."  
"What?"  
"That you were a guy."  
"Most people, and species, do."

'Interesting choice of words,' Canary thought.

Shayera, however, connected a different set of dots. "That was you on my computer terminal earlier, wasn't it?" she asked, understanding dawning.

Trinity nodded. "I've come to warn you, and I would like you to pass the message on to the rest of the Justice League. They're watching you, Shayera. They know what you are. They know about your true past, your potential, and why, night after night, you sit at your computer, and search for her." She smiled knowingly. "I know because I used to search for her. I was searching for answers."  
"Alania," Shayera whispered.

Trinity stepped forward, until she was right next to Shayera's ear. "The answer is out there, Shayera. The answer is always out there, just waiting to be found. It's the question that drives us." She stepped back. "Do you know what the question is?" she asked.

Shayera almost stopped breathing, her heart hammering in her chest. "Who are the Guardians?"

Trinity nodded, bowing once to her. "She'll be in touch with you soon." She turned around. "It was an honor to meet you both, as well," she added, before seemingly dissolving into thin air.

Arrow scratched his head. "What was that about?"

Shayera didn't reply, instead sitting down, trying to bring her heart rate down. The whole conversation had struck a chord in her, one she never thought it would. And it wasn't a nice feeling.

'Time to have a talk with J'onn.' she thought, downing her drink and feeling it burn down her throat. "Guys, I'm going to head back to the Tower. Night."  
"Yeah, night." Canary watched as her co worker walked out of club, head down in thought. "Now that is a woman whose been hit one too many times with shocking news."  
Arrow had to agree with that.

she thought, downing her drink and feeling it burn down her throat. "Guys, I'm going to head back to the Tower. Night.""Yeah, night." Canary watched as her co worker walked out of club, head down in thought. "Now that is a woman whose been hit one too many times with shocking news."Arrow had to agree with that.

* * *

Yugi took a deep breath of air, savoring the sensation. Oh, how he missed this. But it also signified something. Something that hadn't sunk in until this moment.

He and the Pharaoh were now free from each other. No longer would they have to share a body. They could do different things. Yugi could set him on many more dates.

The thought of his clever manipulations regarding the Pharaoh and Tea caused a bubble of laughter to burst out of him, and he doubled over, clutching his sides in hilarity. Oh, the look on the Pharaoh's face was priceless!

DMG started, then turned to look at him. "What's so funny, Yugi?"

Wiping away a tear of mirth, the short boy turned around. "Just thinking about the old days, when I set Yami up on a date with Tea," he replied, chuckles still emanating out of him at inopportune moments. "He went ballistic when he found out that there wasn't a duel."

DMG giggled. "That sounds like the Pharaoh, alright. He never had any time for a personal life during his rule over Egypt. Fate of the world and all."

"Yeah." Yugi turned his attention back to the lake surrounding Titan Tower, his smile fading. "I hope they're all right out there...somewhere."

"They...oh, the Pharaoh and Tea." DMG stepped up next to him, patting him on the shoulder. "Look, I know you're worried, but the Pharaoh is a capable duelist and warrior. And from what I've seen of your deck, the two of you share the same passion."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And Tea will keep him in line."

"I have no doubt."

As they talked, the door leading to the roof opened, burping out Cyborg. "Hey, guys. Tower's gonna be locked down in a few minutes, so you might wanna get inside."

"Okay, thanks." Yugi got up. "Well, shall we go see if they've made any progress of cleansing you of the Oricalcos."  
DMG smiled. "Let's."

* * *

"Nothing, nothing, nothing..." Jinx flipped through one of Raven's many magic books. "Raven, you've got more spells here than Brother Blood has mechanical parts! Do you even _use_ half of these?"  
Raven looked up. "Not really. I only read them for entertainment purposes."

"Entertainment purposes?"  
"Don't ask," Terra quickly interjected. "Ravenworld is a strange and terrifying place that none enter on purpose."  
Raven smirked. "I've lightened up a bit since that point."  
"Don't we know it?" Beast Boy let out a yawn. "Well, I'm going to bed. Wake me up if Slade blows up the city."  
Terra giggled. "I'm going to turn in, too." her smile grew. "Turning in...a soft bed. Missed it."

Raven gave an almost chuckle. "Good night, Terra, Beast Boy. You can go, too, Jinx."

Jinx jumped up quickly. "Thanks! Night!" She sprinted out of the living room, almost running over Rebecca in the process.

Rebecca neatly sidestepped, eyes still locked on the book in front of her. "The Oricalcos certainly has uses that we all know about, and some we haven't. For instance, it can increase a person's kinetic power, and increase a duelist's life points every turn he or she is in."

Robin nodded, looking over the League's database. "But there's nothing here that suggests that the League ever ran across it."  
"Dat's not a surprise," Joey grumbled, looking over one of the books. "Dis is all jibberish!"  
"It's Azarathian," Raven informed him. "For you, it is jibberish."

"Den why'd you ask for my help?"  
"Tristen suggested it. He figured it would be amusing. I humored him."

Joey immediately put the book down, and dashed out of the room, almost running over DMG and Yugi as they walked in. "Sorry, Yug!"  
Yugi sighed. "Tristen?" he asked.

"Tristen," Robin replied. "Duke and Professor Hawkins called, by the way. Said your friends checked out of Dakota City Hospital almostthree daysago."  
"Damn. Which means they don't know I'm free."

DMG sighed. "Even if they did know, I don't think the Pharaoh would be ready to face you. There is still so much guilt in his soul."  
Yugi sighed. "Can't argue with that. But I wish there was some way to locate him."

DMG and Rebecca nodded as well, though Rebecca's was a little forced. She hadn't forgiven the Pharaoh for his use of the Seal, and the subsequent results of it.

And with Yugi back, she wasn't sure if they really needed the Pharaoh anymore.

Robin sighed. "We're no closer to figuring out what this Deadly Alliance wants, and why they would turn to this Dartz fellow."

"Or find a way to send Dark Magician Girl back to her world," Raven added, shutting the book she was looking. "There's nothing on the subject."  
"So I'm stuck here."  
"Afraid so. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

Terra grinned. "Then again, no one has ever managed to escape the Soul Well, or being locked in stone before, so we managed to accomplish three things in one night."  
Cyborg chuckled. "That'll make a good entry in the next magic book someone writes." He stretched. "Well, I'm gonna go recharge. Night, all of ya."  
Yugi yawned. "Well, I'm going to bed, too." He grinned. "Going to bed...it's amazing what we take for granted as people. Rebecca, where's our room?"  
Rebecca blushed. "Down the hall from Joey and Tristen's. DMG?"  
DMG smiled. "I'm coming. Someone has to make sure you two behave." She giggled at the look's on their faces. "Good night."

Slowly, the Titan living room emptied, as Jinx, then Starfire, and finally Beast Boy and Terra, went to bed, leaving Raven and Robin to continue their research in quiet.

Then Robin got up. "I'm going to my room to replay the fight with Slade. Will you be all right?"

Raven almost nodded, but stopped herself. "Actually, I could use a break from all of this reading...and I don't feel like being alone right now."

Robin nodded, gesturing. "Come on, then. I could use a second opinion."

Thirty seconds later, the two Titans were safely ensconced in what was considered Robin's inner sanctum, replaying the clock tower fight with Slade Normally a useless gesture on any day. Instead, it proved illuminating for Robin.

The Boy Wonder paused the tape, so Slade's face was imposed on the screen. "Raven, I think this symbol on his head is the key. What do you know about it?"  
Raven stared at it for a second. "I know I've seen it before, though...besides on my own forehead when I try to meditate." She frowned. "Hold on. I'll be right back." With that, shewent through the door.

Robin's eyebrow arched in surprise. _'Wonder what she's looking for?'_ he asked himself silently.

He received his answer when Raven reentered his room, clutching a book. "I found it," she whispered. "And it is what I thought it was."  
"What?" Robin saw the look on Raven's face, knew that she was hesitating. "What is it? Come on, please don't shut me out."

Raven hesitated some more, then sighed. "I guess I should tell you, considering that you already know more than the others. You're involved now, and you have to know what you're up against." She opened the book, showing him the symbol. "This is the Mark of Skath. Whoever has this mark is the messenger of my father...Trigon the Terrible, as well as the general of his armies."

"Trigon the Terrible?"

"He's the ruler of a demon dimension, out of sync with the rest of reality. He is extremely powerful...so powerful, in fact, that no being can defeat him...except for one being." She shrugged helplessly. "At least, that's what my mother told me before I left."  
Robin nodded. "So, where do you fit in?"

Raven sighed. "I'm more than simply his daughter. I'm a portal. At the chosen time, at the hour of the beast, I am to open a doorway, allowing him to enter the Earth. When that happens, all of this universe will fall into an era of darkness." She turned back to the screen. "Then again, if the Deadly Alliance wins, our universe will be plunged into darkness, anyways."

Robin nodded. "I didn't think you would tell me this much, if anything." He leaned forward. "Why did you tell me?"

The half demon put her book down, sitting on Robin's bed. "Because once, several weeks, you offered to help me. And, several months ago, you trusted me enough to let me in your mind to help you." She gave him a small smile. "I've never had anyone place that much trust in me...and I've never really placed my complete trust in anyone before."

Robin smiled, turning his attention back to the screen. "Thanks." He started the video again, watching Slade's recent actions at the church. "Something's different," he said. "He seems a little...hurried. You can't really see it, but his eye's twitching."

Raven, got up, walked over to him, and leaned on his chair, inadvertently placing her bosom above Robin's head. "You're right. I would have thought thatif the Deadly Alliance wanted to win, they would have asked Father to join."

"Unless," Robin suggested, "the being who could defeat him is already part of the Alliance. Probably is in charge of the whole thing." He shifted a little. "Uh, Raven, do ya mind?" he asked. He didn't understand his sudden discomfort. After all, he had Starfire hanging off of him every once in a while. And it wasn't like Raven was doing it deliberately.

Raven blushed slightly, backing up. "Sorry." She had, for a brief moment, felt a bit reluctant to back away, but she repressed it quickly.  
Robin nodded, and turned in his chair so he could look at the half demon. "Are you planning to tell the others at some point?" he asked.

"Not yet. I...don't want to worry them. But I will...I promise."  
Robin smiled again. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

An insistent buzzing penetrated Shayera's mind, and she opened her eyes to see her alarm clock. "Damn," she grumbled, hitting the button to shut it off, then rolled out of bed.

Five minutes later, she hurried into the Justice League conference room, breathing hard. "I know I'm late, and-"  
Superman held up a hand. "Black Canary told us what happened last night. Question also says thank you again for the information." He gestured. "Now that we're all here, let's get down to business...if any."

Shayera checked her mission briefings, found them relatively mundane; Patrol Midway City, monitor duty, and... She blinked once in surprise, then frowned. "Bruce," she began.

Batman held up a hand. "You've been falling asleep at your computer over the last few weeks, chasing tabloid ghosts. Working with Vixen and Vigilante will help you get used to working with a team again."  
"What I do on my own time is my own business, not yours. And I do spend enough time working with other members of the League."

"Not as a team leader," Batman reminded her. "Part of your duties include leading missions on and off of Earth."

Shayera felt her anger starting to boil. Even here, people were trying to pressure her into command. Nothing changed. "I have no ambition outside of protecting this planet, and I have no desire to lead anyone. I made that very clear when I returned. The only reason I come here to these meetings is because it's required."

J'onn's eyes started narrowing in irritation. "Shayera, you're a founding member of the Justice League."  
"Doesn't make me a leader."  
Diana leaned in. "Shayera..."  
"If there's nothing else for me here, I'm not needed here." Shayera grabbed her data pad. "I'll report to Bay Six and head down to the surface for patrol." She made her way out of the door, heading for the transporter pad.

Batman watched the door for a second. "That could have gone better."  
"Tell me about it," John Stewart replied, shivering. "I never knew she was so adamant against leading."  
Flash looked at Batman. "Why is she so against it?" he asked.

Batman leaned in. "When she returned, Shayera handed me her military credentials. Personally, she's seen more than any of us, distinguishing herself against the Gordanians in ten major engagements over a three year time span. She's reported to have single-handedly won seven of them through sheer skill. She's Special Ops trained, and according to her instructors, she has superior leadership skills. With a little work, she could have become Supreme Commander of the Thanagarian Forces."

"But she didn't want it," Superman guessed.

"No, she didn't. Through no desire of her own, she advanced to becoming second in command under Talek. Then she was assigned the mission to infiltrate Earth."

Diana shifted a bit in her seat. "We all know what happened after that."

Batman nodded, feeling the slightest bit of pity. "If the mission had been successful, Commander Talek would have been granted a seat with the Thanagarian Council, and she would have taken his place as head of the fleet."  
At this, the other founding members remembered all of the times that Shayera had had the chance to lead a mission, but had backed down, allowing others to take her place. Even when Fate was trying to reinforce a seal preventing a inter-dimensional being from entering Earth, Shayera had followed Diana's instructions, going after Fate when she wanted to attack Grundy.

John also noted how she had followed his orders on several missions, noted how attentively she monitored Earth and the surrounding space. She was more at ease following others than she was leading them. In fact, in the time since she had returned to the League, she hadn't led a single team on any missions, opting to do things on her own.

Superman sighed. "Like it, or not, she's still a leader. Its time she puts some leadership into her resume."  
"We can't simply shove it down her throat!" Flash protested. "That's the worse thing to do."  
"Believe it or not, we don't factor a person's emotional preferences when we make command decisions," J'onn reminded their extremely fast comrade. "Who wants to tell her that she has no choice?"

"I'll do it," Superman replied, getting up. "I have a better chance of surviving than the rest of you."

Batman gestured, smirking. "Don't let us stop you."

* * *

"You're _ordering _me to lead a team on the next mission?" Shayera asked, incredulous.

Superman shrugged. "Sorry, but we decided to shove it down your throat. League prerogative."  
"In other words, you're not going to even consider my position."  
"Believe it or not, we don't factor your feelings in when we make command decisions."

"So, because I don't want to lead, you're going to force me to. Nothing changes!" She continued towards the transporter pad.

Superman was growing frustrated. From everything he had learned, Thanagarians were interested in proving themselves. Why was Shayera so hell bent on not doing that? "Why are you so afraid of command?" he called out.

"Don't you get it!" The Thanagarian whirled around, emerald eyes sparkling. "I _never_ wanted a command! I didn't desire a command when I was in the military, and I don't now!"

Their confrontation was starting to attract a great deal of attention, as staff and League members turned to watch them. Neither noticed.

Superman sighed. "You're not alone, anymore, Shayera. Being a leader means that you can get to know the other members of the League."  
"I _did_ get to know the members of the League, and I ended up screwing those friends over. Do I need to direct your attention to the hyperspace bypass incident of last year?"

The Kryptonian winced a bit at the scathing reminder, but he stood firm. "Our decision is final," he said. "Vixen and Vigilante will report to you at o'nine hundred. You're going to head to the training area outside of Jump City."  
Shayera glared at him for a second. "Maybe the U.S. government was right...this isn't a league of heroes anymore. It's more like a military unit." She stepped onto the platform. "Transport me to Midway City," she said. The Transporter operator nodded, manipulated the controls, then activated the device. Shayera's scowling face vanished as she beamed down to the planet.

Superman sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. There were some days where he just didn't like his job. And Shayera's words cut a little too close for comfort. They were treading pretty close to becoming military in structure.

But then again, they didn't have much of a choice.

* * *

Yugi walked into the Titan living room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The sound of bacon sizzling caught his attention, and he looked to see Serenity at the stove, cooking breakfast. Rebecca was already sitting at the table, drinking tea with Raven. He took a moment to observe the blonde's features for a second, before saying, "Morning, girls!"

Rebecca looked up, her smile lighting up Yugi's mood even further. "Hey, Yugi. How'd you sleep?"  
"Like a rock. I didn't know you could cook, Serenity."  
Serenity blushed. "Well, Joey's the duelist of the family, so I had to be good at something. Where's DMG?"  
"Still asleep." Yugi chuckled. "She's a heavy sleeper, apparently."  
"At least she doesn't snore," Rebecca stated. "You should hear Duke."  
"Already have," Tristen replied groggily, staggering in. "He's worse than Joey."  
"You don't sound any better," Joey grumbled from behind him, sniffing the air. "Do I smell bacon?"

Serenity giggled. "That's because it is bacon, Joey."  
"I knew that."

Raven sighed, looking up. "You're as crazy as Beast Boy."

"Hey, I'm nothin' like him!" Joey retaliated.

Yugi continued chuckling as he sat down. Joey never did like being compared to other clowns. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"I give you all wonderful greetings on this glorious morning!"  
"Surviving Starfire comes to mind," Raven muttered quietly. Serenity stifled a snort of amusement.

Robin walked in. "Who can cook better than Cyborg?" he asked. "Because I'm famished!"

"My sis," Joey replied, grinning.

"Well…" a beeping cut the young sleuth off, and he looked at the computer. "Must be the Justice League. I was expecting a call from them about something. Raven?"  
Raven got up as well. "Leave me something."

"Don't worry." Serenity turned her head a bit from the pan. "I've learned from personal experience how much Joey eats, and seeing as how Beast Boy doesn't eat meat…"  
Raven nodded, then walked over to the communication board.

Robin activated the screen, revealing Batman. His mood instantly soured dramatically. "There's a reason why you're calling instead of J'onn," he growled.

Raven felt Robin's anger at his old instructor, and could understand it in a way. They had parted on bad terms, having exchanged a scathing words about each other. To his credit, Robin was reeling it in.

And Batman didn't seem to be bothered by the repressed hostility emanating from his former charge. His face was a stoic mask._"I'm calling to inform you that Shayera will be at the training facility near Jump City. Just so you don't call up to the Watchtower. Also, Raven, Fate had the same vision you did. He'll be in touch with you in a couple of hours."_

Raven nodded. "Thank you. Is there anything else?" She moved a bit closer to Robin, as if giving him a little moral support.

"Just be on your guard. Whatever happened near Dakota City can happen anywhere. Watchtower out."

Raven blinked. "That was abrupt."

"That's his style," Robin replied. "He doesn't understand such things as small talk."

Raven shook her head. "And Beast Boy thinks I'm creepy."  
"Beast Boy doesn't know the meaning of the word. I _lived _with the man until I left." The masked boy got up. "And Shayera Hol using the old training facilities outside of the city is a disaster waiting to happen."

"What's dat about Shayera Hol?" Joey asked.

"Never mind. She's dealing with League business, is all."

Starfire growled. "I still cannot believe that they allowed that glorgmorh back into the Justice League."

"Well, I don't see any problem with that," Yugi said. "She did help us out in the end, and she didn't know what they were planning."  
"I agree. She deserves the same consideration as anyone else." Robin stood up. "Raven and I'll head to the facilities, and get them up and running. Yugi, could you go get the others up? Have them stand by, in case something happens."

"You expecting trouble to show up?"  
Robin turned to look at Raven. "Let me put it this way. The way this week is going, I wouldn't be surprised if the Thanagarians came back to collect their wayward lieutenant. I also wouldn't be surprised if Slade decided to try and capture Raven again."

Yugi nodded. "Fair enough. I'll tackle Jinx and Beast Boy."  
"Which leaves me with Cyborg and Terra. Oh, joy," Rebecca muttered.

Serenity giggled.

* * *

Shayera stared at Vixen and Vigilante, saw Vigilante stare at her with some suspicion, and Vixen in curiosity. She had a fair idea as to why. After all, Vixen was currently dating Lantern.

They were staring at each other because Robin and Raven were activating the last of the obstacle course. Finally, Robin looked up. "Okay, we're ready to go. We'll be standing by in case something unexpected happens."

Shayera had the distinct feeling that he meant anything from Cadmus to Vigilante trying to shoot her. Deciding not to comment, she motioned for the other two. "Come on, let's get this over with."  
Vixen nodded. "Leadership already grating on your nerves?"  
"You better believe it." The activating of the training system stopped their conversation. "Alright, attack pattern gamma epsilon, just like you were trained. Move it!"

Quickly, the three League members entered the course, dodging projectiles and destroying others. Metal tentacles lashed out, trying to ensnare them, only to be shot at by Vigilante. Metal spheres were launched, only to be batted aside by Shayera. Robot droids charged forward, only to be torn apart by Vixen. Every so often, Shayera would direct their attention to a surprise that was coming their way, or watching their backs when the situation became too much to handle. And she knew instinctively where to direct them.

Robin whistled. He was a good leader...for a teenager, but watching Shayera give out orders, and directing her comrades, was watching the incredible happen.

Raven leaned over a bit. "I heard that she had superb leadership skills, but the report doesn't do her justice."  
Robin nodded, amazed. "The best leaders are those who don't want it. And Shayera's got to be the greatest leader I have ever seen."

The two Titans watched as the three League members hid behind a building as the projectiles started concentrating their attack on them. The computers were designed to go through over sixteen thousand different random strategies, so as to try and catch those training off guard. When they adapted to one, it was supposed to cycle to another one immediately.

Shayera observed their situation, and found an instant solution. "Vixen, make for the other side of the street. When I give the signal, you and I are going to charge in, and distract the devices. Vigilante, I want you to take them out. Understood?" Both of them nodded. "Alright, go!"

Vixen touched the medallion, imbuing herself with the speed of a cheetah. She quickly took off, evading the attack that was launched at her. Once she arrived on the other side, she gave a thumbs up.

Shayera nodded, then looked at Vigilante. He put new power packs into his old style designed six shot revolvers, and nodded. She brought her mace up, deactivating the energy charge. She brought two fingers up, pointing at Vixen, then pointing at the devices, motioning her forward. Vixen nodded, and moved.

The two females quickly moved back into the open, weaving in irregular patterns, making the devices track their movements.

And distracting them from the third member of the team.

Vigilante quickly emerged from his hiding spot, twin barrels blazing. He picked his targets carefully, systematically taking them out one at a time. He was methodical in his work, dodging back into his hiding spot when they started adapting.

But there were only four of them left. Easy pickings for the two females. And they took their chance.

Robin watched as Shayera and Vixen took out the last of the shooters, shaking his head. "Incredible."  
"You said it," Raven whispered.

Shayera looked around, panting slightly, before nodding in satisfaction, deactivating her mace. "Well, that's done."  
Vigilante stepped up to them. To say he was impressed with Shayera's handling of the training session would have been an understatement. It had also cured him of his suspicion of her for a moment."Damn good strategy. You sure know how to think on your feet."  
"And you _don't_ want command?" Vixen asked. "What is wrong with you, girl?"

Shayera shook her head, putting her mace back on her belt. "I never had a desire for it. It gets shoved down my throat." She looked at her watch. "I need to get to my patrol route. What about you guys?"  
Vixen checked her watch. "Well, I don't go on duty for another seven hours, so I'm going to head back to the Watchtower for some food."  
"Enjoy your time with John. Vigilante?"

Vigilante grinned from behind his mask, and opened his mouth to speak.

And Raven suddenly looked up. as if sensing something. _"Look out!"  
_Shayera, moving faster than she would have thought possible, had brought her mace up again, blocking the first energy blast. She even recognized the energy blast.

* * *

Episode Forty Nine is done. Episode Fifty will continue where this chapter stopped at.

After careful consideration, I have decided to upgrade my story to Rated M, as the number of chapter's holding mature content will be increased for this season.


	53. Episode Fifty: Birds of a Feather

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story, Season Two: Deadly Alliance

Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption

Episode Fifty: Birds of A Feather

Yugi looked up from his deck, watching as Beast Boy and Cyborg played some kind of racing game. "You know, there might be a way to beat Cyborg," he informed Beast Boy.

Beast Boy nodded once, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Yeah, like what?"  
"Like not driving like a maniac, for starters. Second thing you could do is not to try and mash the controller into a shadow of it's former self."  
"Hey, I've got this one in the..." Beast Boy yelped when Cyborg's car ran across the finish line. "Shit! You beat me!"  
"Boo-yah! Whose the man? Whose the man?" Cyborg crowed.

Jinx started laughing. "You da man, Stone!"

Terra rubbed Beast Boy's shoulder soothing. "You'll get him next time, BB."

"Yeah..." Beast Boy grinned wickedly. "I've bought a new prank set. Wanna help me set it up for these two?"  
Terra returned the grin, just as wickedly. "Oh, do I ever."  
And the Titan Alert went off. Bad timing.

Yugi looked up. "I'll give you two guesses who needs our help," he said.

Cyborg turned immediately. "Titans, go!"  
"Joey, DMG, Rebecca, let's go! Tristen, send a message to the Watchtower! Alert them that a situation has arisen, and to stand by."  
Tristen saluted. "You got it, Yug!"

* * *

Shayera blocked frantically with her mace, retreating back as she did so. She didn't know why her people were back on Earth and after her. Every soldier was needed in the fight against the Gordanians, so none could be spared to take care of loose ends.

And she was a loose end.

Raven created a shield around the group of them, allowing them some to get bearings and quickly plan. "I thought they exiled you!" she shouted. What more do they want?"  
Shayera shook her head. "I don't know!" She looked around her. "They're striking in a circular pattern, trying to catch us in a pincer attack!"  
"Simple military formation," Vixen noted.

"But effective! Not many people know how to break out of it!" The turncoat grinned. "Lucky for you, I'm one of those few who can! Vixen, I want you to obtain the strength of a gorilla, and throw my mace sky high! Raven, can you create the illusion that I'm fleeing?"  
Raven nodded. "A diversionary tactic. They focus on that, then we move in to attack or escape."  
"You got it. Make sure it's precise, and in league with my mace. Vigilante, set your weapons for maximum range, then fire to the upper right on my next signal! Robin, you're going to want several birdarangs ready for use. Target that rock formation."

Robin had already taken a few out, ready for anything. "Just say when."  
Shayera looked at Raven, and nodded once. She turned to Vixen, who nodded as well, letting her know that she was ready. "Do it," she said, quickly throwing her mace to the other woman.

Vixen caught it, then launched it skyward, while Raven used her powers to create an illusion of Shayera fleeing the protection of the shield. At the same time, Vigilante brought his weapons to full power, aiming upward.

The weapons blasts suddenly shifted in the direction of the illusion, letting up the force on the shield. Bad move on their part.

"When."  
And just like that, Robin and Vigilante cut loose. What seemed like a flock of metallic birds slammed into the rock face where several were hiding, detonating on impact. The explosion forced the Thanagarians to scramble away.

Vigilante opened fire, apparently striking at thin air. That is, until about ten more of the winged aliens appeared, small devices sparking on their belts.

"Portable cloaking devices," Shayera murmured. "I didn't know they finished testing them." Almost as if it were an afterthought, she held out her hand, catching her mace before it hit the ground. Activating the charge, she beckoned for them to come and get her.

And come they did.

Vixen quickly turned around, grabbing one soldier's axe, and ripped it from his hands. She quickly leaped up, kicking him in the chest. "Take that, you mother fucker!" she shouted.

Vigilante quickly disarmed the energy weapon wielding warriors with pin point strikes, then dove for cover. He began to shoot at random, adding confusion to an already confusing battle.

Raven, however, had a problem. As a creature of magic, she was the last person you wanted in a fight against a people whose very technology was designed to disrupt it. But she had picked up a few things from the others.

One of them flew in at her, hammer swinging. Raven quickly sank through the ground, then came back up behind him, wrapping an energy tendril around his throat. When he had released his weapon to claw at it, she released her hold, flew over him, and picked it up. She turned around, smashing it into his face. When he fell to the ground, senseless, she blinked in surprise. "Neat."

Two soldiers flew at Robin, both wielding swords. They were both burly types of Thanagarians, who enjoyed face to face combat more than the average one. And that was saying something.

No human could survive such an all out attack.

But Robin's instructors were Batman and the True Master themselves. And the Boy Wonder had not hesitated to learn from the most proficient martial artists on the planet.

His bo staff was out, and he quickly moved, forcing their blades to hit each other. He quickly slammed the back of his staff into one of their heads, and kicked the other one in the back. This was the reason he had steel toed boots. So he could still hurt those who weren't invulnerable, but were tougher than the average humanoid life form.

These four were among the heroes of Earth, the Justice League's present and future. They were capable of handling themselves.

Shayera, though...

It was difficult to decide how many Thanagarian warriors were over there, but the estimate they all came up with was about thirty or so. Thirty to One odds.

The One was winning.

Shayera punched, kicked, and whirled, her mace an extension of her will. She was methodical about it, hitting their weak points with enough force to disable. She blocked weapons strikes, dodged deadly blows, and counterattacked whenever the chance came up. She made _Batman_ look like a novice with how she moving.

And she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

However, their attackers had reinforcements. Many, many reinforcements.

"What the fuck!" Vixen clobbered another one. "What're they doing, sending in the entirety of the reserves in after you?"

Shayera shook her head. "These are soldiers from Hro's fleet! He's got to be in orbit!" She turned around. "Fall back!"

"Where?" Raven asked quite calmly, considering that she was fighting for her life. "We're kind of surrounded."  
"That building there!" Robin pointed at one in random. "We'll at least have cover!"  
"Good idea! Vigilante, give us cover fire!" Shayera shouted.

"Ya got it, Ma'am!" Vigilante opened up with both barrels, forcing the incoming soldiers to scatter. Then he made his way towards the building in question.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was not having a good day.

His company was now down in revenue, his stock holdings were at fifty percent of what they normally were, and he was dealing with the obviously malfunctioning holographic systems in his duel disks. There was no other explanation for the appearance of monsters all over the world, or why they were hurting people!

But the Seal of Oricalcos almost destroying several members of the Teen Titans, and Yugi Motou, was something he couldn't ignore. And he refused to sit back on the sidelines while he let his new board of directors sort it out.

Which was why he and his little brother, Mokuba, were presently strapped in his Blue Eyes White Dragon designed jet, roaring towards Jump City at almost four times the speed of sound. If the holographic technology had become deadly, Kaiba wanted to correct it before it became a lawsuit issue.

Of course, it could be something else, but Seto wasn't the kind of person who was prone to flights of fancy. He hadn't gotten to where he was by believing in magic.

Mokuba, however, was more open to the possibility. "Seto, do you think that Yugi and Joey were telling the truth?" he asked. "That the monsters are real, and somebody is stealing people's souls?"  
"Mokuba, I don't believe in that," Seto replied. "It's either malfunctioning equipment, or Pegasus trying to destroy my company."  
"Then what about Allister?"  
At that, the CEO grew silent again. Allister's allegation that his step father's weapons had almost destroyed his family did sound plausible. It was something Borse Bora Kaiba would have done when he was in charge of Kaiba Corp. It was the primary reason why, when Seto had bought the company and booted his father from it, he turned it into gaming and holographic development. Peaceful endeavors. His stepfather made have made him ruthless, but he wouldn't take it out on the rest of the world. Hence, his obsession with Duel Monsters. He channeled his aggression into it, his rage, everything that he didn't want to release on the world at large.

He did that because he was afraid.

Afraid that Allister was right. He was afraid that he was just like the elder Kaiba.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he turned his attention back the conversation at hand. "I'll admit that Allister's got a few good points. But I'm nothing like our stepfather. And if I have any say in the matter, I never will be." He glared. "But whoever's ruining my company, and buying it out from underneath, will wish he knew my father when I'm through with him."

Mokuba looked down. "Maybe you can explain it to the Thanagarians," he suddenly said.

"Now why would I do that?"  
"Because they're back on Earth, going after members of the Justice League and the Teen Titans."  
"What!" Seto looked out his window as well. And, lo and behold, there were almost a hundred Thanagarian warriors, moving through what looked like an old western town, firing at a small group of retreating figures. He quickly recognized the one with the fiery red hair as Shayera Hol herself. He also recognized the cape and masked one as Robin, Batman's former sidekick against crime. But the others were unfamiliar to him.

Mokuba looked at him. "Do we help them?"  
Now, Kaiba didn't really care what the Justice League did with their time. They stayed out of his way, he stayed out of their way.

But he didn't like bullies. And that was what these aliens were. Bullies.

Wrenching his controls starboard, he set a course for the site of the battle, getting his duel disk ready as he did so. "Mokuba, take the controls!"  
"You got it, big brother!" Mokuba activated his steering wheel, and transferring all flight controls to his chair.

Satisfied, Seto prepared to open the cockpit as the ship began to decelerate to safe jumping speed.

* * *

Vigilante leaped through one of the no glass windows, rolling across the floor.

Raven looked over the window for a second, before ducking. "As soon as they realize that this is nothing more than wood, they're going to destroy it to get to you."  
Robin brought out his last birdarang, testing it's feel. "And we're outnumbered two to one."

Shayera put her mace down. "Suggestions?"

"We take as many of them out as we can," Vixen stated immediately.

"Do the math. They'll kill you before you took two steps towards them," Robin replied.

Shayera looked around. "Vigilante?"  
"I was kinda thinking on the lines of Vixen here."  
"Next?"  
"What about contacting the Justice League for help?" Raven asked.

"I tried that already. They're jamming our communications. Robin?"  
Robin turned in her direction. "We wait. I didn't take any chances, and had the rest of the Titans on alert in case something happened."  
"Good plan. In the meantime-"

"Shayera Hol!"

Shayera's eyes widened in shock, lifting her head up. "Hro?" she asked in disbelief.

Indeed, standing there in front of the troops, was Supreme Commander Hro Talek, the greatest warrior in the Thanagarian Armed Forces. He still bore the electrical injuries he had sustained in his battle with GL, but he was still standing strong, ready to fight.

And he clearly didn't want to be there. "Shayera, I am here to take you into custody."

"Custody? I thought the normal punishment for traitors was execution!" Shayera shouted. "Why the sudden change in policy?"  
Peren Dol stepped forward. "You betrayed us. Be thankful Commander Talek is giving you the option of surrender!"  
"I only stopped you from killing six billion people! What would you have done in my position?"  
"I would have done my duty to my people!"

"I'm not you!" Shayera stood up, irate. "I'm sorry if I think civilian lives mean more than soldiers in a war!"  
Dol stepped forward.

Shayera stood up, irate. "I'm sorry if I think civilian lives mean more than soldiers in a war!"Dol stepped forward. 

"Lieutenant!" Talek barked. Dol stopped, bowing before stepping back. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the cornered traitor. "You did betray us. And because of it, we lost the war."  
"What? The Gordanians...?"  
"The Thanagarian Empire is no more. Our people have been defeated by the Gordanian Forces, and enslaved. We would have returned, but...it was too late."

Shayera bit back a sob. "I never knew it was that bad."  
Robin looked at her. "You were gone a long time."

"I know, but..." She stood up. "Hro, I'm sorry. But vengeance will not free our people from their grip. You know this."

"No, but I can get justice for them. Please come with us."

Vigilante brought one of his guns up. "Give the word, Hawkgirl, and I'll peg him."  
Shayera held one finger up, shaking it slightly. No more loss of life on her part. "If I come, will you give me your word that the others will be allowed to go free?"

"Shayera, no!" Raven whispered. She quickly stood up as well, so the Thanagarians could see her. "Talek!" she shouted, ignoring Robin's pulling on her cloak.  
Dol looked at the gray skinned girl, seeing the blood red jewel on her forehead, then turned to Talek. "That one's Trigon's daughter," she whispered.

"Take me instead of Shayera!" Raven continued. "You know what I am, who sired me!"  
"Stand down, Raven." Shayera turned in her direction. "They want the traitor, not you."  
"No, but they have standing orders to kill anyone who is connected to _him_. You know that as well as I do."

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me."

Vixen and Vigilante traded confused looks. What the hell were they talking about?" Vixen asked Robin.

"Ancient history," Robin replied.

Talek nodded. "She is quite correct, young one. You shouldn't be so willing to sacrifice yourself for others." He pondered the situation, his eyes narrowing a bit at a sound that was there. "However...if you are willing to die so easily..." He suddenly stopped. "Blast it all, what is that infernal sound?"  
Shayera perked up as well, looking up. "That's the sound of a jet like ship approaching. And it's shaped like a dragon. Look up."

The Thanagarians did so...just in time to see the vessel in question fly overhead, engines blazing.

And then someone leaping down, duel disk activating.

For even though it was malfunctioning equipment, it's creator was going to use that malfunction to his advantage.

Seto Kaiba landed in front of the Thanagarian forces, his eyes boring into them with all of the intensity in his being. "You're a long way from home, Commander Talek. And I have to say that I'm not too happy to see you."  
Talek held up a hand, staying his troops. "You are also far from your homeland, Mister Kaiba."

"Well, I _was_ on official business for my company. But then I saw you yahoos going after these people, and I have some anger to work out of my system. So here I am."

"And you plan to defeat us…how? With cards?"

"Well," Kaiba grinned evilly, "my holographic systems have malfunctioning safeties at the moment, so the monsters might as well be real. Want to experience it first hand?" He pulled a card out of his deck. "Ahh, my personal favorite." He set it down on the deck platform. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, come forth!"

With a burst of sheer power, the BEWD emerged into the human world, light blue scales glinting in the afternoon sun. It opened it's mouth, roaring in anger.

The Thanagarians all backed up instinctively. Who wouldn't, when you were facing a behemoth of a monster? One with razor sharp teeth? Especially one you had never seen before. To their credit, they recovered quickly, all of them reactivating their weapons quickly. They got ready to take off.

And they were forced to retreat slightly when several massive boulders slammed down in front of them.

Terra smirked, another boulder up and ready. "Gentlemen and Ladies, you are presently in a no fight zone. I suggest time out for all of you."

"Bad quip, Terra!" Robin called out.

"Sorry!"  
Seto looked at the newcomers, spotting several very familiar faces. "Great. The Geek Squad joined the Teen Titans. Wanted to get into the cool group?"

"Be thankful we're here, rich boy!" Joey retorted. "Yug? You wanted to talk to them?"

"Talk?" Kaiba stared at the spiky haired one. "They're here for Hawkgirl, and you want to talk?"

"Trust me on this. I know what I'm doing. Commander," Yugi began, "you're a reasonable person. A fight between our two forces would only cause more casualties. Just for her?" He grinned slightly. "We can go at this another way."

Vixen blinked. "What the hell is that kid doing? Is he whacko?"

"No," Shayera murmured. "Very clever."

Talek and Dol looked at each other in surprise. "What do you propose?" Dol asked.

Yugi looked at Seto. "Do you have any type of card games on Thanagar? Seriously."

Seto started grinning slightly. The little dweeb had a good idea. He was more cunning than he had given him credit for.

"We play a game called _Secar Triad._ Why?"

"How many duelist's can participate in a duel?"  
"Two tag teams, two players each," Talek replied. "Again, why?"

"I challenge you to a tag team match. Me and Kaiba, against you and someone of your choice. If we win, Shayera Hol is free to go wherever she wants to. If you win…" he shrugged. "She's yours."  
Rebecca blinked. "Are you out of your mind!" she demanded.

"Relax, Rebecca. I know what I'm doing." The spiky haired boy kept staring at the Thanagarian Commander. "Well, Commander? What do ya say?"  
Talek and Dol talked quietly to one another for a moment, before Talek nodded. "Agreed. Our duel will be at dusk, so you two can become acquainted with the rules of our game." He activated his small data pad, tossing it to them. "Your Duel Monsters decks are adaptable, so you won't be at a massive disadvantage." With that, he turned around, barking out a command in Thanagarian. As one, the small force turned around, and flew away. _'Probably back to whatever ship they have down on the surface,'_ Robin thought.

Raven blinked. "_Secar Triad?_ They're going to have a _Secar Triad_ duel?"  
Shayera nodded. "Guess they are. Are communications still being jammed?"  
Vixen checked the comm channel, shaking her head. "It's clear."  
"Good. Contact the Watchtower immediately. Let them know exactly what has happened here."  
"You got it."  
While the three leaguers conversed among themselves, DMG floated over to Seto. "Seto Kaiba?" she inquired sweetly.

Seto jerked a bit in surprise, then looked at Yugi. "You left your duel disk on, Yugi," he said, deactivating his own as he said this. "The hologram's talking to me."

Yugi held it up. "I never turned it on. She's really here."  
As he finished saying this, DMG smacked the young CEO upside his head. "Do I _look_ remotely holographic to you, you soulless bastard?"

Joey started laughing at the other duelist's expression. "She sure told you, Kaiba!"

* * *

"Talek?" Lantern echoed.

"Yes, Talek," Vixen replied. _"John, I know you hate the rat bastard, but he's a soldier."_

Vixen replied. 

"And he tried to commit genocide." Superman braced himself against a console, as the civilian workers continued scanning the surrounding space, searching the obviously cloaked Thanagarian fleet. "No one's forgetting that, I hope?"

"Don't worry, we remember," Diana replied. "Kind of difficult to forget, really."

"Anyways, Yugi Motou and Seto Kaiba showed up, and challenged them to a duel. Something called Secar Triad. 

"_Secar Triad_?" Fate echoed. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then there is a chance."

"Chance?" Lantern echoed. Yeah, the omnipotent one knows he's repeating himself. Like it that way.

"The card game's structure is emulated by Duel Monsters. With a few modifications, Mister Motou and Mister Kaiba will be capable of taking on anyone, and beating them."

"What about Raven?" Batman asked.

"She is the daughter of an extremely powerful being," Fate reminded them. "I am not surprised that the Thanagarian fleet has standing orders to kill anyone who is linked to that dark chain."  
"Well, she hasn't ended the world yet," Superman informed them. "And Robin trusts her with his life. I say we give her the benefit of the doubt."  
Diana nodded. "I agree. And I say we let this duel go on. It's not like anyone is going to die."  
Lantern didn't say anything. Considering the fact that the number of monster sightings were increasing dramatically, it seemed dueling was becoming extremely dangerous.

"How about we be there to make sure that doesn't happen?" Batman suggested.  
Superman nodded. "Alright. Get the League together. We're heading down to the surface. Johnson, you're in charge until we get back."

The technician in question saluted. "You got it, Superman."

The Kryptonian nodded once, then gestured. "Let's go."

Batman walked up to the transporter controls. "I'm going to head for Titan Tower," he said. "I need to have a word with our resident doomsday about Robin."

* * *

Yugi did another run through of his deck, switched the Dark Magician Girl Card with the card that Raven had given him. A magic card, if he wasn't mistaken. It might prove useful. Besides, he couldn't exactly call the monster in question to the field. She was already there!

Among the cards he had in his deck, he had found the five cards of Exodia, his Grandfather's Blue Eyes White Dragon, and the Eye of Tamius itself. The second card, he wasn't surprised. The other six, he was.

Rebecca looked at him. "You must have created your Grandfather's deck when you were in Dreamscape," she said by way of explanation. "The Dark Magician Girl probably was part of the deck at that time."

"So you have a Blue Eyes...intact, I might add," Seto replied. "I thought I ripped that card in half."

DMG looked up from her book. "You also thought I was nothing more than a holographic representation. Then I slapped you. Has that changed your opinion about magic?"  
Mokuba grinned. "You _slapped _my brother?"

"Well, more like smacked him upside his head. You know how it is."

"No, I don't. I've never talked to a monster before, either."

"Mokuba doesn't smack me upside my head." Seto grimaced. "He does, however, remind me that I'm still human."

"Kicks you in the crotch when you get too irritable?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"  
"Been there, done that."

"Except it was with villains doing it." Terra smirked. "Few ever did that again."

"Of course. What was that involving the ass and the foot again?" Starfire asked. "Was it a ritual of some kind when one is angry?"

Tristen raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Whatever floats your boat." He turned. "Okay, what do we do?"

Yugi shrugged. "We get ready." He blinked when Raven tossed a small bag into his lap. "What's this?" he asked.

"What you'll need to power up you monster's primary attacks," Raven replied, tossing another bag to Seto. "Red represents one power point, yellow two power points, and blue three power points. If you get a white one, you get a three turn use of the attack." She checked their duel disks. "Since you're both rookies of this game, you're going to want to set your life point meters to five thousand, so you can get a grasp of the game structure."

Seto nodded. Now wasn't the time for ego boasting. Not with so much at stake. "Anything else we need to be made aware of?"

The young Goth nodded. "If both sides have a monster that have the same strength and defense, then either side can call for a combat round. The two monsters will attack each other until there is a victor. It has a time limit of about three minutes, so if they are both standing, then neither side loses anything."

Yugi nodded. "Okay."

"And I just got a message from the Watchtower," Cyborg added. "The entirety of the Justice League is coming down to witness this. Guess they want front row seats for this."

"Or they're going to protect Shayera," Robin commented. "Let's not forget what's at stake here. If these two lose, then she's history."

"Don't worry, Robin." Yugi snapped his duel disk onto his wrist. "We'll win."

* * *

Talek grabbed his deck, shuffled through the cards for a moment, then grabbed his duel holographic device, strapping it to his wrist, testing it's weight. Finding it to his liking, he walked out of his room, heading down the hallway towards the shuttle bay.

Dol fell into step beside him, her own disk cradled in her hands. "We're really doing this?" she asked. "Putting the traitor's fate into a card duel, and against two humans who don't know anything about the game?"

Talek looked at his disk, his deck set into the deck slot. "I think they'll do fine. They may not win, but they should prove to be a challenge. I've read up on Yugi Motou and Seto Kaiba. They are the two most proficient duelists on this world, capable of creating winning strategies against unbeatable odds. They're also adaptable, and any card deck can be incorporated into _Secar Triad_." He nodded. "I see we're bringing our armed forces back to the surface with us."

"Just as a precaution." Dol nodded to one soldier. "The Justice League will probably be coming to back up their comrade."

"Just a balance of power, right?"

"Basically."  
Talek sighed. There were some days where he just didn't like his job. Unfortunately, those days were becoming more numerous.

* * *

Shayera set her mace on it's little shelf in her quarters, then walked out of the room, heading for the main control room. She saw the other members of the League congregating there as well.

Captain Atom turned the corner, observing her for a moment. "How are you feeling, ma'am?" he asked.

Shayera shrugged. "Well, I'm feeling fine, considering the fact that Hro just showed up, ready to arrest me, and probably return to Thanagar to try and free it from the Gordanians. Other than, how about a quick game of pinochle?"

Atom grinned. Shayera was a tough customer, regardless of the circumstances. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not a big fan of card games, but even I've heard of Yugi and Kaiba. The two of them pull off miracles every time they have a duel."

"I know. I keep tabs on Duel Monsters. I'm quite the duelist in my respective game, as well." She smiled. "Thanks, Atom. I needed the encouragement."

Inside though, she had doubts. Yugi seemed somewhat...deprived. Outwardly, he was the same champion he always was. Inside, though...

Something was missing. Something important to him.

And damned if she knew what it was.

* * *

Raven meditated on the roof of the Tower, away from the frantic activity of the others as they prepared for whatever was going to come. This was her way. She was trying to control her emotional output so she didn't blow anything up.

"Come on, would you listen to me already? I'm not going away!"

And Happy was getting on her nerves, hindering her progress somewhat. Sighing, she slipped into Nevermore. "Yes?" she demanded irritably.

Happy's ,well, happy demeanor didn't falter at Raven's icy tone. "For starter's, Knowledge wanted me to tell to get your head out of your ass, Anger says to just give up to Daddy, and Combat wants you to plant a big wet kiss on Robin. Oh, yeah, we have a new emotion in here!" Now her demeanor faltered. "It's called...Lust."

"Lust. Wonderful!" The Goth through her hands up. "This is what you wanted to tell me?"  
"Well, actually...no. Just something I thought you'd like to know that, though. Also, I'd thought you'd like to know that...there's a lady behind you. She has white hair, and has a staff."  
Raven whirled around, almost having a heart attack. "Okay, who are you, and how did you get in here? If you've been in my room..."  
The woman held up a hand, chuckling lightly. "Raven, if I wanted to kill you, there wouldn't be a damn thing you could do to stop me. Also, I can do anything. Entering minds is relatively kindergarten." Her chuckling subsided. "My name is Alania, and I've come to talk to you about your destiny."  
Raven glared at her. "I'm not going to do it!" she snapped.

"Are you always that quick to believe that _everyone_ is out to get you to fulfill that damn thing...except the other heroes of this world? I don't like Trigon anymore than you do!" The woman sat down. "Actually, I'm going to let you make up your own damn mind on whether or not you decide to fulfill it. What I want to talk to you about is, how are you going to use it to your advantage?"  
Happy and Raven exchanged looks. "Ummm..."

"And Happy, why are you still here?" Alania added. "Shoo! I want to talk to the original alone!"

"You're no fun," Happy grumbled, before walking away, dancing really, over to the tree that was in her own little part.

Raven sighed, before blinking. "How am I gong to take advantage of this?" she echoed. "I'm probably going to die if I open the portal. I don't think I can take advantage of anything."  
"I mean _before _that happens." Alania's smile disappeared entirely. "The Deadly Alliance doesn't want you to open that portal, but Trigon already has too much of a hold on this world. If it weren't for Dartz getting involved, he would have already gotten that portal opened. Still, you can't change this destiny." she put a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. "However, you can rise to meet it, if you want to."  
"Meet it? How?"

"Become the warrior against darkness. Become your mother's daughter. _Sacria Tayerah._"  
"The Warrior of Azar," Raven whispered. "How do you...?"  
"You have power, Raven, and I'm not talking about your present abilities." Alania observed her. "You are the first being who isn't pure human to possess the gene."

"Gene? What gene?"  
"That's my little secret...for now. But that's not all." Alania looked at Happy as the emotion frolicked around in the daisies. "You had a vision several weeks ago, concerning the kidnapping of a blue haired woman. I can tell you about that, because it's what started this war."

"What about it?"  
"The boy's name was Alex. The girl's name was Luna. And the man in the black mystic armor was a former hero named Ghaleon. Luna holds the key to the powers of Althena herself, a being even stronger than Azar. If he is able to call Althena using her, he will have the power necessary to decimate Existence."

"But you think I can help stop him."  
"You're needed here. As you well know, Trigon isn't the only enemy you face. This universe's branch of the Deadly Alliance has already begun it's assault, if you didn't already know."

"Yeah, we've kind of noticed that little detail," Raven replied wryly.

"Well, you're not the only ones who're presently preparing for battle. Alex is part of a small force known as the Alliance, and they're fighting the founding members on the world of Lunar. Stargate Command on Realm 3986 is fighting another section, and my people are mobilizing to aide other's on sixteen other realms. If you want some advice on who you can trust here...your friends spring to mind. The Justice League, a mutant team called the X-Men, as well as Yugi and his companions."

"Anyone outside of this realm?"  
Alania smiled. "A young man named Harry Potter, and his friend Hermione Granger. They can give you a more thorough explanation about present circumstances."  
"Ah." Raven nodded once in understanding. "Uh, can I go talk to myselves now?"  
Alania chuckled. "If it were anyone else, I'd think you were crazy. Sure." She got up, and quickly vanished.

Raven blinked once in surprise, then turned around. "Okay, Happy, you can come back now." Happy skipped back over to her. "Now, why is Lust now here, and why does Combat want me to kiss Robin?"

Happy grinned. "Oh, come on, Raven! Your emotional preference in guys shifted over the last few days, and you know it. It was Beast Boy before that one vision, now it's shifting to Robin! Don't play ignorant!"  
Raven sighed. "Is this why you're interrupting my meditation? Because of the fact that I have a crush?"

Happy almost...almost...groaned in frustration. "Come on, Raven. You can experience some emotion now, ya know. Live a little! You trust him with your secrets! Trust him with...well, you!"  
At that, Raven smiled a bit. "I'll...think about it," she replied, before sighing. "He is cute, isn't he."  
"Yeah."

* * *

The shuttle landed about five miles away from the chosen area of duel. Sixty Thanagarian soldiers got out, and set up positions. The shuttle took off again, continuing on.

Twelve miles away, the Justice League was materializing, while the Titan vessel, and Kaiba's jet flew overhead.

Shayera pulled out a pair of binoculars, looking through them. "I still can't believe," she said, "that a former member of Brother Blood's H.I.V.E Academy joined the Titans," She was, however, also glad Jinx had done so. It showed that she had moral fiber.

"Hey, she's just a good kid who fell into the wrong group." Arrow smiled. "She'll do a great deal of good with Robin and his group."  
"Yeah..." The Thanagarian hero suddenly had a feeling that this was familiar territory for her. But she knew that it wasn't about Raven joining the Titans. More like it involved _herself_ somehow. For the life of her, though, she couldn't figure out what.

'Another question for Alania to answer,' she thought, filing it away for later. She could see Seto and Yugi disembarking from the jet, as Talek and Dol emerged from the shuttle.

Seto looked over at Yugi, saw his duel disk already activated. "I hope you're ready, Yugi," he hissed, "because I'm not going to lose because of your new ineptness."

"Relax, Kaiba," Yugi replied, slipping his deck into it's slot. "We don't win, we don't win. For some reason, I think the deal will break down if either side loses."

"Good point." The taller man stopped. "And here they come."  
Talek and Dol stopped about six meters in front of them, their own disks ready. A circular affair with wings on the side, it nevertheless followed the same construction details as their Earth based counterparts.

Talek observed them. "Are you two ready?" he asked.

Seto nodded. "Yeah, we' re ready." He activated his duel disk.

All four of them shouted that time honored phrase that Duel Monsters was famous for, at the same time.

"Time to duel!"

To Be Continued...

* * *

And here it is. Episode Fifty. At long last, the moment I have been working to has come. The first _Secar Triad_ duel of the Hope and Light Saga will begin next episode.

As everyone has noticed, I had upped the rating to Mature. That's because there will be more mature rated stuff in this season. As always, review please. I like to know what you people think about this story. All of you, please review, or I shall surely die from rejection!


	54. Episode Fifty One: Secar Triad

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story, Season Two; Deadly Alliance

Episode Fifty One: Secar Triad and Unification

(Previously on Digimon: Silver Star Story)

_Seto looked over at Yugi, saw his duel disk already activated. "I hope you're ready, Yugi," he hissed, "because I'm not going to lose because of your new ineptness." _

"Relax, Kaiba," Yugi replied, slipping his deck into it's slot. "We don't win, we don't win. For some reason, I think the deal will break down if either side loses."

"Good point." The taller man stopped. "And here they come."  
Talek and Dol stopped about six meters in front of them, their own disks ready. A circular affair with wings on the side, it nevertheless followed the same construction details as their Earth based counterparts.

Talek observed them. "Are you two ready?" he asked.

Seto nodded. "Yeah, we' re ready." He activated his duel disk.

All four of them shouted that time honored phrase that Duel Monsters was famous for, at the same time.

"Time to duel!"

(And now the continuation)

* * *

Dartz was meditating in his great soul room, attempting to locate the Pharaoh's soul pattern in the world. He had been doing that since the train accident, with no success whatsoever. And even though he had Raphael out there, searching for him, it hadn't been gong well. _'It's probably that old fool,'_ he thought angrily, _'though why he hasn't revealed himself to them is beyond me.'_

As he thought dark thought's about the past, a sudden surge of power went through his link, startling him out of his reverie. Blinking mentally, he probed the ether's outer reaches, searching for the strange surge's source.

And finding it, suddenly grinned. "Well, now...this is different. It would appear that young Yugi Motou is not going to hide from me after all." Making himself comfortable, he started to observe the beginnings of a duel that he never knew existed.

* * *

The four duelists quickly pulled five cards from the top of their decks, observing them shrewdly for a second. Yugi schooled his expression so Talek and Dol couldn't see his joy. He saw Kaiba do much the same thing, and knew they had a good chance on getting an early lead. 

Talek pulled two cards out of his hand. "I place one card facedown on the field," he said, "and summon the Thanagarian Wasp in attack mode."

A massive version of the insect in question appeared, a greenish yellow monstrosity with three sets of wings appeared.

Thanagarian Wasp-HP: 306/ AP: 175/ DP: 138/ SA: Stinging Blaze/ A: Poison Cloud/ Monster Type: Insect/Flying

Dol quickly placed a monster down on her disk as well. "I summon the Gangrene Beast in Attack Mode."

The beast that emerged was more impressive in terms of it's appearance, with yellowish skin, and a muscular set of hind legs.

Gangrene Beast-HP: 402/ AP: 185/ DP 120/ SA: Gangrene Slash/ A: Vigor/ Monster Type: Beast

Dol grinned. "Your move."  
Kaiba grinned. "Your funeral." He pulled two cards out of his hand. "I place one card facedown, and summon Cyber Steen, in Attack Mode!"

(Under Secar Triad rules.) Cyber Steen- HP: 908/ AP:194/ DP: 158/ SA: Dark Cannon/ A: Defense Grid/ Monster Type: Machine

"And I place two cards facedown on the field," Yugi stated. "I also summon Gaia, The Fierce Knight!" As the monster in question appeared on the field, Yugi perused his remaining cards. _'I have one of the pieces to Exodia!'_ he thought._ 'I'm going to hold onto that for now. If Kaiba and I survive long enough for me to draw the other four pieces...'_

Gaia The Fierce Knight: HP: 955/ AP: 455/ DP: 278/ SA: Twin Sword Strike/ A: Berserker Charge/ Monster Type: Human

Seto also took a look at his hand at well. _'Ah, one of my Blue Eyes,' _he thought in triumph. _'And theFang of Kriddius. I think I'll hold onto them for the moment. Gaia's strong enough to get us an early lead.'_

Talek grinned. "Most impressive, Yugi Motou. A strong monster to begin with. Now, let's see if you remember everything in the rule book."

Yugi placed two red rubies onto GFK, watching them sink into the monster card. Then he looked up. _'Wait a minute, that's probably what he wants me to do! I'll save the final attack for another turn.' _"Gaia," he shouted aloud, "attack the Gangrene Beast!"

Dol frowned. "Blast it, he's got a fast mind."

One of Gaia's blades struck the Gangrene Beast all out, eliciting a realistic roar of pain from it, before disintegrating. Talek let out a small grunt when his life meter went from two thousand to five hundred. His smile faded a bit. "Not bad for a first time."

"Yeah, but it still counts."  
"But you have to beat both of us to win!" Talek finished, drawing a card. "And I play Frona Wolf in Attack Mode!"

Frona Wolf- HP:500/ AP:199/ DP: 113/ SA: Rabid Chomp/ A: Speed Up/ Monster Type: Beast

Shayera whistled. "Frona Wolf's going to require two blows to knock it out, unless Yugi's planning on using his Gaia's Special Attack," she said.

"He didn't use it last time," Fate pointed out. "Which means he has a suspicion about Talek's opening strategy."

"Well, now he has no choice." J'onn sighed. "The Frona Wolf is weak in attack points, but it's agility is incredible. In fact, it's special ability allows it to literally run around his opponent."

Batman nodded, and kept his gaze on the duel playing out.

Dol pulled a card, then said, "I place two cards face down, and then I summon the Yuras Ant in Defense Mode!"

Yuras Ant- HP:234/ AP: 600/ DP:900/ SA: None/ A: Call of Arms/ Monster Type: Insect

_'That doesn't make sense!'_ Seto thought._ 'Why put her creature in defense mode? It has more attack strength than Gaia, and I'm easy prey! Something's wrong...'_

"Having a hard time figuring out the plan?" Dol grinned. "Don't worry, it'll become clear to you in a moment. Commander?"  
Talek nodded, placing a yellow gem onto his monster. "Frona Wolf!" he bellowed. "Attack Kaiba's Cyber Steen with your Rabid Chomp!"

The Frona Wolf charged forward, frothing at the mouth, as it made a beeline for Kaiba's Cyber Steen. Latching it's teeth into it, it began tearing it apart. Kaiba's life meter went down to forty five hundred.

Talek smiled. "Your move, gentlemen."  
"Fine." Seto sunk into his 'dueling mode,' emptying himself of his emotions, applying his rage and aggression. "I place Force Raider in Defense Mode. That's all."

Force Raider- HP: 345/ AP: 200/ DP: 156/ SA: None/ A: Counterattack/ MT: Human

"Then I place Gaia in defense mode, and bring my Curse of Dragon to the field in attack mode!" He frowned a bit. _'For whatever reason, Dol isn't going to attack yet, and Talek looks like he's testing our_ _dueling strategies. Problem is, I'm a little shaky without Yami. But I've got to keep my focus on the duel!'_

Curse of Dragon: HP: 600/ AP: 200/ DP: 198/ SA: Cursed Dragon Breath/ A: Dragon 's Breath/ MT: Dragon

He quickly placed a red and a yellow jewel onto the Dragon card. "Well, I have no choice, regardless of the trap you've got set. CoD, attack Talek's Frona Wolf with your Cursed Dragon's Breath!"

Talek grinned as the CoD fired a full scale blast at his monster, engulfing it. "Excellent! And as you already figured out, you've triggered my trap! Reveal facedown card!" The card flipped up. "Skin Stripper! This Trap Card turns the force of your attack, right back at you! Of course, my monster loses half of it's Hit Points, but that's still better than what your monster gets."

As if on cue, the fireball left his monster, and slammed in the CoD. The Curse of Dragon roared before it disintegrated, and Yugi stepped back a bit.

Raven flinched. "Ouch. He walked right into that one."

"No kidding," Jinx replied.

Yugi looked at his life meter, saw the Life Point meter drop five hundred points. _'Oh, boy,'_ he thought. _'Talek's good, I'll give him that.'_

Talek grinned. "I place one card face down on the field, then activate the Enhancement Card Vitality Up. This increases my Frona Wolf's Hit Points to Eight Hundred." He pulled another card out of his hand. "I also play Urli Breaker, in attack mode!"

Urli Breaker- HP: 720/ DP: 540/ SA: Stone Fish/ A: Defense Wall

"Urli Breaker! Attack Yugi's Gaia the Fierce Knight!" He put three red gems in. "Use your Stone Fist Attack!"

Yugi braced himself as he saw the massive stone creature charge at him, fist raised. There was no way he could defend Gaia against it.

Someone did it for him.

"Sorry, Talek," Seto shouted, "but you've just triggered my trap! Reveal facedown card!" It rose up. "Mirror Force! It deflects your attack right back at you!"  
"Urli Breaker! Activate Special Ability Defense Wall!"

The attack slammed off an invisible field, heading back for the point where it originated. It, in turn, slammed into an impregnable wall of stone, dissipating.

Talek smiled. "I never thought you had it in you. Dol?"  
Dol nodded. "Let's see you do that again. I place Yuras Ant in attack mode, and also play Thanagarian Soldier in Attack Mode as well."

Thanagarian Soldier- HP:1034/ AP: 234/ DP: 178/ SA: Axe Slash/ A: Call of Arms Monster Type: Human/ Flying

"I also place two cards on the field facedown, and activate the Magic Card, Graveyard shift!"  
"Graveyard shift? What's that?"  
"It means that all of us have to send our hands into the graveyard, and draw five new cards." Dol grinned at the two duelists downfallen expressions while she drew her new cards. "Oh, don't be so surprised. I had a feeling you had a plan, and it looks like I just spoiled it for you. Now, Yuras Ant, attack Yugi's Knight. Take it out of the game!"

With a flurry of movement, the Ant scurried forward, it's pincers clacking eagerly as it clamped onto Gaia, squeezing it into oblivion.

"And now, Thanagarian Soldier, attack his life points directly!"

The Thanagarian Soldier charged forward, his axe raised. Yugi braced himself as the axe swung down on him. He let out a grunt of pain, and saw fifteen hundred life points exit his life meter.

Rebecca gasped a bit in shock. "Yugi," she whispered.

Terra placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Yugi'll pull through. He always does."

Joey, however, wasn't so sure. _'This is da second time Yug hasn't had the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle to back him up in an important duel, the first being dat game wit Bandit Keith! And we all saw how that went down. Dis time, da puzzle isn't even da prize! Come on, Yugi!'_

Yugi quickly strengthened his resolve. _'I'm going to have to defend my remaining life points from here on out! At the same time, I better start thinking about a new strategy.'_ He quickly drew a card. _'Thankfully, some things remain the same.' _"I bring the Celtic Guardian to the field!" he placed the monster card onto the field.

Celtic Guardian- HP: 210/ AP: 167/ DP: 123/ SA: Celtic Stab/ A: Counterattack/ MT: Human

Seto blinked a bit. _'Okay, Yugi's lost it here. From what I've seen, Talek's Fronas Wolf has eight hundred attack points. Why isn't Yugi defending?'_ He blinked again. _'Wait a second...Yugi didn't mention whether or not it was in attack mode or defense mode.'_

Talek had also noticed that little slip, but decided that the duel was getting to the young man's nerves. "It looks like you're starting to lose your focus, Mister Motou," he said aloud. "In this game, that's dangerous."  
Seto growled in his throat as he drew. "I place one card on the field, and play the Magic Card Pot of Greed. It allows me to draw two more cards." He looked down as he did so. _'Excellent!'_ He looked up again. "Now I summon my Axe Raider, in attack mode!"

Axe Raider- HP: 305/ AP: 196/ DP: 143/ SA: Axe Destroyer/ A: Counterattack/ MT: Human

Both Yugi and Seto put three gems into their monsters. "That end our turns," Yugi added lightly.

Dol grinned. "You just made the worst move in your young lives." She drew a card. "I place one card on the field, and activate the magic card, Tag Team! This allows both team players on both sides to attack ! Now, Thanagarian Soldier, attack Seto Kaiba's Axe Raider!"  
"Frona Ant, attack Yugi's Celtic Guardian!" Talek bellowed in triumph.

Yugi grinned as they approached. "Talek, Dol, you seemed to have forgotten that I never mentioned if my monster was in attack mode, or defense mode. Celtic Guardian, activate your special ability. Counterattack with your Celtic Stab!"  
Seto raised one of his hands. "Axe Raider, activate your special ability, and Counterattack with Axe Destroyer!"

As one, the two defending monsters suddenly blocked or dodged their opponents monsters, then performed their special attacks, removing them from the game permanently.

Both Thanagarians both looked rather peeved now, knowing that they had been tricked. It also served to strengthen Yugi's resolve.

DMG smiled in understanding. "Now I understand the reasoning behind his 'blunder!'" she exclaimed. "By remaining anonymous, Yugi made them think that he had placed his monster in defense mode accidentally. And when Mister Kaiba declared his monster in attack mode, the opportunity looked ripe to tear them apart."

Raven grinned. "Good job, Yugi, Kaiba!"

Serenity smiled. "I knew they could do it."

Talek glared at the young boy. "I have to admit, you certainly adapted quickly enough. Few people could ever one up me."  
"I had a great teacher." Yugi bowed. "But now, I believe it's now mine and Kaiba's turn, so allow me to return the favor." He drew. "I summon the Summon Skull to the field, in attack mode!"

Summon Skull- HP: 610/ AP:227/ DP: 198/ SA: Thunder Strike/ A: Raiegki/ MT: Thunder/ Ghoul

"In the meantime, I place my Vorse Raider into attack mode!" Seto stated. "I also place a card facedown on the field." He placed the card in question onto the field. "I also summon my Archfiend Soldier in attack mode!"

Archfiend Soldier- HP: 590/ AP: 238/ DP: 200/ SA: Dark Blade/ A: Regeneration/ MT: Human

Seto put two yellow gems into the newcomer. "Alright, Archfiend Soldier, use your special attack Dark Blade! Remove the Yuras Ant from the game!"

The Archfiend Soldier brought his blade up, dark energy crackling at the tip. It brought it down, the blade slicing through the Yuras Ant like a hot knife through butter. Dol grimaced for a second.

"And now, Force Raider, attack her life points directly!" Seto ordered.

The Force Raider charged forward, slashing at the Thanagarian Soldier. It's blade slashed across her chest, eliciting a groan of pain. Her life points dropped to three thousand.

Yugi pointed at Talek. "Summon Skull, attack Talek's Urli Breaker with your Thunder Strike!"

Summon Skull's hands started emitting electrical power from his claws, and it raised it's arms, releasing the contained power at the Urli Breaker.

"You triggered my trap!" Talek snapped. "Reveal Thunder Retaliation! Now your attack will be redirected right back at you!" The attack quickly bounced out of Talek's monster, flying back at Yugi's, striking it head on. It let out a roar of pain as it disintegrated. Yugi winced, his life meter dropping another five hundred points. He walked right into that one. _'I better get some luck soon.' _He looked down, seeing the back of the card that was now in front of him. _'Hey, it's the card Raven gave me. It might be useful.'_

"Our move." Dol drew, saw the card she had drawn, and grinned. "It's time to end our little duel, once and for all. I play the power of the Tyran Dragon!" She placed the monster down on her disk.

And, before Yugi's and Seto's horrified eyes, the largest dragon they had ever seen emerged onto the playing field. It was blue, with a long neck, razor sharp teeth, and extremely powerful legs.

Tyran Dragon- HP: 1098/ AP: 900/ DP: 700/ SA: Lightning Blast/ A: Dragon Hymn/ MT: Dragon

Yugi gulped. This didn't bode well for them.

Talek pulled a card out as well. "I place one card face down, and end my turn."

"Now, Tyran Dragon, destroy Kaiba's monster's with your Lightning Blast!"

The Tyran Dragon opened it's mouth, power collecting in its mouth. With a mighty heave of its neck, it unleashed it's attack upon Seto's defenses, obliterating them, also removing a thousand life points from his meter, bringing him down to his last thousand. _'We are in trouble.'_

Yugi decided that this was a good time to start praying.

* * *

Canary winced. "This is not good."  
Shayera nodded, her mind elsewhere. 

"What do they do now?" Arrow asked.

"They get lucky," Batman replied.

* * *

"Crap!" Joey swore. "Yugi and Kaiba are gettin their asses handed to dem!" 

Rebecca had her hands clasped together, wringing them. "Please, let nothing happen to Yugi," she pleaded.

Raven was quiet. She knew there was only one chance for victory, and that it lay on Yugi's next draw. If he didn't draw it, then they would definitely lose.

Robin looked at her. "That card you gave Yugi."  
Raven nodded. "Yes. It alone can help them. It'll allow him to regain the card he and Kaiba needs to win."

Robin looked out at the duel. "I hope it works."

"It will. Have faith."

Talek grinned as Yugi and Seto drew their cards. "Go ahead, and draw whatever cards you want. Nothing can defeat the power of the Tyran Dragon. And my face down card will end any insurrection you have planned. So why don't you just surrender? We both know that this duel's conditions will never hold up after the fight. The Justice League will never allow Shayera to leave without a fight, and my soldiers will not leave here without her. So let's just cut to the end here."  
Yugi snarled. "This duel isn't over yet, and I don't back down from a duel if my life depended on it! Kaiba!"  
Seto nodded, looking at the card he had drawn, and grinned, looking at the two Thanagarians. "You're not the only one who has a powerful Dragon in your midst!" he bellowed, slamming down onto his disk. "I summon my all powerful Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

With a roar that matched the Tyran Dragon's, Seto's Blue Eyes White Dragon appeared on the field in a display of raw power.

Blue Eyes White Dragon- HP:1098/ AP: 900/ DP: 700/ SA: White Lightning Attack/ A: Dragon Hymn/ MT: Dragon

Talek's eyes narrowed. "Your dragon is as strong as ours. It means we have an impasse. Dol?"

"Don't call a combat mode just yet, Dol!" Yugi shouted. "I still have to place my card down!"

"Then do it!" Dol laughed a bit. "Whatever card that is, it won't save you!"

"Oh, guess again!" Yugi turned the card around. "I play the Magic Card, Return From the Grave!" He grinned at the looks of shock on his opponents faces. "This card allows me to resurrect any card in my graveyard, regardless of what it is! And I know which one I want!" He pulled the cards out of discard slot, and nodded, pulling one at random. He looked at it, and grinned. "I now play...the Eye of Tamius!"

* * *

Aquaman's eyes widened in shock. "Did he say Tamius?" he asked Fate. 

Fate nodded. "He said Tamius."

* * *

With an almighty roar, Tamius, one of the three Guardian Dragons of the Monster World, erupted onto the field in a flash of pure light. A powerful blue green monster with enormous wings, it was the leader of the three protectors. 

And it had the ability to merge with any monster that was on the field.

"Now, Tamius, merge with Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Yugi commanded. "To form, Blue Eyes Atlantean Dragon!"

Blue Eyes Atlantean Dragon- HP: 1000/ AP: 1000/ DP: 700/ SA: Blue Lightning Attack/ A: Final Attack/ MT: Dragon

"Kaiba, it's up to you!"

Seto nodded. "Blue Eyes, activate your Special Ability, Final Attack! Then attack with your Blue Lightning Attack!"  
Dol and Talek knew what it meant. Final Attack automatically ended the duel, when coupled with a Special Attack. They had lost.

BEAD opened it's mouth, power collecting in its mouth. When it had collected enough, it released it in a burst of energy that crisped Yugi's tri color hairdo. The blast struck the Tyran Dragon, destroying it...and then slamming into Dol herself. She shrieked in pain as her life points dropped to zero. The blast then struck Talek head on, destroying his trap card in the process. He met a similar fate as his partner.

And, in the space of fifteen seconds, a duel ended.

* * *

Dartz lowered his hand from his eyes, having been temporarily blinded by the bright light of that final strike. He cracked his eyes open to see Seto and Yugi stand triumphant, and the two Thanagarians slowly shaking their heads in disbelief. Dartz admitted to being surprised as well. Yugi had done a pretty good job in the duel, especially considering he no longer had the Pharaoh to help him. A truly impressive strategy that he had employed. 

And what was more, Yugi Motou and Seto Kaiba had given him the perfect chance to capture the Justice League, and them. He began preparing the Seal.

* * *

"Yeah!" Tristen pumped his fist into the air. "They did it!"  
DMG blinked back tears of joy. "I knew they would win."  
"Yeah, have ta give credit to Kaiba, too!" Joey stated. "He definitely is da man to turn to when you're in a jam!"  
"Of galactic proportions," Serenity added. 

Yugi finished putting his cards back into his deck, before walking up to Talek. "Are you going to uphold your bargain?" he asked.

Talek deactivated his duel disk, nodding. "I will, but I'm not so sure about my soldiers." He turned around, looking at Dol.

Yugi nodded. Some soldiers couldn't let go, or couldn't understand why people did what they did. "Talek, if Thanagar was under attack, why didn't you return? Your engines would have gotten you back home."  
"Why do these people do anything?" Seto snapped. "As far as I'm concerned, they're no better than Allister."  
"Kaiba, please be quiet. I want to hear their explanation."  
Talek frowned, though it was in thought. "To tell you the truth, we received orders to return to Thanagar due to the attack. But before we went underway, our engines suddenly cut off. No explanation, no reason for the malfunction. They simply...stopped working."

"And by the time they started working again, Thanagar was overrun," Yugi finished.

"You honestly expect us to believe you, Talek?" Seto snorted after saying that. "Your track record isn't exactly the best where honesty is concerned."  
Talek nodded. "We were able to see what was going on, though." He snapped his fingers. Instantly, one of his yeomen came forward with a recording device. "The Gordanians employed some sort of powerful shield, which blocked the other fleets from getting to the surface. Then they started picking off the cities, one by one, forcing my people to run." He brought up the picture of Thanagar up at that time, and showed it to Yugi. "This is what they used."

Yugi took one look at it, his eyes widening in shock. He passed it over to Seto, who stared, dumbfounded, at the image.

There, imposed over the home world of Shayera Hol, was the Seal of Orichalcos, stretching across the planet.

Yugi took a shuttering breath. "Kaiba, you always said that this was all holographic. I would really love to hear your explanation about how this is possible."  
Kaiba shook his head. "I think I owe you and the geek squad an apology, Yugi. But, how's this possible?"  
Yugi took a breath, turning around to where he was sure the Justice League was presently standing, ushering them over. "Commander Talek, it appears that we have a common enemy. We're presently fighting the Orichalcos, and its allies here." He waited until the founding members landed, before asking, "How about helping us out here?"

Superman stared at Yugi in surprise. Batman and Diana exchanged raised eyebrows. Flash literally stopped moving. J'onn observed everything with a clinical detachment. John's eyes narrowed. And Shayera...was extremely calm, which was surprising, considering that the man had tried to capture her.

Talek was also surprised. "Are you...offering your assistance?"

"More on the lines, you scratch my back, I scratch yours." Yugi suddenly looked up, sensing something. "In fact, let's scratch each other's backs right now. Out of the way!"

Instantly, everyone moved as a powerful blast of energy suddenly slammed into their old spot, detonating on impact.

Robin rolled, coming to one knee. "The Seal of Orichalcos!' he shouted.

"And it brings reinforcements!" Rebecca added, pointing behind her, her duel disk activating.

There was over a thousand creatures approaching their position, all of various classifications, and all with two things in common. They all had sharp, pointy teeth, and bloodthirsty expressions on their mutilated faces.

Seto shook his head. "Don't tell me, do let me guess. The forces of the Orichalcos."

"In a bulls eye." Yugi pulled Tamius out again. "I'll deal with the Seal! The rest of you, kick some ass!"  
"With pleasure." Terra cracked her knuckles threateningly. "Last person to take a monster out has to buy dinner!"  
"You're going to get tofu," Beast Boy pointed out. He was always the last one to take out anything.

"Fine. Fuck this. Let's take the monster's out!" Terra brought up several rock spears, shooting them into the incoming throng. The opening shots.

Then the two sides collided in an flurry of punches, energy blasts, and mystical blasts, while Yugi took off on Tamius's back, heading for the massive seal hovering over them. Hopefully, he could get to it before it took its first victim.

* * *

Mai pulled out a set of binoculars, zoning in on the battle that had erupted. She had been there, observing the duel that ended in victory for Yugi and Seto Kaiba. She had to admit, she didn't think Motou could pull it off without his spirit friend. 

But the boss had decided to use this to his advantage, activating the Seal, and sending a force of monsters to deal with them. All she had to do was make sure that it went smoothly.

And it was going smoothly. The usual amount of resistance was making itself present, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be overcome. Not even Superman could hold his own against them forever.

There was just one problem. A number of problems, actually. Trigon's little girl and the Boy Wonder, for instance. They were sticking to each other, never moving more than a few centimeters from the other. Not exactly what Dartz was hoping for. And wasn't Robin supposed to be pining over the alien?

And then there was the small problem of Tamius, which was presently flying upward towards the Seal at breakneck speed. That wasn't exactly a good thing.

As the Dragon approached its target, its target started spewing even more monsters, aimed at it. Mai relaxed. Of course. Dartz wasn't going to let anything happen to that Seal. He had the armies of the ancient monsters at his command. Nothing was going to stop him. And while she wanted to destroy Wheeler herself, she would be content with knowing he was a mere memory.

* * *

Yugi's eyes widened considerably as he saw the Seal of Orichalcos start to spew hundreds of monsters, all aimed at him. "Okay, this wasn't a good idea! Tamius, evade!" He held on as Tamius did just that, breaking off his approach, then speeding up. Almost a hundred flying creatures followed him, all of them firing fireballs at him.

Flash started moving, his speed adding strength to his blows. He started knocking monsters out of the game quickly, helping the others out of jams.

Diana used her lasso to capture one of them, then used it as a ball and chain, smashing others into oblivion. She was very good at it, too, taking to the air with her jury rigged ball and chain, trying to help Yugi.

Joey's duel disk turned on quickly, and he placed his Flame Swordsman down on it. He quickly pulled Heramos out as well, ready to activate it. "Dartz is really gettin on my nerves!"

"Dartz? Of Para Dias?" Batman asked.

"How does everybody know about dis?"

"Less talking, more fighting!" DMG shouted, dodging a powerful blast from a particularly gruesome beast. "Though personally, why a person would run around in a bat costume is something I shall never understand!"  
"Why am I talking to someone dressed as a monster card?" Batman asked.

Seto made his way over to them. "Probably because she _is_ a Duel Monster," he replied. "And, not to belabor too obvious a point, but can we kick these things asses, then talk?"

Joey nodded once, probably the only time he ever agreed with the billionaire on anything. "Flame Swordsman, slice and dice 'em!"

The Swordsman quickly obliged, swinging his massive blade over his head, decapitating the first monster that came in range. He waded into the enemy's midst, slicing through them like a hot knife through butter. Joey, meanwhile, got two more cards out, grinning, before he evaded another monster. Batman, in the meantime, showed those attacking him why he was considered the Dark Knight.

Superman, J'onn, Shayera, and GL flew upward, the rest of the fliers right behind him. They quickly split into a dozen different directions, forcing the monsters in the air to split up as well.

Starfire and Terra quickly led their pursuers away from their friends, before turning around, and attacking. Starfire, through her hands and eyes, Terra through a massive Earth tidal wave from behind, burying them under so much dirt and rock.

The Thanagarians, who were uniquely suited for this type of battle, were unleashing wanton destruction wherever they hit. And, like before, Shayera was a level unto herself.

* * *

Mai's eyes widened as she watched the Thanagarian exile continue to pull off the impossible. _'Just like one of those Guardians!' _she realized. _'Was she trained by one of them?'_ Deciding that it wasn't worth thinking about, she turned her attention to the Dark Magician Girl, watching her swerve. "Only been on this planet for two weeks, and she's already turning into an airplane." She grinned. "Time to see if she can crash and burn."

* * *

Starfire grabbed one by the horn on it's head, and tossed him in the direction of another one of its kind. She threw an energy sphere at them, destroying them utterly. Smiling a bit at the accomplishment, she quickly started searching for another opponent. And there were a large number of them to choose from. 

Unfortunately, that was precisely the problem. There were too many of them. And they kept coming, slowly pushing the warriors back. And the Seal hanging overhead added to their problems, as it was ready to fire at any time.

Yugi was still on Tamius's back, holding on for dear life as attacks flew by, barely missing him. _'Dartz must have been watching the duel, then attacked when we weren't paying attention. But how did I know it was coming...better worry about that later!'_

One of the creatures came in closer, teeth nashing. Yugi brought his hand up, energy collecting in his palm.

And then the monster was electrocuted by purple lightning, disintegrating. Startled, Yugi looked in the direction that it had come from.

Static grinned. "You must be Yugi," he said in greeting. "You're shorter than I thought. The name's Static, by the way. I'm here to help."

* * *

Starfire lost her breath as her opponent slammed into her, slashing across her arm as well. She tumbled back through the air, clutching her arm, trying to regain her equilibrium. The monster flew in, not giving her the time to do that. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

Someone did it for her.

A flash of white green suddenly obscured her vision. The monster suddenly shrieked in agony, disappearing.

Then a pair of arms cradled her, steadying her. The Tamarian looked up to see Gear looking back at her, grinning widely. "Looks like you needed some help, princess."

Starfire smiled. "I thank you for your coming. Did Static also join you?"

"And a couple of other people. Namely, a friend of ours, and the X-Men."

Starfire almost laughed in joy.

Static turned in midair, bringing up a finger as well. A thin bolt of electricity shot into the air, forming a massive X.

An instant later, a Blackbird roared into the fray, weapons blazing as it flew overhead. It's rear doors opened, burping out a white haired African woman, eyes already glowing with her power. Lightning shot from her fingertips, engulfing the monsters that were coming at her. She quickly sent a gust of wind at another group.

Next from the X-Jet was a blue furry, demon like mutant, with three fingers and toes, arm around a normal looking African American female. With a puff, and the hint of sulfur, he teleported downward, landing on top of a two legged head. The girl quickly jumped next to him, throwing a powerful roundhouse kick at one of the monsters.

The others floated downward, held in the telekinetic grip of a woman whose hair was as shockingly red as Starfire's. Those she held consisted of a stocky, rugged man, a tall man with a ruby red visor, a young man wearing what looked like a home made uniform, a thin girl with a valley girl complexion to her, another woman with a white stripe across the front of her hair, and yet another woman with baggy clothes that looked like they had been foraged from the garbage.

Maureen quickly brought her meta human powers into play, her skin going blue white as the complete might of winter started collecting in her hands. Once she was safely on the ground, she raised her hands, introducing the monsters to a cold front like they had never felt before.

An optic blast erupted from Cyclops's eyes, frying every monster he looked at. He kicked another as it came at him.

From Logan, six adamantine claws sprung out of his hands, and he started slicing through them easily. He fought his way to where Batman and Joey were presently pinned down.

Jean Grey lifted one up, throwing it at a group of them, knocking them off of J'onn, who had become transparent. He looked up, nodding to her.

Avalanche looked around him, sized up his problems, then slammed his foot down onto the ground. Instantly, the ground started trembling violently, rolling underneath a number of opponents, making them stumble. Then the ground folded up on them, as Terra had taken advantage of the situation.

Kitty merely phased through the monsters, kicking and punching, never letting herself be touched. She quickly got in front of Serenity and Mokuba, protecting them. Rogue quickly joined her, the two friends watching each other's backs.

In the X-Jet, Professor Charles Xavier manipulated the controls, firing the weapons whenever he got a lock. His powers also allowed him to evade a number of attacks with ease. He also noted that the X-Men were doing rather well, and felt a surge of pride go through him.

Amanda Sefton, who had been training secretly with Kurt and the others, pulled a staff from her belt, extending it to it's full length. Slamming it into the ground, she leaped over them, landing next to Rogue. "What say we kick their sorry carcasses?" she asked.

Rogue grinned. "What say we do?" She quickly launched a lateral kick, catching one in the eye.

With the monsters off his back, Yugi had Tamius angle upward again, heading for the Seal of Orichalcos. Seeing the symbols surrounding it begin to pulse, he shouted, "Tamius, you've got to stop it now!"

The beams shot out from the points.

Energy began collecting in Tamius's mouth.

Raven looked up, saw the Seal getting ready to fire. "Everyone, get ready to move now!"

Maureen looked up as well, shocked as hell. "_That's _the Orichalcos?" she exclaimed.

"Unfortunately!" Joey turned around, pulling the Claw of Heramos out. "I summon the Claw of Heramos!" A brown skinned Dragon appeared in much the same fashion as Tamius, though it looked a little more fierce in appearance. "Heramos, Yug and Tamius need your help!" he shouted.

Heramos roared once, then flew upward, energy collecting in his mouth as well. He reached Tamius just as his fellow dragon unleashed his power.The dusty orangedragonquickly followed.

The Seal fired downward, its green blast slicing through the air as it bore down on the assembled beings below.

The two opposing forces struck head on, pushing against each other in a display of power. If it wasn't so dangerous, it would have been amazing to watch.

Raven stared at it with different eyes. "It's a standoff."

"Big time." Robin looked around, saw Shayera looking at her mace for a second, nodded to herself, and took off. He almost asked what she was doing, but then mentally smacked himself.

The Seal, no matter how powerful it was, was magic.

Shayera's mace disrupted magic.

She was going to put a crimp in Dartz's plan.

* * *

Shayera felt the crisping of ozone as she flew upward, passing the two dragons, but ignored it. A plan had simmered in her mind, one so crazy, that she didn't know if it could work. While her mace could disrupt magic, the sheer amount being poured out of the Seal made her doubt if it would be enough. 

But she would be damned if she was going to stand by and watch as it took her friends away. She wasn't going to let them down again.

Once she had completely passed the two dragons, she raised her arm, her mace pointed like a mace. Aiming carefully, brought her arm back. She knew she only had one chance at this. With a split second delay, she threw her mace at the green beam.

Her aim was perfect.

The mace flew into the beam, its Nth metal structure causing it to weaken a moment, before the sheer power of it caused it to disintegrate.

But it had served its purpose.

Tamius's and Heramos's attacks broke through, slamming into the Seal of Oricalcos, and right through it, destroying it. A series of explosions erupted in it as it destabilized...

...and Dartz was thrown across the room as his connection with the Seal was broken. He landed near the large doors, shocked. After a moment of collecting himself, he managed to prop himself onto his elbows, observing the wall, though he could no longer see anything outside of the room. "Well, played," he said, saluting the air. "You are going to prove most difficult to defeat, Yugi."  
He was going to have to kill Shayera, though.

* * *

As the last of the explosions faded away, leaving only clear sky's, Shayera breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that worked." She looked down at Yugi, saw him give her a nod of thanks. She smiled, returning the nod. 

Kitty relaxed, grinning. "That was, like, totally different."

Maureen nodded, her skin and hair returning to their normal colors. "Who would have thought that fighting the forces of evil could be so...invigorating?"

Rogue grinned. "Bettah than moping around, sugah," she quipped.

Raven didn't say anything, but she agreed with the two girls. She had just survived her second major battle against the Orichalcos, and it left her feeling better than usual.

Superman landed, grinning. "Thanks for the save, Logan."  
Logan shrugged, the metal in her shoulder blades clinking. "We were already on our way here, for good reason."

Static landed, retracting his disk, and putting it in his jacket. "We have a message from a guy whose called the Pharaoh."

"Yami?" Yugi got off Tamius, deactivating his duel disk as he did so. "You saw Yami?"  
"Static was the one who took him to the hospital," Maureen replied. "Then we helped him escape from the Bang Babies and a guy named Raphael."

Now Seto turned sharply. "Hold on? 'Pharaoh?' Raphael?"

"The Pharaoh's the _former_ spirit of the Millennium Puzzle," Rebecca replied. "I don't think I need to tell you who Raphael is."  
Yugi grimaced. "How did he find them?"

"You can explain it to us in the Watchtower." Superman touched his ear communicator. "Watchtower, beam everybody up in this vicinity."

Instantly, everyone was teleported up to the Tower, as Mai watched, surprised by the sudden turn in events.

* * *

Robin looked around, somewhat surprised by the size of this new Watchtower, and the care that had been put into its construction. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Bruce certainly cared enough for others to make sure that their workplace was fully operational. 

The meeting room was equally impressive. A circular table with seven chairs placed around it, the only items of furniture in the room. Plenty of room for people to move around.

Now the room held not only the founding members of the Justice League, but also Robin, Raven, Avalanche, Cyclops, Static, Maureen, Yugi, Seto, Joey, and Professor Xavier. Everyone else was in other parts of the Tower, waiting for news.

Robin fidgeted, and he felt Raven place her hand near his. "Don't worry," she whispered. "We hear what Static has to say, and then we leave."  
Robin smiled slightly. Raven, being a consoling soul, was something he wouldn't have thought possible. "I get the feeling it won't be that easy."

Yugi leaned in. "Okay, Static," he began, "what happened to the Pharaoh?"  
Static leaned back, taking a breath. "Well, you already know about the train wreck, so I won't bother you with those details."

And, with Maureen putting a hand on his shoulder for support, Static began telling his tale...

To be continued...


	55. Episode Fifty Two: Pharaoh's Escape

****

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption

Episode Fifty Two: Pharaoh's Escape, Part One

A week before...

Yami and Tea were forced to remain in the hospital for the entire week, instead of being released the next day as was originally decided. The doctors had run several additional MRI's on the ancient spirit and the young woman, due to the simple and obvious fact that they bothhad gone through a train wreck. The fact that they had shown up in as good condtion as they

However, by week's end, Yami's shoulder had healed completely, as well as Tea's other injuries, and the doctors didn't have any reason to hold either of them, though they expressed confusion as to how this was possible.

So, by the time the week was over, the two had signed themselves out, thanked the doctors for their help, then walked out of the hospital, feeling much better. Yami was still a bit sore, but other than that, he was ready for just about anything to happen.

Static met them at the entrance, smiling slightly. "Good to see that you two off your backs," he said. "Though how you guys managed to get out of a wrecked train with minor injuries is beyond me."  
"Don't worry, we're just as confused. Thanks for helping us out." Tea held out a hand. "I'm Tea. This is..."  
"Yami. Yami Motou," Yami quickly interjected, remembering not to use Yugi's name. "I'm...a distant relation to Yugi Motou."  
"Distant, huh?" Static scratched his head. "Well, okay. Anyways, you guys need a place to stay for the night?" Two nods answered his question. "Well, we have room at our headquarters. It's not much, but from the looks of it, you're going to want to be as far from civilization as possible."  
Yami nodded. "Thank you. But right now, we could use some food."

"Which way to the nearest soup kitchen?" Tea asked.

"I'll show you. I was going over there to meet someone anyways. Follow me." Static started walking down the street. Yami and Tea quickly followed him, trailing back so they could talk in relative privacy. "Yami Motou?" Tea asked, amused.

Yami shrugged. "I did inhabit this body with Yugi, and I do look like him. Why not?" He frowned. "Those meta humans knew who I was, knew what Dartz called me. Why did Dartz tell them about me, and not give them the Seal of Orichalcos?"  
"And what about that satellite that this Ebon took?" Tea added. "Do you think it's connected to this somehow?"  
"Probably. So, the question becomes; What's our next move?" He looked at his duel disk, feeling a pang of grief going through him. How many duels had he and Yugigone throughwith this device? How many victories did they share because of the deck Yugi's Grandfather had given the young boy? How much teasing had they put each other through over the two years sincethey had become friends?

Shaking himself out of his melancholy mood, understanding that this wasn't the time to think about that, he returned to the conversation at hand.

Tea shrugged. "Beats me. One things for sure, we don't have enough money for plane tickets."  
"Too true. We'll need to get a money transfer from Mister Motou, and make sure that it lasts." The Pharaoh looked up into the sky. "We'll also need to find help."

"Help? Like who?"

"Now that, I don't know."

The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation, they didn't see someone enter the hospital on a mission.

* * *

Sakura Kinimoto pressed her face against the plane window, taking in Dakota City eagerly. Her first time in the states, and in the city of Static Shock, no less. If these were ordinary times, she would have enjoyed the trip more. 

But, these were not ordinary times. Kero had recently told them about a powerful mystical force known as the Orichalcos,which had begun to rear its ugly head in the United States. Yukito and Touya, whowere already there with their college class, helping out at the local community center, had promised to keep an eye out for anything unusual while they was there.

Then, about three days ago, Yukito had called them, letting them know that a train had crashed. Nothing that concerned them, except for one thing. There was no one in the train, except for three teenagers, one who seemed to be in a coma. Classic example of someone whose soul had been taken.

So, with a little help from Touya, and some sweet talking to her father, Sakura and Madison were on their way to Dakota City. There, they would hook up with Yukito, and start searching for clues. Li and Meiling were already doing just that, with no success.

"Are we there, yet?" a voice mumbled inside of Sakura's backpack.

Sakura smiled. "Yes, Kero. Just stay in there until we get to the motel, okay?"

Madison giggled. "You can't blame him, Sakura. He's been in there since we left Japan."

"Yeah, but he wanted to come, so he has to live with the discomfort."  
"Yeah. So, how's everything between you and Li?"

Sakura smiled joyfully. "Everything's fine. Better than fine, in fact."

Despite being separated most of the time, since last year, Li and Sakura were almost inseparable. They could spend hours on their cell phones, chatting about everything and anything they could think of. Whenever Li was in town, which was at least once a month, there were dinners, dates, and quiet nights, cuddling in each other's arms while Touya glared at them from afar. She was excited, despite the circumstances in which they would meet, to see her boyfriend again.

About thirty minutes later, the two teenagers had stepped out of the airport, looking around. It was one of the few times they had been in a foreign airport.

"It doesn't look any different than in Tokyo," Madison said, recording everything with her ever present camcorder. It was her greatest joy, after all.

Sakura closed one of her hands around her key necklace, where the great Card Mistress Wand lay. How many adventures had that wand gone through with them? What adventures would it see them through in the future?

"Sakura!"  
The young girl turned quickly, smiling so widely, that hinged would have been an understatement. "Li!"

The brown haired young man jogged up to them, grabbing Sakura up in a hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Sakura almost melted. Here, in Li's arms, she felt like she was a normal thirteen year old girl, without any cares in the world.

"Oh, this is going to be great for the website!" Madison giggled, keeping the camcorder on them.

Blushing, the two of them quickly broke away. "Hi, Madison. How are you?"  
"Oh, I'm doing fine. You?"  
"I'm okay. So is Meiling, for that matter."

Sakura smiled. "Well, let's get to the motel. I'm tired."

"We had to leave at five o'clock in the morning," Madison told him.

Li smiled lightly. "I can understand that. I received word from Eli. He's going to be here soon, in fact." He held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Sakura giggled, taking his hand.

* * *

Maureen looked up from her meal to see Static enter the soup kitchen with two new faces in tow. "Hey, Static!" she called out, grinning. 

Returning the grin, Static made his way over to her, as the newcomers went over to the line, grabbing some food. "Hey, Maureen. I was looking for you."

"So I could tell, if the giant snowflake in the sky was of any indication. Trying to impress the poor, lonely homeless girl?" Maureen batted her eyelashes for a moment, the grin achieving a mischievous edge.

Static blushed, thankful for his dark skin. "I might have. I'm still a kid at heart."

"So I've noticed." She speared a piece of broccoli, looked at it for a second, before popping it in her mouth, savoring it. "I still haven't gotten tired of this. Having decent food go into my stomach, I mean." She paused for a second. "And having you as a friend is something I'll never get tired of, either."  
"Good to know. Oh, yeah." Static gestured as his fellows sat down. "This is Yami Motou and Tea. They're the ones who survived that train wreck.

"Hello. I'm Maureen Connor."

"Hi," Tea replied, smiling.

"Greetings." Yami picked up his chicken wing, methodically devouring it.

The two Bang Babies exchanged looks. "Not much of a talker," Static replied.

"Know the feeling." Maureen took a sip of her drink. "So, what brings you two to Dakota City, besides the obvious?"

Yami finished swallowing. "We were on our way to Florida, so we could help Professor Hawkins with some translations."  
"But some creep caused the train to derail," Tea continued between bites. "And, of course, your crooks attacked us."

"Yeah, Gear and I were trying to figure out why that was." Static leaned in. "Why would they want to kill you?"  
"And steal a satellite system that wasn't even tested?" Maureen frowned at their surprised looks. "Static told me."  
Yami nodded, putting his fork down. "I think that perhaps the theft of that satellite, and the Meta humans attacking us are probably connected. _Why,_ we can't tell you, for reasons that are better left unsaid."

"But we can tell you that an enemy of ours is probably paying them to do this," Tea added. "Hence, the reason for secrecy."  
Maureen looked at Static. "How long do you think it'll be before Ebon realizes that I followed him?"  
Static was thoughtful. "I don't know. In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't attacked yet."  
"Ebon?" Yami echoed.

"Head of a Bang Baby gang here. Problem is, he's supposed to be dead."

"Don't I know the feeling?" Yami grumbled.

"I'm sure." Maureen finished her meal, then got up. "I'm going to head for the Community Center. Anyone want to join me?"  
Yami nodded, starting on his potatoes. "We'll be along in fifteen minutes."

Static grinned. "I'll fly you there. See ya guys later."

"Yeah, later.' Tea grinned as the two Meta Humans walked out of the hall. "I think Static has a crush on Miss Connor."

Yami nodded. "He's allowed a crush. He's human." He smiled. "I just hope that he is as formidable as they say."  
Tea sighed, setting her cup down. "Yami, what do you think our next move should be?" she asked, returning to their earlier conversation.

Yami thought about it for a second, going over all of the new information they had. "Well, we will need transportation, and I don't plan on tiring any of my monsters out because they had to carry the two of us. Perhaps someone at the Community Center can help us with that."

"And we leave the city as soon as possible," she finished.

"Not yet. We'll need food. You need a Duel Disk and a deck, and we'll need weapons..."  
"Weapons?"  
"Things have advanced beyond simple dueling and soul taking. Those Meta Humans actually tried to kill us. How many other criminals did Dartz and his servants hire as assurances? Who can we trust, besides each other?"

Tea thought about it. "Static, and maybe Maureen," she replied.

Yami smiled. "And I trust your judgment on this. I certainly don't trust mine these days." He got up. "Let's take out trays back to the line, then head for the center. Time to rein our problems in."  
"And keep them reined in."

* * *

Rogue looked out the window, watching the buildings as they drove by. "Ah still don't see why we're here," she said. 

Charles Xavier turned around. "An old friend of mine called, saying that he had a Meta Human who was looking for work. And with the current mood of humanity towards them, I thought I'd like to meet Miss Connor face to face, and have her meet all of you."  
Amanda shifted slightly. "Then how did you manage to convince my parents to let me come, considering the fact that they don't want me and Kurt anywherenear each other?"  
"That was my doing." Jean Grey replied. "They're more lenient towards Bang Babies than they are to us. So, your dad decided to shelve his prejudice for a while."

Kitty giggled. "Smooth, Jean. What did you do, really?"

Kurt grinned. "I teleported her out of her room. _Then_ Jean called, asking if she could join us."  
Scott Summers also grinned. "Pretty good plan. But why are they here?"  
"Half pint invited them," Logan growled. "And Rogue backed her on it."

"To my eternal relief," Lance Alvers replied, looking it. Logan was not someone who forgave or forgot.

Logan was quiet for the rest of the drive, finally pulling up to the Community Center. "Alright, runts. Everyone out."

Kurt chuckled as Amanda rolled her eyes. "So," he began, "who is this old friend that called up?"  
"He's abusinessman inGotham City. He's also a member of a group that is lobbying for mutant rights, and protecting meta human rights."  
Lance nodded. "I like him already." Kitty giggled. "What?" he asked.

Kitty smiled, hooking his arm with hers. "You so wouldn't have said that last year. Things are looking up."  
"Yo! Can we keep moving?" Todd asked.

"I'd appreciate it," Wanda replied. "I'm going to have to burn these clothes when we get back."

Pietro and Fred grinned, understanding the reasoning behind that. Todd still didn't shower more than once a week, his stench was contagious. They saw Rogue cover her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. She remembered as well.

"Ahem." Scott cleared his throat. "Let's go in."

* * *

Ebon lounged in his chair, eating an apple while waiting for Talon to return. Raphael had called, telling them that they were needed, and that their reward would be even more impressive than the last time. And that was saying something. 

Talon walked in, grim faced. "The Pharaoh and his friend aren't at the hospital anymore, and they aren't at the soup kitchen, either."

"The punks probably skipped town, already," Shiv stated.

"Nope. They don't have anyway to do that. Nor with Japanese currency anyways. Besides, they're going to want to be ready."  
Ebon nodded. "And the best way to do that is to go to the Community Center."

"Exactly."  
"Alright. Talon, you're in charge of the mission. Head for the Center. We'll take the opportunity to take out Static and his blond moron of a partner." He paused. "Oh yeah, take that homeless bitch out while you're there."

Talon nodded. "Hotstreak, Shiv, grab your squads. We're moving out."

Hotstreak nodded. "You got it, Talon."

* * *

Mister Hawkins check marked something on his list, then looked up. "Static, Maureen!" he said. "I wasn't expecting you for another three minutes."  
Maureen laughed. "Well, next time, I'll walk, then. But Static insisted."  
"Did he now?" Hawkins speared his son with an amused glance, making him shift slightly in discomfort. "Well, for whatever reason, Maureen, I'm glad you're here. Someone's here to see you."

"To see me?"

"He's in my office right now. And when he's finished with you, you can help with the light fixtures. You seem to have a knack with electrical stuff."

"Okay. Thanks. See ya, Static." Maureen waved as she walked away, heading for the office she knew so well.

Static chuckled, before turning to see his father smiling at him in amusement. "What?" he asked. "C'mon Pops, spill it."  
Hawkins's grin grew. "I haven't seen that look in your eyes in a good long while. Why don't you just tell her, Virgil?"  
"That's what I've been saying!" Ritchie walked up to him. "I think V's afraid."  
"For good reason," Static replied. "I mean, what if she doesn't like me back? And then there's the little fact that she's only friends with Virgil Hawkins."

"So tell her who you are."  
"Are you crazy?"  
"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Hawkins replied thoughtfully. "I know, after all."

"Yeah, but that was kind of different."

"What was?" a new voice asked.

Static turned around. "Hey, Yami, Tea."

"Hello." Yami nodded. "We need totalktoyou about a few things."

"Really, like what?"  
"Well..."

* * *

Maureen opened the door to the office, stepping in...and stopping in surprise at the small group of people who were waiting for her. "He-llo," she said. 

One person, a bald, middle aged man, who was in a wheelchair, wheeled forward. "Hello, Maureen. I'm Professor Charles Xavier."

"Xavier...Xavier...oh yeah!" The young girl shook his hand. "The foremost spokesperson for mutant rights! It's a honor, sir." She smiled lightly. "So, what brings you all the way to Dakota City?"

"You."  
"M-me?"

"Yes, you." Xavier turned his head. "Logan, Ororo, could the rest of you please wait in the gymnasium? I'd like to talk to Miss Connor alone."  
"Sure, Chuck. Alright, runts. Let's go."

As soon as everyone had filed out, Xavier gestured for Maureen to sit. When she had done so, looking rather confused, he said, "As you're probably aware, I run an institute for children who possess extraordinary gifts. It's primarily a home for mutants, but recently, I was contacted by an old friend of Static Shock's. Bruce Wayne."  
"Bruce Wayne? Wayne Enterprises Owner?" Maureen asked.

"Yes. He thought that perhaps I could help you find some work in Bayville. And as Bayville is presently the center of mutant activity on the planet..."

"I'd fit in better there than here," Maureen finished. "Wow, I didn't know Mister Wayne was eager to help me. He always struck me as a playboy."

"Well, that is the public face he shows. He also helps out at homeless shelters in Gotham City. Static helped him out of a situation a few years ago, and decided to return the favor by helping you." Xavier leaned forward. "But there's more. As you probably know, I finance a mutant team that I call the X-Men. They fight for equality between humans and mutants. I think you'd be a worthy addition to the team."

"M-me? An X-Men?" If she hadn't already been sitting, Maureen would have collapsed. "Whoa, this is...this is...overwhelming. I mean, when I thought about getting a job, I thought it was on the lines of a janitorial job."

Xavier nodded. "I understand that this is a great deal to take in," he said soothingly, "and as I am planning to remain in Dakota City for the rest of the week, you don't have to give me your answer right away. Think about it." He smiled at her dumbstruck expression. "Now, I won't leave you from your work here. Thank you for listening to my proposal." He pressed the controls on his armrest, wheeling out of the room.

And Maureen, sitting in her chair, decided she had a great deal to think about.

* * *

Sakura looked around, stretching her mystically enhanced senses to the limits. "I don't sense anything," she finally stated. 

"Neither do I." Kero sighed. "Man, talk about trying to find a needle in a haystack."  
The Sakura Mistress pulled her cell phone out, dialing Li's number. "Li, do you have anything?"  
_"No, and it's starting to irritate me. Wouldn't the Orichalcos be making our senses go haywire, Kero?"  
_"I wish that was the case, but the Oricalcos can hide its power effectively." Even as a psuedo stuffed animal, the little guy could still show his frustration."You can only detect it when you're close to it. Clow Reed once said it was like a major magic source with a narrow energy field. Very difficult to harness."  
_"So if someone is able to harness it-"_

Kero nodded. "It could mean trouble for all of us."

Sakura looked around again. "So, how do we find it?"

Madison suddenly pointed. "We could always follow them," she replied. Confused, Sakura looked in the same direction.

There, making everyone who was walking by to scatter, were three groups of Bang Babies, heading down the street.

Sakura quickly put her phone back to her ear. "Li, do you know where Wilshire Street goes to westbound."  
_"The Community Center. Why?"_

"Because I've got those Meta Human people heading in that direction."  
_"That might be where the Orichalcos is!"_

Sakura looked in the direction. "Or something else," she murmured.

"Sakura?" Madison asked.

"There's something...potent, in that direction. Something...ancient."  
"Then let's go!" Kero shouted.

* * *

"Transportation?" Hawkins echoed. 

Yami nodded. "Considering what we're up against, we need something fast."

Static sighed. "Unfortunately, there aren't any cars that we can spare here."  
Tea nodded. "Well, thanks for your time. C'mon, Yami." When they had walked a few feet away, she whispered, "Looks like we're taking the bus."  
"Undoubtedly." Yami rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "This is starting to become extremely irritating."

"Yeah. So what now?"

"We find a pay phone, and call up Yugi's Grandfather."

Tea nodded, then looked up. "Boy, there's a lot of people here." Her eyes widened. "And can anyone be _that_ big?"  
Yami turned around, catching sight of a particularly large man, with a Mohawk. He was presently standing next to white haired boy, a boy who looked like he had problems standing up straight, and a Goth with black hair cut short.

Tea recognized them. "Yami, those guys are mutants. I remember seeing them on the television like a year and a half ago. They were fighting some sort of giant robot."

Now Yami remembered Yugi telling him something along those lines. He looked around. "It looks like they're all here today," he said. "Why, though?"

"Maybe Maureen. She's homeless, and judging from the looks of it, hasn't been able to find a job."

"Yes." That, Yami had guessed by himself. Since the revelation of mutants to the world, Meta Humans were slowly being phased out of every form of employment imaginable. The Bang Baby gangs situated in Dakota City were making things worse.

Frowning, the Pharaoh turned. "I wish we could help them, but we're no good to anyone if Leviathan is brought back." He turned again...to come face to face with another Goth looking woman, this one with red hair, a white stripe running across the front of it. A set of green eyes stared at him in confusion. "Can I help you?" he asked.

The girl frowned a bit. "Ah was wonderin'...if we've met before. Ah mean, yah just look familiar, and it's notbecause ofYugi Motou."

Tea's eye's widened. "Uh, are you sure? The resemblance is rather good, except the height difference."  
"No, lahke Ah've been told about you before. Call me crazy, but are yah known as Pharaoh?"

Now Yami's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is it everyone knows who I am? First the Orichalcos, then the Bang Babies, now you."

Tea smiled. "You get around."  
Yami turned back to look at her.

"That was a joke."

The young woman smiled slightly. "Well, Ah just picked a name out of the air. Oh, yeah." She stuck out a hand. "Ah go by the name of Rogue."  
"Hi, Rogue." Tea shook her hand. "I'm Tea."  
"You can call me Yami," Yami added. "I really don't like being called Pharaoh. It brings back...a few painful memories that I don't really want to think about right now."

Rogue nodded. "Don't Ah know the feeling?" She sighed. "Ah heard your conversation with Amanda's Uncle, and Ah think Ah know someone who can help you there."  
"You do?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Well, Professah Xavier might be able ta help you."

"Xavier?" Tea was surprised big time. "The man spearheading the campaign for mutant rights?"  
"Yep. Ah'm a mutant, after all."  
"Yes, we know." Yami looked around. "I take it he's here to meet with Miss Connor?"  
Rogue nodded. "He's hopin' that she'll have bettah luck finding a job in Bayville."  
Yami nodded, smiling slightly, and opened his mouth to offer his hopes that she was able to.

He promptly turned on his heel, staring in the direction of the door. "What in the world is that I'm sensing?"  
"Yami?" Tea didn't say anything else, because she suddenly felt something as well. "Never mind."

Rogue blinked. "Good to know Ah'm not goin crazy," she said, "because I felt that too."

"What was that you said?" Lance asked, walking up to her. He frowned at the look on her face. "What's wrong?"  
"Someone's coming," Rogue replied. "A great many someone's."

Yami had a sense of foreboding go through him the second he heard this. "Tea, we need to get out of here now!"

Tea didn't even get a chance to nod consent.

The door blew open, knocking everyone nearby on their backs. And through that door, a large number of Bang Babies, led by Talon, walked through.

Talon looked around. "Ladies, and gentlemen, Bang Babies, Mutants, and humans of all ages, consider yourselves in a whole lot of trouble. We want the guy who calls himself the Pharaoh. If he doesn't reveal himself right now, we start hurting people."

* * *

Li opened the door to the Community Center, letting Sakura and the others enter first, then entered behind them, closing the door. He frowned. "The magical emanations are strongest here," he said. "And they're getting stronger." 

Kero nodded, frowning. "For some reason, it's very familiar."  
Yukito looked around. "You thought that, too?"

"Doesn't matter. What happened to the Bang Babies?"

Madison looked around. "I can't believe we lost them that quickly."  
"Neither can I," Meiling replied, frustrated. "We were keeping an eye on them. How'd they manage to do that?"

Sakura shook her head. "Let's just keep walking. Who knows, maybe they started running when they went in."

"Which means they're after someone." Yukito started walking again, only at a faster rate, Sakura and the others in pursuit.

* * *

Ritchie looked at Hawkins. "Looks like I'm going to have to make myself scarce," he said quietly. 

"Go. I'll distract them." Hawkins stepped forward. "Alright, what do you want, Talon?"  
Talon smirked. "Like I said before; We want the Pharaoh. He comes forward, then we'll leave. No one gets hurt."  
"Well, kid," a gruff voice growled, "you're in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

From the crowd, a short, stocky man stepped forward, wearing an old bomber jacket, and having a decidedly rugged air about him. But that wasn't thing that caught the former Bang Baby's attention. Nor was it the hair.

It was the six adamantine laced claws that were emerging from his hands that caught her attention rather quickly.

Shiv blinked, then started chuckling madly. "A blades man!"  
Logan held up his hands, the claws glinting menacingly in the light. "You want a fight, bub? I aimin' ta oblige."  
"And we're here to help." Scott slipped his visor on, the rest of the X-Men and Brotherhood stepping up right behind him. "So why don't you leave now? That way, neither side gets hurt."  
Hotstreak sighed. "Oh, but you see, we can't do that. We have orders from our benefactor."  
Yami stepped forward. "And why does Dartz want me?" he snarled. "Don't tell me it's because I'm one of the Chosen duelists. Quite frankly, I've heard enough of that."  
Everybody turned to where he, Rogue, Lance, and Tea were standing.

Amanda looked at Hawkins. "Uncle, do you have any idea why he's saying that?"

Hawkins shook his head. "Go to the back, and get Maureen. Tell her we have a Bang Baby problem, and that we need her here now."  
Amanda nodded, then slowly made her way to the rear of the gymnasium, hoping not to draw their gazes to her.

Hotstreak grinned, fire dancing in his hands. "Well, well. So you're the almighty Pharaoh Raphael told us so much about."  
And now everything made perfect sense. "So Raphael is behind this? Why am I not surprised?" Yami shook his head in disgust. "It must make you all feel so powerful to be taking orders from a man who is trying to destroy humanity."

Shiv glared at him. "You're one to talk, Pharaoh."  
"You actually believe that crap Raphael told you?" Tea snarled. "You people are denser than I thought!"

Talon stepped forward. "What we believe really doesn't matter. We have a mission, and we're here to complete it. So, you either come quietly, or we start using weapons."  
The two exchanged looks, not believing that for a second. Raphael needed the Pharaoh alive, so he could extract his soul from his body. And both he and Dartz knew that Tea would never abandon him for any reason. Not even to save her own life. "I have a hard time believing that you would be willing to kill all of these people, several of them who uniquely equipped to fight you and the Meta Humans, woman. I also have a hard time believing that you will either injure us, or kill us, when you are under orders not to harm either myself, or my companion. And finally, you seem to be under the impression that we will come quietly, when you know damn well that we won't. Any other threats you care to make?" He took great pleasure in watching the woman's face achieve a particularly ugly look, knowing that he was right.

Talon glared at them, then started grinning, having seen a flaw in his speech. "Actually, there's one little thing you need to know. We're not just here to capture you. We're also planning on icing Static and his partner." She leveled her rifle at him. "Now, I can be persuaded to let him live, if you come now."  
Yami had no idea why she was doing this, but her intent was clear. She and her allies would kill the young hero. He looked at Tea, who nodded once, believing her too.

* * *

Sakura barely breathed as she listened next to the door to the gym, not believing it for a second. She turned around, looked at Li. "What do we do now?" she asked. 

Li looked at Kero. "What do you think?"  
Kero grinned. "I guess I reveal myself to the world," he replied gleefully. "We go in, and help them." His wings started to grow, enfolding around him.  
Sakura hesitated, then nodded in agreement, pulling her pendant off her neck. Underneath her, the symbol of her power appeared.

"Key that hides the power of the stars,

Show your true form before me!

I, Sakura, command you under our contract,

Release!"

* * *

"Yo, Wanda," Todd began shakily, "is it humanly possible to be even more scared than carp your own pants?"  
"Don't know, don't care." The chairs nearest Wanda were starting to bend in response to her anger. "I just want to hurt them." 

Talon aimed her gun at the goth mutant. "Try any of that hocus pocus," she stated, "and I won't hesitate to fire. And these bullets are protected from your powers. Onyx, Carmendillo, grab the Pharaoh and his girlfriend."

Carmendillo nodded. "Got it, boss lady." He and Oynx stepped forward.

And a powerful gust of wind suddenly erupted from behind the assembled Bang Baby force, knocking the majority of them off of their feet. Those that managed to stay on their feet turned in surprise.

Scott capitalized on their distraction, sending an optic blast at one of them, causing the one in question to stagger. "X-Men! Brotherhood!" he shouted. No other order was needed.

Wanda cut loose, blue energy crackling from her fingertips, blasting outwards to strike Kangor, bringing him to his knees. She got out of the way as her brother zipped by, grabbing the Bang Baby's arm, and tossing him into a Bang Baby with tentacles instead of hands. She got to her feet, punching Ferret in his massive jaw.

Amanda opened the door to Hawkins's office, startling Maureen. "The Bang Babies are attacking!" she gasped out.

Maureen was up in an instant, and out the office in a heartbeat. She had known that they would come someday.

Sakura and her friends ran into the gym, Li's blade appearing in one hand, a spell charm in the other. He raised it. "_Elemental Lightning_!" he bellowed, unleashing a lightning shower. The bolts struck several Bang Babies, knocking them out. One of them, however, simply grinned, turning around. "My powers are electrical. Thanks for the power boost, though." He turned, and launched an attack at one.

Hotstreak threw several fireballs at Todd, amused by how quickly the mutant jumped around. It reminded him of a Mexican Jumping Bean. "Hey, Shiv! We've got us a live one! I'll take that little girl that just showed up! You deal with the Toad!"

"Got it!" Shiv quickly fired several projectiles at Todd, then leaped upward, kicking the mutant while he was in the air. "Sorry to say, mutant's can't jump!"

"But neither can you!" Yami's own boot connected with the side of his face. "Hello, Shiv!"

Shiv quickly got to his feet. "Pharaoh. What say we end this?"

"What say?" Yami's Duel Disk activated, as Shiv pulled out a deck of cards.

Shiv grinned. ""Hey, Talon, you see a Duel Disk laying around?"  
Talon fielded a kick from a little girl, before rolling over to the side, grabbing a wayward Duel Disk, and tossing it to Shiv. "Have fun!" She grabbed the girl's foot, and threw her.

Meiling skidded across the floor, hitting the bleachers, and feeling a stab of pain shoot through her back. "That...hurt," she gasped out.

Talon stepped up, bringing her foot up, ready to crush the girl's head in.

"Remember me, girl?"  
Talon's head snapped to the side, as Tea's fist slammed into her jaw with startling force. She brought her foot down as she staggered, turning to stare at her in surprise. "Hi."  
"Hello." Tea beckoned with her hand. "We have some unfinished business to discuss."

"Good point." Talon pulled two knives from her belt, whirling them around in her hands for a moment. "Let me get to the point, then." She charged forward, slashing forward.

Hotstreak looked at the young man with the sword, fire collecting in his hands, until it had become one giant ball, then threw it at him. It never hit, though.

A massive, lion like beast suddenly jumped in front of it, unleashing a fireball of its own. This one proved up to the task, destroying it utterly. The boy turned around, pulling out another charm. "_Elemental Water_!"

"Oh shit." Hotstreak started backing up quickly as a sheet of water roared at him like it was shot from a gun. He quickly ducked as it went overhead, then started scrambling out of range.

Kero grinned, turning to Li. "You owe me, kid."  
"I'll get you a big bowl of pudding when this is over," Li replied, turning around. "What the Hell are those two doing?"

Maureen entered the gym with Amanda, took one look around, then bellowed, "Everyone who isn't with the Bang Babies, get down _now_!" Quickly, everyone did so.

"What are you going to do?" Amanda asked.

Permafrost grinned, her transformation beginning. "Let's just say that I'm going to give all of them the cold shoulder." She brought her light blue hands up, collecting all of the power at her disposal. It was power that could create a temporary winter in the middle of a blistering summer's day, or an icy grave for any who pissed her off. Presently, she was going with a compromise between the two.

Yami quickly ducked, though Shiv followed suit, snapping the Duel Disk to his wrist as he did so. He also created a blade, using it to sink into place.

Maureen's powers erupted at full force, forcing everyone in the vicinity to hold on for dear life as near hurricane gales of wind slammed into the Bang Babies, forcing them out the doors, effectively clearing the majority of them from the area.

Amanda looked around. "I don't see that one red head!"

Permafrost looked around as well. "Damn it. She and Tea must be in another area of the building." She nodded. "Static, are you okay?"

Static shivered a bit. "Remind me never to make you angry," he said between chatters, before he got up, grabbing his disk. "Let's make sure they stay out of here!"

Both females nodded, and started for the door.

Tea rolled underneath an attack from Talon, grabbing Meiling's arm when she had righted herself. "Come on, let's go!" she shouted.

"Not yet." Meiling's foot hit the circuit breaker with a well placed elbow. A spattering of sparks shot out of it.

And, throughout the building, the lighting started flickering.

In the confusion, Tea and Meiling quickly ran out of the room, while Talon blinked the sudden sparkles out of her vision.

* * *

Logan and the other X-Men exploded out of the Community Center, quickly scattering as a deluge of different long range attacks flew at them, destroying the doors. And after they had been replaced a few weeks back. There went the taxpayers money. 

Cyclops rolled to one knee, already firing as Static suddenly flew by, electricity blasting from Static's fingers.

Gear entered the gym, landing next to Sharon Hawkins. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell is Shiv and that guy doing?" she asked, pointing at Yami and Shiv.

Wanda looked up. "Dueling."

Yami quickly pulled five cards out, as Shiv had already done so. He was curious as to why Shiv was willing to duel instead of fighting. But now, he was in his element. "Alright, Shiv, if you think you can defeat me, you're welcome to try."

"I like the sound of that." Shiv pulled two cards from his hand. "I'm going to place one card face down, and call my Force Raider in Attack Mode!" He placed FR on the disk, then slid the facedown card into one of the slots. "I'll end my turn there."  
Yami nodded, drawing a card. "I place two cards down, and summon Beta, the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode!" BMW appeared, crouching as well as it could, considering it was in the air. "And that ends my turn."  
"Worst mistake you'll ever make, Pharaoh." Shiv drew. "I place another card facedown. Now, Force Raider, attack!"

Force Raider charged forward, massive axe swinging downward upon BMW.

"Not so fast, Shiv!" Yami yelled, waving his arm. "I activate the Trap Card, Waboku! It allows me to negate your attack!" As if it had heard him, the card in question raised up, and vanished from the field.

AR's axe stopped an inch from BMW's head, then returned to Shiv's side of the field, no change in power or anything. Shiv grinned. "Not bad. But you're going to have to do better than that."

"Gladly." Yami drew. "Now, I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode! I also place two more cards face down on the field."  
Shiv grinned. "You're just going to defend, aren't you? Well, I guess I'm going to have to do something about that." He drew, his grin growing. "You see, your pal Dartz figured that this would happen, so he decided to give us something to help with dealing with you. A card I think you're very familiar with."  
Yami's eyes widened. "He didn't..."  
"Oh, but he did. I activate...The Seal of Orichalcos!"

The moment he said this, power started emanating from him in waves, as one of the most powerful magic cards was brought into play. A magic card that Yami had faced on several occasions, and had used it, which devastating consequences.

The power of the Orichalcos flowed outward, surrounding Shiv, the circle forming underneath him. It quickly expanded outward in all directions, a field that none of enter or escape.

Wanda started backing up, with Todd and Fred each grabbing hold of an arm. And in her haste, her control fluttered, due to her sudden fear.

The rapidly expanding field suddenly winked out for a second as it passed the three frightened mutants, before reappearing behind them as it reached it maximum level. Then, the points started intersecting, forming the strange star in the center.

Shiv looked up, his eyes glowing slightly red, the same symbol on his head, laughing maniacally. At the same time, his Axe Raider received five hundred additional attack points.

Yami looked at him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Shiv didn't say anything, only smiled.

It wasn't a very nice smile.


	56. Episode Fifty Three

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption**

**Episode Fifty Three: Pharaoh's Escape, Part Two**

_VMW: Valkeria the Magnet Warrior_

_(Previously, on Digimon: Silver Star Story)_

_Yami quickly pulled five cards out, as Shiv had already done so. He was curious as to why Shiv was willing to duel instead of fighting. But now, he was in his element. "Alright, Shiv, if you think you can defeat me, you're welcome to try."_

"_I like the sound of that." Shiv pulled two cards from his hand. "I'm going to place one card face down, and call my Force Raider in Attack Mode!" He placed FR on the disk, then slid the facedown card into one of the slots. "I'll end my turn there."  
Yami nodded, drawing a card. "I place two cards down, and summon Beta, the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode!" BMW appeared, crouching as well as it could, considering it was in the air. "And that ends my turn."  
"Worst mistake you'll ever make, Pharaoh." Shiv drew. "I place another card facedown. Now, Force Raider, attack!"_

_Force Raider charged forward, massive axe swinging downward upon BMW._

"_Not so fast, Shiv!" Yami yelled, waving his arm. "I activate the Trap Card, Waboku! It allows me to negate your attack!" As if it had heard him, the card in question raised up, and vanished from the field._

_AR's axe stopped an inch from BMW's head, then returned to Shiv's side of the field, no change in power or anything. Shiv grinned. "Not bad. But you're going to have to do better than that."_

_"Gladly." Yami drew. "Now, I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode! I also place two more cards face down on the field."  
Shiv grinned. "You're just going to defend, aren't you? Well, I guess I'm going to have to do something about that." He drew, his grin growing. "You see, your pal Dartz figured that this would happen, so he decided to give us something to help with dealing with you. A card I think you're very familiar with."  
Yami's eyes widened. "He didn't..."  
"Oh, but he did. I activate...The Seal of Orichalcos!"_

_The moment he said this, power started emanating from him in waves, as one of the most powerful magic cards was brought into play. A magic card that Yami had faced on several occasions, and had used it, with devastating consequences._

_The power of the Orichalcos flowed outward, surrounding Shiv, the circle forming underneath him. It quickly expanded outward in all directions, a field that nonecould enter or escape._

_Wanda started backing up, with Todd and Fred each grabbing hold of an arm. And in her haste, her control fluttered, due to her sudden fear._

_The rapidly expanding field suddenly winked out for a second as it passed the three frightened mutants, before reappearing behind them as it reached it maximum level. Then, the points started intersecting, forming the strange star in the center._

_Shiv looked up, his eyes glowing slightly red, the same symbol on his head. At the same time, his Axe Raider received five hundred additional attack points._

_Yami looked at him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"_

_Shiv didn't say anything, only smiled._

_It wasn't a very nice smile._

_(And now, the conclusion.)_

* * *

Tea and Meiling pelted down the hallway, all of lights above them flickering in and out, as the broken circuit breaker continued to spark and hiss behind them. They heard Talon cursing behind them, temporarily blinded. "Now what?" Meiling asked.

Tea looked around. "We have to draw her into a store room somewhere...this way!" She quickly started down a hallway, Meiling right behind her.

Talon blinked the last of the light echoes from her vision, then made her way out of the room, glaring. "Oh, she is gonna pay for this," she growled, stalking down the hallway.

* * *

Yami looked around, catching the gazes of the three mutants, then turned back to Shiv, who was still smiling. "Let them go!"  
"Nope. No can do. In fact, I didn't even know that mutie's powers could bend the Oricalcos in such a way. But now, there here. And if you lose, Dartz gets four souls for the price of one." He chuckled. "Not a bad deal."  
"Then I won't lose! My move!" Yami drew a card, looked at it, then placed it in his hand. He pulled another card out of the hand. "I now play the Dark Magician Girl, in attack mode!" He slammed the card onto the disk, and waited.

Nothing appeared.

"What?" Yami looked his disk.

Fred looked at Wanda. "Is that supposed to happen?"

Wanda shook her head. "No. The monster should appear."  
Shiv started laughing. "Oh, didn't you know?" he asked. "Someone called her a few weeks ago, except when the duel ended, she couldn't go back to the monster world! So she's useless in a duel!"  
Yami's fury grew, and he struggled to squash it as he removed DMG from the disk. Now was not the time to give in to his rage. "Fine, I activate the Magic Card Change of Heart. This allows me to use your Axe Raider for one turn!" When the monster appeared on his side, he shouted. "Axe Raider, attack his life points directly!" The monster charged forward, axe held high.

"You've triggered my trap!" Shiv raised his hand. "I activate Oricalcos Divert! This allows the attack to be redirected at your life points instead of mine!"

The Axe Raider suddenly turned around, his axe slashing across the Pharaoh's chest. Grunting in pain, he fell back into the shield. His life points dropped twenty one hundred.

"And, since Change of Heart only lasts a turn, I get my Axe Raider back!" Shiv continued gleefully, as Axe Raider reappeared on his side of the field. "Are you finished with your turn, or can I laugh at how I'm whipping your ass?"  
"Hold your laughter in. I place one card face down, thensummon Celtic Guardian in attack mode, and end my turn." _'Now all I have to do is summon Alpha, and I can forge them into Valkerion. And I have my Mirror Force Trap Card on the field. If push comes to shove, I can use that as my lifeline. But I no longer can use Dark Magician Girl, because of my own carelessness.'_

Shiv grinned, drawing a card. "I activate the Magic Card Castle Walls, and I use it on my Axe Raider, increasing his defense points by five hundred. Then I summon Dimensional Warrior in Attack Mode!" He grinned as his newly summon monster obtained the Orichalcos power boost. "Dimensional Warrior, attack his Beta Magnet Warrior!"  
Yami blinked in surprise. With the Orichalcos in play, Dimensional Warrior's attack points went from twelve hundred to seventeen hundred. Which meant the two monsters were equal. But with his BMW in defense mode, he was a hundred points short. His life points would be safe, but his plan became shaky. And he only had one Mirror Force. He gritted his teeth, and decided to go with the flow. He needed only two monsters to summon his Buster Blader to the field.

DW's blade sliced through the defensive monster, removing it from play in a flurry of holographic card pieces.

"Now Axe Raider, attack his Celtic Guardian!"

Now that, the Pharaoh could not allow to happen. But he didn't want to use his Mirror Force just yet. Fortunately, he did have another card he could use. And he quickly placed it in a slot. "I activate my Gravity Axe Magic Card. This increases my Celtic Guardian's Attack and Defense Points by five hundred, and it leaves your monsters in attack mode!"  
Axe Raider hit the CG head on, but found it's blade deflected by the monster. It was forced back to it's side of the field, nothing changing.

Shiv growled. "You got lucky."

Yami smirked. "Perhaps. But luck is part of the game."

* * *

Talon kicked the doors to an empty room, knives up as she observed the surround before stepping in, closing the door's behind her. The sunlight entering the room cut the gloom down, but it still hid quite a bit, especially behind the tables, desks, and various cabinets set around.

Tea was hiding behind one of the cabinets, holding a broom in her hands. Meiling, she knew, was behind a table, ready to spring up when their opponent made it over to her. She held her breath, sensing that she was.

Talon turned the corner, muscles tensed, ready to uncoil. She brought a knife up...and Tea uncoiled first, the broom handle slamming into her hand, retching a howl of pain from the other girl's throat. She kicked her, then brought the broom over her back, taking her down. "Now!" she shouted.

Meiling vaulted over the table, her feet driving towards the back of Talon's head. It wouldn't kill her, but it would give her one hell of a headache tomorrow.

Good plan. Too bad Talon had anticipated this. Better luck next time.

The woman flipped herself onto her back, then rolled backwards, sweeping Tea off of her feet, then punching Meiling in the jaw. Leaping to her feet, she then threw her second knife at the young girl, before grabbing Tea, and butting heads with her.

A gout of blood burst out of Tea's nose, and her consciousness faded in and out for a moment. After that moment had passed, she returned the favor, her head snapping forward to strike Talon. Talon let go, dazed. Meiling jumped up, a roundhouse kick connecting with the side of the former Meta Human's face. Talon found herself going directly into Tea's fist, which had broke her lip wide open, and cracked one of her teeth.

Talon quickly retaliated, her fist connecting with Tea's gut, her foot smashing into Meiling's jaw, slamming her into one of the cabinets. She grabbed Tea by the throat, and started to squeeze. "I'm not gonna kill you, but I'm gonna make you wish you never survived that train wreck!" she hissed.

Tea gasped, her breathing cut off by the ever tightening grip of her opponent. In a desperation maneuver, she brought her hands up and boxed Talon's ears. It was an effective attack, causing Talon considerable pain. It also served to double her efforts, tightening even further. Tea's vision started going dark. Deciding to take another desperate attempt, she put her thumb into Talon's eye.

Talon shrieked as Tea's thumb made contact with her eye, releasing her so she could cover the injured body part. Tea smashed her fist into her face, knocking her off her feet, before nodding to the raven haired martial artist that it was time to run again. And run they did.

Talon staggered to her feet, wiping her face clean of blood. "I'm gonna get them for this!" she snarled, limping out of the room after them, grabbing one knife as she did so.

* * *

"My move." Yami drew, looked at the card for a second, and nodded. "I sacrifice my Celtic Guardian, and summon my Summon Skull to the field! I also place one card face down." CG disappeared from the field, and Yami's Summon Skull appeared in its place, electricity crackling over its massive claws. "Now, Summon Skull, attack his Axe Raider!"

SS's massive claws started crackling faster as power collected in its hands. When it had done so, it launched its attack at the Axe Raider, hitting him dead on, disintegrating it. Shiv's life points dropped four hundred points. "Now I end my turn," Yami said, relaxing.

Shiv drew, looked at his card, then grinned. "Well, this duel isn't over yet. I play The Immortal of Thunder in Attack Mode! I also play the Magic Card Rush Recklessly, which increases my monster's attack by seven hundred! Which coupled by the power of the Orichalcos, puts my monster three hundred attack points more than your Summon Skull! I also place one card facedown on the field." He grinned wickedly. "Now Immortal of Thunder, attack his Summon Skull!"  
"I activate the Trap Card Mirror Force!" The attack slammed into the multicolored field, ricocheting, and flying right back at Shiv.

"Don't bet on it, Pharaoh! I activate the Magic Card, Monster Recovery, which means my monster gets called back to my deck. Then I have to shuffle my deck, and draw an equal number of cards that I returned." He quickly did so. "It also means that your counterattack is useless."  
"Whose says?" Yami asked, smirking. "You just left yourself wide open to an attack, just as I planned."  
"What?"  
"I noticed that you take great pains to protect your monsters, and would most likely call them back if it suited you. So I decided to use that to my advantage." He quickly drew. "I now play the Magic Card Monster Reborn, and bring back Beta, the Magnet Warrior." BMW reappeared on the field. "I then summon Alpha, the Magnet Warrior to the field!" AMW appeared. "I now combine them together to form Valkerion, the Magnet Warrior!"

The three pieces combined, acting like three transformers by restructuring themselves, hinges moving as they reconfigured and connected, becoming one extremely powerful monster. Where there were three, there was now one.

"Yo, that Pharaoh guy knows what he's doin'!" Todd jumped up and down in obvious joy. He was about to get out of this thing! Fred would have jumped up and down as well, but he didn't want to cause an earthquake. Wanda, on the other hand, was shivering. Shiv's grin was too...knowing, even despite the one upper he just took.

* * *

"Hold on," Joey said, interrupting Xavier's account. "How's it dat you knew what was goin' on with Tea and dat other girl?"

Seto turned to look at him. "Isn't it obvious, mutt? Xavier's a telepath."  
"And an extremely powerful one at that," Xavier added. "Also, when I was under the control of Apocalypse, I learned a few new tricks from him. One of them was how to keep my attention on multiple things at once. So I was able to observe the duel, and keep my attention on your friend and Meiling."

Robin grinned from his corner in the room. He could tell Raven was smirking a bit.

Yugi laughed. "I guess that goes to prove that there's more to people than we know."  
J'onn gestured. "Please continue."

* * *

Tea quickly ducked, kicking Talon's leg behind her knee, bringing her down. She quickly launched another kick, which Talon quickly evaded. Her own foot caught the young woman in her face, before her knife followed a similar path, almost giving her a disturbing facelift in the process.

Meiling shot out of nowhere, her cheek laid open and blood still dribbling down the cut. She slammed into Talon from behind, knocking her knife out of her hand in the process. She started punching hard and fast, cracking three more teeth in her mouth. Talon, quickly blocked the young girl's fist, before throwing her off, scrambling to her feet, punching Tea, then kneeing her, doubling her over.

Meiling, finally saying enough is enough, and came up with a clubbing blow to the back of Talon's head, knocking her out with it. "Let's go," she panted.

Tea nodded, and started staggering back to the gym.

* * *

Sakura watched as the Bang Babies fell back, all of them hurt in some way or other. "Yeah, you better run!" she shouted.

Kero chuckled. "At least we got rid of that little problem. Is everyone okay?"

Wolverine grinned, claws retracting. "Oh, I had a ball. Stripes, Half Pint?"  
Rogue shook her head. "Ah'm fine...which is exactly the problem. Did anyone else get the feeling that this was too easy?"  
"Yeah." Static turned, suddenly remembering something. "The Pharaoh!"  
"Wolverine, get back in there!" Storm shouted. "We'll watch your back!"  
Static wheeled around, and flew back into the building as well. Maureen watched as they went. In her heart, she knew that whatever was going on, it wasn't run of the mill. "Be careful, Static," she whispered.

Lance looked around. "Where's Wanda and the others?"

Rogue turned as well, a sudden bad feeling blossoming in her gut. "Oh no," she whispered. "They're still in there."

* * *

Pietro quickly made it to the back of the gym, then shot forward like a bullet, gaining speed as he did so. He was going to force his way through that blasted seal with his speed, then get his sister out of it, if no one else.

His plan lasted all of three seconds, as he suddenly slammed into the force field at roughly the speed of sound. And by hitting at that speed, he ricocheted off of that like that bullet, flying back to hit the wall.

Xavier quickly closed his eyes. _"Magnus, wherever you are, you must come to Dakota City at once. Your daughter is in trouble, and needs your help."_

"No need, Charles." Xavier turned to see Magneto, Master of Magnetism standing at the door, his acolytes beside him. "Pietro called as soon as this started." He looked at the dueling area. "What's going on?"  
"I don't know, but I get the feeling that we have stumbled upon something that has been going on for quite some time. And we're now in the middle of it."  
Magneto saw his son get up, shaking his head in a daze. "Pietro, what happened?"  
The white haired speedster focused on him. "I ran that Orichalcos thingy at full speed. I've run into walls that had more yield than that thing."

"Yes..." Xavier frowned. "It's certainly too real to be a hologram."  
"Then why are they dueling?" Colossus demanded.

"Because it's real."

Sabertooth, who was by nature a vicious man, was out of character when he saw Tea and Meiling. "Excuse me?"

Tea leaned against the wall, the young oriental girl steadying her. "Everything that has been occurring over the last month has been because of some sort of imbalance between our world and the monster world, because of that Seal, and the man behind it." She blinked. "How'd those three get in there?"  
Xavier looked pensive. "Wanda's powers are the ability to change structure. She can disrupt energy for a short period of time."  
"Oh." She turned around. "Then she's in trouble."

Yami grinned. "Let's see if I can't wipe that smirk from your face. Valkerion, attack his life points directly!" Valkerion charged forward, weapon raised.

"Guess again, Pharaoh!" Shiv shouted. "You're not the only one with a card on the field! I activate the Magic Card Mask of the Darkness! This lets me bring back one Trap Card from my graveyard, and return it to my hand. And I choose Oricalcos Divert!" The card in question flew out of his discard area, and returned to his hand. "And I use it to turn your attack back at you!"  
"Wrong! I now activate Valkerion's Special Ability, which makes your Trap Card all but useless!"  
Valkeria smashed through the six point star of the Oricalcos, and continued on. It blade sliced across Shiv, removing twenty eight hundred life points, dropping him to eleven hundred. "And with that, I shall end my turn."

Fred grinned. "Guys, I think we're gonna get outta this one!"  
"Don't be so sure," Wanda stated. "I think Shiv's about ready to make his move."  
Shiv chuckled. "Thanks Pharaoh, I needed that. You see, I couldn't play this next card without losing those life points. As you've probably already guessed, I have one more Orichalcos Card in my deck."  
Yami glared. "Why is Dartz suddenly making new cards for the Orichalcos? I would think that the Seal itself would be sufficient to complete his goals."  
Shiv chuckled. "Well, he didn't want to, but some new friends of his wanted him to speed up the soul snatching process a bit. So, he created these cards, and gave them to me to test it out."  
"So you're a guinea pig."  
"Yeah. Which reminds me..." he drew, looked at the card, and started grinning even more than before. "I just pulled the card that I was referring to." He turned it around. "This is Orichalcos Summonus! This allows me to summon any all powerful monster I want to the field, so long as it is under the Orichalcos's control. Of course, I need to discard my entire hand for it to work."

"Then go ahead," Yami stated. "Summon your creature. It won't be able to help you win this duel."  
"Maybe you didn't hear me, Pharaoh. I said _any _card that is controlled by the Orichalcos, including monsters that were created by Pegasus...like say, gods?"  
"What?"  
"Don't take my word for it, though. See it up close and personal!" Shiv slapped the card down onto the field. "I now summon...Obelisk, the Tormentor!" Shiv started laughing as energy suddenly started to build all around them. Glass shattered, a fierce wind began to pick up, and lightning arced in all directions.

And then the roof shattered, the pieces blown away from the building, almost crushing everyone on the outside.

Storm quickly conjured up a tornado, gently setting the mortar on the ground.

Rogue's eyes widened. "What hell is goin' on in there?"  
"Let's find out!" Lance started running for the building, the young Goth behind him.

And as such, missed the arrival of one of the most powerful monsters of all.

Yami took an involuntary step back, the Brotherhood following his lead, as Obelisk the Tormentor, one of the three Egyptian Gods, flew downward, rolling so his feet were pointing downward. He slammed into the gym floor, causing a minor earthquake to occur, forcing everyone who could stagger to do so.

He was monstrous, standing almost thirty feet tall, and was roughly built like a tree trunk. A blue, heavily muscled, demonic looking tree trunk. With horns and teeth.

Yami could barely breathe. This monster, one of the three God cards, was the one that Seto Kaiba had used during the Battle City finals, which he won after a long, hard fought two hour battle. And he had lost him, when Dartz was able to use his power to obtain them. The last time he saw Obelisk, he had been in the hands of an elderly male, who used him to bolster his own power. Yami had defeated him by using his three Magnet Warriors, and his Courageous Soldier Magic Card. But, as he perused his hand, he saw that he didn't have it there.

And he only had two monsters on the field.

Rogue entered the room with Lance, eyes going wide almost immediately. "That's..." She suddenly clenched her head in pain, bending over.

Lance turned. "Rogue, now's not a good time to have cramps!" She didn't hear him, though, as her mind suddenly revealed something to her...

* * *

"He summoned Obelisk?" Seto shook his head. "I thought that was impossible outside of a select few."

"Apparently not anymore," Fate murmured. "Yugi, when was the last time an Egyptian God was summoned?"  
Yugi looked up. "At the beginning of this whole thing with the Orichalcos. Someone who was working for Dartz was able to summon him to the field. But he had the actual card in his hand when he did that. And when he did summon him, we found out that the Orichalcos and the Gods weren't fully compatible."

Robin and Raven traded surprised looks with Shayera. This was a surprise twist.

"Someone used a God Card?" Shayera asked sharply. "Someone outside of you and the Pharaoh? And the Orichalcos can partially connect with it?"  
"Imagine mah surprise," Rogue muttered darkly.

Joey leaned in. "So what happened next?"  
Logan grinned. "Dueling history."

* * *

Rogue's eyes snapped open. "This is the Oriclalcos," she whispered. "That is what this thing is."  
Lance stared at her in shock. "How the hell do you know that?"  
"I have no idea. But Ah do know this...that guy needs to win."

Yami stared upward for a moment longer, then frowned. "I guess the magic card doesn't allow you to attack immediately."  
"You guessed right," Shiv replied. "But hey, the Oriclalcos boosts my God's power by five hundred points. And Valkerion isn't even in that area."  
'_Thank the gods for small favors.'_ Yami quickly drew. "First, I shall place all of my monsters in defense mode, then summon Stone Warrior in defense mode!" He waved his hand. "I also activate the Magic Card Soul of the Pure, which increases my Life Points by eight hundred! Finally, I'll place one card facedown. And that is all." He spread his limbs out, bracing himself for what was to come.

Shiv grinned. "You better start reminiscing about your short return to life, Pharaoh. Because this duel is over!" Drawing his card, he shouted, "Obelisk, attack his Stone Warrior with your Fist of Fury!"

Obelisk's might hand clenched, power started to collect. The whole lower arm started glowing blue as it strengthened. And when it had finished collecting that power, it unleashed it in a massive show of force, slamming into the Stone Warrior with roughly the might of a small nuclear detonation. And that might destroyed the monster without any difficulty.

Wanda and Todd hid behind Fred, whose massive girth shielded them from the hurricane gust of wind that came with the attack. Fred weathered the blast rather well too, that girth also giving him a lower center of gravity.

Yami, on the other hand, had none of those advantages.

The blast knocked him backwards, off of his feet…and sent him hurtling back into the Orichalcos wall. Power surged through his body, and he screamed in pain because of it, before he fell forward, landing on his hands and knees.

But he didn't lose any life points. He still had two monsters on the field, one that he could separate into three again if he had to. But, frankly, other than a purely defensive strategy, he didn't know what to do.

The last time he had faced Obelisk, he had defeated him by using Courageous Soldier, sending his three Magnet Warriors into battle. This time, though, he ddin't know if he would draw that card this time.

"You okay, dude?" Fred shouted.

Yami got to his feet, wincing in pain. "I'm fine. Though I can't say the same thing for Shiv." He shook his head. "My turn." Drawing a card from his deck, he looked at it. "First, I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards." He did so, looked at them, and nodded. "Then I play the Magic Cards United We Stand, and Horn of the Unicorn! United We Stand increases all of my face up monster's attack and defense points by eight hundred! And I equip Horn of the Unicorn to Valkerion, increasing his Attack and Defense by a further seven hundred!" He pulled another card from his hand. "Finally, I shall summon Big Shield Guardna in Defense Mode!" The monster in question appeared. '_There, I've increased Valkerion's defense beyond Obelisk, and if I wanted to, I could attack with him, and destroy Shiv's Egyptian God. But I don't trust that face down card on Shiv's side of the field. I'll wait for now, until I know what he has.'_

Shiv quickly drew, placing the card in his hand. "You can defend all you want, Pharaoh, but you're going to have to attack me sooner or later! Now, Obelisk, attack his Big Shield Guardna, and remove it from the field!"  
Once again, the mighty fist of Obelisk struck, slamming into Big Shield Guardna, decimating it in a powerful explosion. This time, though, Yami was able to weather it out, being pushed back only a few feet.

'_This isn't good. I need something that can match him! But what?'_ Yami drew a card, looked at it, and blinked. '_This might help.'_ "Alright, I place one card facedown,and activate the Magic Card, Swords of Revealing Light! This freezes Obelisk the Tormentor in his tracks for three full turns! Then I activate Ground Erosion, which I will use on the field underneathObelisk! With each turn, your beast loses five hundred attack points!"  
Shiv cursed under his breath, as a number of swords suddenly slammed down around Obelisk, enclosing him. "You've managed to stop Obelisk for now, but you're still vulnerable." He drew. "And you've triggered my final trap card. I activate Orichalcos Calling. Like Orichalcos Summonus, I am able to summon a monster, though only up to level 6. And I don't have to sacrifice anything, save for six hundred life points." He grinned. "And I have decided to summon…Jinzo!"  
"Jinzo?" Yami looked down at his four facedown cards. "That means all of my trap cards become useless."  
"That's right, and a side effect of Orichalcos calling is that it removes your SoRL from the field. Unfortunately, neither Jinzo can't attack this turn, and Obelisk is unable to attack for the remaining two turns, but hey, everything's relative."

Yami nodded. "Alright, then." '_I have two turns to defeat him, then…I just hope that I can draw the card I need.'_ He slowly drew a card, and looked at it. '_Yes!'_ "Shiv, the time has come to say good bye to Jinzo," he said aloud. "For I have in my hand the key to his destruction."

"Oh, really? Whatcha gonna do, Pharaoh? Have Dark Magician tickle him?" The Bang Baby started laughing at his own joke.

Yami turned the card around, revealing it to be a magic card. Black Luster Ritual, to be precise.

Shiv stopped immediately. "That, on the other hand, might help you. But, hold on…you need a monster whose Level is Eight to use that."

Yami pointed down. "I have one facedown card on the field. The reason why Jinzo couldn't destroy it is because of one reason."  
"Oh, what's that?"

"It's not a Trap Card." Yami raised his hand. "It's in fact one of Pegasus's own cards. I activate the Magic Card Star Power!" He grinned. "This card increases any monster card Star rating all the way to eight, as well as transforming it into any monster I so choose to! And I wish my Celtic Guardian to Level Eight, and transform it into Gaia, the Fierce Knight!" He waved his hand, putting the Magic Card into its slot. "I now sacrifice him, so that I may summon…Black Luster Soldier!"  
Celtic Guardian suddenly vanished into the abyss, as a dark field of energy suddenly emerged over him. It hovored for a second, before exploding outward in a spectacular fashion. Shiv covered his eyes for a second, before looking again.

There, standing where Celtic Guardian used to be, a massive being of a man now occupied his space. He was decked in black armor with yellow trim, and wielding a scimitar in one hand. A formidable warrior, in all respects.

Yami grinned. "Unfortunately, this card means that my Swords of Revealing Light is canceled, though it was well worth the price. Now, instead of attacking you, I shall end my turn there, after placing one card facedown." He gestured. "Your move."

Shiv glared at him, then smirked. "You know, instead of attacking you with Jinzo, I am going to sacrifice him to Obelisk, so his attack strength goes up. Go on, Obelisk! Take this creature, and feed upon him!" Obelisk did so, absorbing the monster to increase his strength a thousand points. "Now, attack him again with your Fist of Fury!"

Obelisk raised his hand.

"Wrong! Activate trap card Card Return!"  
"Trap Card?"  
"You heard me, Shiv! I would have activated it had you used Jinzo, but this is a much more useful way of doing things. For starters, this Trap Card not only allows me to resurrect one Trap Card from my graveyard, it also shaves five hundred attack points from your monster!" Obelisk's power dropped to five hundred attack points. "And the card I choose is Waboku!" Yami finished grandly.

Obelisk's attack slammed into BLS…only to do nothing to it. Black Luster Soldier survived unscathed.

Wanda grinned despite herself. "Now I understand! I know what the Pharaoh is going to do!"  
"You do?" Todd asked wearily. "Don't keep us in suspense."  
"Just watch, Todd."  
Shiv glared at Yami. "You got lucky," he snarled.

Yami shrugged indifferently. "Luck is part of the game. You still have a few things to learn though. Lesson one; Attack Points aren't everything." He quickly drew, looked at the card, and grinned. "Lesson Two; If Pegasus creates a card, he creates another card that can defeat it. For all three Egyptian Gods, when they are together, he created the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. But for each one, he created a Magic, a Trap, and a Monster Card that could combat them." He twirled the card around for a moment. "Obelisk's power is set in the same way as all monsters, with a guideline for Attack and Defense. That means I simply need a more powerful monster to defeat him. And I know which one to use." He turned the card around. "I now activate the Magic Card, Call of the Dragon!" The grin grew. "This card allows me to summon any dragon of Duel Monsters I want, regardless of their power level."  
"What?"

"All I have to do is sacrifice half of my life points, pitiful as they are, and sacrifice three monsters on my side of the field."  
Shiv blinked, confused. "Hold on. Your eyesight must be going, because I only count two monsters on the field."  
Todd sighed. "Yo, and people say I'm dumb? Hey, moron! Valkerion is three different monsters in one."  
"And I separate them into Alpha, Beta, and Gamma!" Yami declared. The three monsters reappeared on the field. "Now I sacrifice them to summon an all powerful beast…the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The three Magnet Warriors vanished in a burst of light, power crackling all around the King of Games. The crackling suddenly became a massive beam of blue light, shooting towards the heavens.

And then a massive dragon slowly lowered. It was a Blue Eyes White Dragon, with two details. Namely, it had two more heads. The fused form of three of Kaiba's prized cards, it was the ultimate dragon.

Tea grinned. "Yami is going to win."  
Meiling looked at her. "How do you know that?" she asked.

"Experience. When crunch time comes, he does the impossible."

"Let's hope that's prophetic," Pietro stated, holding her up.

Rogue whistled, impressed by the move. "Yami's got the right idea. Weaken Obelisk's attack power, then wait for a monster that can match it."  
Kitty looked at her. "Does he have a monster that can match it?"  
"We're about ta fahnd out."

Yami pulled another card from his hand, and slipped it into one of the slots. "Now I activate the magic card polymerization, and merge my two mighty warriors together to form... Master of Dragon Soldier!

* * *

Joey snapped his fingers. "Hey, I just remembered somethin'! Kaiba, remember back at Pegasus's safe house, when we found his message about Dartz?"  
Kaiba nodded. "Yes. Yugi…sorry, the Pharaoh…found another message, requesting that the three chosen duelists use his stash of rare cards. We had split them amongst ourselves, but decided not to put them in our decks unless necessary."  
"Apparently, Yami thought it was necessary," Yugi said. "And I don't think it was a bad idea."

Robin cleared his throat. "May they continue?" he asked. "Because I want to know what happened."  
"Which brings me to my question." J'onn turned to Lance. "Where is the rest of the Brotherhood?"

Lance sighed. "Listen, and you'll find out."

* * *

With a surge of power, a blue beam of energy shot up to the sky, whirling like a tornado.

The first thing everyone saw were a set of massive wings. Then a blue torso. Then three dragon heads.

And, on top of it,Black Luster Soldierstood, blade up.

"Behold, my Master of Dragon Soldier!" Yami shouted. "It matches your Obelisk in the power department! And now, only one of them will survive!"

Shiv was sweating. This wasn't going like he had hoped. But he still had one hope. He started laughing. "I don't care what that monster is, it still isn't able to take on an Egyptian God!"

"We will see!" Yami raised a hand. "Master of Dragon Soldier! Attack Obelisk with your Dragon Saber Blast!"  
"Obelisk, counterattack with your Fist of Fury!" Shiv quickly shouted.

The three mouths of MoDS quickly began collecting power, while the mount's blade started glowing gold. Obelisk's fist clenched, energizing to full strength.

Several seconds later, two full powered strikes slammed into each other.

"It's a standoff!" Shiv bellowed. He was safe! Two monsters of equal power canceled each other out.

"Wrong!" Yami retorted, apparently reading Shiv's mind. "Did you forget about my Magic Card? United We Stand increases my monster's power by five hundred! More than enough to destroy Obelisk, and wipe out the rest of your life points!"

For a moment, Obelisk's power pushed the attack back, when suddenly, a massive surge of power went through the Dragon's body, slamming the attack back. The three dragon beams smashed into the Egyptian God, taking it sky high, while the gold beam slammed into Shiv at full force.

Everyone who was outside watched as Obelisk the Tormentor hurtled into the clouds above. A detonating explosion temporarily blinded all of them. When the lights faded, they saw something that was literally amazing.

Obelisk was falling, a battered husk of its former glory, scorched, bleeding as it slowly disintegrated.

"Scott, tell me that what I'm seeing is impossible," Jean requested.

Scott shook his head. "Looks like it's not impossible anymore."

Li had to agree, and so did Kero. Everything they had learned of the Shadow Games of Egypt, about how the Gods were unbeatable, was unraveling.

Shiv braced himself as best he could, weathering the storm. "You win," he growled, as his life points dropped to zero. He waited for the Orichalcos to close in on him.

Magneto blinked once. "He did it," he whispered.

"That he did!" Pietro was so still, he was like a statue.

Tea smiled. "The duel's over."  
"Without a doubt," Meiling replied.

* * *

Raphael, who was nearby, suddenly jerked. "Looks like he lost, Master," he said.

"_Yes, indeed. However, it would appear that he has a unique ability to use the Orichalcos. A natural talent, if you will. So it is time for me to intervene."_

Raphael nodded. "I guess I should be thankful, then."

* * *

The Seal slowly started moving forward, reaching Yami's feet...and suddenly stopped.

Yami turned in shock. "What?"  
_"Forgive me, Pharaoh. I'm afraid I can't allow Shiv's soul to be taken. You see, despite the fact he lost, the experiment was a complete success. So Shiv shall be spared this fate."_

"But the rules...Yami won the duel!"  
_"And as such, he's beyond my control, Miss Gardner. But Shiv...and the three mutants are not. So, Magneto, if you have anything to say to your daughter, I would suggest you say it now."_

Immediately, the Seal of Orichalcos passed by Yami, leaving him outside the field. It also passed over Shiv, who breathed in relief.

Wanda cut loose with the full brunt of her powers, her fear making them even stronger. They slammed into the sides of the shrinking field, holding them at bay.

"Come on, Wanda!" Pietro shouted. "You can beat it!"  
_"I'm afraid she can't," _Dartz replied, sounding amused. _"You see, I have more power inmy finger than she does in her entire form. So fare thee well."_

The Orichalcos field suddenly went into turbo, continuing it's compression, despite Wanda's best efforts to stop it. It settled right around the three Brotherhood members.

Yami could only stare and watch as the three mutants suddenly screamed as their souls were ripped from their bodies. The souls, in turn, were sent directly to Dartz's Soul Wall, while the bodies dropped to the ground, as the Seal disappeared, leaving untold destruction in its wake.

Magneto, Pietro, Lance, and Rogue were at their sides in an instant. "Wanda?" Magneto shook her gently. "Can you hear me?"  
"Come on, guys. Wake up," Pietro added, holding Todd. "Come on, why won't you wake up?"  
"They won't," Yami said miserably. "Their souls are gone." His head slumped, unable to believe what had just happened. "I failed."  
Shiv was slowly edging his way to the door, hoping that no one would see him leave. Yeah, right.

"You," Sabertooth growled, picking up a table," stay put, kid!" He threw the table in front of the door.

Shiv turned, seeing the collective fury of everyone assembled. "Big deal, I can...hey!"  
Static lifted him up with his powers, then tossed him back into the center of the room. "You're not going anywhere, Shiv. Not until we get some answers. For starters, why's this Dartz guy need you and the other Bang Babies?"  
Shiv shrugged. "I ain't tellin' you."  
The next sequence of events would forever be engraved in the eyes of everyone.

A pair of extremely strong hands suddenly grabbed him by the back of his shirt, jerking him back viciously, and turning him around. He found himself staring into the rage filled eyes of the Pharaoh Yami. It was a sight that he would remember in fear for the rest of his days. They practically _burned_ with an inner fire, aimed at destroying anyone who dared to harm others. Power radiated off of him.

And it was all focused on him. "N-now, Pharaoh…" he began.

"Save it, Shiv! I am out of mercy as far as you're concerned!"

Sakura watched as the man that Shiv identified as the Pharaoh slammed the Bang Baby into the wall, his fist driving forward to smash him across the jaw. A gout of blood erupted from Shiv's mouth as his head snapped to the side. Yami, uncaring, simply hit him again.

And again.

And again.

He drew his fist back again, ready to beat this man within an inch of his life, when a hand closed around his wrist. "Let me go, Rogue," he hissed.

Rogue shook her head. "No can do, Yami. You have to stop this now."  
"Rogue's right," Tea said, coming over to him as well, favoring her right ankle. "It's over. The Seal of Orichalcos is gone. You've won the duel. Shiv is nothing now."

Yami stared at Shiv, who was clearly terrified, taking deep breathes as he began to calm down. Finally, he let the battered teen go. "Get out of here," he said hoarsely. "If you ever pull something like this again, I will personally send you into the Shadow Realm. Agreed, Tea?"  
Tea's eyes hardened. "Agreed," she said coldly.

Shiv was many things, but he was not stupid. He was out of there like a bat out of hell.

As soon as Shiv was out of there, Yami sagged against the wall, breathing in and out, staring at the back of his bloodied hand. He looked up after several moments had passed. "Tea?"

Tea walked in, placing a comforting hand onto his shoulder. "Yeah, Yami?"  
"Who am I? _What_ am I?"

Tea stared at him for a moment, somewhat surprised by the question. But then she realized why he asked. "You're someone who would never kill a helpless person. You're also my friend, Yami."  
Yami looked at her, eyes firming up. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." He turned around. "And thank you for stopping me."  
Rogue smiled softly. "Mah pleasure, sugah."  
Satisfied, Yami stood up fully, and turning to the young woman. "And thank you for your help, miss…"  
Sakura blinked. "Oh! I'm Sakura Kiminoto. It's a pleasure to meet you, Pharaoh."

* * *

"Storm informed us that a man with a trenchcoat had been watching the Community Center for the entire time the duel took place," Xavier finished up with. "So, the next day, we gave Yami and Tea the van, and had Beast bring the X-Jet. Miss Kinimoto and her friends joined Yami, while Mister Moon informed them that they would meet at the next stop."

Yugi winced. "I'm sorry to hear about your friends, Lance. Are they…?"  
Avalanche nodded. "They're at the Institute, being watched by Mister McCoy and the New Mutants," he replied. "Pietro left with his old man, and help him find Dartz."  
"And I decided to tag along," Amanda added. "I don't want to be waiting on the sidelines, checking the obituaries for Kurt every day." She sighed. "Mom and Dad aren't too thrilled about it, and I think I'm not allowed back in the house."

Robin nodded. "So, what now? Do we find the Pharaoh? Or do we do battle with Dartz?"

Fate shook his head. "I would recommend against it. Him remaining anonymous is our best bet at the moment. Besides, we have more pressing concerns."  
"That vision you and Raven had?" Diana asked.

"Pretty much." Raven sighed, pushing off the wall. "Also, someone paid me a visit while I was meditating. She told me that we need to be ready for whatever comes our way." She turned to Shayera. "She said her name was Alania," she added.

The Thanagarian stiffened is surprise. "She visited you while you were meditating?" she asked.

"Don't ask me how she did it, and I'm not going to find out. But…for some reason, I think we need to go to another dimension to find out."  
"How?" Superman asked.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance in this." Fate stood up. "I have, in my possession, a device that can create doorways to other realities. I rarely use it, as there is much work for me to do here, but I think that Raven can use it to find the answers she seeks."

Raven blinked, a little surprised. "Actually, I was going to head back to the surface with Robin…"  
"Neither of you are going anywhere," Batman interrupted. "Right now, we need everyone we can get."  
Robin stood up fully. "Excuse me, Batman? I don't seem to recall Raven or myself asking for your permission. We are leaving, now."  
Superman stood up. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with Batman on this. We do need your help." He turned to the window. "If this device works, the Titans will be the ones going in." He grinned. "What do you say to that?"  
Well, when he put it that way… "Alright…but once this is done, Raven and myself will be going back to Jump City. Deal?"  
Batman grinned. "Deal."


	57. Episode Fifty Four: Reza Pass Intrigue

**Digimon: Silver Star Story- Season Two: Deadly Alliance **

**Episode Fifty Four: Secrets Revealed**

"You know," Kyle murmured thoughtfully, as the Alliance walked down the southern part of the Nanza Pass, "if we actually pull this off, do you know how many hippie groups about us will be formed? Do you know how many people will want to _be_ me?"

Jessica sighed. "And to think, I actually admired you for a second."

"Ditto," Agumon growled quietly.

The southern pass was short, with only a few bug monsters buzzing around. None of them were strong enough to take on a battle-hardened force. It was amusing, really, to watch Kyle lazily slice through them. It was funny to watch Biyomon catch one, and eat it. Life on Lunar had given her some strange new tastes.

It was irritating when Nash made his opinion known to all of them, and Agumon telling him what he could do with that opinion.

Mia and Rini had sighed. It was going to be a looooong day.

Alex casually slashed at one bug, cutting one pair of wings off from the rest of its body. "I've noticed that there aren't as many bugs here as there should be," he observed.

Tai nodded. "The Nanza guards take their jobs seriously. Why is that?"

"Because this leads into the Marius Zone…the heart of Lunar," Kyle replied. "The majority of trade and commerce occur there. It's basically a number of villages and outposts, spread across the land."

"A lot of targets," Sora noted.

"Pretty much. But the Stadius Zone stands in the Vile Tribe's way, with the Pao Tribe, and the Kingdom of Kemeka, which sits right at the edge of the green land. It's army is the best trained on Lunar, as well as the largest."

Izzy whistled. "Isildor must be pretty powerful," he said. "I mean, to have control of a kingdom that size."

"Just don't tell him that." Jessica grinned. "He doesn't like being in charge of over eighty thousand men, or lording over even more. And his wife absolutely hates it."

"Isildor was the last warrior of Knowledge, wasn't he?" Mia asked. "And that power is transferred from father to son?"  
"Yeah, Mia. That's…Izzy?"

Izzy had stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide. "It's…hereditary," he said jerkily.

"Last time any of us native borns checked."

Mimi, sensing her beloved's distress, rubbed his back soothingly. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure that his son is alive, spoiled, and itching to become the king."  
Kyle shook his head. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Mimi, but Isildor's son disappeared almost a year after he was born."

The two Lunarians traded looks, Mimi as speechless as Izzy.

The rest of the Alliance turned to stare at him in sympathy. "Bad break, Izzy," Tai stated, understanding what he was going through. "Must be tough, learning that you might be the son of a king."

"For someone like Izzy, it might be," Lilika replied. "Mimi, you remember your reaction when you learned that you were half demon?"

"I was about ten seconds from blasting Xenobia into pieces." Mimi frowned. "How much do we really know about each other? Seriously?"

Agumon frowned. "Not much. We've been together for, what, a month, and we never really revealed anything about ourselves." He turned to his partner. "Why is that, Tai?"  
Tai was silent, ecause he honestly didn't know.

Surprisingly, it was Gomamon who had an answer for them. "Because we were burned more times than we can count. Because we've been having so many adventures, that we never had the need to. And, because of the fact that we Digi-Destined are still learning about this place." He grinned. "Hey, that sounded downright brainy."

"Boy, don't we Scouts know the feeling," Serena mumbled.

"Tell me about it." Mercury shuddered. "I have another night of that vision, and I'm going to kill myself."  
Greg smiled. "Don't do that, Amy. If you did, all that would change would be the fact that the girls would take their homework to your grave."

"Good point."

Everybody cracked up, except Alex, who smiled widely, shaking his head in amusement. It also had the added effect of distracting Izzy from his somber thoughts.

Jessica grinned. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. "How about tonight, before we go to sleep, we tell our deepest secrets?" Her grin grew for a moment. "I mean us Lunarians."

Tai thought about it, liked the sound of it, but he had reservations about it. "Maybe later. I have got to ask, though…back in Meribia…"

"Oh, that proposition I made." Jessica chuckled. "Well, unless you and Sora are dating…in which case, you would have asked her permission."

Sora turned to look at him. "Tai?"

Tai leaned in. "She asked, much more fluently, if I would like to enjoy her company for the night," he replied.

"Her…Jessica!"

Mia giggled. "Actually, Sora, it isn't uncommon. On Lunar, we live life to the fullest. Casual sex is just another part of it."

Joe sighed. "So much for the concept of not cheating on your significant other," he said.

Kyle chuckled. "Oh, please. There are rules for that. Unless the two in question are single, they have to get permission from their significant others, before they can do it. As long as they have no problem with it, and as long as nothing comes out of it, then it's allowed."

Tai nodded thoughtfully. "So in other words, you can have sex with someone other than your spouse, but you can't have an affair."

Jessica grinned. "Now he gets it."

T.K. and Kari rubbed the bridges of their noses in unison. "I wish Matt was here," the young boy said. "If only to have a sensibleJapanese personhere besides Joe and Sora."

"Me too."

* * *

Matt finished packing the last of his supplies, double checking to make sure that he hadn't left any healing items lying around. "Thanks, guys," he said. 

"Anything for our little sister's friend!" Fred replied jovially…a little too jovially, in this humble writer's opinion, as he slapped the Warrior of Friendship across the back.

Ginny turned her head, glaring at her brother. "Could you be any happier? And don't think on doing anything that hurts him. He's my friend, nothing more!" Oh, howshe wished she could say otherwise, but she and Matt had decided to keep it secret.

"Oh, don't bother threatening us with bodily harm and the like." Ron finished up his Divination essay. "We'll only become vindictive, then drive you and Matt up the wall."

_'Is it humanly possible to come with you, love?'_ Ginny asked.

Matt shook his head. _'Sorry, Gin. Then they'll know something's going on.'_

Claire laughed. "Oh, come on, Handsome! If they want to get together at some point, let them! It's a free Existence after all!"  
"But that's no fun," George replied for all three boys, chuckling. "Personally, I want to make Matt work for it."

Matt sighed. "Obviously, you've forgotten that Ginny and I are armed. Harry, what'd I do to deserve this?"  
Harry grinned. "Being Ginny's friend," he replied.

"And for the record," Hermione added, grinning wickedly, "we'll help them."

_'We're bloody screwed,'_ Ginny sent.

_'Big time. Well, I better get back to the Burrow.'_

_'I'll go with you.'_

* * *

Anakin and Obi Wan stood outside of the International Wizard's Council Chamber's, staring at two, powerfully built Aurors that looked like they could take on a Jedi. Inside the chamber, they knew that Padme was arguing for negotiations between the Wizarding World, and the Galactic Republic. Sadly, the two of them had not been allowed in there, so here they stood outside. 

Obi Wan, who was capable of standing in one place for hours, or even days on end, had no problem. If there _was_ a problem in the chamber that represented a danger to the Senator-turned Ambassador, then he and Anakin would respond quickly.

Anakin, however, was still edgy. "I still can't believe that we can't listen to this," he muttered. "I mean, we're the Jedi's representatives."  
"I'm sure they have a good reason, Anakin," the Jedi Master reminded him. "We did refuse to give up our lightsabers, and these are the Heads of their respective governments. They probably don't want any potential threats in there."  
"It's more than that, Master. They're afraid of us. I can feel it."

Obi Wan nodded. "Regardless, we are the guests here, Anakin. It will benefit you greatly if you remember that."  
"Yes, Master." A slightly subdued Padawan learner turned his attention back to the door. "I wonder how the meeting is going."

"Me too."

As they pondered this, a door to left side opened, admitting a man with pale blond white hair into the hallway. He took a look around, spotted the two Jedi Knights standing in front of the Chamber doors, and sneered slightly.

Anakin looked up. "Don't look now, Master," he said. "I think we may have found Draco Malfoy's father."

Obi Wan nodded once. "I sensed that the second he stepped through the door. Don't make any violent gestures…please?"  
Anakin sighed. "Yes, Master." He smirked. "I'll let you make the violent moves."

Obi Wan wasn't paying attention, as Lucius stopped in front of them. "Well, well," he said quietly. "Hogwart's newest attractions."

Obi Wan bowed. "Mister Malfoy," he returned in greeting. "What brings you here?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but I was planning to meet with Minster Fudge after your Senator finished her pleading."

"She," Anakin said, quite calmly, "does not plead."

"Really? What about you two, then?"

"Oh, we asked, but they decided that we would make free talking difficult. So, we decided to wait out here." Anakin kept his gaze civil, even though he could feel the waves of darkness emanating from the man. He had asked Harry about him, and had learned that he had supported Voldemort during his glory days. When the Dark Lord had fallen, Malfoy had pretended that he had been hoodwinked into serving him. _'When I see Master Yoda next, I'll have to ask him about this man,'_ he thought.

The doorways opened, breaking off the conversation before it could spiral out of control. Padme and Fudge exited first, the American and Bulgarian Ministers of Magic right behind them. "I'm sure you understand our position," the young Nabooian woman was saying.

"Yes, yes I do. Persuasive…but we have very little to offer such a confederation of planets."

Padme smiled. "Sometimes, your friendship is all we need. But, it's your choice."

Fudge shrugged. "Maybe if you help catch Black, we'll be more open to the idea."  
Anakin flinched slightly. Although the Jedi were dedicated to selfless service, to use them in a manner like this was a bitter pill to swallow. It looked like his wife-in-secret agreed with that, though she was more in control of herself.

Obi Wan wasn't too pleased either, but he merely said, "We'll certainly try our best to find this fugitive, Minister."

"Thank you. Now, Lucius, about that law you were talking about…"

As the two wizards walked away, Anakin snorted. "That Lucius, he certainly isn't what he seems."

"Yes…" Obi Wan grew introspective for a second.

Padme simply shivered. "He's…what's a good word….creepy. No wonder Harry doesn't like him."

"_I _don't like him," Anakin replied. "He's…dark, like he was corrupted by the dark side."

Obi Wan looked up. "Not the dark side. By his belief that he is better than everyone else. Think about that before you start to think along those lines, my young apprentice."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

"Well, that certainly looked like it hurt." 

Matt stood up, resisting the urge to rub his behind. "Well, the journey's okay. It's the stop at the end that hurts," he replied, shaking Arthur's hand. "It's good to see you again, Mister Weasley, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly smiled. "Well, at least you're in one piece. Ginny dear…"

"I wanted to see him off," Ginny explained, smiling slightly. "He's heading back to Lunar."  
"Are you sure you don't want to stay here? I'm sure Arthur here would appreciate it."

Matt chuckled. "Sorry. As much as I would love to, your sons have made it very clear what they will do to me for even associating with your daughter." He paused. "So did Harry and Hermione, for that matter."

"Well, you can't blame them." Arthur sat down. "She is the only sister they have, and after what happened last year…"  
"She told me about that," Matt quickly stated. "And she made peace with it."

Molly looked at Ginny, saw the mischevious expression she usually had, and smiled. "Could you at least stay the rest of the day?"

Ginny's smile grew. "You know, that's not a bad idea, seeing as how you have the Dragon Wings at the moment." She stared at him pleadingly. "Pleeeeease."

Matt laughed. "Oh, alright. If you insist."

* * *

Kyle chuckled, finishing his meal up, and stretching. "So, whaddya think, Jess?" he asked. "You think I've got a chance in winning the Tournament this year?" 

"Only if you beat the champion." Jessica pulled her robes off, checking them for any sort of damage, before putting them back on, smiling slightly. "And you know that guy will simply throw you around like a rag doll."

Tai winced. "That's not good, is it?" he asked.

"Depends on what your definition of 'not good' is. On one hand, there's no shame in losing to him. He was beating people at age eight."

"On the other hand," Jessica picked up smoothly, "he's a pompous jackass, moreso than Nash."

"Someone more pompous than Nash?" Agumon snickered. "This I gotta see."

"Quiet, lizard!" Nask snapped.

Alex, who had been silent throughout the meal, looked up. "Be quiet, you two." He waited until they were quiet, then said, "We'll need to beat the Nanza monsters in waking tomorrow, so we should get some sleep." He got up, heading for his sleeping roll.

T.K. and Kari traded worried looks. Alex was still blaming himself for not protecting Luna. So were they, for that matter.

"Oh, crap!" Angemon looked up. "I forgot something!" Fishing into his pack, he pulled out a pendant. "Alex, when Laike and myself were getting you guys out of the White Dragon Cave, I found Luna's necklace near Greg." His voice choked a bit. "I think…I think she wanted you to have this."

Alex took it, tears sparkling in his eyes. "She was never without it, since we left Burg with the Dragon Diamond…"

Mia nodded. "I remember that pendant. She told me that it was the one possession she treasured the most."

Joe nodded into the flames. "We'll get her back, Alex," he said, a strange conviction showing through him. "Of that, we promise."

* * *

Matt watched the stars twinkle in the night sky, contemplating the constellations above them, shining in all of their celestial glory. 

"Something on your mind?"

Grant you, they didn't match the beauty sitting next to him. He gathered Ginny to him, smiling slightly. "Your world is…peaceful," he said. "More peaceful than anything I've seen before. Nothing like a city."

Ginny giggled. "Hustle and bustle."

"Yeah…how'd you know?"

"Well, the platform Nine and Three Quarters is actually located in London. So we end up driving there at the beginning of every year, then at the end of the year."

Matt whistled. "So much effort into secrecy. Why don't you simply reveal yourselves to the world?"

"Are you kidding? Magic folk would be hunted down and slaughtered, because the muggles at large would fear and hate us."  
"I don't fear or hate you."

Ginny hugged him. "And I'm glad you don't. But you're used to unusual stuff." She gestured out towards Saint Otterypole. "But the muggles of this world are nowhere near as accepting as you. You ever hear of the Salem Witch Trials?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Well, it would be the same thing, only instead of a few isolated burnings, they'd want to wipe us out with their nuclear weapons. The Ministry would have to declare war, and we really don't want that."

Matt nodded, bringing Ginny closer. "It does give you something to think about," he mentioned.

"It does indeed."

For a time, the two of them lay quietly on the ground, lost in their own thoughts, enjoying this moment of peace. They both had the feeling that it would be the last moment they had in the waking world for a long time.

"So," Matt suddenly stated, "do you ever think about the future? I mean, outside of school?"

Ginny, startled a bit, turned to look at him. "A little young to be asking that question, aren't you?" she asked in return. "And the question is a tad…preamture, especially since we may not live to see the end of the war."

Matt shrugged. "Humor me. We might just live."

Ginny smiled. "Alright, I'll humor you." She grew thoughtful, her head resting on his chest. "Yeah, I do think about the future. About what I'll be doing, if I'll have a family or not…how many times I can use the Bat Bogey Hex on people before I get out of school."

Matt grinned. "For someone who boasts to be better than everyone else, Malfoy does fall short of his own hype. Anything else?"

"Well, there is this guy who I have a crush on…who isn't Harry." Ginny looked up, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Oh?" Matt looked at her, mock jealously. "Friend of yours?"

"Oh, yes. A verrrrryyyy good friend. One who I've known for a quite a while now."

"Do I know him?"

"You might."

"What's he like?"

"Well…" Giny started lowering her face, bit by bit, "he's loyal, charming, brave, and really cute."

"I'm jealous." Matt brought his hand to the back of her head.

"Oh, but you have no reason to." They were only an inch from each other's lips.

And then one inch became nothing at all as they shared a kiss under the starlit sky.

* * *

Izzy set his bag down next to Mimi, chucking a thumb at Tai. "You think he's crazy?" he asked. 

Mimi shrugged carelessly. "I thought he was crazy back in the Digital World. Now I think he's a certified whack job." She eyed the young man in question intently. "Sure is hot, though," she added.

Tai stared at her for a moment. "Thanks…I think, for the compliment. And I am not crazy!"

Kari started laughing. Tai looked so funny standing there, indignant.

Tai turned to her, sighing. "Thanks a lot, Kari."

"Can't blame her," Kyle said. "You _are _a whack job."

"So are you!"

"With you on that," Jessica called out.

"Ditto," Sora threw in.

"Here, here!" the Digimon declared at once.

Luna sighed, putting her head down. "It seems that Serena's immaturity has expanded to include the Alliance."

"I heard that, furball," Serena muttered, "seeing as how I'm not fully asleep, yet."

Rei lifted her head. "Then go to sleep, Meatball Head."

One by one, the forces of good turned in,until only the Lunarians were awake, chatting amongst themselves about anything and everything.

"So, Jessica, back to the subject we were discussing earlier," Tai said. "Exactly what is allowed?"

"What's allowed?" The priestess looked at him in surprise. "What isn't allowed in your world?"  
"Incest is forbidden, Gay and lesbian are actually frowned upon. People aren't allowed to have casual encounters if they're seeing someone."

"Those restrictions don't exist here. Althena wanted her people to be as free as possible in everything. Laws, which are fair and just are set up as part of a way to serve justice out correctly, do only that."

Izzy nodded. The people of Lunar were a free people. Rarely did people know such freedom.To be able to do anything without someone telling them it was wrong, to be with the person you love, and yet still be allowed to enjoy another's company for a night… "It's… a lot to take in," he said.

Kyle grinned. "Hey, don't worry about it. You guys'll get used to this quickly. Hey, Jessica, why don't you initiate Tai?"

"Why don't you go to bed, like you said you were, you lunkhead?"

"Hey, I didn't say-" he stopped talking when she fixed him with a death glare. "Uh, night?" he quickly moved away, making for his bed roll.

Lilika giggled. "Jessica, you certainly keep him in line."

Jessica grinned. "Of course I do. Otherwise, he'd even be worse. But, frankly, it's not a bad idea."

"Another time." Tai shook his head. "This is a little much to take in right now."

"I've got to agree with that," Mimi replied. "I still haven't got fully used to being thirteen, yet looking, and acting, several years older."

Jessica blinked. "You've been here for a little longer than a month. How can you not be used to this?"

Izzy looked at her.

"Oh…right, sorry."

"But," Tai interjected, "I will give it some thought."

Jessica smiled. "Well, whenever you're ready, let me know. Now, we need to get some sleep. Lunarian constitutions have limits, and I don't wanna push mine!"

* * *

The Stargate exploded outward in its spectacular fashion, bathing Matt and Ginny in luminance. Matt keyed in the deactivation code, so the shield on the other side would shut down. He turned to Ginny. "I'll see you tomorrow night," he said quietly. 

"I'll be waiting." Ginny leaned in to kiss him gently. "I love you," she whispered. "I just wanted to tell you that before you left."

Matt smiled. "I love you, too. And do try to stay out of trouble." He gave her a kiss in return, before walking through the gate.

Several moments later, Matt stepped out into Vane's Gate Room, looking down at a bleary eyed Gabumon. "Sorry, pal. Did I wake you?"

"No, Lemia woke me," the little dog Digimon grumbled. "She seemed to think it was funny blowing cold air into my ear."

"Hey, whatever works. You up for travel?"

"Well…yeah."

Matt grinned. "When we get down to the ground, digi-volve. I'm going to use the DragonWings to transport us to Reza. I want to get to them by morning."

Gabumon nodded, no longer sleepy, a grin that coul give the Joker willies on his face. "Well, let's go."

* * *

Tai yawned, opened his eyes…and yelped in shock. "Matt!" His cry woke everyone else, who promptly surged up to a standing position while the Digi-Destined leader scurried back. 

Matt laughed, having found the whole thing hilarious. "My revenge is complete," he said, while Garrurumon barked in the background in amusement.

T.K. and Kari looked at each other, then back at Matt, before giggling a bit themselves. "So, Matt! How did the trial go?" the young boy asked.

_"Testing, one, two."_

Matt grinned. "That answer your question, little bro?"

"We hear you loud and clear, Ginny," Artemis stated.

_"Good. What was that scream all about?"_

"Matt's revenge," Garrurumon replied cheekily.

_"And you didn't wait for me to get here?"_ Ginny asked in mock rage.

Biyomon giggled. "So, besides getting your weapon, what else did you do?"

Matt's grin faded a bit. "I got to know Ginny…and vice versa." He looked around. "I'll give you guys a more complete story later. How far are we to Reza?"

Kyle, who had been there before on several occasions, grinned. "Well, Reza's about a twelve hour journey, so I hope everybody's ready to walk."

"Are you kidding?" Joe asked. "Compared to how much we walked in the Digital World, twelve hours is going to be a walk in the park!"  
On that, the Digi-Destined agreed.

* * *

Ladies and Gentlemen, Episode Fifty Four is now complete. As soon as I retype the next chapter for CP: Armageddon, I will doing the first special, which will bring the last players into the game. Stay tuned. 

As of two weeks ago, I purchased a new computer, as our old one is experiencing...technical difficulties, and should be set up by the end of this week. That way, updates will come sooner. On a more positive note, I will also be able to get the other computer fixed, and have one all my own! Yippeeee!

The concept of sexual freedom at its fullest is a concept I want to explore, as I have no social life of my own to speak of. I am also doing this because it fits in with Althena's views of celebrating life. But, at the same time, she would set up rules so it didn't go out of control. I'll list them at some other point. Please review, but don't launch your hordes of demon soldiers at me, please.


	58. Chapter 58: Welcome to Reza

**Digimon: Silver Star Story: Season Two(Deadly Alliance)**

**Episode Fifty Five: Reza Strikes**

"We're out of the Nanza Pass... finally!" Nall shouted.

Rei winced, as the white flying fur ball was only an inch from her ear. "Don't do that again. I like my hearing as it is."

"Or what's left of it." Artemis batted one of his ears, as if he could beat the ringing out of it.

Alex sighed.So began another long day on the trail.

Greg observed the map for a second. "Okay, according to this map, the city of Reza is about two days from us, on foot." He frowned. "We should have gotten more horses."

"The stables in both Vane and Nanza were the first things hit," Tai replied. "They were taking out our ability to move quickly."

"Yeah, so mounts were out of the question." Kyle shuddered. "Xenobia; Drop dead gorgeous, has a personality like barbed wire."

Jessica turned. "And how would you describe me?" she asked acidly.

"Drop dead gorgeous, tangy personality. You don't go around destroying everything in your path."

_"I'll go with that," _Ginny asserted.

"Tell your girlfriend to stay out of this," Jessica requested.

_"Bring it on."_

"Ladies!" Matt barked. "I am not a battlefield!"  
"You sure?" Garurumon asked.

_

* * *

'Reza looks like an ancient desecrated city,' Luna thought. __'We're going to need a map just to get through the plaza... or a guide.'_ Luna thought. 

Kyle certainly qualified as a guide. "Welcome to Reza. Not exactly the richest town in the Marius Zone... But a great place to learn the latest gossip and news." He grinned, as if remembering something joyous. "And the ale is oh so lovely."

"Is that all you think about?" Serena asked in disbelief. "Life in Nanza can't be that boring."

Tai shook his head. "Don't you like a beer too often?"

Kyle turned to Tai. "You've never had a beer before?"

"Where I'm from, it's illiegal to give a beer to a minor."

"Well, live a little! Here, you're not a minor."

Agumon sighed. "And this changes... what?" he asked.

_"Good question,"_ Ginny threw in.

"I concur with Ginny and Agumon." Artemis looked up. "What does that change?"

Kyle sighed. "You all need to lighten up," he said. "I don't drink out of a hip flask. I ain't an alcoholic."

Rini, Kari, and T.K. exchanged looks. "Talk about being laid back," Rini noted.

"Talk about liking beer way too much," T.K. said, throwing in his two cents.

Kari nodded once, seriously deciding whether or not to tell her mother this little part of the story.

Nall was about to enter the conversation with the usual smart ass remark, when someone bumped into him, almost knocking him out of the air. "Hey, what's the big idea!" he shouted.

"Excuse me..." The man walked away quickly, acting as if nothing had happened. However, he was pocketing something as he walked away, though none of them noticed that.

Jesica frowned. "Well, the inhabitants of Reza are certainly rude. I can see why Kyle fits in so nicely here."

Kyle turned around at the mention of his name. He scanned each of them over in turn, eyes narrowing.

Mia checked Nall over. "Nall, are you alright?" she asked.

Kyle looked him over too, though for an entirely different reason. "Nall, did that guy bump into you?"

Nall stared at him in confusion. "Yeah..."

"And can anyone reach into that space pocket thingy?"

Nall immediately looked inside, doing an inventory of the items in there. "The Dragon Wings!" he exclaimed in shock. "They're gone!"

"What?" Tai quickly turned around, searching the crowd. Not seeing the man in question, he turned around. "Kyle? Something you want to tell us?"

Kyle growled as well, knowing he had forgotten to warn them. "Well, you've just learned the one bad thing about this place. It's a den of thieves!" He spat at the ground. "They're so many of them, they even formed a guild!"

Agumon's teeth glinted slightly in the sun. "Gee, thanks for the warning, Kyle! You sure know how to make us feel safe!"

"Yeah, Kyle! Perhaps you could have told us _before_ Nall was robbed?" Jessica asked, glaring.

Kyle, pretending not to hear her, looked around. "Reza's a big town. If we're going to find those wings, then we had better start looking now!"

Jessica and Jupiter looked at each other, than at him. ""I know he heard, the selectively- deaf weasel!" Jessica whispered.

Jupiter shrugged. "He's your boyfriend. You handle him."

"Thanks for the vote of confidenence. You sure know how to ease a girl's ire."

Artemis sighed. The makings of another long day. Could it get any worse?

Yeah, it could get worse.

* * *

In the end, they decided to separate into their respective groups, so as to expand their search capability. It was the only thing they could do.

"Talk about bad luck!" Nall moaned from Alex's shoulder. "How come I never knew that anyone could reach into my subspace pocket?"  
Nash shrugged. "I haven't a clue. Though the term 'pocket' might have been a dead giveaway.

Kyle grinned. "If it has the term pocket in it, then it's harvest time."

"Ain't that the truth," Jessica muttered, glaring at the young man.

"It's _subspace_!" Nall shouted. "It's supposed to be impenetrable!"

Alex winced as Nall's claws dug into his shoulder. "Nall, I share your pain, but if you don't calm down, you're going to draw my blood. Then I'll have to declaw you."  
"Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

Mia looked around for a moment, memorizing the position of the buildings, among other things. "Kyle, where's the pub?" she asked.

Kyle gestured toward the largest building in the city. "Right there. Let's go check it out."

"Better keep him away from the bar," Alex muttered to Jessica. Jessica nodded.

* * *

A Reza citizen hit the ground hard after a flight of six feet, his arm at an awkward angle. Clutching it, he stared upward at Sailor Jupiter.

The lightning senshi glared back at him. "You _ever_ try to grope me again, I'm gonna break every bone in your body. Got it?" The thief nodded, terrified. "Now _scram!_" He immediately shot off like a bullet, heading for the outskirts of the city, where Althena's Statue resided.

Pluto sighed, watching him go. Even after a thousand years, some things never changed. "Lita, you could've been a little nicer to him. For starters, you could have done without breaking his arm."

Jupiter grinned. "I wanted to send a message to all the gropers out there." She gestured. "See? They're backing off." Indeed, they were doing just that.

Serena sighed. "Lita, you have issues. Get some help."

"Before you get us killed, or kill someone," Mars added.

Mina and Rini giggled. "No help from the peanut gallery," Mina said.

"Okay, fun times over," Darien stated mock seriously. "I've asked everyone here, and no one has seen the man." He frowned. "Grant you, they could be covering for him."

Serena frowned as well. "So none of them want to cooperate. Probably because of how we dress."

"Probably."

Artemis chuckled quietly, though he didn't say anything. After all, talking cats were a rarity, even on Lunar.

* * *

T.K. glared at the crowd around them, observing every person that had walked by. "They all look guilty," he said.

Kari sighed. "T.K., they're all thieves. Of course they all look guilty. They are."

"Oh."

Angemon sighed. "Amy, is Serena this brain dead?"

Mercury frowned mock thoughtfully. "You know, I think she's worse. Grant you, she's a great leader. And she's gotten better."

Greg looked around them all, his hand resting on his belt. After two months of near constant battle, he was understandably uncomfortable in crowds. "I don't see him," he finally growled. "Shit, talk about bad timing."

Angewomon retracted her bow, sighing in frustration. "I hate them all. They remind me of what I used to be."

"Then where would a thief go?"

"I'll do you one better." Kari frowned. "Where would Brett go?"

Duh. Obvious question.

"The bar," all six of chorused at once.

* * *

Tai nodded, smiling mock cheerfully. "Thank you for your time, sir." He returned to the others, shaking his head. "He didn't know a thing," he said, not believing it for a second.

Sora looked at the guy for a second. "Why's he not looking at us?"

Tai grinned. "Well, let's just say that he thought you were, and I quote, 'a fine looking bitch, and that he would love to get to know you.'"

Sora glared now. "Did he?"

"What did you do?" Lilika asked.

Tai's grin grew. "I told him, in simple terms, that he even thought about laying a hand on Sora, the only things screwed would be his ability to procreate, and his ability to steal, as I would rip off his arms and beat him with them, before cutting off his family jewels. To empathsize my point, I flexed my muscles, and showed him my sword."

Sora gaped now. "Are you trying to tell me that he wanted to have _sex_ with me?" she asked. "I'm only thirteen!"

"So are we," Izzy pointed out.

"And, from the way you've been acting, you've had sex."  
Mimi stared at her. "What's your point? And stop looking at us like that!"

A bubbling of laughter suddenly issued, seemingly out of nowhere. _"Oh, come on, Sora!"_ Ginny stated, _"Leave them alone. You're not their mother, and they're Lunarian."_

"Not helping here, Ginny," Mimi murmured.

_"Sorry. How do you soothe her, then?"_

"Very carefully," Matt replied.

_"Have you ever managed to calm her down?"_

"No."

"You and your girlfriend are a real help," Izzy noted.

_"Glad to be of service,"_ Ginny replied cheekily.

Sora glared at Mimi and Izzy for a second more, before turning her attention to Tai. "Anything you want to tell me?" she asked.

Tai shook his hea. "Sora, since we went to Meribia, I haven't had a moment to relax, save for eating and sleeping."

Satisfied, the young keeper of Love let the subject drop. "So, where's the pub?"

Izzy looked around. "Well, judging by the way the buildings are constructed, and seeing as how after a difficult day, one would want to get a drink. I'd say that for the Thieve's Guild, it would be the largest building." He pointed. "Over there."

Joe whistled. "You're probably right."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lilika asked, heading in that direction, dragging Joe behind her.

Mimi sighed in amusement. Her sister definitely had Joe wrapped around her finger. The worse thing about it was the fact that she didn't even know it.

"I know what you're thinking," Izzy said quietly beside her.

Mimi turned to him, kissing his cheek. "Love, despite our distinct personalities, we do think alike. I'm thinking about what I can do to help my sister and Joe together."

"Is it going to be dangerous?"

"Well, depends on your definition. She is my sister, after all."

Izzy chuckled, shaking his head.

* * *

Palmon hugged Agumon. "Thanks, hun!"

Agumon blushed. "No problem."

Tentomon huffed. "And what am I? Chopped liver?"

The plant Digimon grinned. "Well, I can't hug you. You're not designed to be hugged."

Gomamon chuckled. "Incredible. Simply incredible. Agumon, why don't you and Palmon go-?"

"Finish that statement," Weregarurumon threatened, "and I'llhit you so hard, that you'll be over Burg before you reformat."

"And if he doesn't, I will," Biyomon put in.

Gomamon gulped. "Right. I'll keep it to myself, then. Yes, that's the best idea."  
Weregarurumon sighed. As currently the most powerful of the Digimon on the team, Tai had asked him to keep an eye on the others. Which proved to be quite the task, considering the fact that a thief had tried to pick up Palmon.

The thief quickly found out what meant to have hot pants as Agumon Peppered Breathed him, though Palmon put him out of his misery by throwing him into a large bucket of water.

You would think hitting rock bottom would make a bigger sound.

* * *

It became apparent that they were closing in on their objective. Now they had a question that needed to be answered. Where was the lowlife that had taken their Dragon Wings? This will be immediately followed by; How much pain shall be inflicted upon him before he gives us back our item?

And why was that?

They were in the pub.

People were milling around in a half drunken stupor, laughing racously about something or other, or pulling extremely attractive waitresses onto their laps. Money changed hands, and thieves showed off their newest prizes.

Alex grimaced. This definitely wasn't Burg.

Kyle looked around, scanning every face he could see. "I don't see that thief anywhere, but I know he went here."

"Intuition?" Mia asked.

Kyle nodded. "That, and an understanding about the place. All the thieves go here." He snapped his fingers. "Let's go talk to the barkeep and see if he knows where our friend is." _'And stay calm,' _he added silently to himself. _'Just stay calm!'_

Quickly, despite the crowded conditions, they weaved their way over to the bar itself, where a beefy looking man was presently serving drinks. This, obviously, took a great deal of time. However, reach it, they did.

"Hey, Kyle!" the barkeep exclaimed jovially, shaking Kyle's hand. "Haven't seen you in a while! Sit down, have a drink! Hell, have three! Let's hear some more stories about life in Nanza!"

Kyle smiled sadly. "I wish I could, friend, but I'm not here to tell stories or swill ales..." He took a breath. "Someone has stolen an item of great importance from my friends, and I'm here to get it back."

The barkeep sighed. "That's a shame... but complaining about it in Reza is like complainig about wussy magicians in Vane, you know?"

_"Hey!"_ Mia and Nash shouted at the same time.

"Cool it, you two!" Kyle barked. "Actually, I was hoping you could help us get it back. You're an influential fellow around here... is there anything you can do?"

For a second, there was silence, as the man thought about it. He grinned. "Well, this must be important if you're resorting to flattery." He chuckled. "There _is_ a way for you to get your item back."

"Well?"

"Members of the Magic Guild aren't allowed to steal from other members. If one of you joins the Magic Guild, whoever stole your item will have to give it back to you."

Kyle nodded. "Not as easy as I had hoped, but I guess we don't have a choice." He turned his full attention back to the conversation. "So, how do I join the guild?"

The barkeep leaned in. "Your thieving skills will be tested by one of the guild's elite," he said quietly. "He can be found working in Meryod this thieving period... finding him is also part of the test!" He frowned. "You know how to get to Meryod, right?"

Kyle nodded again, though not happily. "We're going to have a long walk." He turned around. "Alex, We'll have to walk along the coast of the Inland Sea for at least a month. It would take shorter if we had horses, but if there's one thing Reza isn't known for, it's for its horses. Most of them are the property of one thief or another. The rest of them move slower than a person on foot." He grinned. "Thanks, man!"

"Anytime. And next time you're here, have a story ready!"

* * *

"Meryod!" Lilika blurted out. "That's practically in the Stadius Zone!"

A sputtering sound could be heard. _"You have got to be kidding me!"_ Ginny exclaimed, almost shrieking.

"Ginny..."

_"Sorry, Matt_.

"Deep breathes, Ginny," Nall suggested. "Next time, you'll probably choke."

_"I'll keep that in mind, furball."_

Jessica frowned. "Are we strong enough for this? Because I agree with Ginny's assessment."

Kyle grinned. "Hey, you guys can stay here if you want. I'm the only one who has to pass the test." His grin grew. "As long as you guys don't mind being labeled 'wimps for life,' I'm fine with it."

Serena bristled. While she had been known as a crybaby and a coward, her time on Lunar had burned that out of her. And she didn't like the implied sarcasm. "Hey, you go, we all go!" she informed him.

"You tell him, Sailor Moon!" Jupiter's knuckles cracked audibly. "Besides, I like a good challange!"

"_You_ do." Angewomon pulled out the shopping list. "Alright, we're going to have to forego all perishable goods, and we're going to have to double up on healing nuts and other items we'll need."

"Add trail mix to the list," T.K. suggested.

"An excellent idea. I'll do that."

Serena looked around. "Kyle, question; Does this place have a bathing area?"

"Yeah, it's outside the city, though." Kyle's eyebrows waggled. "And it's not exactly a females only pool, if you get the drift."

Pluto chuckled. "I think the majority of the Alliance will be trying to forego a bath." She sniffed. "Even though we all need it. Looks like we're going to have to risk it."

Amy grinned. "Welcome to Lunar, boys and girls."

Tai nodded. "Alright, girls first. Kari, Angewomon, Mimi, make sure nothing happens that doesn't pertain to cleaning. We're on a tight schedule."

"It's _Lunar_," Kyle stated. "If something happens, it happens. Ride with it."

"Kyle, unlike you, I actually think being a leader means leading. Beside, Sora will have my head if anything happens."

"Hmm, good point."

About ten minutes later, yelps of pain could be heard, Mimi and Lita began twisting groper's arms. Tai sighed, rubbing his eyes. He had seen that coming."Alex, just shoot me now."

Alex nodded. "I'll get Izzy to do it."

"Thanks."

* * *

J'onro appeared about five miles from Reza, an army of youma right behind him. Four massive dragon type Digimon flew overhead, continuing on their journey. "Now, remember the plan," he instructed the youma. "We need to determine the Senshi's strength's and weaknesses. The Digi-Destined will be my little project. Go."

The head youma saluted. "Move out!" she shrieked, in a voice that almost popped J'onro's eardrums. The army moved forward, making for the dilapidated city, hoping to acquire a small snack in their mayhem.

After all, they would be walking for about two hours.

* * *

Amy leaned back in the pool, shaking her head in disbelief. "Lita, you and Mimi really need to learn how to manage your anger better."  
"He pinched my ass!" Mimi protested. "I was well within my rights in beating him within an inch of his life! Be thankful I just bent his arm in an uncomfortable manner!"

Serena laughed. "This is what I get for being the leader of an all girl team."

"Makes me glad I'm taking orders from a nine year old," Angewomon mentioned, fluffing her wings a bit. "Though I wish our boyfriends could have joined us. It would be nice to talk to them."

"Among other things." Jessica sealed that with a giggle.

Mia frowned. "I believe that's the reason why Tai wanted to keep us segregated when we bathe here."

Sora nodded, tossing a bar of soap to Mina. "And that's a fact." She paused. "Grant you, it hasn't stopped _some_ people."

"What, you think I'm a virgin?" Jessica asked. "Girl, I usually get a guy, or girl, in at least every town after an adventure. And you give me that glare of yours, we're going to have issues."  
Rini shuddered. "Too much info, Jessica. Especailly for me."

"You think that's bad?" Kari asked. "Try having visions of Hikari. Those conversations are slightly disturbing."

Mimi grinned. "Kari, take a dunk." She quickly pushed the little girl's head underwater for a second, before letting her up.

Immediately, a water war erupted, which went on for about several moment before they were all completely soaked. Just a bit of fun between friends.

And then four dragons flew overhead.

"Devidramon!" Angewomon shouted, as the Sailor Scouts transformed, leaping out of the water, while Angewomon and Kari formed their clothing around them. All in the space of two seconds.

**Devidramon: An Ultimate level Digimon, Devidramon are the most primal Digimon group in the Digital World. They use hypnosis, sheer strength, and numbers to defeat their enemies. Their long reach allows them to stay a distance from any opposition.**

Mercury turned around, visor already feeding her information. "Bigger problem! There's an army of Youma approaching the city! ETA, twenty six minutes!"  
Sailor Moon noded. "Alright, Scouts, we'll deal with the youma. Kari, you, Angewomon, and Mercury help deal with the Devidramon!"

Kari smirked. "Is this a fight, or a mopping up exercise? Let's go, girls!"

_

* * *

"Bloody hell," Ginny commented casually._

"You said it," Matt replied, just as calmly, sabre up. "Gin, you are about to get your first lesson how to slay a dragon type Digimon. Weregarurumon, take the one on the left."

Izzy shook his head. That mental connection had rattled a few neurons loose in both of them.

The Devidramon's huge hand slammed downward, ready to crush everything in its way... only to have T.K.'s small hands grab one of its fingers, stopping it. The little boy then whirled, slamming the Digimon into the ground, before leaping up himself, sword powering up. _"Hope Sword Blaster!"_ he shouted, blade piercing the back. The Devidramon then detonated through the sheer power pouring through it.

Metalgreymon finished digivolving, then spread his massive tattered wings, flying up into the air. He slammed into two of the Devidramon head on, his bionic arm slashing one's head off, while his tail slammed the other one to the ground. "GIGA BLASTER!" he shouted, launching his attack downward. Three down.

The fourth got hit by two fireballs, a powerful magic attack, and was stabbed in the leg by Alex. Mimi then entered the fray, punching it dead in the face. "Do it, Weregarurumon!"

"WOLF CLAW!" The werewolf Digimon's powerful hands slashed downward, cutting through skin and muscle effortlessly. The Grand Demon, it wasn't.

Kari nodded as Rini ran up to them, straightening her shirt out. "This is what we get for taking a bath in a city of thieves," she said.

"Big time," Rini agreed.

The young Light warrior sighed...

_"Takeru, I'm telling you, bathing here isn't a good idea," Hikari protested, sinking into the water as she did so. "I mean, they say that this pool is cursed."_

_Takeru grinned. "You're just being paranoid. And besides, we're Guardians. Bad luck isn't that much of a problem."  
"I value my modesty!" The Guardian of Light leaned back. "I'm not Lunarian!"_

_"Neither am I," Takeru pointed out._

_"Yeah, but you lived in a place that had only one swimming hole in it."_

_"And a lot of people have seen you naked."_

_"I'm telling you, someone's going to bathe here, and a fight's going to break out!"_

Kari sighed again. "T.K., you get the feeling Hikari was right?" she asked, as she reached T.K.

"I would rather not see a naked Hikari, thank you very much," T.K. replied.

Tai stepped up to them. "Another vision?"

"Another vision," two voices replied in unison.

Mercury quickly whirled. "I have the youma approaching the city!"

_"Youma?"_

"Negaverse soldiers," Matt explained.

_"I know what they are! I had dealings with them."_

"Ah."

"The Scouts just went to deal with them," Rini said. "Lita wanted to have words with them."

Tai shrugged. "She can."

_(Undeniably so,)_ his sword pitched in. _(But there may be more to this attack than meets the eye.)_

_'Tell me about it. You think they might be gauging our abilities?'_

_(That is it. Soon, they may have all the information they need on you and your friends.)_

That wasn't a very helpful thought.

* * *

The youma stoped as their commander noticed the majoity of the Sailor Scouts approaching. "Remember," she hissed softly. "They are not to be killed. Our battle is a farce. Make sure they don't know that." She held up a hand. "Attack!"

Sailor Moon brought her scepter out. "Jupiter, Mars, let's clean house! _Moon Scepter Activation!"_

_"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"_

_"Supreme Thunder Crash!"_

Twenty youma were destroyed in the first volley, their defenses inadequete for the task. The second volley destroyed another twenty.

Jupiter grinned. Now the odds were about fair.

"Attack," Serena added calmly, before charging forward. The others followed quickly.

J'onro held up a Sunak scanner, taking in the power ratings of the Senshi. He was tasked with analyzing their abilities, then finding a solution to combat them. The _Vigilant's_ engineers would then build a device to do just that.

However, watching them in battle was somewhat disconcerting. They way they could lift opponents was most impressive, especially wih Sailor Jupiter. Quite frankly, were he and his brethren not unbeatable, he would probably be scared out of his wits.

And their experiences on Lunar had changed them all, with even Sailor Moon abandoning pretenses of what she once was. Each one of them could act independently, without orders from their Moon Princess. It was completely instinctive now.

J'onro shook his head. The Sailor Scouts have gone from being a minor nuisance to be a genuine threat.

Their power, on the other hand, was stable... except Sailor Moon's. It seemed to increase slightly every minute she used it. In the short run, it wasn't a problem. In the long run...

Shutting off the scanner, he teleported back to the Frontier, disturbed by what he had seen, and by his scan. If that was what the war had done to them, they were going to have to destroy them quickly. Before they become too powerful to be stopped.

* * *

Youma. They are the foot soldiersof the Dark Kingdom. They are sustained by the emotional and kinetic energy of humanoid lifeforms, converting it into power for their great leader, Queen Metellus, the almighty Negaforce. But in order for them to do that, their prey needs to be afraid, and helpless.

The Sailor Scouts didn't even come close to either category.

Within the first several minutes after their initial long range assault, they had decimated half of the remaining warriors, wading into their increasingly frantic numbers with fists and feet flying, shattering bones. In short, the youma were no math for these more aggressive, and lethal, Senshi.

Tai, who had his trusty little scope with him, winced. "Ouch."

"You said it," Mercury replied. "I never knew Jupiter could bend one into a pretzel."

"I don't think I wanna know," Joe said. Lilika nodding in agreement.

Agumon grinned. "Alright, this confirms it. These girls can kick some ass!"

* * *

The last youma hit the ground disintigrating into dust as it did so.

Mars cracked her neck, working the remaining tension out of her neck. "Boy, that was refreshing, considering the crap we've had to deal with."

"A hundred youma?" Jupiter grinned. "That was just practice!"

Pluto frowned. "Let's not get overconfident. They attacked this place for a reason. We need to find out why."

Two hours later, the Alliance reformed in the center of Reza, considerably cleaner than before,and having learned everything they could. And none of what they learned of was good.

"Anything else we need?" Mia asked.

_"An ungodly amount of luck?"_ Ginny suggested pleasently.

Artemis hissed slightly. "You're not helping here, Ginny."

Matt grinned. "Hey, don't say that. She's right, after all. That is one thing we're going to need now, more than ever."

Especially considering what they had learned.

_

* * *

"So you're saying that a number of thieves are joining the Vile Tribe?" Alex asked._

_The thief he was talking to was shaking. "They took out several tribes in the Stadius Zone, where there was nothing to steal. But that's not all of it." She leaned forward. "I heard that they were sending those turncoats through one of Althena's gateways to other worlds. I hear they were sending them after someone called... well, I'd say that he was some sort of royalty... 'Pharoah, I think it was."_

Matt recalled that Pharoah was an ancient Egyptian title for God King, when people worshipped rulers like they were gods on Earth. It was strange to hear that from a Lunaraian.

But they couldn't worry about that unknown guy yet. If they were sending converts through a Stargate, then they could send reinforcements to home. They had to stop them.

"We have enough food to last us a month, our armor and weapons were repaired, and our healing supplies have been replenished," Nash said, hoisting his pack onto his back. "So, let's get going."  
And they went.

* * *

Episode Fifty Five is now complete. Episode Fifty Six will be done as soon as possible, and will feature the return of a very dangerous Sith Lord. For the sake of not ruining the story, I'll shut up here.

The modem on my compuer at home is no longer working, so it may take longer than before to get things done. Please bear with me. The computers at the local library are not up for this all the time


	59. Episode Fifty Six: Sith Rising

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Episode Fifty Six: Sith rising**

Sidious observed Dooku's image. "So you have failed?" he asked.

"_I have, my lord. Asyousuggested. Sokor and Hathor have been denied their prize."_

"Excellent. You have done well, Tyrannus. Continue your efforts."

"_Understood, My Lord."_ Dooku bowed once, before the hologram shut off. No doubt, to prepare for his next operation.

Sidious slowly walked across the room, contemplative. So far, everything was going as planned. With the start of the Clone Wars, the thickening cloud of the Dark Side kept Jedi perception limited to the here and now. It made it easier to manipulate.

And now, that war would spread across the Guardian Protectorate, bringing the Light to its knees for eternity. If only Beryl knew of his true plans, though...

A sudden shift in the Force made him turn around. A Force capable person had just entered his room, one with great power… and hatred. _'A Dark Jedi, no doubt.'_

Then he started when a familiar voice suddenly spoke up.

"Master, I have returned."

Sidious had never been surprised before. Ill at ease, perhaps. Angry, definitely. But caught by surprise? Never. He was the most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith in over nine hundred years, on par with the head of the Jedi Council, Yoda, himself. And that accursed Jedi Knight, Mara Sara.

He didn't do surprised. He did the surprising.

But now, he felt the unfamiliar feeling snaking through his system as he laid eyes on the one person he thought he would never see again. And for good reason. The person was dead.

A Zabrak with red and black tattoos, wearing the black robes of the Sith, stood before him. Flame red eyes, revealing the depth of his knowledge in the Dark Side, also spoke of his deep abiding hatred to the Jedi.

"Darth Maul," Sidious said in surprise. "It seems that Jedi are not the only ones who are returning from the dead."

Maul nodded. "I think that there are many other surprises in store for us all. For this was not an accident, Master."

The Dark Lord of the Sith observed him. "You seem much more powerful than before, my old apprentice."  
"I have received training from another, through the Force, one even more powerful than you." He grinned. "One from the era of Master Yoda."

Sidious frowned thoughtfully. During his own tutelage under Darth Plagueus, he had observed the ancient Sith holocron, divulging its secrets. "Yes… I seem to recall reading about a hidden Sith," he murmured. "One who had mastered not only the power of immortality, but also the power to raise someone from the dead. But I thought he was only a myth."

"Oh, he is very real. I have spent ten long years in hiding, completing my training under this man." The Sith Lord turned. "I never saw his face, but I do know this; He lives in the Wizarding World under a false guise."

Sidious nodded. "But he dispatched you back to me."  
"He did. He wants you to corrupt not only Skywalker, but young Wendy Darling, as well."

"Two all powerful Sith apprentices?"  
"In due time, My Master."

* * *

"Joe, have you seen a more beautiful sunrise?"

Joe turned to Lilika, who looked rather amazed by what she was seeing. It was beautiful, but so was every sunrise on Lunar, for that matter. He said as much.

Lilika giggled. "Joe, you must really learn to appreciate the simple things in life! Must I teach you this as well?"

"Could you?" Gomamon asked. "By the way, can you teach him how to play dead, and fetch a stick?"

The Digidestined of Reliability looked down. "No help from the peanut gallery!"  
Tai and the others laughed as they walked, listening to the usual banter between Joe and his partner, and Lilika giggling merrily next to them. It was a welcome change of pace for them, especially since they had been fighting non stop since Vane. They didn't know how long it would last, but they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"_Professor McGonagall is actually planning to let Harry and Hermione go to Zion," _Ginny finally finished up with. "_Considering what happened to Bermu, I don't think that's such a good idea."_

"What about your new friends?" Matt inquired, the one usually talking to her, seeing as how he was closer to her than the rest of them.

"_They're tough, but that's what you'd expect from Peter Pan, Wendy and her daughter."_

"Fair enough." Tai checked the map. "Are you sure that we're going the right way, Kyle?" he asked.

Kyle nodded. "This is the most direct way to Meryod. It's also the only way we'll avoid most of the fighting." He sighed. "Meribia, Meryod, and myself had dispatched troops all over the Marius Zone, but we're only holding them at a stalemate."

Nash whistled. "I had no idea fighting had already spread across this area."  
"Very few do. These were done under absolute secrecy, with only the leaders involved. The troop commanders were only told after we had reached a decision."  
Angewomon nodded thoughtfully. "It makes sense," she said. "After all, with Xenobia's duplicity discovered, no one has a clue who can be trusted. And from what we learned, the way the villages are set up make it difficult to simply run a straight line."  
"If you're only interested in fighting," Jessica retorted. "The Vile Tribe isn't interested in simple conquest. A great number of their soldiers are extremely bloodthirsty. They prefer simply slaughtering their enemies, instead of taking what they need. In fact, they even have a betting pool as to how many humans they can kill in a fight."

Sora gasped. As someone who cared for all life, the idea of killing for the sheer joy of it was appalling. "That's totally barbaric!"

"Like Earth is any different." Joe pushed his glasses up on his face. "We've had our fair share of monsters and psychopaths throughout human history. Adolf Hitler, for instance."

"Don't remind us," Jupiter replied. "We've also had Beryl, Wise Man…"  
"…Myotismon, Devimon." Angewomon added. "Our world is no stranger to monsters."

Lilika nodded. "Did your faith sustain you through all of those monsters?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah. We had to believe that we would survive."

Matt grinned. "It worked," he said. "We're still here."

Alex nodded. "And now you have to face them again. I guess it's true what they say; the monsters never really die." He sat down, poking at the fire. "I sometimes wish I was back in Burg, where the only problems I had were getting my room clean, and to train. I certainly didn't expect that my quest to become the Dragonmaster evolve into a full scale war for Lunar."

Joe took his glasses off, and wiped the lenses with a small piece of cloth. "No did. And, let's face it, even if you acquire the powers of the Dragonmaster, it may not be enough to stop them."

"You're just a regular ray of sunshine, you know that?" Lita said, stretching her arms out. "We'll beat them. I mean, we are many, Ghaleon is just one man."

"With a great deal of power," Darien reminded them. "It's not something that is evened out fully on the battlefield."

"...Good point."

The Digi-Destine of Reliability sighed. Too many complications were muddling the issues. And the enemy was growing stronger. Soon, nothing would be able to stop them.

_'Wrong,'_ he thought. _'Theirs us.'_

* * *

Sidious and Maul slowly walked across the vast building in the Industry District, towards Maul's personal vessel. The new Sith Master was pleased to see it in perfect working order.

"As you probably know, our master has expressed that our true allegiances secret, until his plans are complete," Sidious explained. "But I must inform Beryl about your revival, as well as Dooku."

Maul nodded. "Actually, I believe I shall do that myself, on my way to Lunar."

The supreme Lord of the Sith blinked. "Excuse me?"

The Zabrak grinned. "I wish to meet this... Alliance that has everyone worried. And..." his flame filled eyes sparked with new strength, "to see what they are capable of."

* * *

Phacia walked down a hallway in the palace, looking over the latest intelligence reports from the field, as well as making her recommendations as to where to strike for the first wave. Satisfied, she turned down the hallway, heading for her quarters.

"Lady Phacia!"

The Vile Tribe Princess turned around, already cursing her luck. "Yes?"

The messenger, a stout demon with the build of a tree trunk, stopped, panting for moment. "The Queen and the Magic Emperor wish to see you and Lady Royce in the throne room," he finally gasped out. "However, I cannot seem to rouse the Seer from her chambers."

'_Of all of the times...'_ "Thank you, Gero. I will collect her on the way, then." She did an about face, heading for her sister's quarters. She had a fairly good idea what her sister was doing at the moment.

Upon reaching the door, she quickly lowered the silencing spells on it, then pressed her ear against the stone, listening for a split second. '_Moaning,'_ she thought. '_Her sexual cravings are definitely erratic in their scope. I wonder who she's being screwed by now... and how many times.'_ She swiftly knocked on the door. Just as swiftly, she heard the padding of feet on a rug, before the door opened, revealing Royce. "Yes, dear sister?" she inquired.

Phacia's eyebrow arched. "Shedding your inhibitions, Royce?" she asked. "You seem to have forgotten a robe." She looked in, saw the two soldiers hastily pulling their trousers on. "And you two, report to the barracks! She will not be returning for the night. And I want to see you two tomorrow bout this!" There was going to be some disciplinary action that would remind the army about behavior.  
Royce, who was nude and uncaring, stepped aside as they moved past, before stepping back into full view. "It isn't like any one has never seen me in the nude before. Why bother?" She smirked. "Unless you wish to take their place."

The demon's eyes narrowed in disgust. It grated on her nerves how Royce seemed to use everyone around as sex toys. Even Xenobia, though the queen didn't mind. "Our sister has requested our presence in the throne room," she ground out, discovering that one could indeed talk coherently while speaking through one's teeth. "Make yourself presentable, and be there in fifteen minutes." She leaned in. "And if you _ever_ make that type of proposition again to me, I will gut you like a stuck pig!" She stalked away, not wanting to remain in her presence for a moment longer.

* * *

Royce entered the throne room almost fifteen minutes later, utterly composed. "My apologies, Xenobia."

Xenobia chuckled. "No need. I was planning on joining you, but now's not the time to dwell on it." She leaned forward. "It has been confirmed. The Alliance is moving towards Meryod, and our forces will not be able to intercept."

"We have no choice then, but to send an Uruk-Hai in." Phacia looked at the massive map. "Another sacred cave is several miles away. With two of them already with their sacred weapons..." She didn't need to complete that sentence.

"We must stop them, then." Xenobia leaned in. "Magic Emperor?"

Ghaleon grinned. "There may be a warrior who can stop them. He is here on Sidious's orders. Also, I need your finest technicians to help Master Engineer Taben with my little 'school' project."

The Vile Tribe Queen returned the grin. "Well, then, Master, I shall let you do whatever dastardly deeds you want to do. In the meantime, I expect we have no other immediate trouble, Phacia?" Phacia shook her head. "Good. I need you to divert our worker force to the beta mine."

Phacia started. The beta mine was the most treacherous of the mines, due to the extremely powerful monsters that inhabited them. To send more workers there was suicide.

But, on the other hand, if she didn't, she would be sent there herself. Then the workers would have no one left to help them. "I will make the arrangements immediately," she replied, bowing.

"Very well. Dismissed!" She had waited until the other's had left, before turning to Royce, smiling suggestively. "Now then, sister..."  
Royce grinned, walking towards the throne.

* * *

Lilika lay down, outside her new tent, watching the sun as it set on the horizon, enjoying the peace as much as everyone else. And besides, she wasn't going to get caught off guard. Her senses were better than average, after all. _'Besides,'_ she thought, giggling, _'I have Joe to protect me.'_

"Catch, Joe!"

"Gomamon! I wasn't ready for that!"  
The half demon sighed. Joe had barely caught a bag of dried apples before it had hit him in the place where the sun doesn't shine. _'But, who will protect Joe from Gomamon?'_ she added.

Gomamon was crestfallen sat down, offering some apple to Lilika. "I almost got him," he murmured.

Luna looked up. "You need to grow up!" she snapped, before going over to Agumon, talking to him for a second. Agumon nodded, then turned to spear the aquatic Digimon with a glare, crooking a finger at him.

Gomamon gulped. This was never a good thing.

Joe sat down next to Lilika, offering the bag. "Want some apple?" he asked.

Lilika smiled. "Thank you." She took a piece from the proffered bag, nibbling on the fruit as she stared out at the water.

Joe watched her for a moment, feeling concerned. "Are you all right, Lilika?"

The young woman turned to him. "Do you remember when we first met, and I told Luna that my parents were dead?"

Joe waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Besides, some of us have learned things we never knew."

Lilika nodded, smiling. "Actually, I was wondering, when this is all over… can I go with you? To meet them?"

"...I think Mimi would want that."

"That is good." The half demon started smiling again. "So, how have you managed to survive with Gomamon?"

Joe started grinning. "Dumb luck."

"Does he ever take anything seriously?"  
"Only his enemies. Other than that, if he was anymore laid back, he'd slip into a coma."

Lilika giggled.

* * *

Racc observed the Sith Lord who was now exiting his ship, rather amazed that Sidious had stashed an apprentice away for ten years. Especially one that radiated the amount of power this one did.

The Sith, in question, observed him for a second. "You are the Uruk Hai, Racc." It wasn't a question.

Racc nodded, a little unnerved by this. "Your orders are simple; Find the Alliance. Stop them. At the very least, delay them. We need time to get our troops in range."  
Maul nodded, though inside, he seethed with fury. This _creature_ was cowardly, if he needed him to do his dirty work for him. He would humor him for now, though, until it was time. "As you wish."

* * *

Ghaleon observed the skeletal frame before him. "Are you sure that this will work?" he shouted over the noise.

Taben, the only person under his employ, walked up to him, his massive beard quivering with excitement. "Of course, My Lord. The trial device created a perfectly capable demon warrior without any ill effects, short or long term. This more powerful version, with the modifications Queen Beryl gave, as well as the purified thalaron, will allow us to create... the perfect fighter."

Excellent. I'm sure Beryl will be happy about this." The Magic Emperor frowned. "If Lemia had been forthcoming with the information, we wouldn't need this."  
"My Lord, you know as well I do that she would never break her vow to Dyne," Taben replied. "On the other hand, it will allow me to tinker with my masterpiece."

"Indeed. When the Vile Tribe gets the final component from that little girl, let me know."

"I shall, as always."

_

* * *

Joe ran quickly across the burning desert sand, every breath painful, blisters popping in his boots, as he tried to reach her. The 'her' was Lilika, who stood on a slab of rock, smiling. 'Must keep running,' __he thought. _'Must get to her. I've go to save her.''Must keep running,' 'Must get to her. I've go to save her.' 

_But it seemed that no matter how hard he ran, he never seemed to get any closer. He reached out with his hand, hoping to grasp hers._

_And then she burst into flames._

Joe sat up quickly, gasping for breath at the strength and vividness of his dream. Quickly registering his immediate surroundings, which were the insides of his tent, he turned his head to gaze at Lilika's sleeping form. Sighing in relief, he lay back down, closing his eyes.

He didn't get another wink of sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Another day of walking," Palmon grumbled, stretching her limbs and root's out. "Oh, joy."

Mimi sighed. "Palmon, it's not like we can do anything else _but_ walk."  
"Yeah, but you've got feet!"

"And you're a Digimon. You're supposed to be used to this."  
Lilika giggled. "Palmon, must you complain to my sister?"

"Yes!"

"The rest of us would ignore her," Tai explained, chipper.

Sora turned to him. "Why are you so happy?"

Jessica grinned. "I initiated him last night," she replied.

From the look on the keeper of Love's face, she knew what that meant. "We'll be having words later, Tai," she threatened.

Tai shrugged carelessly. "She jumped me. I was willing after that, but she removed my ability to think first."

"In that case, Jessica, we're going to be having words later."

Joe listened to the early morning banter, and arguments with half an ear. His mind was still focused on last night's dream, trying to figure out what it meant. He knew it meant that Lilika was in danger. But from what? Dehydration? Did a half demon even suffer from dehydration?

"Something on your mind?"  
Joe jumped, then looked at Angemon. "What makes you say that?" he asked, his voice a pitch higher than normal.

The angelic gestured around. "Well, you haven't said a word in the thirty minutes the whole Alliance has been awake, so I'm taking a guess. Am I lucky today?"

Joe nodded. "It was a bad dream."

"It must have been one hell of a dream to have you this jumpy. I haven't seen you like this since... since you guys first showed up in the Digital World."

"Thanks for reminding me. I was in an unfamiliar environment, with Bukamon jumping all over me."

"He did that with all of us."

"You had sharp teeth."

The angel chuckled. "Yeah, but I had big healthy, sharp teeth."

On that, Joe had to agree. "Something I didn't have," he reminded him, a shred of humor lacing his tone. "But, hey, I survived that first meeting, and he digivolved into Gomamon not long after that."

He would have said more, but was stopped when Mars suddenly held a hand up. Sailor Moon quickly followed suit, bringing the rest of the Alliance to a halt. "You sense something, Pyro?" she asked.

Mars didn't reply, instead bringing her hands up to the side of her head, concentrating. Focusing her abilities, Joe recalled from last night's dinner conversation, so that she could determine whether it was human or... something else more accurately, as well as determine if it was a threat or not.

This was quickly answered when the Fire Senshi's eyes snapped open, fire collecting at her fingertips.

Alex brought his sword out. "Incoming?" he asked.

"Incoming," Mars replied. "One person. Extremely powerful." She paused. "It's Force energy."

Tai relaxed slightly. "What is it?"

"_Probably a Sith Lord, or a Dark Jedi_," Ginny replied.

Joe sighed. "Why'd you have to tell us that?"

"_Experience. You should learn to appreciate it._"

Mercury pulled her computer out, checking the energy signature. "Scan confirms. It is a Sith Lord."

"Which means we're of no help here," Agumon said, ushering the Digimon back.

Tai looked at his weapon, almost as if he was in communication with it. After a moment, he nodded, which confused Joe to no end. "Mia, can sacred weapons stand up against a lightsaber?" he asked decisively.

Mia frowned. "I believe so. Why?"

"Matt."

Matt caught what he meant, and nodded, then looked at their weapons. Almost immediately, their blades became energy versions of themselves, Tai's a fire encased katana, Matt's a vibrant blue, similar to a lightsaber.

Lilika whistled. "Most impressive, guys."

Joe only nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of deep foreboding.

* * *

Moving swiftly over the uneven land, his double bladed lightsaber out, though not activated yet, Maul charged forward. All of the physical and mental power of the Dark Side. It was this combination that had defeated Qui Gon Jinn.

And now it would serve him in fighting the Alliance.

He added one additional thought; Don't work too hard.

As he neared the Alliance's coordinates, he saw that they had stopped, and had turned to face them. He saw that the two most powerful of the Digi-Destined, and those warriors Racc called the Six, step forward, the Sailor Scouts forming a line in front of them. His lips twitched. He was going to enjoy this greatly.

As he thought this, the five Sailor Soldiers, and that pint sized child, suddenly powered up, and unleashed their most powerful attacks, a display of magical strength that would have reduced the entirety of the CIS leadership into a mass of quivering flesh and bone, and razed an entire army of droids in half a second.

Maul merely leaped, using the Force to push him over it. His lightsaber deflected Venus's energy beam, while Force Lightning forked out to meet Jupiter's head on. His face tightened as he landed, charging forward.

Courage and Friendship went to met him, weapons moving through the air like a pair of vipers.

"Get him, Tai!" Agumon shouted, pumping his fist into the air as the first blows were dealt. And, lo and behold, the sacred weapons survived the attack.

Kyle whistled. "Not bad, Mia."

Mia shrugged. "I do my homework," she replied modestly.

Joe watched as Tai, Matt, and this Sith warrior, who looked like he had gone to an over excited Tattoo artist, engaged in a deadly dance, weapons whirling so fast, that they were blurs. _'This guy's good,'_ he thought, very much aware that the slightest mistake would mean a lot of trouble for them.

Even as he thought this, Maul whirled, foot slamming into Tai's face, then Matt's. As the two of them fell, slightly dazed, Maul brought his energy blade down.

Before it could kill them, T.K. suddenly decided that he didn't need to be protected, and blocked the downward stroke. Moving too fast to be seen, he slammed his fist into the Sith's face, throwing him back ten feet. "Guys, now!" he shouted.

The other five surged forward, Mercury stopping next to Tai and Matt for a moment, before continuing on, twin sabers flashing as she joined the fray. Force Lightning forked out to hit Kari's shield, while he blocked the Ice Senshi one handed.

Greg's concern of the situation grew, as he accessed his Seer powers. This creature was strong, and he was more powerful than they realized. He seemed to be observing their attacks, then countering them quickly. And his vision didn't help matters. "It's a delaying tactic!" he shouted. "We need to-"

Greg was silenced as Maul suddenly disengaged, and leaped at him, lightsabers whirling in a tar kasi whirlwind of destruction. Greg's own blade was out, blocking desperately, shocked. Never, _never_, had his vision not shown him something of this nature.

But he was quite the powerful individual himself. And he didn't place his faith on a future set in stone, as he had told Royce in that fortune teller hut.

Maul felt the boy coming up behind him, and moved quickly, deftly blocking both of them easily. He found their attack strategy to be simplistic in its scope. It was a test to see if he would allow overconfidence to cloud his senses. A perfect tactic, if you were up against someone like that old man Dooku.

But Maul wasn't an ordinary Sith.

When Sidious had found him, he was alone, and angry. His ability to use the Force was exceptional, though unfocused. Sidious raised him, taught him the ways of the Dark Side, had him read everything he could on Jedi lore so he would understand his enemy.

And now he was beginning to understand this enemy, as well.

Moving in a blur, the Sith Lord whirled, forcing Greg past him, stumbling. He quickly blocked the little boy's sword, appreciating how the Guardians could forge solid metal weapons that could stand against a lightsaber. And he was surprised by how viciously Takeru used it.

Apparently, the test was over...

Lilika sidled up to Joe, staring at the fight. "That Sith Lord..." she began.

Joe shrugged. "Whoever trained him is part of the Deadly Alliance." Who it was, he didn't know, but he had trained him well. And that made him nervous.

As he pondered his options, Maul suddenly went on a furious offensive, battering both Angemon and T.K.'s defenses. He threw a roundhouse kick at Angewomon, sending her flying back into Mercury.

And, just like that, Joe's dream came back to him full force, and he had a revelation.

They wouldn't win this fight. They didn't know the first thing about fighting a Force wielding warrior.

They had to get out of here.

His mind working furiously, he made his way over to Alex. "We have to get out of here!" he shouted. "We're no match for him!"

"What about Tai and the others?" Sora asked.

His whip was out without any hesitation, and he made for the battle.

Maul was blocking Tai and Matt effortlessly, when the Force whispered that someone was coming up behind him. Finally forcing the two Empowered back, he turned to see Reliability coming up. Smirking he brought his weapon to bear.

And was forced to block Angemon's slashing strike, thus taking his eye off of the boy.

Joe lashed out, his weapon wrapping itself around the Sith's lightsaber handle. With all of the power in hi body, he pulled it out of his hands.

Maul quickly lashed out with the full power of the Dark Side, making everyone scatter. He started moving forward, keeping the Alliance off balance.

Izzy turned to Tentomon, nodding once. His Digimon partner nodded in return

**TENTOMON DIGIVOLVE TO... KABUTERIMON!**

Kabuterimon was in front of them in an instant, taking the electrical charge head on. "ELECTRO SHOCKER!" he bellowed, retaliating in full force.

Several seconds later, Birdramon flew overhead, wings beating up wind gusts that made Maul stumble back. Which, of course, was all that saved him from being electrocuted.

Joe quickly climbed onto Kabuterimon's back, but in the process, lost his grip on the lightsaber. He thought about going back for it, but decided that it wasn't a good idea. He noted that the others were also getting on, or were being carried by Angemon or Angewomon. "Go, go, go!" he bellowed. The two Digimon didn't need any more encouragement.

And for good reason. Over a hundred demons were approaching their position, with Racc in the lead.

Maul righted himself as the Alliance quickly picked up speed, recalling his lightsaber to him. Clipping it to his belt, he watched with some amusement as they fled.

Racc joined him, observing the same thing. "Reliability is really starting to get on my nerves," he said.

Maul smiled. "Uruk-Hai, you must really learn this lesson. Those who you think are the weakest, turned out to be stronger than you realize." He patted his weapon affectionately. "Besides, I have what I came for."

And with that, he walked away, leaving the Uruk-Hai wondering. It was time to report to his true master.

* * *

For two hours, the four Digimon flew, Mimi providing reconnaissance for them. Matt and Ginny were deep in conversation, one that went inside their heads. Everyone else was quiet, thinking about their close call.

Joe stewed over his sudden burst of leadership strength, knowing that he had overstepped his bounds. He turned his head to Tai, who was staring outward, gaze hard. "Tai?"

Tai turned his head, his gaze softening. "Yeah, Joe?"

"... ... Look, I know I overstepped my bounds... and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have challenged your authority."

Tai looked at him, then at Lilika, who was watching their exchange curiously. "Sorry?" he echoed, starting to grin. "Joe, you may have saved our lives." His grin grew at the boy's dumbfounded expression. "We were caught in a situation that we weren't familiar with, with a string of victories under our belts. We would have been killed if you hadn't given the order to retreat." His gaze hardened, his hand rubbing over his shoulder. The one, Joe thought, that Racc had slashed during Tai's trial. "But we were also caught flat footed. That can't happen again."  
Alex nodded. "Let's land, and set up camp for now. We need to analyze that Sith's fighting style, and find a way to counter it."

Tai nodded, who looked at Serena. She nodded as well. "At the very least, we'll know how he fights."

But Joe had another thought. "Guys, what if that was what he was doing?" he asked. "Learning how we fight?"

On that, no one had any optimistic words to give.

* * *

Maul stood before the flaming red portal, waiting.

Another man stepped out of the portal, his one eye a portal into his barren soul. "Did you acquire the Six's patterns?" he asked.

Maul nodded, handing him a small recorder. On he had on throughout the entire battle. "As well as the Sailor Senshi's power ratings, and two of the Empowered Warriors." He handed him a small datapad. "These are the Uruk-Hai's powers."

The man nodded, satisfied. "Master Trigon will be most pleased, Maul."

Maul nodded. "These Chosen Ones I have heard of... are you positive that you can destroy them, and revive Lord Voldemort, Slade?"

Slade smiled, though his mask hid it from view. "Oh, I have a few surprises for the Titans, and Hogwarts." His hand closed over the pad. "And the Deadly Alliance shall fall afterwards."

Maul's face stretched into a Zabrak grin. "Glory to the Dark Side," he intoned.

"Glory, indeed."

* * *

And here is Episode Fifty Six, completed and ready for all of you to read, and hopefully enjoy. Episode Fifty Seven will delve into what happens behind enemy lines. It shall certainly prove entertaining to type. So please, please, leave your reviews. I wish to know what you think about it.

Okay, I am in the process of watching the Manga movie _Karas_, but what I have seen so far is amazing. I also now own _Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_, and it rocks! I have never seen computer generated people do the things they did., but I like them. I like them a lot.


	60. Episode Fifty Seven: A look in the life

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Episode Fifty Seven: A glimpse in the Enemy's Life**

Phacia sighed as she leafed through the latest reports on their offensive. So far, their strategy was working. Many of the villages in the Marius Zone were little more than a few huts and a store. They had no way of defending their homes, instead relying on the protection of the Guild Alliance, and of Kemeka.

Of course, there was the Alliance to be worried about...

Leafing through the rolls of parchment on her desk, she found Maul's analysis of Courage and Friendship, and started reading, her eyes the only part of her face moving.

A knock on the door brought her back to reality, and she looked up, startled. "Yes?"

The door opened, revealing Kirok, sans mask. "Phacia," he said warmly in greeting, mouth quirked in that way she loved so much.

Phacia smiled. "Hello." She looked around. "Did I forget about dinner?"

"No. In fact, I came to get you. You haven't been eating a great deal since the war started."

"I know. It's just... Xenobia wants me to run this war effort. I haven't been sleeping well. And Royce has been getting on my nerves again. Not only that, I need to-"

Phacia's rambling was silenced by Kirok kissing her. "For one night, Love, let us pretend that there is no war. In fact, let us pretend that it is just you, and me, enjoying the evening together."

Phacia sighed, leaning against his chest. "But what of your brethren?" she asked. "They think I'm too... soft."

"And they are right. You _are _soft." The Uruk-Hai chuckled. "And I don't care if you are. It shows that you still have compassion in your heart. Your sister's haven't driven it out of you."

"You're right... Thank you, my love. I needed that. Now... about that dinner..."

Racc and Bara watched at Kirok's and Phacia's retreating forms. "What does he see in her?" Bara hissed.

"I do not know, but I do not like it." Racc's golden eyes narrowed. "Lover, watch them. If they have any thoughts of leaving..."  
Bara nodded. "I understand."

* * *

Xenobia's fist slammed into her sparring opponent's jaw, almost breaking it in the process. She finished with a fierce roundhouse kick, knocking him to the ground, unconscious. Finally stopping at long last, she turned to the two guards. "Get him out of my sight," she ordered, wiping the sweat from her brow. "And when he awakens, let him know I went easy on him." 

The two warriors saluted, and dragged their comrade out of the room, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.

Beryl, who had been watching the spectacle, grinned. "You went easy on him?" she echoed in amusement. "What is the usual end result of a sparring match with you?"

Xenobia turned. "They wish they were dead."

"You hate Sheyra and her bloodline that much."

Xenobia shook for a second in remembered rage. "Whenever I stare at one of those soldiers, I see my dear sister's face. I see myself driving my fist into her face, grinding her into dust. If it weren't for Phacia, I would have done that."

The queen of the Negaverse chuckled. "Does she have any idea?"

"No, she doesn't. And I will make sure that she never does."

"Well, pray that she never does. If she finds out that you orchestrated the murder of Skarde instead of Royce, then Mimi will come for the throne."

Xenobia nodded, hearing the truth in that. To lose someone like Jinx to the powers of purity was one thing. To lose someone like, say, Brother Blood, would be somewhat problematic, but easy to deal with.

To lose someone like Phacia, whose knowledge of the Vile Tribe was second to none, would be a crippling blow to the Tribe, especially if she joined Althena's forces.

And that would simply be not allowed.

* * *

Royce was known by many titles; Seer, Princess, General, and Spy. All titles that she had used throughout her life. Each one was true, too. 

However, there was one title that she was known for only among the Vile Tribe; The Insatiable Sex Queen.

It was known among the whole Tribe that she summoned at least one or two soldiers to her chambers almost every night, a silencing charm set up immediately afterwards. It became apparent that she was a screamer.

The male demon's considered it an honor, as did the female ones. Xenobia rather enjoyed the sessions they had. Phacia would rather be choked with her own entrails. But, that was Royce for you.

And, presently, Royce had her legs wrapped around the waist of a particularly large warrior, who was forcefully thrusting into her, the last slivers of her climax flitting through her bloodstream, and thinking how Phacia would have found this inappropriate. '_Eventually, she will have to lighten up.'_

The soldier waited dutifully until she had returned to reality. "Shall we continue, or are you satisfied?" he asked.

Royce smiled. "I am in need of pampering," she purred, drawing his attention to her bosom. "Starting right there."

The demon grinned. "As you command, Milady."

And it began again...

* * *

Ghaleon stared down at the massive chamber that had been constructed, watching as the caged form of the White Dragon struggled with his bonds, trying to free himself. The Magic Emperor smirked. Quark was expending precious energy trying to escape, when escape was virtuallyimpossible. Taben had made sure of that. 

"Enjoying the view?" a voice asked behind him.

Ghaleon didn't even bother to turn around. "Parrt," he replied in greeting.

The Uruk-Hai joined him in his observation, golden eyes glinting sadistically. "Incredible, isn't it? Our very own dragon of Althena, to do with as we wish. It is almost too good to be true."

"Too true. However, we need all four of them to accomplish our goal. And I don't know their locations."

"Ausa should have told us when we had her!"  
"She would never break a promise she made to Dyne. They were closer than brother and sister. And she will keep those promises to the death."

On that detail, the Uruk-Hai had to agree. And besides, he had held Lemia Ausa in his grasp twice, and he hadn't been unable to break her spirit. It was as if the Goddess herself gave her strength.

"No matter," Ghaleon continued, breaking through her trail of thought. "We'll simply allow Alex and his friends to find them for us, then swoop in and take them."

"What about the Dragon Trials?" Parrt asked. "He has already become stronger because of the White Dragon's power."

"It is of no concern to us." Even behind the mask he now wore, everyone could tell that he was smiling. "What good is being the protector of the Goddess Althena, if you are unable to protect the woman you love?"

* * *

J'onro finished his analysis of the Sailor Senshi, before leaning back, introspective. Individually, their fighting styles were pathetically simple. Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwan Doe, Kick Boxing, and Sailor Moon's version of street fighting. Pluto, of course, utilized a form unfamiliar to him. The little runt, of course, had no such combat form. She was too young for it. One of their stronger demons could take them on in one on one combat. 

Simple, when alone. Together... that was another story. A frightening one, in all respects.

The Uruk-Hai frowned. Their forms were extremely different, and yet, they fought as a team, no, more like a family. They were able to anticipate each other before the move even started. Their skills, while still those of novices in a war, were growing at an exponential rate. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but that made him nervous.

Their power ratings, with the exception of Sailor Moon, were stable, but that also told him something. Instead of utilizing their full powers all of the time, they only called upon them when the enemy was extremely strong. They were obviously a greater threat than Beryl had deemed them.

And she deemed them a great threat indeed.

_'This calls for a new approach,' _he thought. _"It becomes a question of which one dying will cause the most damage. The heart, the mind, or the soul?'_ It was a vexing question, that was for sure.

He pondered it for the rest of the night.

* * *

Kirok breathed in and out slowly, evenly as she slept, his slightly demonic features free of creases. He was at peace. 

Phacia observed him for a moment, wrapped in only a silk sheet, always in awe of how trusting he was with her. He rarely removed his mask, except for her. So it was easy for the human not to see the nobility within, of the gentleness in his eyes.. They saw only the uniform, and the golden glowing eyes, and Uruk-Hai trademark.

She sighed. He was the only one of them worth a damn, though Bara had a great deal of potential. She was as noble, though her loyalty to Racc was almost unquestioned.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kirok murmured, cracking a gold eye open, watching. "Observing me without my mask?"

Phacia smiled, clutching the sheet to her. "You never really take it off. I think the human females would swoon upon seeing such... handsome features."

"And the men would probably attempt to slaughter me." The Uruk-Hai ran his hand down Phacia's back, enjoying the warm, smooth, soft skin.

"Too true." Phacia sighed, relaxing next to him. Noting the tension in his body, she looked up. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Kirok turned to look at her. "Friendship."

"And Riddle?"

"... Yes. We both know who he was allied to."

The Vile Tribe general nodded. "Well, to paraphrase you, let us pretend that there is no war. No worries..." she started kissing up his neck, "just you... and me," she finished as she began kissing his lips.

The Uruk-Hai smiled. "Very well, he replied, returning the kiss hungrily.

* * *

Devimon stood at the top of the demon castle, looking outward over the Frontier. He saw what he always saw; The barren wastelands, the greenhouses that gave them their food, and the training grounds that kept their soldier's skills honed to razor's edge. Not a place for the timid. 

Devimon breathed in the foul air. It was magnificent. Much better than the green plains of lunar, or the battle torn Digital World.

Beryl appeared next to him. "You seem rather tense today, Devimon."

Devimon didn't even turn his head. "Hope and Light are still out there, growing stronger with each day passing by. If they are not stopped, they will remember everything about their pasts."

"You worry too much. I have assurances from our informant that events are unfolding as scripted." Beryl grinned. "The great Negaforce has also revived my last two generals, and I'm calling for General Kilrah, my Chief Intelligence Officer."

"Not this 'Nephlyte?'"

"Oh, no. I don't tolerate traitors. He's wants to return to life, he'll have to find his own way."

Devimon chuckled. "Don't tempt him, Beryl. He might just try that."

* * *

Jadeite meditated within the confines of Dooku's palace, feeling the negative energy emanating from the people within it. The place was rank with it, from the tip of its roof to its basements. He liked it a great deal. 

Dooku entered, still feeling the effects of Potter's power.

"You failed," Jadeite noted, without opening his eyes.

The Sith nodded once. "Potter is extremely powerful. I have never felt such power before."

The general nodded, not surprised. The Potter family line, much like Fire and Wind, grew stronger with each passing generation. And since it was a family line as old as Alania herself, it would be extremely powerful now. Even as a Trainee.

He nodded once more. "Then perhaps it's time I join the game."

"Perhaps."

* * *

From the inky blackness of the Negaverse afterlife portal, two figures appeared, floating in midair, naked. Dark energy flickered all over them, bringing full substance to their bodies, adding detail to them. 

One was a man, with glossy white hair, lean muscles. The other was a woman, small chested, with long chestnut hair. Both were hardened by the life of a soldier.

Several seconds later, Malachite and Zoicite hit the floor, breathing hard, blinking in confusion as they struggled to rise to their feet.

The last thing Malachite remembered was the pain of having his own boomerang slam into his shoulder, draining his life energy. Zoicite's last memory was being hit by Beryl's power, almost destroying her on the spot, then saying goodbye to her love.

Both of them remembered Sailor Moon, though.

Mere seconds later, dark energy whirled around them, depositing their uniforms on them. The two of them then looked at each other, smiling slightly, before turning.

General Kilrah, head of the Negaverse Intelligence Force, stepped up to them. A tall man with eyes as black as Izzy's, though not showing the same warmth and compassion. His blood red cape, the color of his division, hung as long as Malachite's. A white headband completed the ensemble.

To say the two resurrected generals were surprised to see him was an understatement. "Kilrah," Zoicite said in greeting.

Kilrah bowed. "General's, by the great mercy of our Master Metellus, you have been given another chance to serve our cause."

Malachite nodded. "I am going to assume that Queen Beryl wants you to debrief us on what the situation is."

"You assume correctly. Then, Malachite, you are to report to Lunar immediately. Zoicite, you will remain here, until called for."

Zoicite nodded. "Of course. Now, what is it?"

* * *

Dartz emerged through the portal between Para-Diaz Headquarters and his Orichalcos Temple, brushing his purple suit off and straightening his tie. Until the time came, when Leviathan was reborn, he would have to maintain a respectful face to the world he was trying to destroy. 

Passing the mirror, he picked up his phone, dialing. "Hello, Mister Luthor. Our meeting will have to take place sooner than expected. Something has come up on our original date that requires my attention... Thank you." Hanging up, he smirked. "Now, let's see what I can do about Batman's little company," he said to himself.

* * *

Reiko observed Extermination squads forming in the outer rim of Outworld, feeling pensive. His arm still tingled from the blaze of power Harry Potter and his two friends were capable of producing. A blast of power that was impossible for his classification. Three times, he had the boy at his mercy, and in those three times, he managed to escape. 

It was as if the Balance itself watched over him, protecting him and his counterpart from harm.

Turning away from the mobilization effort, he walked over to the great Soul Stream, where the souls of those who had already been captured were being fed to Shao Kahn's essence. Among those souls were heroes who he had never heard of before, fighters whose souls were strong and fresh...

...and one father.

The regent let a smile grace his lips. When the Emperor returned, Outworld would reclaim its former glory, crushing all realms that defied them. The Elder Gods would fall, and Liu Kang's soul would feed the great God Emperor.

And Harry Potter would die.

* * *

Brother Blood observed his new restored H.I.V.E. Academy, breathing. Ah, yes, the return of all of his students, as well as some new teachers would help bring down the Teen Titans once and for all. 

As well regain that little traitor, Jinx.

The Dark Magician Girl also intrigued him. As a monster, she wasn't indigenous to this reality. And yet, she had stayed in this world, with all of her power intact... and a great deal of untapped potential, almost like she was still a child.

The Deadly Alliance could use that, train to unleash her full potential. As a shadow creature, it wouldn't be too difficult to do that. Given enough time, she could even become more powerful than her Dark Magician counterpart.

And that would only help him, in the end, by increasing his standing within the Alliance.

* * *

"Darth Maul has returned... alive," Parrt mentioned, looking behind him. 

Ghaleon turned around from his observation of Quark's weakening struggles. "And the Alliance?"

Maul bowed, though inside, he wanted to sneer at the man. "They live, though they were forced to retreat. They may not do so next time."

Parrt grinned. "So they're not unbeatable."

Ghaleon nodded thoughtfully. "No, they're not," he murmured. "Well done, Maul. Well done."

"Thank you, Lord Ghaleon." Inside, though, he seethed. To have to try and appease these people was problematic at best. His new master had told him that it was prudent, but it still grated.

Soon, though, that would change.

* * *

A quick knocking on her chamber door roused Phacia from her sleep. Observing Kirok for a moment, she carefully slid out of bed, grabbing her robe in the process. Quickly covering herself, she walked over to the door, opening it?" Yes?" 

The messenger bowed. "Sorry to disturb you, Milady, but the Queen requests your presence in the throne room."

Phacia sighed inwardly. It never ended. "Tell the Queen that I'll be there in thirty minutes," she said. "Thank you."

The messenger bowed, then walked away, while Phacia closed the door, heading back into the bedroom, shedding her robe as she did so.

Kirok was already up, pulling his uniform on. He looked up as she reentered the room. "Racc summons me," he said.

"So has my dear sister." Phacia strolled over to her closet, pulling her dress and cloak out. "So much for a nice morning."

Kirok nodded, admiring the bare form of his love for a moment, before strapping his saber to his waist. "I wonder if the Alliance survived," he mused.

"Given the capabilities of the Sith, I hope they did." Phacia finished putting her cloak on. "And if this is about my relationship with you..."  
"She has no control over it." The Uruk-Hai gave her brief kiss before slipping his mask on.

The general snorted. "Don't be so sure about it. Xenobia would love an excuse to break us up."

On that, Kirok couldn't had nothing to say.

* * *

Slade sat in his old headquarters, observing the many screens before him. Behind him, Cinderblock and Plasmus behind him. He was presently waiting for his construction facilities to build him his army of drones, which would take some time. 

The Orichalcos rearing its ugly head brought several new factors to the equation. Through Trigon, he had learned that Dartz and his team of duelists had joined forces with Queen Beryl, a being so powerful that only Alania herself had any hope of defeating her.

Then there was this prophecy that Sidious told him about. Unfortunately, none of them could make heads or tails about it. The communication was garbled, though, as the last name he spoke out couldn't be heard.

It didn't surprise him that Robin was one of the six Chosen Ones. Nor did it surprise him that the one called Harry Potter was one as well.

Of course, hearing that Peter Pan and Jane Barrington were among them, as well as that Hogwarts brainiac, Hermione Granger were among them was a surprise. And having the sixth name garbled was not a comforting thought. _'The Sith Master probably meant Terra,'_ he thought. _'It's certainly impossible for Raven, Starfire, or Jinx to have that type of potential. Only a full human has that ability.'_

Secure in his knowledge of who he was going to have to destroy, Slade settled back in his seat. He was looking forward to facing Robin in battle once again.

* * *

"So," Racc glared at his brethren, "we now know that the Alliance isn't invincible. Which means we should develop a strategy to break them." 

J'onro nodded. "Yes, but we should be wary. Sailor Moon and her Sailor Scouts are more dangerous than Queen Beryl let on."

"She classified them a grave threat," Sheyra murmured thoughtfully.

"And as we have witness over the last few weeks, Sailor Mercury is growing stronger... exponentionally." Kirok frowned thoughtfully. "We should remove their leader from the equation, then focus on her."

"Sadly, it may not be enough." Izzy's equal leaned in. "Each Sailor Scout shows a disturbing ability to know when their particular skill is most useful. Each Scout is like an interchangeable part. In essence, they are both leader and soldier, knowing when to give orders, and when to take them."

All of the Uruk-Hai were silent after that, as the ramifications of what J'onro had just told them sank in.

"What about the rest of the Alliance?" Bara suddenly asked. "Where is their weakest link?"

Racc grinned. "Oh, we already have him in our camp. And it took a simple threat. None of them know it, though."

Kirok had a sickening feeling he knew who it was. "Who is it?"

Racc told them.

* * *

A short chapter, I know. However, there isn't much I can do. If I went over each and every single person, then you'd probably become bored. 

Well, Episode Fifty Eight takes us back into Harry Potter's world, and their first mission through the Stargate. I'll leave it at that.

General Kilrah is another character belonging to Akalon, so he gets the credit for it. Also, I learned that there is an 'h' in Orichalcos, so I'll be going back... again... to make corrections throughout the week. And, as always, review


	61. Episode Fifty Eight: First Mission

**Digimon: Silver Star Story **

**(Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Fifty Eight:** **First come, First served: Part One**

"These two realms strike me as theideal places to begin exploring," McGonagall said, pointing at the holographic map. "They have no enemy forces, so they're perfect to test your team's ability to work together, Pan."

Peter nodded, somewhat uncomfortable in the school uniform he was wearing. No, not so much the uniform as the tie around his neck. He turned to Harry. "I'll take Realm 323 if you want."

Harry shrugged. "Realm 8599 sure looks like a nice place to check these days. We could draw straws."

"How about a game of pool?"

"I prefer billards."

"How about you go where I tell you to go?" McGonagall interrupted testily.

Hermione and Jane smirked at each other knowingly. Boys will be boys, no matter what.

Ron shook his head. "This is Peter Pan and Harry Potter, Professor," he said. "Do you really think they'll act mature? _I_ don't half the time."

The Deputy Headmistress had to concede that.

The chat was disrupted by the alarms going off. _"Unscheduled Offrealm activation!"_ An auror's voice called out.

Immediately, SG's-1 and 2 were in the control room, as the newly constructed door slid shut, sealing the command base off from the school. A team of aurors ran into the Gate Room, wands out and pointed at the sealed Stargate as it activated.

Hermione sat down in one of the seats, running diagnostics. "The only problem with repairing the Stargate," she grumbled. "They can connect with us."

Jane shook her head wearily. "What is this? The third, fourth time?"  
"Fifth," Harry corrected absently. "That iris is going to hold, right?"

"Well, it's an adamantium-titanium composite, set only a millimeter from the event horizon. If they send anything physical through, it won't rematerialize here."

"So, that Iris is going to hold, right?" Ginny asked.

The two third years traded exasperated looks. Why did they get these people?

For thirty minutes, the collective breath's of the SGC were held, as they heard the impacts of energy weapons striking the iris. The aurors tensed slightly, wands raising a bit. McGonagall's hand hovered over the self destruct button. A routine that was quickly becoming boring.

Finally, the Stargate shut down at the thirty minute limit, bringing with it a release of tension. Everybody exhaled in relief.

"Geez, how long is this going to go on?" Claire asked. "They must know by now that the iris protects us."

Harry shrugged. "They'll get bored of taking potshots at us soon," he said, as McGonagall gave the all clear. "Personally, I think they're just testing to see if our fully repaired facilities can take the pounding."

Hermione grinned. "I'd say that they've adequately done that."

* * *

Wendy looked out over the school grounds, watching the breeze ruffle the water from the nearby lake. From here, she could see the hut of Dumbledore's gamekeeper, Hagrid, and that strange creature, Buckbeak. A nice man, if a tad off. Edward would have loved to have known him.

A few tears leaked out of her eyes, and she angrily wiped them off. Jane was almost back to her usual cheerful self. Why couldn't she recover as fast?

A knocking on the door brought her attention back to the present, and she turned around. "Yes?"

Obi Wan entered slowly, smiling slightly. "I was just checking on you... before I leave on my mission."

Wendy smiled, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "I'm as fine as can be expected, Obi Wan. Thank you for inquiring."

Obi Wan nodded, understanding intellectually, and a bit from experience. Even Jedi grieved for those they cared about, even if it was briefly. But it also showed how unqualified he was to give comfort. He had lost friends and allies with in the first few months of the war, but his first instinct was to find solace in the Force, knowing that they had joined with it.

Wendy didn't have that.

Sitting down next to her, he sighed. "I won't pretend that I understand what you're going through, Wendy. I'm, quite possibly, the last person who can relate to you. But... I don't think Edward would want to see you sad... if he were here. And Jane, she is strong. A trait, I think, she shares with both of her parents."

"I know." Wendy's smile grew slightly. "Don't you have a mission to go on?" she asked. "I'll be fine."

Obi Wan grinned. "I'll come see you when I get back."

"Thank you. I'd like that."

* * *

Peter looked up, adjusting his jacket slightly. "How can you stand wearing this?" he asked Claire.

Claire grinned. "I've spent most of my life in jeans and shirts. This is nothing."  
What the two of them were talking about were the field uniforms they were wearing. Similar in design to the military fatigues of the muggle armed forces, there were also several major differences to set them apart. The clothing itself was made of a material that automatically adapted to its surrounding environment, so that one stranded in, say, an artic like tundra, they wouldn't freeze to death. This same material was also capable of standing everything, up to and including a Force Three Firaga blast. The jacket was somewhat longer than their muggle counterparts, and completely black, with various pockets for knives, guns, and other concealable weaponry.

Anakin, who was also present, was still wearing his Jedi clothing, his lightsaber clipped in its usual place. "How is it that we got Realm 8599?"

The great eternal youth grinned, Tinkerbell jingling by his side in amusement. "McGonagall flexed her authority over us."

"Ah."

Jane bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I can attest to that. She actually put Peter here in a place."

"And I'm going to assume that's impossible."

"Pretty much. Where's Master Kenobi?"

Anakin shrugged. "I'd say he's checking on your mother." His small smile grew puzzled as Jane bit her lip. "What?"

Jane shook her head. "Nothing."

"Right." Filing the conversation away for later, he turned his attention to the control room, where Obi Wan had just joined SG-1. The Jedi Master nodded once. Anakin returned the nod, letting him know that he wouldn't screw up.

_"SG-2, you have a go,"_ McGonagall said. _"Good luck."_

Peter saluted her. "Will do. Let's go, team." He was nervous, though he hid it well. Despite his command over the Lost Boys, this would be the first time he was in charge of an exploratory group, where any order he gave could put his team into danger.

Of course, that part was always present during a battle.

Steeling himself, he went through the Stargate, his four other teammates right behind him.

Harry nodded. "They make it through safely, Cho?" he asked.

Cho checked, smiled. "They're sending the OK. Will call in in one hour to reconfirm."

"Good." The young Trainee turned. "Well, shall we, ladies and gentlemen?"

Ginny grinned. "Let's."

**Realm 8599**

Two lookouts watched as the Holy Circle exploded outwards, instantly wary. Ever since the failed invasion of the Dark Kingdom, it had been silent. Which was how their rulers liked it.

And so, it was with a great deal of suspicion that they watched four people emerge from the circle, all who took a look around. Three were in black, a sort of military uniform, with weapons in their hands. The fourth one was wearing brown robes, and seemed to be unarmed.

But what really made them suspicious was the fact that they were all young. Two males, two females, three of them looking around thirteen seasons.

"Go alert the royal family," the leader hissed. "Let them know that we have intruders. I will keep an eye on them."

"Yes sir." The other soldier quickly made his way down the path, heading for the city.

The lookout kept his gaze on the intruders, already knowing what the prince would want to do.

* * *

Peter smelled the air, sampling it. "Sure is fresh," he said. "Almost as fresh as Neverland's."

Jane smiled. "I was just thinking the same exact thing."

"Kind of reminds me of Lunar," Anakin noted. "No artificial pollutants in the air." He turned. "Claire, what do you know about this realm?"

Claire thought for a second. "Realm 8599 is home to particularly powerful magical force known as the Trioxen. It allows the people to build massive cities that rival Guardian cities in terms of splendor. In terms of technology, though, they are still relatively primitive." She sighed. Despite this, they managed to repel a Negaverse army almost six hundred of their years ago."

Peter whistled. "That's got to make them contenders."

"It does. Unfortunately, due to this, they believe themselves to be invincible. The nobility is arrogant, even though they are just a minority."

"Sounds like back home," Jane muttered, shuddering slightly.

Anakin looked up. "We're being watched."

Claire nodded. "I know. Standard Frenio protocol is to watch the Stargate, in case their enemies decide to return. In fact, I'm surprised that we haven't met anyone yet."

Peter found that rather peculiar, too. If the Gate was supposed to be watched, they should have put a full guard on it, in a full circle. So where were they?

Anakin suddenly looked up. "He's up there," he said, pointing towards the nearby mountain range. "And he's alone."

"Alone?" Claire looked in the same direction, then waved. "Too bad. I don't think he can see me."

Peter frowned, checking everything around him again. Now he knew that it didn't make sense. One single sentry, alone?It didn'tadd up. "Alright, Jane, Claire, scout out the surrounding area. Let's make sure the Deadly Alliance hasn't already been back to finish the job. Anakin, keep your perceptions as stretched out as you can. Encompass the entire area." He flew up, getting a birds-eye view of the surround.

His gaze immediately laid eyes on a massive wall, the largest structure he had ever seen in his life. It seemed to stretch into the heavens, muchlike a tower. His attention returned to the ground, where he saw Jane and Claire edge forward. Tinkerbell, a mere flicker of light from the height he was at, hovered at the Gate, waiting.

And, of course, Anakin, who just stood there in perfect balance, though still moving slightly in frustration. A feeling Peter understood, and shared.

The next few minutes would let the two of them move around to their heart's content.

**Realm 323**

Harry looked around the immediate area of the Gate, taking in the orange leaf trees, the neat, trim grass on the ground, and the temple in front of him. "Obi Wan, call me crazy, but this design looks very familiar."

Obi Wan nodded. "This is the same design as the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. It's built specifically to focus the Force." He frowned. "This is... a tad more elegant, though."

Hermione nodded, taking in the golden archway in front of it, as well the various statues in front of it. Each one depicted a different person, half of them male, the other half female. All clothed, thankfully.

Ginny and Ron whistled as one. "Sweet," Ginny said in appreciation.

Hermione nodded. "I like the decorations. Very... heroic."

Harry shrugged. "They're okay," he said. "Personally, I like the temple itself. It's got class."

You men and your buildings."

Obi Wan smiled, enjoying the banter between the four Hogwarts students. He enjoyed a similar level of comfort with Anakin, though he spent more time trying to mold him into a Jedi than really talking to him. _'Perhaps that's what Qui Gon meant,'_ he thought. _'Perhaps I need to be less the strict Master, and more the friend.'_

As he thought this, a surge in the Force made him look up in surprise. Someone who was Force capable was walking towards them. His strength was impressive, though nowhere near Master's Yoda or Darling. "Someone's coming. Someone powerful."

Harry's gaze sharpened. "Is he a threat?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. He has Force energy pulsing through him."

"Right." Harry inched his hand toward his sword.

The man walked up to them, observing them with curiosity. He was of average build, much like Obi Wan, with blue green hair cropped close to his skull. His clothing consisted of a loose tunic, a pair of boots, and slacks, made much like Jedi clothing, though embroidered with various symbols. They were obviously tailored from a fine material.

But the one thing that surprised the Jedi Knight the most was the lightsaber hanging on his belt.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a Jedi Knight from another world," the man said, his voice rich, cultured.

Obi Wan was surprised, to say the least. "I'm sorry? You know of us?"

"Of course!" The man bowed. "I am Prince Daniel Starr, Jedi Master, and leader of the Jedi Order of Realm 323. I welcome you all to Geos."

Ginny frowned for a moment. Their intel never mentioned anything about a Jedi Order here.

Hermione, however, gasped. "The Daniel Starr?" she got out. "The one who trained Master Yoda in the advanced Jedi Arts?"  
Daniel chuckled. "Actually, I trained him on how to learn those abilities, so he could teach others." He frowned. "You know, I haven't seen him in over eight hundred years."

Obi Wan's eyes widened in surprise. "You know Master Yoda?" he asked.

"Yes... who are you?"

"Obi Wan Kenobi."

"Ah. Well, Master Kenobi, I taught Yoda several meditation forms to further his connection to the Force. And then I asked him to teach these to everyone in his Jedi Temple, so others could learn." Starr grinned. "I see that he did that."

Harry smirked. This guy was definitely proud of someone he hasn't seen in several human lifetimes. "We'll be happy to tell him this the next time we see him," he said. "But, we're actually here to talk to you about something. It concerns Queen Beryl and the Negaverse."

Starr's grin instantly faded, and an unmistakable aura of power suddenly made it's presence known around him. "Come with me." He immediately turned around, heading for the Temple.

Obi Wan was surprised. "I think that he's heard of her before."

"He probably has." Harry gestured. "After you, Ron."

"After me. I don't know if you're being courteous, or I'm fodder."  
"We can send Ginny in first. If her head comes rolling out, we'll know that we're not welcome."

Ginny glared at them. "You are not funny, Harry."

Obi Wan hid a smile. While Harry wasn't funny, Ginny's indignation certainly was.

**Hogwarts**

It was hunger that finally drove Wendy from her solitude, and she quickly made her way to the Great Hall.

She soon discovered that this was where the student body and teachers all congregated for lunch. And she made a startling reservation; She had never, in all of her years, seen so many black robes in her life.

She also discovered that her mere presence silenced all conversation in the room, as every single person, and ghost in the room, turned to stare at her.

"Ah, Mrs. Barrington!" Dumbledore boomed, his voice belying his frail form. "I'm glad that you decided to join us for lunch! Please!" He quickly gestured for her to come to the head table.

Wendy quickly did so, uncomfortably aware of the fact that everyone was staring at her. Passing Cho, who nodded once in acknowledgement, she found he way to the table, sitting down in the empty seat next to Hagrid. She promptly jumped when a plate of food appeared in front of her. "More... magic?" she asked.

Dumbledore nodded, eyes twinkling. "The food is prepared in our kitchens, which are situated right underneath us. The house elves fix it, then teleport it up here."

"House... Elves?"

"The... staff, so to speak." Dumbledore shrugged. "Some of the more idealistic students would consider them slaves."

Wendy hadn't even taken her first bite of food, and already she was lowering her fork. "_Slaves_?"

McGonagall shrugged. "They prefer being enslaved to freedom. Don't ask us why. According to historical documents, they practically threw themselves at the fist wizards the came in contact with."

Wendy nodded dumbly. "Well!"

"Yeh'll get used to it." Hagrid quickly jabbed a piece of sausage. "The House Elves here r' well treated. Dumbledore wouldn't allow them ta be hurt in any way."

The young woman thought about it, then picked her fork up again, tasting the food. "Well, whatever you call their servitude, they are enjoying it at least. This food is delicious."

The Transfiguration Professor gave a small smile. The initial phase of acceptance was complete, and with no casualties. Wendy hadn't raised a fuss.

**Realm 323**

Harry whistled in appreciation. The inside of the Temple was just as impressive as the outside. The sheer opulence of its interior made it feel more like the home of an emperor than a parallel Jedi Order.

"The Jedi Temple also doubles as my palace," Starr explained, immensely proud of his home. "I rarely use the more lavish parts of my home, though my older Padawans have entertained guests. I spend most of my time in the meditation chambers, and the training grounds."

Hermione nodded absently, her mind counting the number of golden feathers of a bird like statue. "I thought a Jedi was supposed to give up worldly possessions."

Starr grinned. "That's what Yoda wants, so his people can focus totally on the mission, and on the Force." Shaking his head, he led them into what passed for a conference room.

Obi Wan shook his head in disbelief. "Forgive me, but isn't that all a Jedi truly is?"

"You mean, the mission? Saving people? Finding greater understanding of the Force? They are the most important parts, but they're not the only things." The Jedi Master eyed the young knight with a calculating stare. "You seem to be... conflicted on the situation."

Harry turned his head slightly, eyeing Obi Wan shrewdly. His eyes did show a sliver of doubt. _'Could it be that he's thinking about what Wendy said?'_ he thought.The Jedi Knightdid seem to be a tad less sure of himself. _'Grant you, I'm not so sure of myself anymore, either. Then again, I never am.'_

Obi Wan looked up. "I... I just thought of someone I know, who said something similar."

"Really?" Starr frowned. "I can sense an unusual amount ofconfusion and grief in you." He got up. "Come with me, Master Jedi. The rest of you are allowed to look around, though I ask you to refrain from entering the archives without an escort. There is a great deal of sensitive material there that I would rather not lose."

Hermione nodded. "Understandable. We'll be careful."  
Ron got up. "I'm going to check in with McGonagall, and see if SG-2 has reported in yet."

Harry got up. "Well, then. Let's explore."

**Realm 8599**

"This is the last time you cave in to a witch, Peter!" Anakin shouted, quickly dodging what appeared to be a

thousand points raining down upon them.

Peter didn't say anything, though he agreed with the Jedi. "Just fall back to the Gate, Skywalker!" he shouted. "Claire, try and get to the DHD!"

Love to, but I'm kind of... busy at the moment!" Claire quickly fired off a few shots. "Jane, cover fire!"

Jane quickly obliged, letting a spray of energy projectiles fly through the air. Moving quickly, she kept firing, moving closer to Anakin.

Claire quickly reached the dialing device, punching in Hogwarts's address just as quickly. Her hand managed to get the first six chevrons in sequence.

Her hand was approaching the seventh chevron when she was hit by a powerful lightning bolt, knocking her away from the DHD. Hitting the ground, she skidded over the sharp rocks, twitching.

Tinkerbell flew over to her, checking her over. She quickly jingled, flying over to the gate and hitting the seventh chevron. She quickly turned to Peter, jingling frantically as she gestured.

"Cover Claire in Pixie Dust, and get her through the Gate!" Peter ordered. "No arguing with me, just do it!" He quickly turned, firing.

Tinkerbell nodded, turning around.

One needle hit her wing by purechance, causing it to collapse almost immediately. The fairy let out a powerful jingle before hitting the ground.

"Tink!" Jane shouted, starting to move.

The entire area was bathed in a bright orange light.

**Realm 323**

'_Hmm, that's weird,'_ Ron thought, checking the DHD. '_The last chevron isn't locking. And it's been thirteen minutes.'_

The young man had been trying to dial out for exactly thirteen minutes, with no success. That left for only two things. One; the default mechanism had been activated, and the diagnostic didn't tell them that.

Two; Someone else had dialed in, and the wormhole hadn't shut down yet. Neither was promising.

He sat back, deciding to wait for the remaining seventeen minutes for the Gate to shut down, before trying again.

* * *

"And why did you want to accompany me to the Archives, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Not that I mind the company, but really."

Harry shrugged. "I wanted to, 'Mione. I mean, when's the last time we just hung out?"

Hermione frowned mock thoughtfully. "Hmm... you do raise an excellent point. You usually hang out with Ron... and I usually spend my time in the library." She groaned. "I was that bad? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I believe Ron did. What were his exact words... oh, yes! An insufferable know it all."

"Gee, thanks for that reminder about his previous immaturity."

"He's not completely immature, and I'm just as bad." Harry chuckled. "He's just not... subtle."

"Again, you raise a fair point. Why are _really_ here?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged again. "In all honesty, haven't a clue. When I'm around you, I stop thinking."  
"Oh." The young witch blushed. "Ah... that's... that's good to hear. Well, uh... Harry, do you remember when you told me that I looked like an angel?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Why did you say that?"  
"... ... Because it's the truth. You're... beautiful."

Hermione frowned at that. What he said didn't really make sense. "Harry, my hair is bushy, my two front teeth are larger than the rest of them, and I doubt I'm that nice to talk to."

"When's the last time you looked in a mirror? When's the last time you paid attention to the hallway gossip? Here's a mirror now."  
Hermione quickly turned to stare at the reflecting surface... and was, for the first time in a long time, surprised. Her hair, which was once as bushy as you could get, was no longer that way. Her teeth were all perfectly straight.

In short, Hermione barely recognized herself anymore. And she was starting to understand why the boy population was giving her glances every time she walked through the hallways.

Turning back to Harry, she saw that he was waiting patiently. "I... I had no idea I had changed that much," she got out.

Harry grinned. "If only we all did that," he said. "Look at me. My hair's _still_ unmanageable!"

On that, Hermione had to agree. Giggling, she ruffled his hair affectionately. "I like it that way. It suites you perfectly!"

"Uh... thanks."

The beeping of their communicators interrupted their moment of bonding, and they looked down. "Go ahead."

_"Uh, it seems that we have a problem. McGonagall needs us back at Hogwarts."  
_Harry frowned. Even over a comm unit, Ron sounded worried. "Back? Why?"

_"She'll explain when we're back."_

The two trainees looked at each other. Why couldn't their lives be simple?

* * *

"So, you care for this woman," Starr stated, nodding thoughtfully.

"Apparently." Obi Wan sighed, rubbing his head. "I haven't been able to understand why I'm feeling this way. The Force hasn't been able to tell me anything about this."

"Well, you can't expect it to have answers for the human soul! The fact of the matter is, you like the woman." The older Jedi observed the surround. "Acknowledge it, and... get to know her. It will help in developing a relationship."

"Uh, I don't know how to tell you, but that's-"

"My love!"

Starr turned. "Ah! Dearest!" He embraced a beautiful woman, one with a rather luxurious mane of hair, and bright pink eyes. "Master Kenobi, this is my wife, Bridgett. Bridgett, this is Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. He's a former of protege of Yoda's."

Bridgett smiled. "Master Kenobi, it is certainly a pleasure. I trust Master Yoda is still training top notch Jedi."

"Ah... yes. Actually, I'm a former protege of Qui Gon Jinn."

"Well, he certainly was trained by Yoda."  
"Actually... he was trained by someone else."

Starr frowned. "Okay, there's a story here. Bridgett, could you excuse us, please?" His wife smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek, before returning to her gardening. When she was out of earshot, Starr turned around. "What happened?"

"A former member of the Jedi Order, a Master named Dooku, has... become a Sith Lord. He was the one who trained Qui Gon. ...He was trained by Yoda."

"... Well, that certainly isn't good. It would also explain the darkening curtain in the Force."

"There's a few other things other than that. There is apparently a Sith Master out there who rivals Yoda in terms of power and knowledge. He has been manipulating the Republic for the last ten years."

This, on the other hand, did not surprise the Jedi one bit. "It was bound to happen. You can weaken the Dark Side, but you can't stamp it out entirely. But, back to our original discussion. It's… what? Forbidden?"

"Well… yes."

"Hello, did you just meet my wife?"

"In my realm."

"Well, I would think Yoda would have realized this by now."

"Realized…?"

Before Obi Wan could finish the statement, his communicator beeped. "Excuse me." Retreating a few feet, he quickly pulled it off of his belt. "Kenobi."

"_We're heading back. McGonagall's orders."_

Although Harry's voice was calm, Obi Wan didn't need to know that something was wrong. "I'll meet you at the Gate," he said. "Kenobi out."

Starr frowned. "Is everything well?"

The Jedi Master shook his head. "The Force only knows. But, whatever is happening, I get the distinct feeling that it isn't good."

**Hogwarts**

"What do you mean it wasn't an enemy attack?" McGonagall demanded.

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up, his aging features in distress. "According the Stargate's incoming wormhole, the trajectory matches that of Realm 323. Other than that, we have no idea why nothing, or no one came through."

The Deputy Headmistress turned her attention to the Stargate, eyes hard. "Well, I have four students and a Jedi out there, all who I want back in one piece. Now, go over all of the information Zion sent us when they updated our computers. I want to know exactly what Realm 323 is."

"Yes, Ma'am."

McGonagall sighed, turning around. Now she had the unfortunate task of telling Wendy that her daughter was missing. And frankly, she didn't think the woman emotional strength could withstand something like this.

The Stargate activating took her thoughts of her duty, and she turned to se SG-1 exiting the event horizon, Harry looking up at the Control Room.

The Transfiguration Professor was down in the Gate Room in an instant.

**Realm 8599**

Peter groaned as he woke up, shaking his head. He felt like he had been hit by a giant, and had a headache to match.

Looking around, he took note of his surroundings... which wasn't difficult. There were the usual four walls, but they were rank with moss. A putrid stench fouled the air. The floor was damp, and there was a little light coming through the window.

The eternal youth groaned, sitting up. '_I'm in jail. Hook would be laughing his head off about this. Me, now a prisoner. Not the first time, but really!'_

A more feminine, but no less pained moan issued from beside him. Turning his head, he saw Jane slowly sit up, running a hand through her brownish strands. "Are you alright, Jane?" he asked, the hoarseness of his voice surprising him. "All things considered?"

Jane nodded. "I'm alive, all things considered." She suddenly looked around. "Where're the others?"

Peter looked around. "These cells can only hold two people, from the looks of it... and also judging by the looks of it, they're spaced out from each other." He stood up, swaying a bit as he regained his equilibrium. "They could be anywhere in this place."

Which wasn't a good thing. In Anakin's case, he could enter a healing trance to regulate his body's functions. Claire, however, needed medical attention immediately. If she didn't, then death was a very real possibility.

Peter moved towards the cell door, looking out. "I was right about the spaced out area... but there aren't any guards anywhere." He checked up and down the hallway. "I think they're just going to leave us here to die."

His hand slammed into the metal, knocking it off of its hinges.

"And I don't like that."

Jane smirked. "Well, then, let's go find our friends, and leave."

**Hogwarts**

"_What?_"

It was amazing, McGonagall mused thoughtfully while her eardrums throbbed, how loud a person could become when angry, stressed out, or simply shocked by information. It was also amazing how they managed to make it sound like they were the only people who you listened to.

What was aggravating, though, was the fact that five people had said it at the same time, all at the same time, and at the same volume.

"We haven't received any contact from Pan's group," she repeated. "As of this moment, we think that the intel wasn't complete."  
"But why?" Harry asked. "Zion sent the updates themselves! How can the intel not be accurate?"

Obi Wan frowned. "Perhaps someone is trying to sabotage this facility."

"As such, Ambassador Amidala is speaking to them." McGonagall stood up. "And now, I have the unfortunate task of telling Mrs. Barrington that her daughter may very well be dead."

Obi Wan suddenly got up. "I'll take care of it," he said. "You need to decide on whether or not we mount a rescue mission."

"... ... Very well. Potter, Weasleys, Miss Granger, Miss Chang has all of your homework for the day so far. I suggest you get to work on it. When I've made a decision, you will all be notified. Dismissed."

* * *

"_We found the anomaly. Part of the file concerning Realm 323 was removed from the datastream."_

Padme stared at Locc's strained face, understanding what concerns were milling about in his brain. "So someone was trying to set us up," she murmured.

_"Unfortunately, that appears to be the case." _Locc replied. _"The problem is... that we can't simply begin interrogating every single technician on duty. Half of them are Guardians, who know everything about the system, and the other half are the mortals who have been on the system for thirty years or more."_

"So what can we do?"

"_Well, Alania is sending the updates from her terminal, which isn't connected to the Zion database. Everything should be there this time. If it isn't..."_

The Ambassador understood the implications of what Locc was saying. It meant that there was a mole at the top of the Guardian hierarchy, most likely helping the Deadly Alliance.

And that meant the war, before it officially began, was already lost.

* * *

"At this time, there isn't enough proof to go on," Obi Wan said, fidgeting nervously. "They may still be alive."

"They are." Wendy looked up, no tears in her eyes. Her voice had a level of certainty in it that was disconcerting. "Don't ask me to explain how I know this. I just do."

"I have no experience in this, but I'd say that it's your motherly intuition at work here."

"... Is there going to be a rescue attempt?"

Obi Wan shook his head. "At this moment, no. Professor McGonagall will have a decision soon. I'll let you know if there is any change." He began to get up.

Wendy's hand shot out, clamping onto the sleeve of his tunic, stopping him. "Don't leave. I don't want to be alone right now."

The Jedi Knight hesitated, before settling down again. "Alright... perhaps you could tell me something about your family. For starters, do you have any siblings?"

Wendy smiled. "Well, I do have two brothers..."

* * *

"Ambassador Amidala, I can assure you that when I have made a decision pertaining to a rescue effort, I will inform you," McGonagall said testily. "Now, please excuse me."

Padme watched as the Deputy Headmistress walked away, pensive. She knew, just _knew_, that Anakin was out there, possibly hurt. And every instinct in her being was screaming at her to go find him, to see if he was alright. But she couldn't, because of how things were. She was the representative of the Republic, he was the Jedi who could never have a commitment. She knew that she would have to fight those instincts.

Because she knew that one way or another, she was going to go help.

And she also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, so was Wendy.

**Realm 323**

Starr frowned in his meditation chamber, the Force telling him everything he needed to know about young Anakin Skywalker. Such power could not remain in the hands of King Midas and his family.

It was time for him to have a word with Akalon and Yoda about this.

**Lunar**

"You're sure about this?" Sere asked, looking at Lemia, who was stretching her leg, working all of the kinks out of it.

_"Well, since I'm connected to someone who lives in Hogwarts, yeah,"_ Matt replied. _"I would go there if I could, but since I can't, and you have a great deal of experience in these situations, Serena thought that you might want to have a word with this Prince Starr."_

"Starr, huh? That old man is still around." Sere thought about it. "Alright, Matt, I'll go and talk to Daniel about this. And I'll recommend a rescue operation."

_"Thanks. I'll let Ginny know. Ishida out."_

Sere shut her communicator off, turning to Lemia. "I will be out of communication for a while. Don't wait up."

Lemia looked down at her left leg, which was still wrapped up bandages. "I don't plan on it," she replied sardonically.

**Realm 8599**

Jane stuck close to Peter, looking around fearfully. She had never liked dark places, especially if she didn't know anything about it. It reminded her of back home, at the height of the Second Great War. The dark places she had had to hide when she was caught outside during a German attack.

Peter noticed Jane's jumpiness, and gathered her close. "Don't worry, Jane," he whispered. "This is just another adventure. Think of it as a version of Hide and Seek."

Jane smiled tremulously. "Yeah... a game in a dark place. I hate dark places. Give me a match. Anything, if it'll give us some light."

The eternal youth turned his head, looking at the girl beside him. He noted that her eyes were darting every which way, the fear obvious in her eyes. "Jane... are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of the fact that you're looking everywhere at once. Plus the fact that your nails are digging into my arm."

Jane looked down, saw that she had Peter's arm in a death grip. "Oh..." she murmured, blushing. "Sorry." She quickly let go.

Peter grinned, before returning his full attention back to what he was doing. He also started to think of something.

_'Why is Jane afraid of the dark?'_

* * *

William Lunia Tsukino stared at the still form of the injured girl as healers swarmed around, a great swell of disgust going through him. Here he was, the great male Sailor Soldier of his family, forced to watch as a child died slowly. And all because of his people's paranoia, and arrogance.

Prince Sol, heir to the throne of Freminia, was blessed with great power. He commanded the might of the Phoenix, a mythical beast of awe inspiring might and mystique. As such, he had been trained since his seventh season in the ways of the warrior, his mystical powers focused and refined though rigorous exercises.

He was a handsome being, as well as charismatic. His silver blond hair complemented his cobalt blue eyes perfectly. His battle uniform, which consisted of gold armor with red trim and a silver cape, settled over his perfectly sculpted body like a glove. He looked every inch the nobleman.

In his mind, though, he was different.

Unlike his father, who had become considerably more warlike over the last few years, William identified more with his mother, who was a kind, caring soul. It was because of his mother that the young lady was still alive, being tended to the family's personal physicians.

His mother, Queen Tranquia, approached, standing next to him. "How is she?" she asked softly.

Sol shook his head. "They haven't been out to tell me." He sighed. "This could have been avoided if Father had opened up the borders for trade, instead of flaunting his power for all to see."

The queen nodded, understanding her son's dilemma. As the son of King Midas, he was honored bound to follow his father's every command. But, as the protector of Earth, he was bound to end a conflict peacefully. It was simply who he was. "You did what you had to, William. Without your quick thinking, all four of them would have died."

William sighed, nodding. "It doesn't make it any easier to watch."

"Too true."

The door opened, letting the lead physician out into the hallway. A beautiful young woman, she had risen in the ranks rapidly, achieving the position of Prince Sol's personal Healer. "We have done all that we can," she said, the second the two rulers turned to stare at her. "But, we didn't really have that much to do."  
Tranquia frowned. "What do you mean, Serenity?"

Serenity sighed. "She seems to be in some sort of healing trance, which is slowly closing her wounds. From the rate of tissue regeneration, I would say that she went into it the second the Prince hit all four intruders. With time, she'll be on her feet."

"Thank you, Serenity."

"Now, your majesty. I need to have a look at you. You suffered a particularly powerful blow to your chest from that energy blade. I want to check to see if there is any injuries because of it."

William sighed again, though it was in aggravation this time. "Very well. Mother."

**Hogwarts**

McGonagall remained sitting in her seat, long after the students she had been teaching had left her classroom, lost in thought. She was trying to come to some decision concerning SG-2. So far, she was coming up blank.

The classroom door opened, admitting Padme, Lupin and Snape, both who stared at her. She had been expecting them, though she wasn't going to enjoy the conversation one bit.

Sure enough, the first question out of Lupin's mouth was, "Well, are we or are we not going to try to help them?"

McGonagall sighed, shrugging helplessly. "I don't know. On one hand, I don't want to risk SG-1 unless we have a plan that is sure to work. On the other hand, I don't want the realm to speed up before we complete the plan."

Lupin frowned. "Minerva, Peter Pan is probably already trying to get his team to the Stargate. We may not have to worry too much. And, let's face it, if you don't give the all clear, Harry is going to risk everything to go."

"I, too, believe that we should have a plan, Minerva," Snape said, joining the conversation. "However, I find myself in the unique position to agree with Remus on this. Mister Pan is a resourceful individual. We may not have to do all of the work."

McGonagall held up a hand, a rueful smirk on her face. "When the two of you agree on something, I know it's right. Very well. Have SG-1 prepped and ready to go in thirty minutes."

Lupin grinned. "You got it."

* * *

Wendy walked into the SGC portion of the school, looking around the control room for a moment, before turning to Obi Wan. "Nice."  
Obi Wan shrugged. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "Once you go though this, you're committed."

Wendy rolled her eyes at this. "Obi Wan, you have asked me about six times already. Yes, I am sure. Now, which way to the device?"

"This way."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

Episode Fifty Nine will continue where this left off, as two different rescue teams prepare to go to Realm 8599. Stay tuned.

The characters of Daniel Starr and Prince Sol belong to Akalon, though Starr's wife and Sol's parents are mine. Also, I hope I got the spelling right, Akalon.

Well, this has been a fun chapter to write. Please review, let me know what you think. (Also, please review CP:A's latest chapter. I'll take anything on it right now.)


	62. Part Two

**Digimon: Silver Star Story ****(Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Fifty Eight:** **Part Two**

Wendy staggered from the Info Booth, which the people of the base had unofficially named it, clutching her head. "Okay, that was different."

Obi Wan smiled. "Well, I didn't have to worry about it, so I can't sympathize with you," he said, placing his hand on her forehead. "I can, however help you with that headache."

The English woman sighed as Obi Wan sent a surge of Force energy through her cranium, easing the pain to a minor, and ignorable ache. "Thank you. Well, shall we?"

"We shall."

"Good. Where's the locker room?"

* * *

Padme looked up as Wendy entered the locker room, a uniform in hand. "Why, oh why, are you holding a uniform?" she asked.

Wendy turned to her, smirking. "Why are you?"

"... ... I don't believe it. You actually got McGonagall to agree to this."

"Actually, Obi Wan did. I don't know why he did it."

Padme smiled mysteriously. "The same reason why he jumped in after you." She laced up her boot, letting her statement hang in the air.

Wendy quickly disrobed, curious as to what Padme meant by that.

The second the shirt hit the ground, Padme suddenly frowned. "Where did you get that?" she asked.

Wendy started, then looked down. "What, that?"

What she was referring to was a small scar, situated right underneath her left breast. A small imperfection on her body, easily concealed.

Wendy sighed, grabbing the black shirt and putting it on. "In the first bombing, I was at the market, trying to find some chicken for dinner." She chuckled. "It's Daniel's favorite." Her smile faded. "The bomb hit between two buildings across the street, destroying them immediately. Shrapnel flew into the store, killing four people instantly. I got nicked by sliver." Pulling the pants up, she began pulling her boots on. "People died, and all I get is a tiny cut."

"Lucky you."

"Yes, lucky me." She stood up, putting her coat on, and pulling her hair out. "And here I am, going into a situation where death is a very real possibility."

"Been there, done that. Death's an old friend to me. And, of course, Mister Potter and Miss Granger were there when the Lunarian War started."

"... Why are children fighting? Where are their parents?"

"On another Earth. They don't even have a clue where their children." Padme smiled. "They are the best at what they do."

Wendy paused, considering that. "It's too late, isn't it?" she asked. "For them, I mean?"

"... Yes. I think it is. As it is, I think it's going to be too late for a lot of people, young and old."

The two of them were silent at that. They both knew the horrors of war, due to personal experience. It looked like they would experience that again.

Sometimes, the heavens just opened up, and some nameless deity said, _I hate humanity. Let's cause some damage to it._

**Realm 8599**

William sighed, sitting up. "Are you happy now?" he asked.

Serenity grinned, putting her supplies away. "Very happy, Big Brother. I promised Mother I would keep an eye on you, especially in... father's palace."

The older child of the Moon Queen chuckled. So mother wasn't too happy with her ex husband's policies, either. Not surprising.

Even though William saw Tranquia as his real mother, he and Queen Serenity still had a pretty good relationship. And he protected his little sister fiercely.

"So?" Princess Serena sat down on William's bed, grinning. "Who was that young lady I saw you with?"  
William grinned. "I would ask the same thing about the Prince of the neighboring kingdom. Prince... Endyimon, isn't it?"

Serena blushed. "Very well, I shall not inquire about those who you talk to, if you promise to do the same."

"Agreed." William sighed. "What about the Jedi?"

"... Midas's staff has him. And we still have not heard anything from them. ...Sadly, I think Father wishes to exploit the Force through him."

"You know what, Will? I'm thinking the same thing."

**Realm 323**

Sere stepped into the Temple, breathing in the air as she did so. Yes, there was definitely some very good memories here.

And of course, an extremely powerful Jedi who was walking up to her, his wife right next to him.

The former Moon Queen smiled, accepting a warm hug from Starr. "Shouldn't you have some restraint?" she asked. "Your wife is standing right there, after all."

Bridgett laughed lightly, giving her a hug. "Oh, come now! You're practically one of the family, Serenity! It is always so good to see you."

"Likewise. However, as you might as have guessed, this is not a social call." The smile gone, Sere became every inch the warrior she had been trained as, and every inch of the queen she once was. "Friends of Harry Potter were captured by King Midas, on Realm 8599."

Starr's own gaze grew hard. "He has just committed his last act of war. I have already been made aware of his treachery. What do you need?"

"Anything you can spare."

"That's easy. I can spare me, and my most experienced Knights. They'll be ready within the hour."

Sere nodded, patting the Moon Wand. Now they were getting somewhere.

**Realm 8599**

Something small shot by in the darkness, brushing up against a young girl's leg.

Jane promptly shot up into the air, landing into Peter's arms. "Something just ran by my leg!" she whispered.

Peter grinned, blushing slightly. "You know, Jane, I can carry you if you want. You don't have to jump into my arms."

The young girl realized this almost immediately. "Well..."

"I'm not kidding."

"A first. Remember the last time you caught me in your arms?"

Peter's grin slipped. "I was slightly less mature then."

Jane rolled her eyes. "You promise not to drop me, now?" she asked.

"On my life." He started down the hallway, keeping Jane close to him.

**Hogwarts**

McGonagall observed the map of Freminia, the most powerful Earth Kingdom of Realm 8599, with little more than irritation expressed on her face. The new download from Zion had told them a wealth of information about them, and none of it was nice. Frankly, the irritation was just a measure of her rage.

Mentally shaking herself, she started pointing at the screen. "Once you're through the gate, you will have about thirty minutes to get to the city. We can't spare any SG units, though a full squadron of Aurors will be accompanying you. There is a weakness in their mystical defense grid near here," she pointed towards the Southern sector, "which will make it possible for you to enter undetected."

Obi Wan nodded once, moving to the screen. "We'll have about thirty minutes to locate SG-2, then get out. Fortunately, we believe that Peter and Jane will have already escaped, and will be searching for the others, so that'll make our job easier. Once we locate and free them, we'll have to leave quickly."  
Harry nodded, turning to Wendy. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Wendy nodded once, eyes narrowed. "Let's go."

The blast doors leading to the Gate Room opened, allowing the small force to enter as the dimensional Stargate activated, illuminating the room with blue light. "Alright, let's get in, and get out. No unnecessary heroics."

Ron shouldered his rifle. "Don't worry, mate. Heroics aren't our style, anyways."

"Fair point. Let's move, people!"

Following the Boy Who Lived, SG-1 and the aurors quickly went through the Stargate, wands and guns already out. They weren't taking any chances.

McGonagall watched as the Gate shut down, sending a silent prayer out for their safe return.

**Realm 8599**

The second Harry and his team stepped out of the Gate, he and Hermione were forced to make a shield as a full magic attack flew at him. Expanding the shield to encompass the immediate vicinity of the Gate as the aurors charged through, stunning spells already issuing from their wands.

Obi Wan was out of the shield in an instant, lightsaber blocking strikes as he moved forward, sending them back to their various originating points. The stunning spells hit with unerring accuracy, taking out guard after guard.

Slowly, the hailstorm of strange magical bolts began to dissipate, as the Stargate defense was taken out. The second that began to happen, Harry and Hermione decided to go on offense.

And quickly teleported.

One of the soldiers, the one who had been instrumental of alerting the royal family about the last batch of intruders, felt a slight breeze behind him. He quickly turned around, his sword out at nearly the speed of sound...

... only to have it ripped out of his hands by a young, chestnut haired girl, one who looked rather irritated. He quickly found himself slammed against the rock face with enough force to rattle him, though not hurt him seriously.

Harry swiftly moved throughout the swiftly diminishing ranks, punching and kicking each person he came in contact with. He was abusive, but elusive.

Ron turned, saw several of the aurors stare at this in amazement. "I know it looks incredible, but I think we should help them out." He quickly brought his rifle up, firing at a point above an outstretched boulder.

The soldier below that point smirked. "You have a lousy aim, boy!" he shouted, bringing up a throwing knife.

Ron merely pointed upward. "Look up."

The man did so... just in time to see a massive rock falling. With a yelp of fright, he quickly threw himself to the side.

Harry was on him in an instant, chopping the back of his neck quickly. "Nice work, Ron!" he said, whilst man fell to the ground like a stone.

Ron grinned. "Orders, sir?"  
"Move out!"

* * *

Claire slowly opened her eyes, blinking as bright light evaded them.

The second her eyes had adjusted fully to the light, she quickly began to check each one of her various body parts. Noting the fact that she had complete use of all four limbs, that her head didn't hurt, and the fact that she was in a nightgown, laying in a bed with a soft mattress, told her that she wasn't in any immediate danger.

_'It doesn't mean that it won't change,'_ she thought, getting out of the bed, and heading for the closet. Opening it, she discovered a series of dresses... and her uniform. She reached for it... only to have her hand ricochet off a pane of glass. _'Okay, this simply means I find my lightsaber, find Anakin, then hook up with Peter and Jane, and find out where Tinkerbell is presently hovering.'_

Quickly grabbing a robe, she made for the door, getting ready. Then she opened it.

The two guards immediately turned around, drawing their weapons, though they were immediately knocked out of their hands by two chops by the prisoner. The prisoner proceeded to give them both a punch to the face, knocking them unconscious.

Claire stepped out of the room, nodding in satisfaction. "Wow, their speed has improved. I actually had to move fast." Quickly picking up one of the swords, she started down the hallway.

* * *

Wendy frowned, turning to Obi Wan. "You would think that they would have figured out that their little ambush at the gate didn't work."

Obi Wan shrugged. "They have no way of sending messages quickly. By my estimations, the runner should just be reaching the city gates."

"Yeah, with the twenty or so bruises that Hermione here gave him." Ginny chucked a finger at the girl in question.

Hermione grinned. "Hey, I could have easily broken him into two pieces. Be thankful that he could still run."

Ron shook his head. "Yeah. You also scared the living crap out of him. I think he pissed his pants."  
"Yes, I know. I was standing right there."

Padme chuckled, shaking her head. The easy banter, the fact that they were willing to go to great lengths to save people they've only known for a few hours, told her a great deal about them. _'They're better than most soldiers,'_ she thought. _'And those two are worthy of becoming Guardians.'_

It had been twenty minutes since they took out the forces protecting the Stargate. The aurors stayed to protect it, making sure that they had set up the shield generators for optimum coverage. They were under orders to evacuate after two hours, in case of an attack.

Harry was hoping that they didn't have to.

As the small group approached their destination, a pungent odor began to emerge, causing them to gag slightly. Barely noticeable at first, it slowly grew as they moved forward.

Finally, after another five minutes of walking, Wendy had to stop, putting a hand over her nose and mouth. "Good lord, that smells like..."

"Decay," Harry finished, stopping in his tracks, as he lay eyes on the most horrific thing he had ever seen in his life.

The land before them was a dead, barren wasteland, which unto itself was depressing. But what made it worse, were the scores of dead bodies littered all over the place. They were all in various states of decay, some little more than bones and scraps of clothing, some looking like they had been killed mere days ago.

Obi Wan closed his eyes, appalled by what he was seeing. Even the Neimoidians had the sense to destroy the bodies so infection couldn't set in. But it also explained why they had no defenses here.

No living soul would want to go through this to get to the southern gate.

Ron quickly turned around, retching in an old well. The sight of all of those bodies, in various stages of decomposition was too much for him to take. Dagobah, he had seen Claire take a Sunak warrior's head off. He had never, in all of his life, seen such a basic contempt for the dead.

Ginny, who had been in the thick of fighting longer than any of them, seeing the things Matt had seen, walked over to him, patting his shoulder. "You okay, Ron?" she asked.

Ron wiped his mouth, nodding. "Yeah, I think so," he replied, grimacing. "It's just that... I have never seen such devastation before in my life."  
Wendy sighed sadly, remembering that first bombing. "I have."

"So have I," Padme put in, sorrow bubbling within her soul.

Harry nodded. "My ancestors have seen worse than this. It doesn't make it any easier to take, though." He gestured. "We'll, we've come this far. We might as well press on."

Ron shoulder his weapon again, concentrating on the mission. Their friends were in trouble, and they needed to get them out.

But all of those bodies, all of the devastation he had seen, was engraved in his memories, possibly forever.

* * *

William stepped out of his room, adjusting his shirt carefully as he did so. Serena had left about fifteen minutes ago, so he could get changed. Unfortunately, he immediately had four servant girls enter his room, most of them slightly older than him. He suspected that his father was behind this. He was always trying to get his only son to satisfy his carnal desires

Heading down the hallway, the prince reviewed everything he knew about their prisoners. He knew that most of them were human, barely thirteen seasons at least. They were using some sort of technological weaponry far superior to their own swords and projectile weapons. Two of them had lightsabers, one gold, one forest green.

They were the two he was interested in.

The last time he had seen a Jedi Knight, he and that knight had engaged in a fight that destroyed a planet, transforming it into the asteroid belt currently between the kingdoms of Jupiter and Mars. It was a disturbing reminder of his suppressed power, and what would happen if he ever unleashed it.

Shaking himself out of his morbid thoughts, he turned the corner.

And broke into a run, heading for the room where the young blonde was. He was doing this because of the fact that the two guards stationed there were presently regaining a vertical base, rubbing their jaws. One of them was weaponless, which told him a great deal.

The patient was out, and she was armed.

One of the guards shook his head. "Sorry, your majesty. She was faster than we were."

William shook his head. Now was not the time to panic. "Sound the alarm, and send someone to check on the prisoners in the dungeons. They may have escaped as well."

Without waiting for a reply, he made his way to his father's chambers. He needed to report this immediately.

And stave off the inevitable death sentence for as long as he could.

* * *

"How much longer?" Jane asked.

Peter kept his gaze in front of him. "I'd say about five minutes. Could you please relax already? Nothing's going to happen."  
"The sooner I see light, the sooner I'll relax." The girl was shuddering violently.

Peter kept her close, concerned for her. It seemed that her fear was growing every minute they were in the dark. Why, he didn't know. _'Something happened to her during that war back home that brought this out. What, though?'_

Deciding that he would find out sooner or later, Peter returned his full attention back to what he was doing. Navigating through the darkened dungeon halls, he desperately searched for any source of light that could alleviate Jane's terror.

Thankfully, Tinkerbell chose that moment to show up, her eternal light a welcome distraction to the looming pressure that was on the verge of engulfing the young girl.

Instantly, Jane began to relax. The fact that the light was a friend added to that. "Tink, you're alright! But, I thought that you'd been hit!"

The fairy jingled an affirmative, grinning. She then explained briefly about how fairies had incredible healing abilities. All she had done was hide herself on Claire, then fly away when she had the chance.

Peter grinned as Tinkerbell finished her report. "Glad to know that Claire has been treated, at least. Means she'll be out by now." He frowned. "Did you try to find Anakin?" he asked.

Tink shook her head, jingling that she thought that he would be down there with them.

Jane shook her head. "Well, he isn't." She turned her attention to Peter. "What do you think we should do, Peter?"

The young man thought long and hard about it, nodded to himself, and said, "We're going to find him." He grinned. "Just as soon as we get out of here."  
"Good idea. Tink, could you lead the way?"

* * *

Door opened, door closed. No incident, no problems.

And it was making Harry suspicious. Why were there no guards? A paranoid king would make sure that there were defenses everywhere, soldiers posted every few feet.

'_Those bodies were probably the defense,' _he thought angrily. '_A warning of what will happen to you.'_

Obi Wan stretched his senses out, letting the Force flow out of him as checked the surround. "No one knows we're here… yet." He smiled. "And I have located Anakin's Force signature. It's stationary within the palace."

Padme breathed again. "What about the others?" she asked.

Obi Wan checked again. "I have Miss Damont moving towards the armory, probably in search of her light saber. As for Peter and Jane…" he turned to Wendy, apologetic. "As Trainees, they are too advanced for me to detect."

"That means they're still alive," Wendy replied firmly. "Until you can sense their dead bodies, I'm going to believe that."

"We all are," Hermione assured her. "So, what's our next move, sir?"

Harry frowned. "There's only one way in and out of the castle, and that's the main entrance. We're going to have to find a way to sneak in without being seen. Suggestions?"

"Knock out a few guards, steal their uniforms," Ginny immediately suggested.

Wendy turned around to stare at her. "Miss Weasley, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but the guards are all men... and a good foot taller than the good Ambassador here. And you aren't the tallest person around."

"Gee, thanks for that."

"_Next_," Harry stressed out.

Hermione looked around. "Do we have magnetic grapplers?"

"There aren't any windows until we hit the king's bedroom, and that is at the top of the highest tower. Hermione, you, myself, and Ginny possibly, would be able make it, but what about them?" Harry pointed towards Obi Wan, Wendy, and Padme. "Next."

Ginny sighed. "Well, those are the only viable ideas."

"No, they are the most obvious." Obi Wan observed the area. "There is always another way to enter. It may not be what it's designed for, but it's there."

"What about the sewage exit?" Ron asked, pointing downward. Everyone followed his gaze. "Every dungeon, or massive palace have an extensive area where waste is stored. Now, if they have anything remotely like Lunar's magic, they would purify everything before dumping it back into the wild."

Wendy started smiling. "Not bad, Mister Weasley."

"Just to be sure, we're wearing breathing masks." Harry pulled his out. "Everybody, get ready."

Then, placing his faith in his decision, he started for shaft, the others behind him.

* * *

The sorcerers swarming around Anakin kept muttering their incantations, trying to break through Anakin's mental defenses. Trying, but failing. King Midas, quickly possibly the tallest man alive in Freminia, watched on with a slightly narrowed gaze.

At first glance, it was easy to see where Prince Sol got his looks. The strong chin, smooth features, and prominent chin that ran in the family were apparent, even after forty seasons. His hair, though liberally streaked with gray, complimented those features perfectly.

It was when you looked into his eyes that you saw something that overshadowed all of that.

There was an intensity in there that was frightening. Paranoia flickered in those violet eyes, a paranoia that is not entirely justified. He was the all powerful ruler of the greatest kingdom on Earth. The master of their victories against the Dark Kingdom.

The architect of their most recent atrocities.

And he was not happy with his sorcerer's failure.

The lead one came up to him, somewhat fearfully. "The Force energy in his body is more than we have ever encountered before," he reported. "In fact, it's greater than even Prince Starr's." Midas looked at him, and the sorcerer quailed back from the fury in his gaze. "O-our p-p-powers combined may not be enough to break through."

"He's a Padawan learner from a realm different than Starr's," Midas replied softly. "Power aside, his defenses are weak."

"T-there is s-s-something else protecting him. A commitment t-that helps him withstand us. We...we n-n-eed more time to identify what."

Midas sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. He needed to have a word with someone about Jedi. "Just do what you have to. Let me know when you have it."

"Of course, your majesty."

* * *

"I must have been crazy," Claire muttered, plastered against a wall, listening to the conversation between Midas and his sorcerer. "I'm trying to find a way out, and here I am eavesdropping on Midas. I am certifiably whacked out."

However, the conversation had proved enlightening. The fact that Freminia's top mind benders couldn't penetrate Anakin's Jedi training, and the fact that they were concerned about the amount of power he possessed, told her something. And when that man had said something about another commitment, she could only assume that he meant the Jedi's connection to Padme.

'They're trying to change him into a loyal soldier of the kingdom, and they can't because of his bond with his wife.' Claire grinned. _'Couple that with Obi Wan's training, and he's damn near invincible.'_ Prince Starr would be proud.

Claire grinned. Prince Starr would be proud. 

She altered her priorities slightly, and started on her way again.

* * *

The stairwell was slick with water and something else that Peter couldn't identify, nor did he want to identify it.

Jane's shuddering had lessened considerably, though it was still there. The golden light Tinkerbell shone helped illuminate the way, but only slightly. But it only illuminated a small part of the hallway. The rest remained in inky blackness.

Peter stayed as close to his best friend as he possibly could, not feeling any strain carrying Jane. In truth, he could have set her down now, but he rather enjoyed this. He also wanted to make up for letting her drop the year before.

A sudden sound erupted from a spot almost twenty feet in front, making them stop. Jane emitted a soft, though audible yelp, clinging tighter to the young boy. Two more clangs sounded.

Peter shifted. "It sounds like someone's knocking." He settled Jane down on her feet, gently prying her arms off of him. "I need my hands," he whispered. "Tinkerbell will stay with you, okay?" Jane nodded, not taking her eyes from the source of the sound.

Satisfied, Peter took a step forward.

And promptly went into a defensive position when a piece of wall broke off from the rest. _'No,'_ he thought. _'A door of some kind. But what for?'_

The answer wasn't long in coming, as several people, mostly wearing Guardian breathing apparatus, though one of them was wearing Jedi robes.

Peter grinned, turning back to flash a thumbs up to Jane.

Harry pulled his mask off, adjusting his glasses slightly, flashing a light at them. "Well, I guess we were right. You were trying to get out."

Jane gave a weak smile, blinking when her mother gave her a bone crushing hug. "Mother, what are you doing here?" she got out.

Wendy looked down at her. "I was worried about you. Are you alright?"

"It's not like last time. Peter was with me. Nothing happened."

Peter frowned. _'Like last time.'_

Obi Wan looked behind them. "I am going to assume Anakin and Claire are being held in a separate area," he said.

Jane nodded, noticeably calmer now. "We're on our way to locate them. Wanna help?"

Ginny grinned. "Is the Earth round? Which way?"

Tinkerbell quickly flew forward, flying up the stairwell, Peter, Jane, and SG-1 right behind them.

* * *

The lead sorcerer ventured into one part of the Jedi's memories, trying to find another way to break through his defenses. Defenses that had defeated conventional methods of mind control, both subtle and direct. They were unlike any he, or any of his fellows, had seen before.

As he shifted through him, he learned the Jedi's name; Anakin Skywalker, as well as his life's history. A slave boy on a faraway planet, he had taken an interest in a type of racing contest, and had participated in them. The only one of the human race to do so. He had plans to get himself and his mother, one of great kindness and presence, off planet as soon as he grew up.

That all changed when a Jedi Knight and a young girl came to his owner's shop.

The sorcerer was shocked by all of this, about the boy's history, about his power. He was what the Jedi of his universe called 'The Chosen One.' A being who was powerful enough to restore balance to the Force. And it did need to be restored. He saw the churning blackness within his memories, like a cloud of poison.

And he saw the marriage of Skywalker and the woman. _Padme_, that was the name of her. A forbidden romance where they were from.

He pulled out, staring at the unconscious form of Skywalker for a moment, before turning to his second in command. "Send a messenger to the king. Understood?"

"Yes, Milord."

Satisfied, the man returned his attention to the Jedi, wondering how best to use this information.

* * *

Midas growled. "I knew they were merely a scouting party! Now they are sending an advance force to protect the Holy Ring! What would it take to remove them?"  
His advisor checked the scroll. "Well, according to our generals, we would need to summon upon a full brigade of our top warriors, as well as several of our strongest magicians to act as long range attacks."

"Whatever General Raci needs. Now then..."

"Your majesty!"

Midas turned around, laying eyes on the sorcerer's messenger. "Do they have something for me?"

The messenger nodded. "They have discovered the other commitment that he has, and he requests your presence."

Midas nodded. "See to the arrangements," he said to his advisor, before heading down the hallway.

* * *

Claire watched as three soldiers walked out of one room, now armed, when they hadn't been a moment before. _'The armory,'_ she thought, grinning. _'I'm halfway there.'_ She looked around, gauging whether or not there were any guards nearby. Detecting nothing through the Force, and not seeing any in her immediate vicinity, she strolled towards the armory, her borrowed sword raised.

Once inside, she quickly spotted her lightsaber hanging near the far end of the room. Crossing it quickly, she grabbed it and her weapons belt, quickly strapping it around her waist. Setting the sword down, she began looking around again, making an inventory count of the various weapons.

'Five thousand swords, three thousand bows, and enough arrows to lay siege on a city. Something tells me that they aren't using all of this to defend their city. They're preparing for something.'

Curiosity getting the better of her, Claire went out of the armory, heading for the room next to it. Making sure that it was empty, she slipped inside, heading for the balcony.

What she saw was enough to terrify her.

There, situated in the parade grounds, was an army of thousands, moving in parade formation. All of them were decked in battle armor, and it looked like they knew what they were doing. There were catapults, siege engines, and other devices required to break down a city's walls.

Claire had a sickening suspicion that they weren't there to pretty up the landscape.

There was no reason for her to stay here. She had to get Anakin out of that room, hook up with Peter and Jane, and make a run for the Stargate.

'Wait,' she thought. _'I have no idea what their target is. I need to find out which kingdom they plan to strike, and when. _Then_ I'll do everything else. And there's only one place where I can do that.'_

she thought. Then 

She quickly left the room, heading for the King's chambers.

* * *

"And you are sure that you can change those memories?" Midas asked, observing the Jedi, who was covered from the waist down by a sheet.

"Not all of them, and not fully, per se, but we have manipulated certain aspects of them, changing names and faces, suppressing others and replacing them. It will take a few moments more, but I believe that it was a success." His sorcerer turned towards the hallway, his mind's eye watching as a young, beautiful brunette as she approached. "The young apprentice we have selected will be the template. She has admitted to harboring feelings for this person, and is of the right age to mate. We have charmed her with the spells required to seal the altered memories into place when she mates with him. We have given him a mental aphrodisiac, so that he will not wonder. She believes he has asked for her. He will think this as well, and respond accordingly. Afterwards, he will be yours to command."  
Midas grinned evilly. "Our forces will become invincible with him on our side. You may continue on."

"Thank you, your Majesty. We shall try to not fail you." The sorcerer turned around. "All of you, come." He and the king left the room, the other magic users following closely behind them.

The woman sat down at the edge of the bed, fiddling with the hem of her robe. "My Lord?" she asked timidly. "You wanted to see me?"

Anakin's eyes opened, and he turned to her. A massive wall of arousal blocked out conscious thought. "Yes," he said, a hand reaching out for her.

And so, through the art of manipulation, two people came together... sealed the King's plan fully. Anakin Skywalker was his.

For about three seconds.

* * *

Wendy peeked out from the stairwell, looking around, a scanner in front of her. "There are no guards within a thirty foot radius," she reported. "It's safe to come out."

Harry led the way out, staying wary. "That doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet. The castle is huge. It would take weeks to search everywhere And we don't have it."

Obi Wan nodded. "There may be a faster way." He waited until he had their attention, before saying, "Anakin's Force signature is extremely pervasive, and Claire's is like a steady cyclone of power. I may be able to locate them by pinpointing where their signatures are at their strongest."

Padme's eyes lit up, and Ron focused on him fully. "Then do it!" they both exclaimed at once.

Obi Wan started in surprise. "I will. Just be patient, and keep an eye out for any unwanted guests." He moved a bit to the side, closing his eyes and sending out tendrils of the Force.

In his mind, the world changed. The walls became transparent, and people acquired a slightly otherworldly feel. They all had a reddish tint to them, the color of non Force users. It was all too easy to find them.

Claire was a gold whirlwind, the color of the sun in the midday sky. She was confidence personified. Power, and the training to use it correctly. And she was on the move, heading towards Anakin's location

Anakin was more reminiscent of thundercloud, building up the strength to become an F-Five tornado. He was power personified, easy to locate, difficult to contain, if not impossible. And he was stationary.

Obi Wan looked up. "They will meet on the third floor in about six minutes."

Harry nodded. "Well, let's get going. We are over our time limit, now."

"Good idea," Ron replied, bringing his rifle up. "The aurors are probably already back at Hogwarts, so we'll be fighting all the way to the Gate."

"Not looking forward to it, in my current weaponless state." Jane looked around. "And I really don't want to be weaponless right now."

"Fair point." The young wizard pulled a pistol out, tossing it to her. "Here. Knock yourself out."

"Thanks, Ron."

* * *

Claire reached the room that they had transferred Anakin, fiddling with her lightsaber. She looked around, saw no one who could stop her, and reached for the door knob.

The door opened, revealing Anakin, who didn't look too surprised. "Claire, I was just coming to get you."

Claire sighed. "You can't even be a good prisoner." She looked into the room, saw a woman putting some food into a bag, and frowned. "And whose she?" she added.

"Her names Silvia. She was a trap, though she didn't know it."

"You kissed her, didn't you?"

"And got the whole truth." Anakin sighed. "Those magicians were trying to manipulate my memories, trying to see if I could be controlled."

"And obviously, they failed."

The Padawan grinned. "Well, when I remembered the truth, I told her I was married, and that I had been deceived, and she stopped. I then told her that she should head for the Stargate."

"Good idea. It won't be safe for her here anymore." Claire smiled at the young woman. "Tell the aurors that Claire Damont sent you, okay?"  
Silivia nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

* * *

William reached his father's room, entering quickly. "Father, the prisoners have escaped," he immediately reported.

Midas looked up. "All of them?"

"All of them. Even your great Jedi weapon."

The king got up, all of the power in his body radiating outward. "Find them, and kill them."

His fist clenched.

"All of them."

_To Be Continued_

* * *

And here is Part Two of Episode Fifty Eight is complete. Part Three will end this, and take care of a few other things. I have also begun typing Chapter Twenty One of my other fic, and should have it up within the next few weeks.

If you check Bios, you'll find a new category, as well as someone underneath it. I am also trying to decide if I want to get kick my dial up connection. For some reason, it wouldn't upload this whole document.

In the _Star Trek: Voyager_ sub section, I have noticed very few Kes fanfictions, as compared to the other characters. Personally, I think that's a shame. I personally did like Kes's character, especially during her final season onboard _Voyager._ Hence why Kes is going to be in this story. Please, review.


	63. Part Three

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Fifty Eight:** **Part Three**

Two stun bolts slammed into two guards at the end of the hallway, knocking them out before they could fully turn around. A quick sweep by a scannerrevealed no other soldiers in the vicinity.

"Clear," Ginny said, stepping out of her hiding spot, smirking.

The rest of the group spilled out into the corridor, weapons out. Ron and Wendy kept an eye on their rears as they continued on their way. They were not taking any chances.

The mystery of Jane's terrible fear of the dark was set aside in Peter's mind for the time being, but it wasn't forgotten. He would ask when they returned to Hogwarts, but for now, he was glad that she was back to her usual, perkyself.

Hermione pressed herself against the wall, looking arounda corner. Gesturing them forward, she started down the hallway.

"Are they still there?" Harry asked.

Obi Wan frowned. "They're moving towards the stairwell with someone else. From the way the Force washes over her, I'd say that she has natural Force capability in a lesser degree than Master Shaak Ti."

"They're heading our way?" Padme asked.

"They are." The Jedi Knight frowned. "I also have a dozen guards coming up on them."

Wendy turned her head. "Then don't you think we should help them?"

Harry grinned. "Love the plan, Wendy. Padme, Ron, keep an eye on our rear. Wendy, go and find Anakin's lightsaber. The rest of you, with me."

Ginny tossed her scanner to Wendy. "They'll most likely have placed his weapon in their armory. You can use this to find it."

Wendy nodded. "I'll find it. Don't worry. You just help them. I'll be back as soon as I can." She hugged Jane briefly. "Be careful, Jane."

"Hey, Mum... it's me."  
Chuckling, Wendy started down the hallway, scanning the surround. Harry and the rest of them headed up the stairwell.

* * *

William shot into his sister's room, panting. "The prisoners have escaped!" he got out. "We need to go, now!" 

Serena nodded, grabbing her locket. "At least Father does not know that the other Senshi are alive," she replied. "I shall do what I can."

The Earth senshi nodded, than shot out of the room again. He had to go and find his henshin tool immediately.

The Moon Princess nodded to herself, then raised her hand.

"_Moon Prism Power!"_

* * *

"An invasion force?" Anakin echoed, he and Silvia exchanging looks. After they had almost run into a security squadron, Claire had decided that the young woman should stay at their sides until they left the castle. 

Claire nodded, looking around. "I think they may be preparing to attack the neighboring kingdom of Atlantia. Midas has always wanted the vital ocean trades. The strongest kingdom military wise, but an economic giant, he isn't." She shook her head. "Some things never change, regardless of the realm you're in."  
"But why lie?" Silvia asked. "Why did he want me to...?"

Anakin frowned. "He wanted to use my strength in that attack." Looking at her, he continued with, "I was conceived by the Force for some reason, without a fatherand because of it, I am more powerful than even Yoda, if not a fully trained, yet."

Claire nodded. "Of course, power isn't any template for his character. He does have something other than the order to help him. That's why he's so difficult to control."

"Ah." Silvia nodded once, understanding dawning. "So, what do we do about this?"

"We warn them, somehow." Claire took one step down one corridor.

And Anakin quickly pulled her back, the Force screaming a warning to him. "Security's gone from passive to dangerous," he whispered. "They're under orders to kill us."

"Hmm, Midas is more paranoid than I remember reading about," Claire murmured, bringing her lightsaber up. "I guess we have no choice, now."

"No, I guess not." Anakin gestured. "You just had to leave my lightsaber in the armory, didn't you?"

"I didn't have time to locate it!" Claire snapped. "I was a little more concerned about finding you, and getting out of here!"  
"Could you two shut up?" Silvia whispered. "I can hear them."

Anakin perked up. "I can sense something else, approaching our position. They're on our side."  
"Huh?" Claire's head swiveled as she returned her attention to the stairwell, stretching out.

And instantly relaxed when Harry exited the stairwell, Peter and Jane right behind him. "Guys!" she exclaimed. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here, Harry?"

Harry grinned. "Trying to get you guys out. Wendy's getting your lightsaber, Anakin."

"Good to know. Padme's here?"  
"How'd you guess?"

Hermione entered the hallway, hand raised. "We better get going. Otherwise, we'll have a lot of trouble. Four squadrons are on their way."

"Let's go, then!" Ron's voice shouted. "By the way, nice robe, Claire!"  
Claire blushed. "Thank you, Handsome," she murmured.

Jane and Hermione smirked to each other. If they got out of this alive, then the next few months were going to be very interesting with those two.

* * *

Wendy carefully entered the armory, checking her scanner for a second to make sure, then moved, keeping her ears open for the sounds of armored feet. 

Locating the lightsaber wasn't difficult. It was the only handle in an entire arsenal of swords, axes, and spears. Quickly clipping it onto her utility belt, she made her way to the door.

The door burst open before she reached it, admitting four soldiers, all of them who were already prepared for her. As one, they charged, swords raised.

Wendy quickly backed up, dodging the lead one as he slashed at her. She quickly kicked, knocking the weapon out of his hand, before kicking him in the chin, forcing him back. She grabbed a spear off of its rack, checking its balance. Then she readied herself.

The other three guards quickly flanked her, swords flashing dangerously. They attacked at the same time, trying to catch her in a pincer assault.

Wendy blocked their first strikes, turning them away to intersect each other. She quickly slammed the blunt end of her weapon into the closest one's stomach, doubling him over, whirling to hit the other one over the head.

The fourth one came in, his sword moving with such force that it sliced the spear into two. He swiftly thrust forward, trying to gut her. She deflected the blade with the steel edge of the spear, using the other piece to smack his hand. She kicked him once, twice, three times, taking him down. Two down, two to go.

The third guard managed to nick her arm, before she turned around, head butting him, then punching him right between the eyes. She quickly whirled in a circle, trying to locate the final one.

A sudden pain issued from her leg, and the leg buckled, sending her down to one knee. Turning her head, she saw the final guard, a knife embedded in her tricep. Lashing out with her good foot, she caught him in the mouth, breaking his jaw. She kicked him again, knocking him out, before pulling the knife out of her. Putting pressure on the wound, she waited for the blood flow to slow down. "This really isn't what I was hoping for," she muttered, getting up.

She quickly staggered out of the armory, making sure to keep her hand on the wound. The last thing she needed was giving the guards an easy way to track her.

* * *

"We found three squadrons of guards unconscious on the second floor," a sentry reported, keeping a remarkably straight face. "Four more guards were found here in the armory, also unconscious. Both lightsaber's are missing." 

Midas barely restrained the roar of fury that threatened to erupt from his throat. This was becoming more vexing than it was supposed to be. Who were these intruders that they could defeat his guards without killing them? Didn't they know that there was no escape, and the only thing they were doing was delaying the inevitable?

He thought fast, before looking down.

There, near the area where the Jedi's lightsaber hung, was a splatter of blood. Intrigue gripped him, and he bent down, observing the color. "They're not youma," he mused.

The guard blanched. "You mean...?"

"We're dealing with a group of humans." Midas grinned. "We don't have to kill them. We just have to capture them. The injured one isn't with them, and is most likely skilled at hiding. We must draw that one into the open with the others." He turned. "Have all of our guards converge on the throne room."  
"The throne room, sir?"

"That is the only way out of this place, unless they plan to fall thirty miles to the ground below."

Now the guard bowed, understanding dawning. "By your command, My Liege."

* * *

Harry frowned for a moment, checking his watch for a moment. "Wendy should have been here by now. Our time limit has almost expired." 

Obi Wan checked the Force for a moment, searching for Wendy's unique signature. "She's still alive, though injured," he replied, worry coloring his tone. "It looks like she's had an altercation with some of the guards."

Jane and Peter looked at each other. "We can't leave her," Jane began.  
"She'd want us to get you out of here, first, before we worry about her," the Jedi Master interrupted. "I'll go get her. The rest of you, get out of here." He sensed Anakin's and Padme's concern. "Don't worry, I can locate her easily enough. And there don't appear to be any guards near her position. A simple retrieval."

Harry nodded. "Do it. The rest of you, the main door awaits."

Obi Wan went back up the way he came, lightsaber gripped tightly in his hand, though not turned on. Jane and Daniel weren't going to lose their mother.

He wasn't going to allow that to happen.

* * *

Wendy tore the bottom part of her shirt off, using it to bandage her leg up, before getting back up, keeping her eyes open for guards. Once the bandage was on tightly, she grabbed her gun, checking the setting, before pressing on. Limping slightly, pain shooting through her leg with each step, she made her way towards the stairwell. 

The one thought through her mind was, _'I'm surprised Jane didn't tell Peter why she's afraid of the dark. Peter is someone she can trust not to judge her.'_ But she knew why she hadn't. Jane never talked about it, even to her. And, to be honest, if it had happened to her, then she probably wouldn't talk about it to anyone.

"Let's hope my luck holds," she muttered, limping down the stairwell, not knowing that her daughter was walking into a trap.

* * *

Daniel stepped out of the event horizon, nodding towards the aurors on guard. "I'm looking for Master Obi Wan Kenobi!" he called out. "Where is he?"  
The lead auror made a tactical observation, noted that they weren't threatening them, and signaled for the others to lower their wands. "Master Kenobi is presently part of a rescue operation for SG-2. We're holding the Gate for the retreat." 

The mighty Jedi Prince nodded, the Force telling him as much. "Sir, I present Serenity. She's a friend of Harry Potter's."

Sere turned her gaze to the city, glaring at it. "They're in there?" she asked.

"They are."

"Then we're going." The former Moon Queen pulled the Crescent Moon Wand out. "There is only one way out of the palace, and that's through the main entrance. Midas's ancestors designed it to be difficult to escape."

"I remember the layout, Sere. Let's get going."

"Fine, fine."

* * *

Through the supergate in orbit of Ios, a massive object appeared in Realm 8599. 

The vessel was really nothing more than a sphere with engines and weapons. The species was a virtual unknown, its identity not necessary, and important for only one reason.

They were part of the Deadly Alliance.

Moving slowly, the Siosak death machine approached the planet Earth, the heart of the pillar realm. Its intent was as obvious.

* * *

Wendy was approaching the stairwell that led to the second floor, her leg stiffening up from the pain. She had run into another group of guards on her journey, the result being several new cuts to her arm, a small opening on her cheek, and a headache from a glancing blow. A blow to her leg had reopened the wound, and her makeshift bandage was becoming soaked with her blood. 

And now this, the sound of footsteps coming up the stairwell. She wasn't looking forward to this altercation.

So it was with a bit of relief that she saw Obi Wan coming up. "I thought it was another guard," she gasped, hugging him.

Obi Wan took note of his comrades condition. He noted that she was favoring one of her legs, her jacket was gone, and her midriff was bare. She was sporting several cuts on her arm, as well as one on her cheek.

But other than that, she was hale and hearty.

"Can you move quickly?" he asked.

"I can," Wendy replied. "What about the others?"

"They're getting ready to leave..."

The young woman noticed how Obi Wan's attention suddenly seemed to shift to somewhere beyond them both. "What is it?"

Obi Wan didn't answer yet, because the Force finished whispering its warning. The others were in danger.

Mortal danger.

Wendy quickly guessed what had silenced him. Without any words, they ran down the stairs, the pain in her leg forgotten.

Her daughter and their friends were in trouble.

* * *

Harry had only a split second warning before it happened. 

As he and the others reached the center of the throne room, almost eighty guards appeared out of nowhere, firing stunning spells at them. None of them had enough time to react, and were easily subdued.

Midas walked up to raven hair, chuckling to himself. "And now, we wait," he whispered. "We wait for the others to show up, and then we kill them all."

Prince Sol joined him, observing them all thoughtfully. "They haven't killed any of our soldiers, Father," he began. "They only fought back when we attacked. Perhaps they are not the first wave of invaders, but are explorers, instead."

The king didn't seem to hear him, observing them for a moment more. "They are spies, sent here to test our defenses. I don't know how they managed to get in, but it doesn't matter." His grin was that of a psychopath. "They will not leave here alive." He picked up Silvia by her hair. "Starting with the traitor."

Sol shuddered. He didn't even know this man beside him anymore. He began to turn around.

And the palace doors exploded.

Prince Starr and Serenity were through the opening immediately, weapons activated. Every Jedi and auror came in after them, ready for war.

Midas quickly dropped Silvia, grabbing Jane's prone form, and holding it up. "Come any closer, and I will kill her!" he bellowed, grasping her by her neck.

Sere held up her hand, bringing them all to a halt. She saw Harry and Hermione's bodies on the ground, and was filled with fury. "This was not necessary, Midas! They meant you no harm!"

"I somehow doubt that, Serenity." His grip tightened. "Now, put your weapons down, slowly. That way, we can wait for the stragglers to show up without any interruptions."

The snap hiss of a lightsaber was heard in the room.

Sol suddenly became very still as a sky blue blade appeared very close to his neck, only a scant inch from burning the skin. He turned his head slowly, eyeing the man in question. Next to him was a woman of great beauty, holding a gun.

The man smiled genially, as if this was a mere problem that could dealt with peacefully. "Perhaps we can save you the trouble," he said calmly.

The woman trained her weapon onto Midas, her eyes growing cold. "Let my daughter go, your Highness, and we'll release your son."

"Oh, really?" Midas's grip tightened on Jane's throat. "I don't believe that you will use him in this manner. You don't strike me as the type of person to kill someone in cold blood, even to save your own... daughter, is it?"

Wendy nodded once. "That doesn't mean I won't use him as a hostage." She leveled her gun threateningly. "And you, I will gladly kill in a heartbeat."

Sol returned his attention to her. "I'll help you," he said.

Midas stared at him. "Are you insane? They are the enemy!"  
"No, you are!" The senshi warrior surged forward, as Obi Wan shut off his blade. "Father, look at what you are doing! You hold a child in your grip. Someone not much younger than Serena! You want to kill all of them, just because they came through the Holy Ring! And you haven't learned anything from your failed attack of the capital."

Harry shook his head, sitting up, pondering for about three seconds what Sol had just said. Suddenly, everything made sense. The capture of SG-2, the ambush at the Stargate, the very reason why this realm was considered off limits. "You tried to invade Zion, Midas," he said quietly. "You were responsible for the death of my Grandfather."

Starr's eyes widened, as Sere's narrowed dangerously. "Are you sure, Harry?" the Jedi Prince asked. "Do you speak the truth?"

"He does, Prince Starr," a new voice said. "Midas tried to take Alania herself."

Everyone's attention turned to the stairwell. There, a girl stood, wearing the traditional uniform of an Earth Senshi. Harry recognized her, of course, as did Sere.

So did Midas, apparently. "You stay out of this, Serena!" he bellowed, his grip now strong enough to break a normal person's throat. "Events have been set in motion that you cannot stop, now!"  
"Like your invasion force?" Claire, having just regained consciousness, was being steadied by Ginny, who had recovered faster than her. "Midas is going to try again, only this time, he's going to attack another realm." She speared the King with his glare. "And this time, he'll be prepared to win."

Sere turned her attention to Midas, seeing the ugly look in his eyes. "You bastard," she breathed. "You were going after my Sailor Moon." She took step forward. "Except you ran into a problem, didn't you?"  
"Serena's universe doesn't have a normal Dimensional Stargate," Hermione said, standing up. "The only active Gate is in control of the U.S. Military, and has a shield over the device to prevent intrusion. The Sailor Moon Harry and I know is presently on Lunar. And Vane is more than capable of defeating any force you send through."

Peter stood up as well, keeping an eye on him, getting ready to jump. Midas's attention was focused on the conversation, his guards were waiting for their orders, and his own children were rebelling. He wouldn't get a better chance than this.

And then Jane's knee slammed into Midas's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. His grip loosened, and she broke free, throwing him over to his throne. "Perhaps we aren't as stupid as you thought, 'Your Majesty.'" She stepped forward, her fists cracking ominously. "That's what we call 'Playing Possum.'"

The sound of weapons activating, robes rustling, and gun safeties clicking off filled the room, as every person immediately uncoiled, ready for battle. Sorcerers and Wizards prepared their most powerful spells, which were very deadly.

Wendy took a look around, assessed the situation, then dropped her gun, moving forward. A crazy plan had formed within that moment,one that would give them a chance to get away from massive bloodshed."Midas, I challenge you to Mortal Combat!" she shouted. "One on one!"

Midas's and Jane's eyes widened in surprise. Peter whistled in surprise. Everyone else just turned around to stare at her in shock.

"That's right!" Wendy moved forward, standing directly in front of Midas, glaring at him. "You and me, right here, right now! That way, there's only one death involved. If I win, we're allowed to leave. If you win, then we'll just kill each other." She shrugged gamely. "Unless you're afraid to take on an injured woman, that is."

The king was a very powerful man, but he was still a man. Her comment on his courage rankled him. "Warriors, stand down!" he ordered. "I accept your challenge, woman! And I shall enjoy destroying you in front of your child."

Jane's eyes widened even further. "Mother, you can't be serious!"

"Get over there with the others, Jane!" Wendy ordered. "This is my fight, now!" She assumed a battle stance, fists clenched together.

Midas didn't even bother with that. He just charged forward, hand coming down in a stiff chop.

Wendy immediately blocked it, her new battle knowledge coming in handy. She started moving quickly, evading and deflecting attacks quickly, getting a feel for his tactics. They were pretty straightforward, on the surface, though extremely powerful. Already, she could feel welts appear where his hands had already hit, and her dodging was hampered by her leg.

But she was still able to fight. And fight she did.

When he raised his hand to strike again, Wendy struck hard, her fist slamming into his solar plexus. She started striking fast with both hands, slamming into his chest and stomach at least a dozen times. Her uninjured leg flew up, slamming into his face with a roundhouse kick. She pressed her advantage, using her agility, though hampered, and her knowledge to the fullest.

Midas's head snapped back from a particularly accurate blow to his temple. Rallying, he ducked the next one, launching a kick at Wendy's injured leg. Wendy let out a cry of pain as her leg buckled, bringing her to one knee. Midas took advantage of this, his knee slamming into her jaw, laying her out. He brought his fist up, ready to run it through her pretty face.

Jane watched as Midas grinned triumphantly. She had never seen such hatred before in a person, visibly displayed for all to see. She shuddered at it. Other than that, she was amazed by her mother's new combat prowess.

Wendy moved her head a scant second before the fist made contact. Her knee came up, catching the man in the groin. Midas let out a bellow of pain, dropping back. Wendy scrambled to her feet, happy that the maneuver had worked. Not waiting for him to get a vertical base, she came forward, kicking him in his face, putting every ounce of power in her body behind the blow. It was accurate, slamming directly into his head. A knockout blow if there ever was one.

Midas rolled about five feet before he came to a halt. Shaking his head, he staggered to his feet, eyes unfocused for a second. He had never, in his entire life, been subjected to such ferocity from a _woman_ before. It was as if she had reserves of strength that she was calling upon in this moment. This revelation brought a new surge of fury to him, and turned in her direction.

Wendy prepared herself for the charge. A plan was already forming in her brain, and it would work, if he did what she thought he was going to do next.

Her intuition was right on the dot. With a battle roar worthy of Sailor Jupiter, Teal'c, or a Klingon, the King of Freminia charged forward, both hands thrusting forward, acting as spears. He was incredibly fast, faster than a man of his size should be.

But she was no slouch in the speed department herself. Injured or not. And she was stronger than her frame suggested. Not by much, but enough.

Wendy quickly bent backwards, grabbing his arms as they past over her face, almost touching her nose. Both of her feet came up, planting them in his chest. Letting their momentum finish the circuit, she rolled in mid air, forcing his speed to increase, throwing him over her into the object she decided on.

The main doors leading to outside. They were close enough to it for it work properly.

Midas slammed into the doors, opening them forcefully as he hit them. Rolling, he staggered to his feet again, staring at Wendy in surprise.

Wendy stared back, teeth bared, not even looking remotely like the legendary gentlewoman she was supposed to be. Of course, no one really looks like a legend after being put through the emotional ringer only a scant week before, then fighting a war hungering dictator.

And she was ready for more.

Midas, deciding that he couldn't defeat her, considering the fact that she was fighting for her child, did the most sensible thing he had done in a long time.

He turned tail, and ran.

Wendy stared at him for a second, not surprised. Most of the tyrants did the same thing when things weren't going their way. Turning around, she shrugged at Jane, who was gaping at her. "I guess I won," she said.

And then she fainted.

* * *

"You are not going to let me forget this, are you, Anakin?" Obi Wan asked. 

Anakin grinned, eyes twinkling in amusement. "You ran over to her the second she began to fall, cradled her in your arms, and almost ran someone through. Are you sure the Force isn't trying to tell you something?"  
The Jedi Knight refused to reply, listening to Jane laughing in the background. He had acted like a young padawan who had no discipline whatsoever, and he didn't even understand why. He cared for Wendy, a great deal, but he was still a Jedi.

But here he was, standing in the castle's healing wing, worried sick about her.

"Oh, leave the poor man alone," Wendy's amused voice wafted outwards, soothing his soul. He turned to her, where her leg was being attended to. "He's had a rough day." She gave him a small smile. "Besides, he was just concerned about me. Nothing evil about that."

"We all were." Peter winced as a healer finished patching up his arm, Tinkerbell jingling up next to him. "What do we do about Midas? I mean, he's probably out of the city by now."

Sailor Moon sighed. "Our father is a threat to peace itself. We have to find a way to capture him, and try him for crimes against humanity." She turned. "Mother, what did you do in your reality?"

Sere sighed. "I never got the chance to do anything," she replied. "The Negaverse attacked almost a month before now. Midas dies in the resultant battles that followed."

Ginny winced. "That had to suck."

William looked at the former Moon Queen. "What... what happened to me?" he asked. "I noticed the fact that you seem sad every time you looked at me."

Sere's eyes shimmered with tears. This was a topic she avoided like the plague. "You... you died at child birth," she whispered. "You never had a chance."  
"Oh." The young man sat down. "What about Serena?"

"She's still Sailor Moon, and now in control of the Silver Imperium Crystal. And she's a good person. Which reminds me, Miss Weasley, how's my daughter doing, anyways?"

Ginny grinned. "Still kicking demon ass, that's for sure. Last I recall, she and the others were approaching Reza."

Harry whistled. "Sweet."

"Definitely." Hermione turned to William. "You're now in charge of this kingdom?" she asked.

The young man nodded. "Legally, that is true. What do you want?"  
Hermione turned. "Harry, what do we want?"  
Harry grinned. "Well, for starters, a formal alliance between Freminia and the Guardians. With Trigon an active threat, and the Deadly Alliance already with a foothold, we'll need all of the help we can get these days."

William frowned for a moment, then nodded. "It is a good idea. We should hash out the details over..."  
Anakin grunted a moment, almost in pain.

Padme was at his side in an instant. "Ani?"

Anakin shook his head, trying to regain his bearings. "There's a massive disturbance in Force. Something... massive is approaching the planet. Something with a great deal of destructive power."

Obi Wan stretched out to the fullest, trying to pinpoint the exact disturbance. Anakin's Force perception was nowhere near asprecise as a fully trained Jedi Knight, but they were more powerful. If he could sense something that could make him react like that, then it was a problem.

And problems were something they didn't need.

Nothing... nothing... '_There, in the fringe, approaching slowly!'_ Obi Wan started pushing harder, stretching out as far as he could.

Harry stepped up to them. "What is it?" he asked, as Wendy got up.

Obi Wan broke off the contact, now visibly pale. "There is... unmatched hatred coming from the object. It's as if a thousand minds poured their hatred and malice into it."

"They probably did." Sere turned. She, too, had felt this monstrous presence, and had realized what it was immediately. "It's the Siosak War Machine. The Negaverse created it as a doomsday device."  
Wendy turned around. "What?" she asked.

"Beryl developed it as a bomb of sorts, designed to destroy a planet." Sere sat down, a bleak future making its presence known. "But she never used it. Never had a need to."  
Peter stood up. "It looks like she's using it now. And I'm going to assume it's heading this way?"

Anakin nodded. "You assume correctly."

Harry nodded. "So what do we do?"  
For a long moment, no one answered.

"We stop it," Ron replied.

* * *

"We can't stop it," Claire stated. "The Trioxen simply doesn't generate enough energy for outer planet use." 

"Even if it's augmented by our power?" Harry asked.

"Not even that. The four of you aren't strong enough to anything like this yet, and I'm not even a real Trainee, yet. And Ron's magic would cause a violent chain reaction, creating the very destruction we're trying to stop."

"What about Sailor Moon's power?" Hermione stared hard at the screen. "Or Sere's?"

"Neither one of them has the Silver Crystal, and their powers combined wouldn't be enough."

"And William's?"

Claire looked up. "I don't know..." she muttered.

Ginny grinned. "This is one of those creative ideas I'm going to like, aren't I?"

Claire nodded. "Zion has been attempting to recreate Sol's power for experimentation without success. Our hope is to create a energy source that could power all of Zion. That way, we wouldn't have to set up immense power generators to maintain our defense grid."

"What's the problem?"  
"I never used my full power," William replied, joining them. "The reason Starr and I are so at odds is because... we had a battle that destroyed Nemesis, in another realm. ...It formed an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter."

Harry and Hermione traded glances. "Serena's going to have a word with you about this," Hermione warned. "Ours, I mean."

Wendy observed the field. "What would happen if you did? Unleash your full power, I mean?"

William didn't even hesitate. "I honestly don't know. I mean, the power I possess, combined with Starr's, was enough to destroy a planet."

Starr walked up to him. "I wasn't using the full power at the time. Aside from the Force, I am also a Class A Holy Mage, with the capability to raze a planet surface clear if I so choose to. All we did was hasten the destruction that would have occurred several months later." He sighed at his glare. "Look you hate me, and I hate you. That won't change any time soon, and probably will grow. But that doesn't mean that I won't help you defend your home." He turned his attention. "What about the Force?"

"Yeah, if we could get our hands on Wendy Darling," Ginny replied. "Unfortunately, with the Sunak preparing to attack, the SGC can't afford to send anyone through the Stargate right now."

Peter turned around. "Then we have no choice." He observed William. "Worse case scenario?"

William frowned. "My power, combined with the Trioxen? ... I think the entire city would be destroyed. My power at its present level can't even destroy half a street. And that monstrosity wouldn't be stopped."

"Best case?"

"... The Trioxen destroys the machine."

Jane nodded. "Then we evacuate the city's population through the Stargate. "I'm sure the base can hold almost twenty thousand people." She shrugged, "We can always use the planetary gate to send them to an uninhabited planet."

"What about the rest of the people here?"

Wendy frowned. "I wish we could help them, but we can't save everyone. By the time the messengers reached the nearest kingdom, the Death Machine will be in range. Let's save who we can."  
Harry and Jane looked at each other, frustration gripping each of them. No matter what they did, it just wasn't enough.

Peter and Hermione traded expressions of understanding. They wanted to save everybody, and knew that they couldn't. Add the fact that Jane's father died right in front of Harry, and that fact was only reinforced.

"How long do we have?" Peter finally asked.

Anakin checked his equipment. "About six hours."

"Can we evacuate twenty two thousand people within six hours?"

Claire grinned. "We can if we start now."

"Then start!" Hermione exclaimed.

**

* * *

Hogwarts**

"Are you sure that this will work?" McGonagall asked, watching the steady stream of people exiting the dimensional Stargate. When Wendy had contacted her, letting her know about the evac, as well as their plan to destroy the Negaverse's planet destroying weapon, she had been understandably amazed... and concerned.

"As much as we can be, given the circumstances." Even through the comm channel, Wendy sounded exhausted. _"How many people have gone through?"_

Even through the comm channel, Wendy sounded exhausted. 

"About three thousand so far."

"Three thousand in one hour. We'll be able to get everyone out if we move faster, then."

"Just make sure that they have a world to go back to when this is over," McGonagall warned her. "Our alliance is useless if we can't help them."

"Our alliance is worse than useless if we don't try," Wendy retorted. _"And besides, what else can we do?"_

Wendy retorted. 

"... Fair enough. Mrs. Barrington, I hope this works."

"So do I, Minerva. So do I. Here comes the next batch."

"Understood."

**

* * *

Realm 8599**

Ginny watched the steady stream of people as they went through the Stargate. So far, they hadn't run into any interference, which was a good thing. It meant that they understood the danger, and they decided that their lives were worth more than their possessions.

Of course, they probably didn't have many possessions to begin with.

Starr and Obi Wan jogged up to her, breaking her musings. She turned, concerned. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

Obi Wan frowned. "We hope not. The city is now empty. The armed forces are bringing up the rear, just in case the Deadly Alliance wants to try a sneak attack from behind."

Ginny nodded. "Our four Trainees are keeping the gate open past the thirty minute time limit by using their own power. The aurors are helping out as best as they can, so they're not taxed to the limit themselves." She pointed. "Is Sol in position?"

Starr nodded. "He's ready the second we're all out. How soon will the evacuation be finished?"

"In about three hours." Ginny sighed. "I wish that we didn't have to worry about this. I wish that this war never happened."

Starr nodded once, understanding. "So does everyone who is involved in a war." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What's important, is what you do with the time that is given to you, and the friends you have helping you."

Ginny thought about it, thinking about Matt. All of the love she had for him came to the surface, and it filled her with new determination. "You're right." She grinned. "I'm going to go and get Ron and Claire."

Obi Wan smiled. "You do that." He continued on his way, as Ginny went the other way, heading for where Ron and Claire were directing the stragglers in the right direction.

* * *

"How much longer can you keep this up?" Wendy asked her daughter.

Jane turned her head slightly, sweat beading her forehead. "I don't know," she ground out. "And I can do it longer if I have total concentration."

"Oh, sorry." The mother backed away.

Jane almost smiled, but kept herself from doing so. She had been doing this for about five hours, now. They had managed to get almost everyone from Freminia out. She hoped that would be all they would have to do.

"And the last people are through… now." Wendy smiled. "You can stop now, guys."

Grateful, Jane let her hand drop, staggering a bit with exhaustion. But rest was not a luxury they had.

Obi Wan quickly grabbed her before she could collapse, picking her up carefully. "Easy, I got you."

Wendy quickly caught Peter, keeping him upright as the Stargate shut down. "Are you all right?"

Peter nodded, keeping his eyes open through sheer will alone. "I just need some sleep."

Hary and Hermione, who had been Trainees longer, and were stronger, were still able to remain at a vertical base without any assistance. "Now it's our turn to leave." Harry turned. "Ginny, dial us out of here."

"With pleasure." Ginny quickly dialed home. Harry keyed in his iris code, before heading through the gate.

Almost thirty minutes later, SG-1, Wendy, Starr, Sere, and Obi Wan were with McGonagall in the main tactical room, watching the massive screen before them. They were watching the feed of a Guardian satellite in Realm 8599, watching the Siosak Death Machine approach Zero Barrier.

Any second now, the whole lot of them knew, they would see a single pinprick of light emerge from the planet, the destruction of a city. With any luck, they would see that pinprick expand upward, heading for the device, destroying it utterly.

If not, they would have to take _Prometheus_, which hadn't even been fully repaired yet, and try it themselves.

And yet, Harry had a terrible feeling about this.

McGonagall turned. "Prince Starr, can we be sure that this will work?"

Starr shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Sol's power is that of the sun itself. It gives strength to wipe out the crops of an enemy, or bring light to those same crops... which is why he rarely leaves Freminia. There, the Trioxen let's him contain those powers effectively. When he fought me, some of that power escaped, mixing with mine." He sighed. "They didn't mix too well."

Hermione frowned. "What is the Siosak Death Machine powered by?" she asked, a terrible knot forming in her gut.

Starr smiled. "Don't worry. It's a complete machine. No mystical force to worry about there."

Hermione nodded, sitting back, the knot growing tighter. Something wasn't right. She looked over at Harry, saw him rubbing his scar fretfully, and knew she wasn't alone.

Ron leaned in slightly. "Let's hope that this works. Otherwise, these people aren't going to have a world to go back to."

Wendy nodded, frowning.

For a long moment, the assembled group watched the screen, no change forthcoming to it for another five minutes. The machine approached the planet.

Then...

"There!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the screen. A single pinprick of light appeared on the planet, reaching outward, heading for the device in a straight line.

"So far, so good," McGonagall replied. Everything was going as they were hoping.

The beam slammed into the machine, slowly covering the device in an orange flame.

And then the feed cut off abruptly. No explanation.

Harry was out of his seat in an instant, heading for the Gate Room. "Cho, dial Realm 8599, now! We just lost visual!"  
Cho quickly did so, blinking when nothing happened. "What the...?" She tried again, with similar results. "Harry, I can't seem to establish a wormhole."

Harry's bad feeling intensified. "Get the _Italias_ ready! I'll be down there in four minutes!" He bolted out the door.

* * *

The _Italias_, a one man shuttle with stealth technology, emerged from the Stargate, angling for the planet. A satellite was launched from its rear, moving towards the position of the original one.

Harry brought the satellite systems on line, then waited, looking at the planet. "My God," he breathed.

The planet, which was once a lush green, white, and blue, was now a cinder of its former self. He could see flickering flames dance across the blackened surface.

The moon was the same way.

Then the telemetry from the satellite came in as it began taking readings of the universe.

Harry found himself becoming more and more distressed with each passing moment as the reports came in. Taking a deep breath, as he absorbed the knowledge, before keying in his com channel. "_Italias _to Hogwarts," he said, his voice throaty with pain. "There... there's no sign of the weapon anywhere."

"Potter? What is it?" McGonagall asked. She had apparently heard the pain.

Harry took another breath, what he had just seen forever ingrained in his mind. "There's... there's also nothing left on the planet... or anywhere in the universe.

"It's... it's dead. Everything is... is dead."

* * *

Peter and Hermione found Harry in the Astronomy Tower, looking through one of the telescopes. Trying to find my way, he had said when asked. In Hermione's hands was information that Harry would find interesting.

"An entire universe," he muttered, already knowing that they were there. "We killed an entire universe, just trying to save a world. And we couldn't even do that."

Hermione sat down next to him, understanding. "We had no idea that Sol's power was that vast, Harry. Not even the Guardians knew that." Her expression didn't change. "Besides, I have some news that's both good and bad."

Peter walked up to them. "Here is the newest census report for the refugees of Realm 8599. Twenty One thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine."

Harry frowned up at him as he took the report. "I know that already. What's your point?"

Peter handed him another sheet. "This is the census report for just after the Negaverse invasion."

Harry took it, looking it over. After a moment, his eyebrows rose. "Twenty two thousand," he whispered. "But, how's this possible?"

Hermione sighed. "Harry, the Negaverse launched an all out invasion on that universe. They destroyed almost everything, except for Ferminia, and the five Inner Senshi. Those bodies we saw, they weren't from ancient bodies of old... they were bodies from the war Freminia fought against Beryl."

"Other than that one city, Realm 8599 was a barren wasteland." Peter sighed. "Harry, they counted over ninety two trillion youma in the Milky Way Galaxy alone. Trillions upon trillions more throughout that Realm." He smiled sadly. "Without realizing it, we just destroyed a realm indirectly controlled by the Negaverse."

Harry nodded. "But we lost those people their only home. I see where the good but bad news phrase comes in." He stood up. "We're helping them set up their new home on P3X-690, here in our universe. I'll tell Princess Serena what we've just learned." He grinned. "I count this a defeat for our new friends, but a victory for us personally. We may have just released an entire universe of damned soldiers from their torment. I'm going to take that as a good sign." He turned. "At the same time, this cannot happen again."

Hermione nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

Beryl looked up. "So, Realm 8599 has been completely eradicated?"

Kilrah bowed. "We have lost our armies stationed there, as well as the various spies set throughout Freminia. We have no way of knowing if they were evacuated beforehand."

"They were. Humans are normally concerned about their fellow men. Begin another sweep. If the Stargate survived, reactivate it, and begin repopulating."  
By your command."

Beryl smirked as Kilrah strolled out of her throne room, silently congratulating her enemy for a job well done. She was going to have to keep a closer eye on Harry Potter and his school from now on.

* * *

"Here." Harry handed Silivia a GDO. "This will allow you to open the iris if you need anything. Zion has also stated that they will have shield generators set up for you within a week."

Silvia nodded, smiling. "Thank you for everything, Harry Potter. All of you." She turned to Padme. "And thank you for not blowing me, or your friend, away."

Padme blushed madly as Jane giggled silently behind her. "Well, nothing happened, and they were trying to brainwash him. That kiss was excusable."

Obi Wan snorted a bit in amusement. "You don't bother me, and I don't bother you. Deal?"

Anakin grinned. "Deal." He returned his attention to Silvia and Sailor Moon. "Take care of yourselves," he said. "And try not to help sorcerers again."

At that, Silvia laughed. "Oh, I think I can do that!" Waving to them, she made her way through the Stargate.

Harry turned around. "Blowing her away?" he asked, grinning.

Padme's blush grew. "When Anakin told me about that, I kind of became angry."

"And possessive," Obi wan added. "Really, you two are easy to read."

"Kind of like you," Jane said. "I'm going to enjoy these next few months."  
Wendy laughed.

Hermione started for the doorway. "Well, come on, you lot," she said. "We have to return to classes tomorrow, and we have homework to do." She grinned at the groans coming from all of them, and Harry's snicker. "Hey, we're trying to save Existence, but we still need to be ready for our owls! Honestly!"

Harry followed her out, wondering if she would crack under the strain eventually, especially considering her workload. _'Oh well,'_ he thought, following her out. _'Just another thing about her that I admire.'_

He couldn't _wait_ for tomorrow.

* * *

And here is the final chapter for the three parter. We'll be switching back to Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption next chapter, focusing on the arrival of the last two characters in the story. Stay tuned, and please review this. 


	64. Episode Fifty Nine: Freedom's Price

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two, Deadly Alliance)**

**Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption**

**Episode Fifty Nine: Freedom's Price**

**Realm 9002**

_The Delta Quadrant. The somewhat explored sector of the Milky Way Galaxy. _

_Home to a merciless race of cybernetic life forms, as well as various other species previously unknown to the rest of the galaxy. A journey from it to the Alpha Quadrant would take seventy six years at maximum warp to complete._

_A vessel of the United Federation of Planets, of an era beyond Archer and his pioneering crew, had already accomplished more than half of that._

_On the other side, another craft, controlled by a friend of theirs, had just entered the territory of a nomadic race of people, preparing for the final leg of its journey._

_If it could survive in the near future, of course._

* * *

The small shuttle swerved to starboard, its pilot staying one step ahead of her pursuers, though only by the barest of margins. 

Its pursuers, three Kazon attack vessels, closed in on it, firing continuously. Blasts rocked the ship, though its shields held, if only by the barest of margins. The vessels, property of the Kazon-Ogla, obviously knew the pilot very well.

The pilot of the shuttle worked the navigation console with ancient, bloody hands, trying to evade their attacks. '_Maybe I should have stayed on _Voyager_,' _she thought bitterly, feeling every one of her nine years. A feeling she was used to, now.

It was supposed to be a simple journey. She had gotten through Borg space easily enough, making a quick stop to pick up the shuttle Janeway had given her at the beginning of her journey alone, and hidden on a uninhabited world within Borg territory, before preparing for the final leg of her journey through Kazon space. Simple as that.

Instead, the second she had dropped out of warp near the edge of Kazon territory, she had been greeted by the Ogla fleet.

The sensor grid started going off, alerting Kes of another threat. Looking up, she saw a fourth vessel enter visual range, weapons already primed. She quickly brought her hand up.

For most people, this was a futile gesture. For Kes, it was necessary.

A psychic energy blast erupted from her mind, every ounce of power she could summon being thrown into the attack as it focused in her hand, then was unleashed. It expanded outward to engulf the vessel in front of her.

The Kazon onboard suddenly found his ship buckling due to extreme pressure. He had no time to determine why, because of the fact that the warp core suddenly imploded.

Kes directed the shuttle through the massive fireball, using the expanding antimatter cloud to disrupt their sensors. That way, she could make a run for it before they located her. '_Tom_ _would find this very daring,'_ she thought, smirking slightly before returning her attention to surviving.

The remaining three interceptors moved around the fireball, weapons primed. They were like a pack of wolves, and the shuttle was the rabbit. A rabbit that had found a way to hide temporarily.

Kes worked her controls, trying to divert power to shields and impulse engines. This just wasn't her day.

The Kazon sensors finally caught her again, and their weapons lit up again. This time, the gunner compensated for the relative size of the craft they were firing at. They struck the ship over and over again with unerring accuracy.

The elderly Ocampan tried to maintain a stable heading but nothing worked. '_The Ogla must really hate me if they are willing to attack me so quickly. Time to make a very difficult choice.'_ She decided to kick it into maximum warp. Her powers would enhance the capability of the engines by manipulating the very fabric of reality. It would certainly remove her from the immediate threat, and get her closer to Occampa.

Whether or not it made her safe was an entirely different matter.

Quickly bringing the warp engines online, she placed her predetermined course onto the board, crossing her fingers. If she ever got out of this, she was going to stay in a bed for her last two months of life.

Stretching out with her powers, she began manipulating reality to her tune.

The warp field initiated, while the area around the little warp core began pulsing. The Kazon fired again, hitting the ship dead on.

A blinding flash of light erupted outward, engulfing the ship and its attackers. It took out sensor grids over an eight hundred light year radius for almost ten minutes.

When it faded away, the shuttle was gone.

And the dead hulks of three Kazon Raiders were left floating in space for all to see.

** Realm 186**

_Several miles from Paris._

It was a beautiful day in the French countryside. Birds were singing, and the sun was shining, casting a joyous sheen over the snow. In a small provincial town, life was waking up, including a small man who was shivering in front of a small house, waiting for its occupants to return.

The sunshine rolled over a castle, located at the heart of a massive forest. It had all of the usual refinements; statues, towers, and gates. And it had occupants, a great many.

However, out of all of the occupants of that castle, only one of them was fully human... at the moment, anyways.

That one human was slowly waking up, stretching fully for a moment, before sitting up, smiling. She had every reason to smile. Life was as close to perfect as life could be.

Slipping out of bed, she moved towards the wardrobe in her room, trying to decide what she was going to wear today. She fingered a dark red gown for a moment.

"You know, you could knock the Master's cape off with that number!" a voice stated behind her.

Belle Cartier, a beautiful young lady of twenty one, turned around, looking at a dresser in amusement. "I'm just getting ready for breakfast. Then I want to check the East Wing. I think there's a leak."

The dresser grinned, shaking her head. "Belle, the staff is more than adequate for repair work. You haven't really relaxed once since..."

"Really? How many of them have thumbs? How many can hold a hammer?"

The dresser was silent at that. Belle had raised a good point.

Belle giggled, putting on the dress she had worn when she had first come here. It was more than enough to take care of any repairs. "Look, just remind Lumiere and Cogsworth that I'm more than capable of helping out around here," she said, putting the skirt on. "And remind Beast not to eat his breakfast like a wild man."

"Yes, _mademoiselle_. That's if he ever comes in here."

"Oh, he'll come in here. He usually makes the rounds at this time, and he still hasn't apologized for yelling at me a week ago."

The dresser smiled.

* * *

All over the castle, the enchanted population woke up, emerging from various cupboards and shelves, preparing to go about a day of cleaning, cooking, and hoping. Even the Beast, who didn't have to do anything, was up and about, keeping tabs on everyone in the castle. 

He was also searching for Belle.

Beast had been gathering up his courage to do one thing that he had never done before; Apologize to his friend and secret love. A difficult task for someone who has never had to say 'I'm sorry' before in his life. He wasn't very good at Hide and Seek, either.

After more than an hour of searching, he finally located Belle in the east tower on a ladder, doing some repair work. "I guess you found the leak?" he asked.

Belle looked down, smiling. "I patched the hole for now, but I'm going to have to go outside and fix it that way." She turned around. "When's the last time the roof was checked, anyways?"

Beast though about it for a few moments. "Before the enchantress came, and put a spell on everyone."

"Ah. Well, I guess a more permanent solution can wait until the spell is broken, then. So, spent long looking for me?"

"Uh... yes, actually. ... ... I, uh, I want to apologize for my behavior last week. It was inexcusable, and I... I was a fool."

Belle's smile didn't waver in the slightest. "Beast, I forgave you already. I was just hoping you had the courage to come here and say it." She hugged him as well as she could, seeing as how she couldn't get her arms around him fully. "How about we get something to eat?"  
"I would like that." Beast offered her his arm. "And I have to inform you that the entire staff is getting the ballroom cleaned."  
"Gee, they're doing a lot for something that isn't for a few days."  
"They're like that."

Belle opened her mouth to say something, resisting the urge to laugh.

And then the heavens opened up, bathing them with luminescent light.

* * *

Kes was finally able to open her eyes as the bright light faded from her lids. She had been like that for about ten minutes, waiting to regain her sight. She wasn't going to meet her death blind. 

Unfortunately, what she saw made her wish she was still blind.

"_Warning, impulse engines are off line. Structural int_e_grity_ _is at forty eight percent. Life support failure imminent."_

The Occampan let out a chuckle. Life support wasn't an issue when one was plunging to her death, which was what she was doing right now.

She had about three seconds to think and react. Fortunately, evolution had given her people a hyper-accelerated intelligence, and she had been influenced by one of the greatest crews in the Alpha Quadrant.

"Computer, transfer all power, including life support, to thrusters, SIF, and shields!" she ordered, once again accessing her powers, shoring up her ship as much as possible while she fought down her panic. She began rerouting power, shutting down systems she didn't need at that particular moment, and taking care of damaged circuits. All within the blink of an eye. Then she fired thrusters, applying a condition that no one had ever done with a shuttle except in an emergency.

Full reverse.

Then she grabbed hold of her console, gripping it as hard as she could.

* * *

Belle and the Beast stared upward, watching the strange rippling in the sky for several moments in amazement. "Is this part of the enchantment?" Belle asked. 

Beast shook his massive head. "No. This... this is completely unrelated." He squinted. "And for some reason, I don't think it's magical."

The young woman nodded, turning to the only other logical explanation there was. One that sent her adrenaline pumping. Making an instant decision, she started down the hallway.

Her companion quickly went after her. "Belle, what are you doing?"  
"Going outside. I don't think it's a danger to any of us. And besides, how many times in my life am I going to get to see a scientific phenomenon like this?"

Lumiere, who was listening to this from a table, chuckled to himself. Aside from her obvious love of books, Belle had a talent with most forms of science, including physics. The complex equations she worked on in her spare time since the Master had saved her from Hollow Bastion, were far too advanced for the rest of them to even look at.

And giant rippling pools was a scientist's greatest mystery.

Belle emerged from the castle grounds with her cloak on, running down the bridge so she could see the phenomenon easier. She quickly noted its size and shape, as well as the strange flashing light. It was strangely beautiful.

And oh so hauntingly familiar.

The brunette beauty frowned a bit. It was strange, but it was almost like... she had seen it before, just as she had seen the various equations she had put down on paper, though she understood none of it. A sensation she was very familiar with now.

What she saw emerge from it, however, had brought the feeling to a new, uncomfortable, and quite possibly dangerous level.

She didn't know if it was a portal, or some form of advanced transportation system, but she did know one thing. The object that had emerged from it was out of control, and heading right for them.

She started running for the castle, pushing her panic down. "Everyone, get away from the doors, and head for the back of the castle!" She shouted, bursting through the doors, and shutting them."Don't stop for anything!"

The Beast looked up, saw what she saw, and didn't see any reason to contradict her on this. He was already running as fast as possible, everyone else following his example as he scooped up Chip.

Kes saw a narrow bridge, saw that it was made of stone, and that it was in pretty good condition. Deciding that this was preferable to slamming into something with various obstacles, she applied thrusters to change her trajectory, then leveled her descent.

_Warning; Brace for impact."_

"Thank you, computer," Kes grumbled, before grabbing hold of her console again.

The shuttle slammed into the gate in front of it, crushing it instantly. A millisecond later, it hit the bridge itself. But, thanks to Kes's fortification, the thrusters kept firing, slowing it down even faster. The bridge held up to the weight, thankfully.

The Occampan looked up, saw a pair of giant wooden doors approaching very quickly. "Oh, no," she muttered, closing her eyes.

Belle closed her eyes as she heard the sound approaching the main entrance, and hugged the Beast for all she was worth. The Beast returned the favor, trying not to squeeze too hard on her.  
A slight bump was all that was heard, as the shuttle's nose touched the doors. Then... silence.

Kes opened her eyes, staring at the impossible image before her. "Wow. I'm one up on Tom."

Then she fainted.

Belle and the Beast slowly let go of each other, looking at the door for a moment, before coming to a decision without even talking about it. "Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, make sure Chip doesn't follow us," Belle ordered, starting forward. "We're going to find out what that was."

"You can count on me."

"I know we can."

* * *

The vehicle, as it was no doubt a vehicle of some kind, was still smoking, scorched from its journey. Sparks were shooting out of it as its circuitry failed. Its engines were faltering. Thrusters still fired at random intervals, though not enough to move it any. Behind it, scorch marks down the bridge marked its passing. It had been there for about three hours 

Belle winced. "It's doubtful anyone could have survived this," she said sadly, walking along one of the engines. They had to wait for so long for the vehicle to finally cool down enough to get to the back.

Beast reached the back of the shuttle, observing the hull for a moment. "I think I found a doorway of some kind!" He quickly looked for a handgrip, growling in frustration when he didn't. "But there's no way to open it!"

Belle joined him there, thinking of the problem for a moment. "Maybe there some way to open it without using physical force." She spotted something next to what the Beast had found, and pressed it.

The hatch slowly opened, giving them enough time to get out of the way, revealing the interior. Looking inside, they saw nothing that was dangerous to them. Satisfied, they entered.

The place was a mess. There was debris on the ground, strange panels were flickering like candles in the wind. The light was flickering as well, tellingBelle that it was artificial in nature.

Then her eyes landed on the only occupant, and they widened. "Beast! Over here!"

Beast was over at her side in an instant, taking in the elderly passenger. "We need to get her out of here. She looks like she's been hurt badly." Gently scooping her up, he made his way out of the shuttle.

Belle looked around, seeing if there was anyone else they had to get out. Finding none, she turned to leave.

Her gaze landed on a small pack of some kind, one that resembled a travel bag. She grabbed it, figuring that it was personal belonging of the pilot's, and exited, heading for the castle.

** Watchtower**

Flash whistled aimlessly as he wandered the hallways, nodding to other League members while he looked over the duty roster. He needed to, as he now had a squadron of Leaguers to command.

After Robin and Raven had returned, and given their report, the Founders had had a closed session, which included Robin, Cyclops, and Yugi, and discussed their options. J'onn and Superman were all for helping out any way they could. Diana and Cyclops were somewhat more reserved about it, wanting to maintain operations only within their own universe. Green Lantern and Batman were even more reserved, wanting to maintain operations only within the solar system, and let the Thanagarians fight alone.

It was Shayera, though, before she went down to the surface, that broke the tie among them, by casting her vote with Clark and J'onn. _We're the Justice League_, she had said. _We go where we're needed._

Yugi and Robin had agreed fully. As the young duelist had gone head to head with the forces of the Orichalcos, and Robin knew what was at stake, their votes counted the most. So he had gotten a squadron which was composed of Vigilante, Shining Knight, Barda, and Gold Booster, and was ordered to get them trained within the next three weeks.

The Speedster shook his head. How was he going to accomplish that? Vigilante and Shining Knight had worked together with a degree of success, but the rest of them were misfits, for lack of a batter term. They thought differently than the rest of the League. Booster was more interested with fame than he was with actually saving people. Barda was along the same lines as Diana; Hit first, ask later, but nowhere near as mellow, considering her background on Apocalypse. Vigilante could shoot you just as soon as look at you, if he didn't kill you with his guitar. And Shining Knight was too honorable for any of that. The views of a man out of his time.

And of course, himself, The Flash. He knew he was immature, a side effect of his powers. How could he command anyone? He couldn't really control himself.

_Just give yourself a chance,_ Shayera had replied, giving him one of her customary smirks. _You never know what you're capable of until you try. Especially in a crunch._

_'Thanks. Now to make myself believe it.'_

A technician walked up to him, holding a file. "Excuse me, sir," he said, "but someone wants to see you in conference room four."

Flash grinned, nodding once. "Thanks, pal." Taking the file, he zipped to the room in question, quickly previewing it.

He entered the room, ready to make a glib comment... and stopped. "Uh, hi."

The man in question, dressed in ancient Greek garb, and holding a bag full of parchments, grinned. "I finally meet the only man whose as fast as me." He stuck out a hand. "Hermes's the name."

"Oh, the Greek messenger of the Gods. Got it." Flash shook the hand. "I'm guessing that this isn't a social visit, though."

"You guessed it. I'm here on official Olympus business. Now, let me see..." The messenger quickly dug into his bag, pulling out a parchment with an important looking seal on it. "Your eyes, only."

Confused, Wally quickly unrolled it, reading.

_**To Wally West**_

_By request of Alania, Guardian of Existence, and Commander Locc, Supreme Commander of the Zion military, that you and your squadron travel to Realm 186. An accidental dimensional incursion has occurred there, and the passenger has been injured. An enchantress is already there, trying to heal her, but we request that you retrieve her immediately, and assess the situation as it stands. All the information you will need is in that file that was given to you. A Stargate has been placed on that world near the objective, and will remain there for forty eight hours._

_Best of luck to you,_

_Guardian Heras_

"Okay..."

Hermes shrugged. "The person you're after is an extraterrestrial from Realm 9002," he said. "That's all they told me. Everything else is in that folder." He grinned. "Don't worry. It's just a simple extraction. The alien can tell if you're a threat or not. Well, good luck, Wally." With that, the god vanished in a blur of motion.

Flash frowned underneath his mask. He quickly opened the file, reading it more thoroughly. Pulling out a small disc, he put his hand to his ear. "Barda, Shining Knight, Vigilante, Gold Booster. Report to Conference Room Four, immediately."

About five minutes later, his squad was assembled, all looking at the screen. "So, what's the mission, boss?" Vigilante asked.

Flash turned to them. "A simple extraction. We're going to be picking up a very powerful alien telepath by the name of Kes, whose kinda far away from home."

"I share this woman's pain." Shining Knight did know what it was like to be removed from one's time and home. He was from the era of Camelot and King Arthur, the same era as Jason Blood/ Etrigan.

"Well, she was forced through some sort of dimension whatsit, and crash landed in front of an enchanted castle, in... Realm 186. It's currently in the seventeenth century, so we won't be taking any spaceships with us. Get in, get out. Simple as that."

Vigilante nodded. "I like the plan. We'll be back in time for movie night."

Barda frowned. It was obvious that she felt that this was beneath her talents. "Why couldn't someone else do it?"

Gold Booster grinned. "Come on, Barda! Think of this as a way to get ourselves known! I mean, you could finally get the chance to go to Themyscera!"

Flash sighed. "GB, a simple extraction. We're not here for fame and fortune. We're here to help. Nothing more." He shut the screen off, bringing the lighting back to an acceptable level. "We're leaving in one hour. Go on."

Quickly understanding that they had been dismissed, the other four walked out of the room, getting ready.

Flash nodded to himself, then walked out as well. He had to let his employer know that he was going to be gone for a few days. Then he had to pack a bag. Spandex became irritating after a few days, and great deal of sweat.

** Realm 186**

Belle watched the alien as she slept soundly, her chest moving in a steady pattern, if a bit weakly. The injuries she had sustained were nowhere near as bad asshe had originally assumed. She was suffering more from bruises and blood loss than she was from internal injuries.

It was strange, though. Aside from the structure of her ears, she was almost indistinguishable from a human. An elderly human who looked like she was going to die at any moment.

A massive furry hand gently landed on her shoulder, emanating compassion. "She's here," a deep voice said.

Belle turned around, laying eyes on the very woman who had cursed the Beast and his castle for the very first time. "How did you know to come here?" she asked immediately, gauging her friend's reaction. He didn't seem angry, or anything. He didn't blame the enchantress for anything. Satisfied, she relaxed.

The enchantress smiled. "The telepathic energy she is emanating," she replied. "I felt it all the way over in the New World." She turned. "I have placed the rose in suspended state for the duration of my time here, so no time will be lost."

The Beast nodded. He knew. He understood. "Can you help her?"

"I shall try. She is still quite young, despite her age." The enchantress smiled. "I believe that I can give her a new lease on life, and heal her injuries, but I shall need complete concentration."

Belle nodded. "We'll give you some space." She took one last glance at the woman in the bed, before heading down the hall.

The Beast shook the enchantress's hand. "Good luck," was all he said, before heading after her, covering the distance between them in an instant.

Morgan le Fay smiled slightly, before entering the room. It was easier to help teach people in other realms about fairness and compassion, because her fellow Ascendants didn't worry as much about it. And this time, they had requested her to do this.

The Ancient observed the Occampan for a second, feeling a sense of awe. She had heard of Kes, an Occampan native who had defied her elders, and had joined with an Earth crew on their journey home. She had begun discovering her powers, the telepathic power that had been suppressed by centuries of living underground.

And she almost ascended because of it, though the vulcan disciplines she had learned had stopped her from doing so.

The power had become more of a burden then a gift. With so much strength, and too short a life, she became bitter, returning to her second home, wanting revenge. That was foiled by none other than herself, who reminded her of the risks she had taken. With her hatred banked, she had started on a journey that would have eventually brought her home.

So why were three Kazon Interceptors waiting for her?

The ascended being frowned. The true timeline had shown that Kes would have returned home, and would have died, surrounded by her nieces and nephews, a respected elder of her society.

So why was she here, in the castle of the Beast, and a prime target for death?

Pushing those questions aside, she began to focus on her task. First, she began healing Kes's injuries, closing her cuts, healing the cracked rib, and dealing with the bruises that had formed on her abdominal wall. Mentally scanning her, she nodded, satisfied with the results.

Then she began on the next part. This one would most likely get her in trouble with Omah and Merlin, who were opposed with turning back the clock, but if what she saw was true, this would soon be the least of their worries.

The very least.

* * *

Belle had gone to the library, after the Beast had promised to look the ship over, and was busy looking over the contents of the alien's bag. Her curiosity was limitless, and she wanted to learn everything she could about their new guest. 

What she saw were a great deal of personal belongings. Pictures, a book or two, written ina language she was obviously unfamiliar with, and obviously some flat objects she had never seen before. '_They could be a different kind of book, or a fancy paperweight,'_ she thought. '_It doesn't look like it could hold much of anything.'_

The last thing she pulled out was a small object. It was a strange piece of jewelry, with a, well, strange shape overlapping a rectangular bar. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Wait a minute!" she said aloud. "This shape looks familiar!" She turned in the direction of her workplace, where she had her latest theory spread out. Running over to it, she started looking over the calculations, trying to see what it was.

She found the symbol she had been looking for, and stared at it. She observed the object in her hand, nodding to herself. "Wherever she's from, she has access to faster than light travel." She stopped. '_Hold on. Did I just say 'faster than light? Why did I say that?'_ This too, was becoming more commonplace for her, knowing phrases without understanding how.

Chip jumped onto the table, hopping over to her. He saw the look of concentration on her face, and was worried. He always liked Belle better when she was smiling. "Belle," the little tea cup asked, "what's goin' on?"

Belle smiled slightly. Chip had that effect on anybody. Being transformed into a cup had dimmed his enthusiasm one bit. "I don't know, Chip. But... I think the patient is from the future. For starters," she showed Chip the object, "I would say that this is something that can be used to communicate with others, or a very strange piece of jewelry. These could be information storage units, or very weird paperweights." She looked at the flat pads back on the desk. "It's obviously extremely advanced. I don't think anyone would have this for another... eight hundred years, at least. I know, it sounds silly."

"And what about these?" Chip looked at the pictures.

Belle picked up one, and looked at it. "I want to say that they're paintings , but I've never seen such skill."

It had a group of people on it, most of them wearing a uniform, one of them wearing some sort of civilian garb. The uniforms were the same, except for the shoulders. One blue, two yellow, and three red. Many of them were smiling, obviously cheerful. It was obvious that most of them were human, though the dark skinned ones and the civilian were clearly extraterrestrial. Unless humans of the future had pointed ears, spots, or ridges on their face.

Belle shook her head. '_And I know a Beast and a bunch of talking household silverware and furniture,' _she thought in amusement. _'The thought of people from other worlds isn't as crazy as it was before.'_ "I'd say that these are her friends."

Chip looked at the picture. "They look weird."

Belle giggled. "Oh, Chip. Just because they're wearing clothing that's different, or that they don't look like us, doesn't make them weird. You, young man, are presently a teacup." She frowned suddenly. "But I think that this gives us somewhere to start, though. Chip, go find your mother, and check up on our guest." She picked up one of the devices, and looked at it. "I'm going to try and find out how this works. Maybe I can find some answers about who she is, and how she got here."

"Why?"

"... ... Let's just say that I don't think she's here by choice. And I have a hunch that the rippling effect in the sky isn't natural."

* * *

**Realm 4, Watchtower**

Flash checked to see if everyone was here. "Okay, no mayhem. We don't know where we'll be, so... just don't hurt anyone."

Barda sighed, putting the mace away. "You got it, Boss. Why'd I get put in this squad?"

Booster grinned. "Because you're nutso, like the rest of us." He quickly backed off as Barda made a move to strangle him.  
Flash sighed. "Come on, guys. If we're going to work together, we're going to have to not snipe at each other. Okay? Okay. Let's go."

Barda sent one last glare in Gold's direction, before heading through the Stargate. Gold and Shining Knight followed afterwards, Vigilante chuckling after them.

Flash looked over to Superman. "Am I going to regret this?"

Superman laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Wally," he said. "The best way to get a team to work together is through trial and error. You'll do fine."

"Gee, thanks for the rousing speech." The great speedster ran through the Stargate, leaving a scorch mark in his wake.

Superman shook his head as the Gate disengaged, heading for the command center. Flash was different from the rest of them, but he was a good man. He'd do a good job.

Realm 186

Flash stepped away from the Stargate shut down, taking a look around. "Okay, we're in the woods," he said. "Which way do we have to go?"

Booster turned. "Didn't the file come with directions?"

"That's why I'm asking Shining Knight."

The medieval warrior looked around, before pointing. "I suggest we go that way. It may lead to civilization."

Flash nodded. "Alright. Lead the way, pal." He turned. "And Barda, don't do anything violent."

"Alright, alright..." Barda strapped her weapon to her waist. "What if we're attacked by wild animals?"  
"Then knock them out. Don't kill them."

"That I can do."

Vigilante turned to Booster. _She can't do that,_ he mouthed.

Booster shrugged. _We'll see._

"You two talking about me?" Barda asked.

"Man language."

"Riiiiiight..."  
Flash sighed. "And Batman thinks I'm immature," he muttered.

----

The first thing Kes noticed as she woke up, was the lack of pain.

Moaning slightly, she slowly sat up, confusion piercing the fog in her head. The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was...

In a flash it came back to her. With a gasp, she sat up fully, throwing the quilted covers off of her. Moving faster than she should have been capable of, she moved to the nearest door... and began slowing down.

The aches and pains were gone. She felt fit, fitter than she had any right to be, considering her age... at least, by Occampan standards. So what had changed?

Confusion gripping her, she made her way over to a mirror. She had no idea what was going on. Why did she feel like she was eight years younger?

The answer was settled when she stared into the mirror. What she saw was impossible.

Her skin was smooth, with none of the wrinkles that came with age. Her hands were full, the veins no longer standing out prominently under her skin. Her hair was its natural blond color once more, and curling down her back. In short, she looked, and felt, like she did before she left _Voyager._

She felt great. Which was confusing in itself. How did this happen?

Immediately, she took a look around her surroundings. She saw that she was in fact, not in her shuttle. As the minute details became apparent, she became aware that she wasn't even anywhere near her shuttle.

She went over to a window, looking out and around. She caught a glimpse of a very far drop, as well as a tower to the side. She realized that she was inside a castle.

She had no idea where, though.

The sound of knocking grabbed her attention, and she turned. "Who is it?"

"Mrs. Potts, dear."

"Well, come in."

"I'm afraid I can't open the door. I have no hands to speak of."

Kes frowned. "All right." She walked over to the door, opening it.

She promptly jumped back in surprise as a cart drove in, a tea pot on top. What surprised her was the fact that the tea pot had a face on it, and it was smiling. "I thought you'd like a nice cup of tea," the tea pot, Mrs. Potts, said gently. "Especially after everything that's happened to you today."

Kes sat back down, a little stunned. "Okay, First contact with a new species. The world of talking china wear."

Mrs. Potts, who was by nature a kind, devoted soul, also had a sense of humor. "Well, to tell you the truth, our goodwill ambassador is presently getting waxed. He should be ready to open negotiations in about three days." Her smile grew as their guest chuckled a bit. "Actually, we're enchanted. We were transformed from humans into... well, household appliances by a spell."

"Spell? You mean... magic?"  
"Well... yes, actually."

Kes shook her head in amazement. "Okay, I have either taken leave of my senses, or I have landed on a planet that doesn't work by the physics I'm familiar with. Well, anyways, I'm Kes."  
"A pleasure to meet you, Kes. Alright, Chip, that'll do. Now remember, don't spill."

"I think I can help with that." The Occampan raised her hand slightly, focusing her powers.

Chip gasped in surprise and excitement as he suddenly levitated off the serving tray, floating over to Kes's hand. She took him, smiling at the gaping tea pot. Inside, though, she trembled with effort as she forced her powers back behind their walls. "I have psychic powers," she explained. "They were formerly a suppressed part of my people's physiology." Taking a sip, she smiled. "This is good tea."

"Well, before I was transformed into a tea pot, I used to make tea for the Master every day. He used to be very unkind to everyone around him. Because of this..."

"You were cursed," Kes added sadly.

"Well, it does come with advantages. The Master became a Beast of ferocious strength and agility, and he guards this castle, and everyone in it to the fullest. Then Miss Belle came..."

"Miss Belle?"

"She's become a part of our lives, here. You should meet her. Quite a nice person."

"She's not enchanted."

"No. She's a human inside and out."

"She's going through your stuff," Chip added.

Kes looked at him. A smirk crossing her features that would have given Torres pause. "Is she now?"

"Well, yeah."

"... I think I'll go meet her now. Before she hits something that causes a pad to short circuit."

----

Shining Knight turned around and around, his hand never straying too far from the hilt of his sword. "I wonder, why do I feel like we are being watched?" 

Vigilante shrugged, similarly tense. "Maybe the wolves. Ah hear they travel in packs."

"That's cause they do," Barda replied hotly, her eyes never stopping their twitching. "They also like meat, if you didn't know that."

Flash sighed. "Guys, are you going to snip at each other all the way to the castle?" Now he knew how GL felt last year, when he played referee between him and Hawkgirl.

"Most likely," Knight grumbled.

"It's fun," Booster added, grinning. He turned his head. "Did it have to be in winter, though? I mean, come on!"

"We do not get a choice when we have a mission, Gold Booster."

The lot of them were getting ready to have a massive argument, but they came across a fork in the road... and ran into someone as well.

Flash quickly grabbed the traveler who bumped into him, taking note that he was an old man. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going." On the whole, he was glad that he had passed French in college.

The old man chuckled. "It's all right. I wasn't watching where I was going, either. Well... I've got get going. I haven't got any time to waste... Are you coming from the fair?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you're still in your costumes."

Flash now understood what he was talking about. "Oh, these old rags?"

"We're makin' a fashion statement, sir," Vigilante said. "But where are you off yonder, if you didn't mind mah askin'?"

The old man took a moment to figure out that the man was speaking English, and swtiched to it. "I'm going to rescue my daughter. She's being held in a castle up that way, by a monstrous beast!"

Booster and Barda both looked at each other, than at him. "Really?" Barda asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.

"Barda." Flash flashed a smile after the warning. "We're actually heading that way, too. We've got to pick up someone from there. How about we walk together? That way, you can tell us what to expect. ... By the way, I'm called the Flash."

The old man grinned weakly. "My name is Maurice. I'm an inventor."

"Bettah keep him away from that kid, Forge, then," Vigilante muttered the Shining Knight. The medieval warrior nodded.

----

Belle finally sat down, feeling like a primitive savage. Vessels that sailed among the stars, capable of traveling at speeds beyond imagination, armed with weapons that could destroy entire planets. It boggled and terrified the ordinary human mind.

The simple beauty found it all fascinating. After she had figured out how to work the data pad, she had instantly discovered that it held a great deal of information. Almost as much as the library she was presently sitting in. Then she had begun accessing that information, learning everything she could. She was right in her guess about the communicator, and was amazed by the sophistication.

She discovered that the vessel was called a Class Four Federation shuttle, designed for deep space travel, complete with living arrangements,and some kind of device called a replicator. It was capable of a speed that the pad called Warp Five.

The words and phrases seemed to jog something in her mind, something that screamed at her from behind some wall.

She seemed to _know_ all of this, or at the very least, was supposed to know all of this. That maddening feeling that was starting to become just that. Maddening.

And it had started about three weeks ago, when she was being held captive in Hollow Bastion by the dark witch Maleficent.

She blinked once, a little surpirsed. '_I haven't thought about the Heartless since I was rescued,'_ she thought, returning her attention to the pad. She found it rather irritating.

"Lost in your thoughts, Ma'am?"

The young woman's head snapped up in shock at the young lady now standing at the doors, looking amused. "I'm... sorry?"

"Well," Kes pushed herself off the doorframe, strolling into the massive room, "I can only imagine that you're... in shock at what you're reading on those pads. I was much the same way, when I learned of my people's history."

Now Belle recognized her. Their new guest's identity was the first thing she had accessed. She noted the golden curls now concealing her unique ears. "Wow, the Enchantress works miracles. You're looking good for someone whose nine years old, Miss Kes."

Kes started, then smiled. "You've just broken the Temporal Prime Directive by accessing that stuff."

"I know. I've read up on that, too. Don't worry, it won't leave this castle. By the way, your shuttle's presently blocking the main entrance rather effectively."

"I thought I saw a pair of giant wooden doors before I lost consciousness."

"Yeah. Also, your communicator." Belle tossed the little device to her. "I don't think that it's any good here, and I don't think you need it. You speak perfect French."

Kes caught her communicator, holding it in one hand before putting it on her chest. It had been years since she had worn it."Well, I'll try to movethe shuttleso you can leave if you so choose to. I doubt it's flyable."

"Actually, while my understanding of advanced technology is negligible, I don't think there was a great deal of damage."

"Yes, but I can't repair it..."

Belle turned around. She had heard Kes trail off, and she wondered why.

She caught Kes staring at her worktable, namely, her equation sheet. "Yes?"

Kes looked it over for a moment, her eyes growing wide. "These equations..." she got out. "But... how?"  
"How what?"

"These are the equations for opening a transwarp conduit." Kes looked up. "How do you know about this?"

"Know? Well, I don't know, to tell you the truth." Belle looked at the sheet for a moment. "A couple of weeks ago, I just started thinking of this, and I copied it down. What's a transwarp conduit?"

"A version of faster than light travel, and easily one of the most difficult to access without the right equipment. I've seen it before, and it was one of the things Captain Janeway told me when I went to see her."

"You mean, when you went and almost trashed this _Voyager_?"

Kes sighed, sitting down. " Of course that would be there. I blame Tuvok and Neelix."

"I'm sure you will." Belle smiled in relief. Despite the fact she had been thrown into a primitive world, Kes was quite comfortable with her surroundings. "So, tell me about them."

"_Voyager_? Well... sure, why not? And in return, you can tell me your story."

The two females settled themselves on the couch, and began to reminisce about the past...

----

"So, your daughter's name's Belle," Vigilante said, whistling. "A pretty interesting name."  
"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be swept away by your charms," Barda replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I've made plenty of women happy."  
"Belle is French for 'Beauty,' if I am not mistaken?" Knight said loudly, trying to curb his fellow's bickering.

Maurice nodded, pride showing through. "She's the only one I have. I adopted her when she was just a baby."

Flash turned to him. "Don't tell me she wears a costume."  
"Uh, no."

"Good."

"But she's smart. She enjoys reading, music, philosophy, mathematics..."

"Uh, we get the point, Mr. Cartier."

Flash grinned at the masked fighter for a moment, before returning his attention to the old man.

He immediately noted the bloodshot eyes, the pale skin, and the way he seemed to comport himself. It wasn't how a healthy man would comport himself.

Booster it seemed, also saw this, because he walked up to him, looking at him more closely. "You don't look so good," he said. "When's the last time you slept?"

"I haven't had time. I want to get there, and get my daughter out."

The newfound feebleness in his voice raised alarms in Flash's mind. He had seen enough sick people to know that this wasn't a good thing. "Sir, you're in no condition to do that." He turned. "I'm going to get him to the castle now. Te rest of you, pick up the pace. Shining Knight, you're in charge."

"Get me there? But how…?" Maurice asked.

"Like this." With that, Flash picked him up, and shot off like a bullet, picking up speed as he did so.

The Knight turned around. "Well, let us make haste. A foul wind is blowing."

"Now that, you'll get no argument outta me. But, how're we gonna find them?"

Barda pointed. "Follow the scorch trail."

"Good idea."

----

"Wow. I never knew there was so many different species out there," Belle stated, smiling. "The things you have seen."

Kes nodded, drinking some tea from an ordinary cup. "Yes. And there are many more out there, all throughout the galaxy. Too many for most to see in a lifetime." Her attention shifted. "So, why don't you tell me about your adventures? From the looks of things, you are no slouch in that department of danger yourself."

The beauty's smile faded a bit. "It's a story that is… out of this world."

"I'm sure it is."

And, as if telling a ghost story in front of a camp fire, Belle began to tell her tale…

* * *

Here is Part One. Part Two will put in my version on Belle's short time in Hollow Bastion, as well as their first meetings with the Justice League. 

I don't know how long Disney's Beauty and Beast was supposed to be chronologically, but adding theChristmas movie to it, as well as the fact that by the end of the movie, the snow was gone, it's going to be just before the big dinner. Belle will not be going back to the village, Gaston will not learn of the Beast from Belle, and the villagers will not be alone when they come to the castle. Stay tuned, and review.


	65. Fifty Nine, Part Two

**Part Two**

_Belle struggled against the grip of the strange creatures that held her, trying to break free as her eyesight returned. She had no idea why they wanted her. She didn't even understand _how _they were able to get to her. She didn't even know what they were._

_And yet, led by a young silver haired boy wielding a sword, they had swarmed the Beast's castle, almost tearing it apart in the process, locking up the staff, before they found her in the library._

_The second they had gotten her, they had jumped through some sort of keyhole doorway, something she had never seen before. She saw bright lights, a dazzling display of colors..._

_... before they emerged into one of the darkest places she had ever seen before in her life._

_Her struggles grew in intensity as they approached the castle, a towering monstrosity that had clearly seen better days, and littered with various monsters. She had already had the feeling that whatever they wanted from her, it wasn't good._

_This merely confirmed it._

_Finally having had enough, pumped full of adrenaline, she suddenly jabbed her foot down onto one of her captor's feet. It had the desired effect, as the creature's grip loosened a bit from the sudden pain. Wrenching her arm free, she bashed the other with her fist, freeing herself. Whirling around, she started running into the town before they could regain their bearings._

_Quickly dodging through the streets and alleyways, she found that the whole place was filled with those creatures, and barely managed to hide from them, skipping around them when they weren't watching._

_Presently, she was running on instinct, and that instinct said; Run like mad. Hide so that they can't find you. But, sooner or later, conscious thought would return._

_And it did return, at the right time, as she ran into an empty building. _

_Belle hid behind a couch, letting her breathing slow, and her muscles relax. She had kept herself in peak condition over the month she had been the Beast's 'prisoner.' And she had no doubt that he would come to rescue her._

_Her task, therefore, became to make sure he didn't have to, or at the very least, delay these things for as long as possible._

_Her mind made up, she peeked out the window, seeing the forbidden castle there, highlighted by a strange light. _'Just gives me incentive to find out everything I can about it,' _she thought grimly._

_Keeping her eyes open, she started towards the castle..._

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Interesting," Kes noted.

Belle shook her head. "Interesting wasn't word for it. I was completely out of my element. I improvised."

"Usually the best thing to do under the circumstances." The Occampan set her cup down. "What were they?"

The French beauty shrugged. "I didn't know at first. To me, they were oddities. Little black men with big glowing holes for eyes. But later, I found out... that they had a name that was all too appropriate for them..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Her journey through the town was as surreal as her abduction. After all of the trouble those things had to storm the castle, and kidnap her, she would have expected the castle before her to be heavily guarded._

_Instead, the front gate was devoid of guards._

'Probably because they're not expecting anyone to try and get in,' _she thought. _'From the looks of it, the town's been deserted for some time. And it wasn't fully by choice.'

_Moving towards the doors, she was instantly struck the similarities between them and her home. They were the same size and the same dimensions. And, like the Beast's castle when she had first arrived, it was forbidding._

_In this case, though, it was far more sinister. It spoke of real evil._

_Putting her hands on the door, she winced as lightning struck near by, the telltale sound of thunder following afterwards. Other than that, nothing happened._

_Gathering her courage, she stepped inside._

_The place was enormous. The massive room she had entered was much larger than the Beast's, though it seemed to be set in a similar design, though there were substantial differences. Those creatures seemed to be absent here, as well._

_Climbing the stairs, she took note of the various statues around them. They seemed so out of place with the rest of the decor. She also saw signs of damage across the walls and floor. _'Battle damage. Whatever happened here, it was brutal.'

_As she started down the nearest hallway, the sound of the doors opening caught her attention. Realization bloomed within her, and she began walking faster, making sure that she was as silent as possible. She could already hear them shouting in the distance, alerting everyone of her escape. She didn't need to hear the exact specifics._

_Quickly dodging into an empty room, Belle pressed her ear against the door, listening the commotion outside for a moment, listening as it ran past, then vanished down the hallway. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slowly edged out of the room. Keeping her ears open, she started down the hallway, going in the direction of the voices._

_It wasn't easy. She had to avoid patrols at least twice, slowing her down slightly. She soon came to a simple conclusion; She never had to worry about avoiding the Beast like this._

_The good thing about the whole thing was the fact that the voices weren't moving. They were stationary halfway down the hallway._

_Her journey led her to a massive hole at the end. A hole that opened up to a massive room... almost twenty feet down. Belle decided that it would probably be a good idea not to get too close, as she could be discovered. However, she couldn't resist looking down._

_She saw the strangest collection of people that she had ever seen before in her life. _

_There was a man wearing a good suit of some kind, though it looked like it had been put through hell. He had a pointed mustache and a hat with a plume on it. A thoroughly normal man, except for one minor detail. Where his left hand should have been, there was a hook in its place, one that looked like it could do some damage._

_The second man she saw wasn't even human. His skin was gray, and his head was, quite literally, on fire. He was dressed in clothing reminiscent of Ancient Greece, which confused the French beauty to no end. But what really caught her attention was the sneer. It seemed to have been frozen on his face._

_The third was a woman, built slimly. The skin that showed was a pale green, though it seemed to glow in the darkened room. She was encased in black robes, complete with a headdress with horns on it. _'A witch!' _she thought in surprise. _'And from the looks of it, a powerful one. Looks like she's in charge of all of this.'

"_The Heartless have reported back," the witch said, her voice as slippery as a snake. "We have Princess's Cinderella and Snow White now. As soon as the seventh princess is brought to us, we shall begin the ritual, and forge the key with their pure hearts.'_

_Heartless... now Belle knew what those monsters were._

"_However, we do have a problem. The Keyblade holder and his band have already sealed most of the worlds. We can no longer move as freely as we once did. If he discovers where his friend is..."_

_The gray skinned one slumped in his chair. "I get my butt handed to me, and for what? Nothin'! I had to crawl outta the coliseum after that brat, Hercules, and Cloud beat the living crap outta me in that tournament! How'd they do that, anyways?"_

_The hooked man slammed his remaining hand down. "You think you had a hard time, Hades? I couldn't even touch the scurvy brats! Pan humiliated me again, and saved that wretched girl! I almost was eaten by that accursed crocodile!" He turned. "Maleficent, we do everything we can, but that brat Sora keeps beating us!"_

_The witch, Maleficent, smiled. "Yes, he has, Hook. The keyblade chose well. Jafar and Ursula are gone, as is Oogey Boogey. But we can't let these losses stop us. According to Riku, the Heartless managed to penetrate the castle easily, and acquired the target." Her smile vanished. "What I want to know is; Why have they not reported back, already?"_

_Belle smirked, knowing the reason behind that. _'Looks like I've put yet another crimp in their plans. But why are they going after Princesses? Ransom? Barter? And they mentioned a ritual of some kind. What kind of ritual? And why do they want me?' _The only reason she could think of was bait. _'But why? Until I went looking for my father, I had never even left the village. Who could they be looking for? What princess?'

_As she pondered her questions, one of those creatures ran into the room, heading for Maleficent. Maleficent bent down, letting him whisper in her ear. Curious, Belle leaned forward to watch, remembering to keep away from the precipice._

_From her vantage point, she could see Maleficent's face become very calm, very still, and oh, so, very dangerous. "The Heartless have lost Belle, just after they returned here. She's somewhere in Hollow Bastion."_

_Belle blinked once in surprise. _'They know who I am? They know my name?'

_She wasn't the only one who was surprised. Hook sputtered for a moment, his hook sticking into the table. "She escaped? And she still has her heart?"_

_"Yes. And she seems to have vanished. For some reason, it can't be removed by our powers." The witch leaned back in her chair. "It may be possible that she'll try to find a way home, and she can't do that in hiding. And the doorway never closed. If the Beast decides to mount a rescue attempt..."_

_"Nothing will be able to stop him if he wants his friend back. And the Keyblade Holder may be here at any time." Her staff slammed into the ground. "We need her! She's the most vital part of the plan!" _

'Plan?'

_Hades stood up. "Well, sorry to put a damper on the whole damn thing, but how're we gonna find her? She could be anywhere in the area!"_

_Hook nodded. "Then we narrow the search range. Leave the Heartless to search the town. She won't be stupid enough to come here."_

'Apparently I am,' _Belle thought, now grateful. _'And it just saved my skin. Instant karma.'

_It would be a while before someone figured out that she was in the castle itself. So, before she ran for the portal, she was going to find out what they were up to._

_Her plan forming solidly in her mind, she stepped away from the hole, and started down the hall._

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Now that was very brave of you, Belle," Kes said.

Belle shrugged, refilling her cup. "I was in an unfamiliar environment. I had no idea why they wanted me. And when they spoke of Sora, I didn't know that he had already done a great deal of damage to their campaign. And when they spoke of me, playing a vital role in their ritual, I had no idea how vital."

"So, these Heartless..."

"They were forged from the darkness within each human heart. The more darkness there is, the stronger the Heartless that emerges is. Sora possessed the one weapon that could defeat them."

Kes nodded. "And these princesses?"

Belle sat back down, handing Kes her cup. "They were seven women whose hearts were untouched by darkness. They were also keys, born to serve one purpose, and one purpose only; To open the doorway to the ultimate purity. Kingdom Hearts, they called it."

The Occampan shook her head. And she thought the Borg and Species 8472 were terrifying. "How did you find out all of this?"

Belle grinned. "I took a very big risk."

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_The direction she chose was relatively empty. She didn't think that it would last, but she could use every advantage that she could get her hands on._

_Belle was going through every revelation she had learned over the last few hours. For starters, she now knew that she was in a parallel world, a world that had been conquered by the forces of evil. She had probably had been captured to act as bait, or leverage against someone. There were so many variables that she simply ignored most of them._

_Instead, she latched on the first thing she had overheard. _'There are princesses here, obviously prisoners to this Maleficent. She's planning to use them in some sort of ritual. Probably a sacrifice. The question is, when does this ritual start? And they mentioned a seventh princess. Who is it?'

_Normally, when Belle was in thought, she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, instead wandering aimlessly. This time, though, she was very much aware of what was going on around her. Every sound seemed amplified, every sight standing out in relief from the rest of the hall._

_It was this enhancement of senses that immediately warned her of something amiss. Looking down, she saw nothing but shadows, and almost dismissed them._

_Then the shadows moved._

_Reacting immediately, she quickly moved into an empty room, keeping the door open a crack. She watched the shifting shadows as they took shape. Heartless, she quickly realized. They should have seen her..._

_... except they didn't move to the room. Instead, they looked around for a moment, before disappearing back into the shadows._

_Belle sighed, leaning her head against the door for a moment, before getting up, preparing to leave. She now knew that they could move unseen in any place with a great deal of darkness, which made her job a little more difficult. If they could come out at any time, then it would be almost impossible for her to hide._

_Walking out of the room, she started down the hallway again, now more alert than before._

_Thankfully, her journey wasn't much longer, as she came across a room labeled, INFORMATION CENTER. Taking this as a good sign, she quickly opened the door, entering quietly, and justly so. The room was occupied by a portly guy wearing a striped shirt, torn pants, sandals, and a red cap. He appeared to be sleeping, his feet propped up on something that made strange sounds every once in a while, and he was precariously close to falling out of his seat._

_Belle looked around, found several other consoles throughout the room. and made a beeline for one of them. She looked at them, knowing that she would find all the answers she needed._

_She just had to find out how to work the smegging thing without waking the guard._

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"It's not funny!" Belle snapped, though her mouth twitched.

Kes held up a hand, staving off a tirade. If she opened her mouth at that particular moment, she would go into a laughing spree that would put Earth-Occampan relations back a decade. And the relation wasn't even a decade old, yet. "You just had to find out how to work the smegging thing?" she echoed after a moment, a silly grin on her face. "Belle, the fact that you were in a computer controlled place is enough to put anyone in awe. You just wanted to know how they turned on."

Bell's control broke, and a giggle escaped. "Yeah, it's freaky. It took me almost two hours to figure out how to operate it, but figure it out, I did."

"And what did you find out?"

"... Maleficent and her allies had been destroying realm after realm, searching for the seven princesses. Other realms were under attack by Heartless, though those realms were holding their own. The princesses realm's were on the verge of being wiped out forever if someone didn't stop them soon."

"Was it you?"

"... No, but I did delay them for quite a while." The French beauty frowned thoughtfully. "And that man never woke up once. It was disturbing."

"Did you learn anything else?"

Belle was silent for a moment. "I found out where they were holding the prisoners. And it wasn't in the dungeons."

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_Quickly leaving the room, and the snoring man, behind, Belle strode down the hall quickly. Abandoning caution for the moment, she acted like she was master of the castle._

_Everything she had learned, everything she had seen, was like out of a fairytale gone wrong. Damsel's in distress, rulers of kingdoms deserved a handsome prince to save them, proclaiming their love, so that everyone would live happily ever after._

_But no prince was going to save them. The Beast was most likely still clearing out his castle, protecting his subjects as well as he could, and this Keyblade warrior wouldn't be here for a long time. There was no one they could expect for help._

_Which means it fell upon her to be the hero. A strange reversal of positions._

_She found it strangely invigorating._

_Her speed served her well, as well as a basic understanding about dungeons. They were either at the top of a tower, like the Beast's, or underneath the castle. On hunch, she made for the sub levels. Normally a fool's errand in a castle the size of this one._

_Fortunately, she now had a map that she could use. And she was very intelligent._

_Quickly heading down the hallways, she swiftly avoided ever increasing patrols, sometimes skirting entire sections to avoid being caught. It made the going slow, that was for sure._

_But soon, she was descending into the dungeons, none the worse for wear. She was actually feeling incredible. The feeling of actually doing something important was something she never thought she would feel._

_The dungeons themselves were as she had expected, dark and dank. Shockingly enough, though, there was no one there. Belle checked each cell, found them all empty, though apparently, not by choice._

_Confusion gripped her. Where else would they hold their prisoners? _'What about the room this door is located?' _she thought, then smacked herself for her stupidity._ 'Of course. If I were an evil genius, I would put them as close to the objective as I could, not in the dungeons. There is some sort of chamber in the upper corridors. I just have to get there without being detected.'

_Her plan now formed, she went back the way she came, a little more carefully this time around. She could already hear the shouts of rage that were coming from Maleficent. _'Apparently, they haven't found me yet.' _Grinning, she followed her instincts. And they were sound._

_About thirty minutes later, with one minor stop along the way, the French beauty was standing before a set of massive doors, far more massive than any she had seen before in her life. Taking a look around, she quickly opened the doors, slipping inside, before shutting them behind her._

_And, just like that, Belle Cartier found herself in the single most... empty room she had ever been in. At least, it looked like it was empty. She started across it, wondering what she would find._

_She found out when she looked to one side. And what she saw filled her with horror._

_There, on either side of the room, were a series of clear, coffin like pods, six in all. Five of them were occupied by women of various ages, all wearing clothing from various ages and regions._

_"My god," Belle whispered. "What have they have done to you, Your Highnesses?" She almost collapsed from the shock, but summoned up enough willpower not to do that. Instead, she walked up to each one of them, studying them intently. One was a young blond wearing a dress with similar colors to her own, but of a different design. The next one was a raven haired woman wearing an Arabian outfit made of blue. The third she observed was sunshine gold hair and rose red lips, wearing a blue dress that had a fairytale feel to it, though it seemed to be made on post Middle Ages. The fourth one, a raven haired beauty, wore something similar, though it was simpler, and seemed to have a few stains on it. The fifth one wore a ballroom gown, her honey colored strands done up in an elegant design. She seemed a bit... gentler._

_The sixth one was empty. _'Probably meant for this sixth princess, whoever she is,' _Belle thought, before turning her attention to the final princess._

_A young girl, only slightly older than the first prisoner, lay on an altar, right before a massive doorway. She wore clothing the French beauty was not familiar with, her hair was kept cropped close to her skull. She looked peaceful, almost like she was asleep._

_"Hey," Belle whispered, shaking the girl slightly. "Hey, wake up. Come on, I'm going to get you out of here. Please, open your eyes." She sighed in exasperation, leaning in. "At least let me know you're breathing."_

_Indeed the girl was, her breath's weak but steady. Satisfied, Belle prepared to pick her up._

_The massive doors blew wide open, a cold wind accompanying it. Belle quickly hid behind the altar, breathing hard. If anyone decided to look behind the altar, she would be in a world of trouble._

_Nothing happened. Confused, she peeked out from behind her hiding spot._

_There, standing almost three feet away, observing the princesses, was Maleficent._

_Belle shuddered a bit. This close to the woman, she could _feel _the waves of evil coming off of her. And, from what she could see of her face, she could see the upturn of her lips. Another shudder went through her body. This witch was _smilingSmiling

_A slithering sound caught her attention, and she saw a Heartless approach Maleficent. No words were exchanged, but Maleficent's face changed gears really fast. "You mean you still haven't found her!" she bellowed. "Belle couldn't have vanished into thin air! Are you sure that you've searched the entire town?"_

_There was a shiver from the creature. "The square? The Bakery? The Weapons Shop? ... What about outside the town?... Then, if she isn't in the town, or in the countryside..."_

'Please, let her think that I've escaped,' _Belle begged._

"_Then she's inside the castle."_

'Sacre Merde. I knew it was too much to ask.'

"_All Heartless, direct your search to the castle. Search everywhere." Maleficent waved her hand. "Go... join the search. And inform Hook and Hades to return to their worlds. ... 'What are we going to do with the princess?' Well, that will be for me to decide. Now, go." She waited until the Heartless was gone, before saying. "That is a very good question. What _are _we going to do with you, Belle?"_

_Belle's breath caught. How did she know?_

"_Do come out from behind the altar, dear child. There is no reason to hide anymore. It's just you... and me."_

_Steeling herself, Belle slowly rose, stepping out from behind the young girl. She now stood face to face with the embodiment of pure evil, if not pure evil itself._

_Maleficent smiled, giving her a little bow. "You have been very difficult to find, Princess."_

_"Well, I hate to be easy pickings," Belle replied, mind racing._

_"You're looking rather confidant, especially for someone who is at my mercy." Maleficent smiled. "You are obviously not a run of the mill princess. Obviously more difficult than Jasmine to contain and control, and she was very difficult." Her gaze grew more amused. "And you survived a strike from Riku's sword. Such a blow from that blade should have taken your heart from you."_

_"Maybe I'm stronger than you think."_

_"Or maybe there is something protecting you. Something more powerful than even you realize, Princess."_

_Belle frowned a bit. Obviously, this woman was confused. "I'm no Princess," she said. "And I don't know any for you to capture. Your plan has failed." Her frown deepened at the quizzical look this creature gave her. "What?"_

_Maleficent chuckled for a second. "Oh, it's just that you looked, and sounded, like two people I once fought, and defeated, ages ago. You even have their resolve."_

_"Good to know."_

_The witch turned. "You say you are no princess, eh?"_

_"I was born in a small village almost fifteen miles from Paris," Belle retorted. "I've lived there my entire life."_

_"Are you absolutely certain you are not... special?"_

_That caught her attention. "As a princess, absolutely. As for anything else... I don't know."_

_Maleficent nodded, surprised by the answer. "Well, a unique answer. I certainly never expected that." She waved. "Each one of these ladies were protected by armies, by walls, and princes. The Heartless swarmed over them like a plague. They brought back each one, though in some instances, it took them a while to do so. But they hadn't caused half as much trouble as you, Belle. These four, Aurora, Snow White, Alice, and Cinderella," she pointed towards the young girl, and the three dressed in royal gowns, "were easy to capture, because they could not fight back. Young Kairi here was the first we took, though we encountered a small problem along the way. She," at this, the witch pointed at the Arabian princess, "had the help of a street urchin called Aladdin, and a warrior known as Sora, so she evaded capture in her home for several weeks. Once here, though, she was powerless."_

_Belle shuddered a bit. Maleficent's tone was full of malevolence, of hatred, of dark victory. She hadn't liked the fact that the girl had almost escaped her power. So why was she so impressed with her, a simple village girl?_

_"But you... you not only fought the Heartless and Riku, and almost defeated them, once you were brought here, you managed to escape them. Then you did the one thing I did not anticipate. You came here."_

_"You won't open Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent. I'll die before I give you that victory."  
"You?" The laugh that erupted from Maleficent was cold, filled with dark amusement. "Your defiance is amusing, dear child."_

_"Don't call me, 'dear child,'" Belle replied coldly. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm joking. Believe me, I'm not."_

_"Oh, I know you're not! In fact, I am surprised that you are not afraid of me. In fact, I don't think you're afraid for your own life."_

_"And you're right." Belle smirked, a plan forming. "In fact, I don't think I'm going to stand here any longer, listening to you." She made her way to the door, head held high. "So, I'm leaving."_

_Maleficent's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Excuse me?"_

_"I'm going home. Your hospitality is pathetic. Your current residence need repairs, and, quite frankly, my friend will most likely prevail against your forces, and come here to tear you all to shreds. Your plan is doomed to failure. It would be more beneficial for everyone if I just leave now."_

_"I won't let you leave alive."_

_"Perhaps. Either way, though, I'll win." Belle was enjoying this. It wasn't often anymore that she could bait someone. She had stopped baiting Gaston years ago, when he had started to bulk up. But she was enjoying this, especially since she could hear Maleficent's voice was growing colder. She realized that she was too important to be killed. "Now, unless there are any other threats you care to make, I'm leaving."_

_"You are not going anywhere!" Maleficent bellowed, staff raised high. She brought it down..._

_...and Belle whirled around, tossing a small spherical object right at her attack. A grenade, if she had read the computer screen right. Completing her spin, she made a run for it, just as the magic attack hit the weapon._

_The resultant explosion took Maleficent by surprise, knocking her onto her back. Belle was lifted into the air, right at the door. She slammed into it, forcibly opening it with her hands, before hitting the ground. Rolling to her feet, ignoring the aches of her body as she began running, she made for the exit._

_Just as she had planned._

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Kes suddenly looked up, her eyes looking at something only she could see. She thought she had sensed something.

Belle broke of from her story, a little surprised. "What is it?" she asked.

"... I don't know. Give me a moment." Kes concentrated for a second. "I have two people approaching the castle at..." she blinked in surprise, "Fifty five mph. I thought you didn't have anyway to move fast."

"We don't," Belle replied, just as surprised. "Can you tell who it is?"

Kes concentrated, keeping a tight leash on her powers. "Two males. One of them is... running. Okay. The other one... elderly, very weak... Belle, where are you going?"

Belle was heading for the door. "That's my father!"

Kes was out of her seat in an instant.

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Flash was going at significantly slower speed than he was used to, but he didn't think Maurice could handle anything more. Already, the old man's breath was short and fast. Any more speed, and he would most likely kill the man.

Twenty minutes later, he was running up the bridge towards his objective, the massive castle that he had been trying to get to anyways. He could see scorch marks on the bridge, as well as the massive gardens. And he saw the impossible sight of a small ship from _Star Trek_ resting just in front of the main doors.

The doors opened, which was a blessing, and two females exited the castle, followed by something out of a fairytale. Of course, Flash had seen, and worked with stranger things than someone covered in fur, and spouting two horns from his head.

The two females, one blond, one brunette, reached him as he came to stop, gently taking Maurice from his arms. "Papa," the girl murmured, feeling his forehead. "He's burning up."

The blond turned to him, blur eyes boring into him. "Where did you find him?" she asked.

"About fourteen miles from here. Had to leave my team behind to get him here."  
The woman nodded, observing him. "The flu. Get him inside, now!" She waited until the Beast had picked Maurice up, before turning to the brunette. "There should be a medical pack in the shuttle. Could you get it, Belle?" The brunette, Belle, nodded, running for the shuttle.

Flash turned to her. "Kes, I assume."

Kes smiled grimly. "You assume correctly. Nice speed, by the way."

Flash grinned. "We ran into him on our way here. He was coming to rescue... Belle, right?"

"Right." Kes started for the castle, Flash following him.

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**Three days earlier**

Gaston sat, almost rigidly, in the bar, waiting impatiently for Belle and her father to return from wherever they were. He had concocted the perfect plan, but it would only work if they were there.

On the wall in front of him were his trophies; The heads of creatures that he had taken down over the years. His chair was another trophy, made from the pelt of a bear that father had taken out in the new world, then had shipped to him. Travel of this magnitude was difficult, but somehow, he had managed it.

Lafou was still at the Cartier home, waiting, probably a frozen mass, unless he was inside, using the fireplace at night. The asylum head was waiting, his cart prepped and ready. Everything was in place.

So where the Hell was Belle and Maurice?

As he pondered this, he felt a blast of cold air as the door opened, then closed. Not surprising, since this was when most of the business's closed down. An accepted part of life.

What was surprising was the sudden silence that accompanied it. Gaston tuned around, curious.

What he saw was a woman wearing black, standing in front of the door. It was obvious that she was a witch, and one who wasn't afraid to show it. And it was obvious that she was looking for someone.

Who it was became obvious when she went over to the bar. The three men who were there quickly edged away from her as she approached, standing in front of the bartender. The witch, of course, was unperturbed. In fact, there was slight smile on her ace as she asked, "Where may I find Gaston? He was not at his home."

Gaston got up, moving forward boldly, though unsteadily. Four drinks will do that to some people. "I'm Gaston!" he boomed, hoping to hold off a panic, though he was close to panicking himself. Witches were spawns of the devil, after all.

The witch turned to observe him. "Well, Gaston, I have an offer for you, that you will like. And it will require you to keep your immortal soul."

"Really?" Somehow, that didn't make him feel any better. "What is it?"

"Well, I understand that you are presently waiting for a young girl called Belle to return to her home with her father. I am sorry to inform you that it will not happen."

"What?"

"Belle is presently at an enchanted castle about thirty miles outside the village. It is inhabited by a powerful Beast, as Maurice has already told you."

Gaston blinked. "You mean... he's real? Maurice isn't crazy?"

The witch's smile grew. "He is somewhat, but he hasn't taken leave of his senses. Yes, he is real. And he is friends with Belle."

Gaston suddenly became very sober. "How do you know all of this?" he asked.

"I once sent my minions there to kidnap her," the witch replied, bringing a pint of ale to her. "You have good taste. Belle proved exceptionally difficult to contain. She has spirit, and great beauty to match. And she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty if the situation calls for it. But I do know something about her." She turned her full attention to him, taking a swig. "She is not Maurice Cartier's biological daughter."

Gaston, indeed the entire bar, became silent. "You're sure of it?"

"Absolutely. And she is far more intelligent than him, and far more dangerous than even she herself realizes. She still has weaknesses, though."

Gaston leaned in, his fear dissipating against his curiosity. "Why are you so interested in helping me?" he asked.

The witch smiled, finishing off her beer. "I, to, want Belle, but for far different reasons. I have need of her for an… opening, of sorts. Then she is yours, to do with as you see fit."

Gaston grinned. "I think I like that, Lady…"

"Maleficent, Gaston. And I think that this will is the beginnings of an excellent partnership."

The two shook hands, sealing their deal.

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"Are our forces ready?" Dartz asked.

Allister grinned. "They are, sir. We're waiting for your order."

"Then it is given." Dartz frowned. "Tell H.I.V.E to be careful. Belle is not to be underestimated. Nor is this Occampan, Kes."

"Yes, sir."

Dartz sighed, looking into the Orichalcos portal. He didn't fully understand Beryl's reasoning behind destroying this poor provincial woman, but he understood enough. Someone of her prestige had to be taken care of.

If she ever found out who her parents were, she would become even more dangerous than she already was.

And that was not an option.

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Kes scanned Maurice, her medical tricorder flashing and beeping. "Just as I thought, the flu. Give me the yellow green capsule." She waited until Belle had given it to her, loading it into her hypospray. Quickly placing it next to the old man's neck, she injected the medicine into his bloodstream. "I've included a mild sedative, so he can rest, as well as various vitamins and minerals to boost his bodily functions," she explained. "And I want him asleep for eight hours, at least, before he wakes up."

Flash nodded. "We have eight hours, though if we leave then, we'll be cutting it close."

"Close?" Beast echoed.

Kes pointed to the door. Flash, taking the hint, walked out it.

Kes quickly followed. "Why are you here, sir?"

Flash sighed, rubbing his neck. "I was sent here by a secret group to get you out," he replied. "Apparently, this wasn't supposed to happen."

"I kind of gathered that. But I can't leave. Not yet, anyways." Kes looked into the room, where her new friend was still sitting, holding her father's hand in hers. "Flash, Belle has a secret, one that she doesn't understand one bit. She put down the calculations for transwarp propulsion, and she has no idea _how._ And she has already been to a parallel world!"

Flash stared at her. "Oookay… how'd you find out, and how'd you know my name?"

"To answer your first question, she was telling me her story when you came here with Maurice. The second… I peeked into your mind for a split second. I know nothing else, so don't worry."

Flash nodded. "Fine." He turned his attention to Belle. "She put down chicken scratch on something outta _Star Trek,_ huh?"

"What?" Kes asked. What did he mean by that?

The speedster sighed. "Long story." He sighed. "My teammates should be here sooner or later. We'll figure out what to do next."

Kes nodded. "In the meantime," she said, "I want to get my shuttle inside, before someone shows up and sees it. Unfortunately, the thing weighs a few tons."

"We'll find a way." Flash was off in a... well, flash, to speak to his team in private.

'Hey, Kes.'

The Occampan turned her head slightly, looking at Belle. _'Yes?'_ she inquired.

'I don't think I'll be able to finish telling my story.' Even over their surprise link, Belle sounded nervous. _'You can look at my memories about it, if you want to.'_

Even over their surprise link, Belle sounded nervous. 

Kes blinked, slightly amazed by this. _'We've only just met.' _

'And I trust you. I'm a very good judge of character.'

On that, Kes conceded the point, and opened her mind a bit more, probing Belle's memories…

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_Running full tilt, one more grenade to her name, a sword in her hand, Belle charged out of Hollow Bastion castle almost six hours after she had entered. She could hear Maleficent's bellowing echoing inside, and smirked. "So sorry, mademoiselle," she muttered, putting as much mock compassion as she could into it. "Next time, I'll aim for the head." _

Quickly sprinting down the street, she stayed on the main roads through the town, because logic dictated that she use the alleyways to sneak out. And Maleficent would be wanting her to do that.

Quickly reaching a series of boxes, she jumped onto them, then hoisted herself onto the roof of a house. Her body, toned from walking, working in the garden, feeding the chickens, and special exercises to improve her flexibility and grip, all of this now served her well.

Her instincts proved right. Just as she pulled her foot up, out of sight, a series of dark clouds appeared, and Heartless emerged, spreading out. Moving quickly, she started moving again, jumping from roof top to rooftop, her balance serving her well, as did her jumping exercises. She made no noise, which also was an advantage.

She soon leaped down like a cat into an alleyway, just as Heartless began appearing on the roofs, swiftly running the final fifty feet to the edge of Hollow Bastion.

And almost plunging into the center of the largest force she had ever laid eyes on.

Heartless as far as the eye could see, though it was only an optical illusion, were mobilizing. And there, at the far end of that, was the path to her salvation. The doorway.

Belle quickly plunged headfirst into the army, realizing that they were ignoring her completely. 'They aren't real!' _Realizing that they wouldn't stop her, Belle ignored them completely, instead worrying about those behind her. Her hand gripped her blade, knowing that this relative peace wouldn't last. _

She was proven right when several bursts appeared in front of the portal, revealing Heartless with Arabian style weapons and clothing. And it was obvious that they were here to stop her, by any means necessary.

The young woman's grin appeared, her stance altering accordingly. It was time to see if all of that sword practice the Beast's guards had put her through had stuck.

As one, the six Heartless charged forward. Belle stepped forward to meet them... starting with a whirling attack that broke their attack run. She quickly drove her blade through one of them, turning him into nothing but mist. She whirled around, blocking an overhead chop. Her fist slammed into its gut, doubling it over, kicking it in the face as well. Her blade stabbed third one, before exiting its vanishing form to slice through a fourth one's head.

A sixth sense she never knew she had suddenly alerted her of an attack. She quickly dodged, losing an inch of her skirt in the process as a whirling sword slipped past. She quickly moved in, removing the Heartless in question from the fight.

Which left two left, both fully armed, and ready. As one, they charged.

Belle was quickly blocking, pulling off a display of skill that was known for noblemen. She had a lighter sword, and was more agile than her opponents, two advantages that she now brought to use.

Quickly evading a thrust, she lunged forward, striking hard and fast at the closer of the two. Her aim was true, slipping past its defenses to bury deep into its abdomen. She quickly turned, blocking, forcing it back. She ducked another attack, her sword moving upward.

Her aim was true.

Her attack sliced through the Heartless, destroying it completely. Its destruction also removed the only remaining obstacle to her escape.

Belle took three steps, then stopped, her gaze returning to the army in front of her. Before her, freedom beckoned to her. If she stepped through the portal, she would be able to stave off any rescue attempt that she knew the Beast was going to try.

'And what about the other princesses?'_ she asked herself. _'They deserve a chance to escape.' _And the freedom that beckoned was only a mirage. If Maleficent wanted her, she would simply send more troops. And next time, she would lead the attack herself. _

In that instant, she made a decision that would most likely end with her being locked into that glass prison. She had one sword, and a grenade. And she was going head to toe with an evil greater than any of Earth.

'Oh well. At least I'll do some damage.'

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Kes ended the probe, amazed. What daring! And she had thought Tom was a risk taker! One woman, without any sort of combat experience, going head to toe with an entire army, was a level of risk that was beyond normal risk taking, and verged on suicidal. She had new respect for Belle.

She did a have a bit of a headache, though. _'Using my powers more than I should have,'_ she thought. _'I better relax for a moment, before I destroy something.'_

That plan forming in her mind, she made for the nearest chair.

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Barda was grumbling to herself, which had begun to grate on Shining Knight's nerves. Gold Booster was humming, which contradicted it slightly. Vigilante was twirling one of his six shooters by the trigger housing, apparently bored out of his mind.

The knight sighed. To be honest, he was bored as well. He was beginning to think that this wasn't a good idea. None of them were comfortable with each other. Though they had worked together for several months, getting over various insecurities and egos to form a fully cohesive unit hadn't been fully accomplished. And with these new problems forming, there was a possibility that the Justice League would fall apart on its own.

Vigilante suddenly stopped his idle exercise, his gaze shifting every which way as he scanned the surround. His gun was now pointing into the forest. "Somethin's not right," he muttered.

Knight turned around, a little surprised by this statement. "What do you mean?"  
"Ah mean, there's somethin' else in these woods than just us. Somethin' dark."

Barda brought her weapon up. "Maybe we can beat it," she said, eyes alight in anticipation.

Booster looked around. "My scanners are picking up something on the dark end of the visible light spectrum approaching our position, though offset by about thirty feet. Whatever it is, I don't think it's friendly."

Knight turned around. "Gold Booster, can your energy fields surround all of us?"

"Yeah..."

"Then do so! We must get to the castle now."

About three minutes later, four League members were flying through the sky towards the Beast's castle at top speed. The situation had become more complicated.

And they didn't go unnoticed.

Maleficent and Gaston watched as a golden sphere emerged above the treeline, and made for the castle in the distance. "What does this mean?" the mighty human asked, as concerned with that as the rippling effect in the sky.

Maleficent smirked cruelly. "Isn't it obvious? ... We're not alone in these woods." She frowned. "I wonder who they are, though, and where they obtained such advanced technology."

Gaston shrugged. "Are they going to prove a problem?"

Maleficent shrugged. "We will just have to find out."

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The rippling effect above the castle continued on placidly, never changing. But the people on the ground ignored it completely.

The shuttle had finally stopped sparking, and its hull was finally cool enough to touch, thus eliminating one of their problems. Sadly, the primary problem, that of getting it inside the castle, was still up in the air.

Flash looked at the Beast. "We could always try to push it," he said.

"Yeah, but I don't think that'll work very well," the Beast replied. "Neither of us have the strength necessary for such a task."

"Then we're in a rut. I wish Supes was here."

"Supes?"

"He's called Superman. Stronger than a hundred men."

"Ah."

Flash quickly zoomed back inside, heading for the last place he saw Kes. Finding her quickly enough, he paused.

The Occampan had found herself a chair, and she was presently asleep, head slumped onto her hands. There was a peaceful expression on her face.

The Fastest Man Alive, who flirted with every beautiful woman he met, and never seemed to get a hint, suddenly felt the urge not to disturb her. A rather unique feeling that he had. Grant you, after everything she had been through, she deserved some peace.

Flash sighed, hating himself already as he gently shook her. "Hey."

Kes's head shot up in drowsy surprise, and she started rubbing her eyes. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"Only a few minutes. Listen, we can't move your ship anywhere, and I don't think Beast takes his vitamins."

"Damn."

"Well..."

Shining Knight to Flash."

"Go ahead."

"As you ordered, we have 'picked up the pace.' But I am afraid that we have some bad news. There appears to be an army of monsters approaching the castle. Their time to arrival; Two days."

Kes's eyes widened. "What do they look like? Ask them what they look like!"

"Okay. Guys, what'd they look like?"

"Well, they're black, and got these weird glowing eyes," Barda replied.

Kes was off in an instant, entering the guest room. "Belle, Heartless are approaching the castle!" she exclaimed.

Belle shot out of her seat. "You're sure?"

"Flash's friends confirm it."

The French beauty was out of the room in an instant. "Lumiere, have the staff meet me in ballroom as soon as possible. I'm heading for the shuttle!"

"And what can you do, _mademoiselle_?"

"Something I should have done the second it cooled down."

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Beast turned as Belle literally erupted from the castle, running full tilt. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you this, Maleficent doesn't know when to quit!" Belle put her hands on the shuttle, finding the best vantage points for maximum push. "We need to get this inside, now!"

"Uh, Belle, I don't know how to tell you this, but this is a great deal heavier than a pile of wood..." His words trailed off as he heard the telltale sound of a heavy object sliding against stone. And, lo and behold, he saw the shuttle begin to move. "But hey, what do I know?"

Belle grunted, every ounce of power being put to the task before her. She initially had doubts about this, but she had reminded herself that she had pulled off the impossible before...

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_Her plan was simple; Find out where she could do the most damage. Implementing that plan, however, was a tad more difficult. _

A short search among the illusionary army turned up a few surprises. For starters, the Heartless, numerous they may be, still seemed to have a need for a great many explosives, including some massive bombs. Kingdom Hearts must be pretty powerful for them to need that.

'Of course,'_ she thought, _'they could have just removed all of this stuff from the town, so if there was a jailbreak of some kind, the escapees couldn't acquire any weapons. They just didn't make sure to check every nook and cranny.'

Shouting in the distance, caught her attention, and she turned, recognizing the voice. Quickly, she raised her sword, getting ready. Hiding, as she had learned, was useless with Maleficent if she wanted you.

Sure enough, the witch strolled into sight, every Heartless around suddenly turning around, golden eyes staring at the young woman. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle Maleficent!" she called out, waving. "Did you like my gift?"

Maleficent apparently did not. Her eyes were colder than before, and she burned with power. "You are proving to be quite the pest, Princess. And I'm surprised you're still here."

"What's the point of leaving? You'll just bring me back. So, I figured that I'll be the worm in your apple." Belle grinned. "I've been having fun, too."

"Indeed you have." She nodded. "Get her!"

Belle held the grenade up, casually placing it over one of the crates behind her. "For some reason, I don't think you would want me to drop this," she said nonchalantly.

"Hold!"

The Heartless stopped immediately, scurrying backwards.

"Good." Now knowing that she had her attention, Belle raised her sword. "I am going to make you a deal, Maleficent. If you promise to stop your attacks on the other worlds, and release the princesses, I won't drop this, and most likely destroy everything around me. Agreed?"

Maleficent's eyes narrowed. "Do you honestly expect me to agree to this?"

"Not really. But every second I delay is another second for someone to come here, and put an end to your plans."

"I'm afraid that what you're suggesting is impossible. There are only two ways to travel between worlds. One is with a gummi ship. The other is if you command the Heartless."

Belle grinned. "Well, this Keyblade Holder certainly qualifies in the ship department, if he's causing all of this trouble. As for the Heartless one... you obviously don't know the Beast. He needs me as much as you do, witch." Her grin grew as Maleficent's fury grew. "Oh, didn't take sheer will into your planning, did you? It may take him a while, but he will come, and then you're dead."

Maleficent glared at her, before grinning slightly. "You clearly are a very intelligent woman, Princess," she said, bowing slightly. "You've figured everything out, and you're holding me at a standstill. A feat worthy of a Guardian. Well done."

'Guardian?'

"However, if you think you can keep this up indefinitely, then you are more foolish than I thought." The witch stepped forward. "Belle, let's face it. If your furry friend does show up, he will be destroyed by my forces. Sora will be entering the very heart of the darkness, and I doubt he will be able to survive it. You alone cannot make the difference in this conflict. So, set the grenade down, and simply surrender."

Belle's smile fell away, and she stared at her. "Perhaps you didn't hear me before, Maleficent," she snarled. "I will die before I give you your victory. But if you want me to drop this... fine. Deal's off the table."

She let the grenade go.

"No!" Maleficent shouted, as Belle took off like a long distance runner. She quickly followed, placing a shield up around her, and staying front of Belle. She was paramount to the success of their mission.

The grenade exploded, which promptly caused a chain reaction in the boxes. One by one, they detonated, the explosives within aiding in the destruction.

The shockwave was so fierce, that every Heartless nearby was destroyed instantly. Due to amount of destructive force being unleashed, it was tantamount to total annihilation.

Maleficent felt the explosion, even through the shield. Staggering, she turned around to strengthen the shield, but a mass slammed into her, forcing her to defend herself.

It was Belle.

The young woman struck hard and fast, her sword flashing swiftly in the fiery light, slamming against the witch's staff in rapid volleys. She knew she couldn't win, but she had already done what she had set out to do. And she hadn't been kidding when she said that she would die before letting her win.

Maleficent, it seemed, wasn't a very good fighter. A good fighter would have recovered by now. Instead, she was being forced back, step by step. It gave Belle hope that she could win, after all.

Maleficent retreated, feeling the flames licking at her back. She quickly brought her hand up, driving it into the princess's head, accessing her mind with telepathic might. Belle shrieked, as they became locked in more than physical combat.

And then…Maleficent was thrown back over the massive fire by an unseen force. Belle clutched her head, trying to stem the tide of confusing images that were suddenly appearing. She couldn't make heads or tails about them.

Her newfound distraction cost her, as Maleficent suddenly surged forward, her staff slamming into Belle's head with enough force to knock anyone out immediately. Belle hit the ground hard, consciousness swimming in and out.

As she fought remain awake, her vision was obscured by her enemy's face, staring into her eyes. "It would appear that you are more than you seem, Belle," she said, her voice sounding distant. "You did what you said you would. It will take us months to rebuild our armanents. Congratulations, daughter of Hope and Light. I now know why you do not fear death. You do not fear the unknown." She leaned in closer as Belle's vision darkened. "So tell me, Beauty… what do you fear?"

And Belle heard and felt, no more.

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Belle grunted as she finished pushing the shuttle into the castle, thinking about how much she had changed after that. For starters, there were the equations she had put down on paper. That had been the first sign.

The second sign was improved balance and dexterity. She had caught a book as it fell from the top shelf, then balanced it as she quickly grabbed three more.

The third, and most obvious sign, was now on display for everyone to see. Superhuman strength.

Flash stared at her in shock. "Are you related to Supergirl?"

Belle's breath was heavy as she slid down, the effort having drained her. "No... this is just one of many things that I've learned about myself over the last month."

Beast shrugged. "I never knew."

"Neither did I until now."

Flash nodded. "Looks like we have a problem, then."

"Big time."

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Maurice groaned a bit, alerting Kes of his revival. She was at his bedside, scanning him, and nodding to herself in satisfaction. "How do you feel?" she asked.

The elderly man stretched, sitting up. "Better than I have in years," he said, before taking a look around. "Where are we?"

"Inside the castle you were walking towards. If it weren't for the Flash, you would have most likely died in the forest." She quickly fixed him with a glare worthy of Captain Janeway. "And if you think your daughter is going to leave with you at this moment, then you've got another thing coming. You are to stay in this bed for another ten hours. Understood?"

Maurice nodded. "But what about the Beast?"

As if to answer his prayers, the Beast entered with a tea tray. "I don't know what he likes, so Mrs. Potts just made some herbal tea."

Kes smiled. "Thank you, sir." She turned her attention back to her patient. "Does that answer your question?"

Beast smiled. "Bonjour."

Maurice stared at him for a second, then lay back. "Is there anything that Belle can't do?" he asked.

Kes grinned, leaving the room. "Belle, your father's awake!" she called out. She quickly got out of the way as Belle shot by, chuckling to herself as she did so. "Hey, take your time! He's not going anywhere."

Whistling to herself, she made for her temporary living establishment.

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"This place is cold!" Gizmo complained, rubbing his arms frantically.

"Hey, be glad we didn't get lobotomized!" Mammoth replied. "Jinx looked every bit as scary as the witch!" The two shuddered at that.

Kid Eye frowned. "I don't think we need to worry about it. Let's just go get this girl."

"An excellent idea." Brother Blood walked by, metal eye glinting in the sun. "Think of this as a perfect test for your skills." He turned his head. "Move out!" he bellowed.

The H.I.V.E force started marching, a pretty small force that couldn't stand against the Justice League even if they wanted to.

However, this pathetically small force was backed up by more than eight hundred robotic soldiers, each built in Cyborg's image. And, they had all of Cyborg's weapons and technology, if not his humanity.

And they, like the Heartless, were heading for the castle for Belle. But they were heading there for an entirely different reason from maleficent or Gaston.

They were going to kill her.

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And here is Part Two. Part Three will separate between Yami and the League's preparations for battle with both the D.A. and the Heartless, as well as Belle's final moments in Hollow Bastion.

Sorry that it took so long, but I had to retype certain parts of the story to better suit the story.


	66. Fifty Nine, Part Three

**Part Three**

Gold Booster waited until they were at the edge of the bridge, before he let the energy field dissipate around the whole group. He kind of enjoyed the responsibility.

Shining Knight immediately started towards the castle, the others right behind him. The doors opened immediately, allowing them to enter, before closing.

Flash was waiting for them in the hallway, looking somber. "We've gotten a few new problems since you called in," he said. "You probably saw the new weather patterns on your way in. We need to find a way to close it."

Knight stared at him for a second. "I doubt that any of us are going to be able to. None of us know anything about physics."

"I know. But we do have a ship, though it's kinda broke."

"Yeah, so we've noticed." Barda turned. "And, not to sound like an idiot, but we do have a massive army coming this way. How're we going to squash them?"  
"You really need help if you wanna fight these things."

"I have to agree."

Every hero turned to Belle, who was standing at the doorway, observing them with a trained eye, taking each of them in turn. "And what do you mean by that, fair maiden?" Knight asked.

Belle pushed herself off the wall. "Don't call me 'fair maiden', sir." She walked forward, keeping her eyes trained on Barda. "None of you have any experience fighting the Heartless. A bit of fear in this instance can actually hurt, badly. And as for you... if you give in to the thrill of battle, you will fall real fast."

Barda looked at her, her hand gripping her weapon. "You seem to know quite a bit about them."

"I've dealt with them before. They kidnapped me, and used me to try and destroy everything. So any insinuations that I'm aiding them, and I will beat you within an inch of you life. Is that understood?"

Barda looked at her. "You're kidding, right?"

Beast shook his shaggy head. "She just pushed the shuttle into the castle, woman."

Flash raised his hand. "I watched her do it, Barda. They know more than we do. You might just want to listen to her."

Barda glared at the slight woman before her, before nodding. "Alright, I'm listening."

Belle, knowing that she now had their complete attention, nodded to the Beast. "Any attempt to fortify a castle is worse than useless. Heartless are capable of entering any structure by using the shadows that are there, naturally. Now, conventional means are still pretty effective, but they tend to summon more immediately upon defeat. They each have a different form and different abilities, but the most telling feature is how they ignore anything they don't consider a threat."

"In other words, we take 'em as they show up," Vigilante groused.

Beast smirked, teeth glinting in the light. "You see the problem."

Booster nodded. "Okay... so what do we do?"

"We get ready. Enchantress!"

The enchantress appeared in a burst of light. "Yes, Belle?" she inquired.

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Only one. Call Superman and the rest of the Justice League. You'll need them."

Flash suddenly turned, a little surprised. "Hey, how did you know about Supes?"

The enchantress started, then sighed, turning around in resignation. "My name is Morgan le Fay. I am not an enchantress. I am an ascended being." Morgan bowed her head. "It's a long story, Miss Cartier. I swore to keep an eye on you."

"An eye on me?" Belle glared at her. "Who, and why?"

"Timelord Akalon. He wanted the child of Hold and Light kept safe."

"You mean Maleficent was telling the truth?"

Beast quickly restrained Belle before she could launch herself at the Ancient. "Not until we find out more!" he grunted.

Morgan shook her head. "No, it's quite alright, your Highness. She has every reason to be angry. Unfortunately, I was under orders. If I had a choice, I would have followed Guardian policy, and had her sent to Zion."

Belle ceased her struggles. "Zion?" she asked. "The Guardian Homeworld?"

"Well... yes."

Knight frowned. "How is it that you know this?"  
Belle looked at her friend, nodding. Beast released her, letting her sit down on one of the warp nacelles. "Maleficent did something during our fight, something magical. It unlocked something in my mind, and I've spent the last few weeks trying to figure it all out."

Kes walked in, Maurice right beside her. "What happened, after your fight with Maleficent?"

"... ... I woke up, and I wasn't in the pod, yet."

_Belle groaned, feeling like a elephant was tap dancing on her head. Opening her eyes, she struggled to a standing position, a hand gripping her forehead, as if she could squeeze the pain out of her face. For a moment, she had a hard time focusing on anything._

_"Welcome back, Belle. You have been out for a good three hours."_

_And, just like that, her headache was gone. Everything focused with crystal clear clarity._

_Quickly looking around, she saw that she was in the princess room again. She was inherently surprised to see that she hadn't been placed in the last pod._

_Then she looked down on herself... and saw nothing but a field of gold and ribbons. She looked at her arms, saw golden gloves adorning her hands. She felt the back of her head, feeling the fasteners holding her hair in place. "What did you do?"_

_Maleficent, who was standing near Kairi's altar, watching her nemesis, slowly walked forward. "I decided that you should wear clothing befitting a true warrior of Purity," she said calmly. "Your true status should be there for all to see."_

_Belle glared at her. "How many times am I going to tell you? I am not a princess!"  
"No, you are so much more than that!"_

"_Oh, really. My father is an inventor, not a fighter. And my mother died at childbirth!"  
The witch circled her like a vulture in amusement. "You mean... Maurice never told you? Never told you that he found you on his doorstep twenty years ago with a note attached to the basket, asking that he raise you, and keep you safe. It was one of the reasons why he went to that poor village in the first place."_

_Belle stared at her, a little surprised by what she was saying. For some reason, what the witch said jogged something within her. A memory, just out of reach, like an itch she wanted to scratch, but couldn't. reach. "What do you mean?"_

_Maleficent raised her hands. "You... are a warrior of purity, Belle! A soldier against the darkness, like your parents!" She glided around the young woman, having a good look at her. "Your parents, I had to battle for almost three days. I finally defeated them, sending them to a place where their infinite power was useless to help them. ... To tell you the truth, they almost won, but I had fate on my side."_

"_What?"_

"_You still don't get it?" Maleficent started laughing, the high pitched sound echoing in the massive chamber. "Maurice Cartier has lied to you your whole life, Belle! Oh, not of his own free will, but under the threat of your life! The Timelord wouldn't want anyone to destroy your precious destiny!"  
"Timelord?"  
"Oh, I suspect that you'll meet him soon enough… if you are lucky, that is. And don't bother trying to escape. I have had the Heartless amass outside the door. Unless you want to try your luck against a _real _army, I suggest you stay here."_

_Belle turned her full attention to Maleficent. Something else was bugging her, something that he knew that the witch did know. "What do you _really _want from me?" she asked. "I know you want more than just Kingdom Hearts."  
"Quite right. In truth, when I discovered who you were, I have wanted something else. You see, I want to know the secrets to Guardian technology. And, as you learn more about your heritage, those secrets will come to the surface. In particular, I want to know how to breach their Stargate system."_

"_Stargate? Wait, don't answer that. What I want to know is… why."_

_Maleficent's grin grew in malevolence. "There are a great many worlds out there, Beauty. Many more than the realms these princess's are from. In fact, there are realm's where evil has already taken hold, and other realms where humanity has embraced the stars and beyond. Where magic and technology exist, with technology unaware of magic's existence. And, from your perspective, you would learn of your true parents, and everything you could ever hope about their lives. And what lives they've had." She saw the look of disbelief on Belle's face. "But this is not the time for either of those. For now… it's time for you to go into that chamber."_

_The French beauty now focused back on her immediate problem, her glare returning full force. "I would love to see you try, Maleficent. It took you getting into my head to beat me. It won't work again."_

_"Oh, but I'm armed, and I have an ally here to help me."_

_"Bring it on."_

_"Riku?"_

_Before Belle could even begin to turn, a blow to her back sent her to her knees. Before she could even think about getting back to a vertical base, it was done for her, as an unseen force picked her up, and bodily shoved her into the empty pod. It swiftly closed, trapping her._

_Maleficent calmly walked up to the chamber, just as the young lady began to beat her fists against the unbreakable glass. "Oh, don't worry, Belle," she said, as a sort of knockout gas was pumped into her chamber. "Soon, you will be free from the chamber. And then... we shall talk about a great many things."_

_Belle coughed, fighting to stay conscious. "You're insane," she managed to get out. "Go find yourself another volunteer."_

_"Oh, but only you will do."_

_"Go... to... Hell."_

_"After all, how often does a being of evil also get her hands on the daughter of the two greatest Guardians?"_

_Maleficent's laughter was the last thing she would hear for a long time._

"I was out for almost four hours, " Belle said. "When I woke up, the Keyblade Holder had managed to get the seventh princess out of there."

Maurice sighed. "Belle... I..."  
"Why didn't you tell me, Papa?"

The elderly man winced, hearing the betrayal in her voice. And it was justified, seeing as he had kept this from her, her entire life. "The note told me to say nothing, or your life was forfeit. I didn't want that. I'm... I'm sorry."

For a moment, there was silence in the room.

"Don't hate him, Belle," Morgan said. "If there is anyone you should be hating, it's me. I shouldn't have listened." She sat down next to her. "But the Timelord cares less for how people will feel, and more about maintaining the balance. For him, there is no duty more sacred."

"Which is why," a new voice said, "I am here."

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**Realm 4**

For the last two weeks, Yami and his small intrepid band were pretty much quiet, allowing Tea to drive without interruption. The events of Dakota City were still fresh in their minds.

Yami spent his time further refining his deck, switching DMG out almost immediately, before he went through the Booster packs he had purchased, switching out various cards and monsters for different ones in his deck, before he started putting a deck together for Tea.

"So," Kero began, after the sixth hour of the fourteenth day, "you know more about the Orichalcos than we do. What can we expect from this Dartz?"

Yami blinked, then frowned. "Honestly? ...Anything you can imagine." He observed Tamius, going back to the duel with Raphael. "He has the ability to summon monsters from the Monster world, and corrupts them. He does the same thing with people... including an old friend of mine."

"And unfortunately, I can't blame her." Even though her attention was focused on driving, the tone of remorse was still there in Tea's voice. "Marik, the psychotic side to Malik Ishtar, sent her to the Shadow Realm during the Battle City Tournament. She almost lost it all because of him."

Sakura winced. When she had become the Mistress of the Clow Cards, Kero had told her everything he could about the Shadow Realm. And from what she had heard, it wasn't a place she didn't want to see. "That must have been terrible."

"I know." Li squeezed her hand slightly. "But that doesn't excuse her betraying her friends."

"It does." Yami looked at Yukito. "Professor Hawkins still knows very little about this, except for one thing. Members of the Orichalcos destroyed all of his research concerning the lost city of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Yukito asked, amazed. "But Atlantis is under the rule of Aquaman."  
"Which leads me to believe that there was another one out there."

Tea turned her head. "It's the only logical explanation. ... Did I just say that?"

Madison grinned. "You did."

"Great. I'm turning into Rebecca!"  
Yami turned his head, amusement rearing its head. "Tea Gardner, you are not jealous of Rebecca Hawkins, are you?"

"Ah... no."

"Really? Then why are you blushing?"

Tea focused on the road, rather than stare at her friend for a second more. "I'd rather not respond to that question."

Sakura giggled, before turning her attention to Li.

His brow was furrowed, his gaze distant. He seemed to be staring out the window. Curious as to what he was looking at, she leaned forward.

"Look at that!"

Tea turned her head, then slammed her foot onto the brakes, shocked beyond measure. "What the hell?" she got out. She and Yami were out of the X Van in a moment, staring into the sky.

There, confined into a perfect circle, was a rippling water like effect, glowing with faint luminance. It wasn't a doorway, per se, but it seemed to be a window of some kind.

"What in Kami's name is this thing?" Sakura asked.

"No idea," Madison replied, recording it. "But I think some physicists are going to find this interesting."

"It could be a portal of some kind," Yami replied. "It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened."

Yukito nodded, rather annoyed. "Oh, don't I know the feeling. I mean, I found out the hard way that I was a creature born from magic."

"I'm five thousand years old. Dare you to catch up."

Tea giggled as they bantered back and forth. Any time their ever present Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt was happy was a good thing. He was entirely too depressed these days, especially since Yugi was taken from them.

Even now, the thought of that day brought a pang to her heart. Her best friend would have told them to be happy, and optimistic, but it was hard, knowing that it could happen to any of them, or anyone else on the planet.

Returning to the present, Tea turned her attention back to the oddity before them. "What do you think is going on, here?"

Yami frowned. "I can think of only person who could do something like this."

At that moment, Tea understood. "Bakura."

"Bakura."

The Clow Team looked at each other for a moment. "Whose Bakura?"

"Long story." Yami turned. "Li, get Eriol. Tell him to meet us... where are we, Tea?"

Tea stuck her head into the van, checking the screen. "We are about ten miles from the border into Texas."

"Tell him to look for a massive rippling circle in the sky."

Li nodded, and dialed Eriol's number. This was going to be the weirdest conversation he was going to have in his life.

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"Our Stargate caused that?" Superman asked.

Batman nodded, bringing up the affected area on the screen. "It's about fifty times larger than the event horizon of the Gate, but it seems to have similar dimensions to it. I would say that the Kingdom Hearts Zone is not capable of utilizing a Stargate without side effects."

"Looks like it." The Kryptonian frowned. "Bruce, I want you to analyze this, and see if you can find a way to close it."

"I'll do what I can."

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Realm 186

Belle whirled around at the sound of the voice, unable to believe it. One second, she was sitting on the engine of the shuttle; the next, she was in the shuttle, its interior fully restored, staring at the night sky. How she got there was something she didn't know... yet.

"Greetings, Belle Cartier."

Belle's head snapped towards the pilot seat, where a man was sitting in the pilot seat. He was wearing a uniform that she recognized from the picture, with the pips of a captain. He had a mop of black hair, and appeared to be middle aged.

So who the hell was he?

"I am Q," the man replied to the unspoken question. "And I am here to make you an offer."

"An... offer?" Entering the control area, she saw that she was in orbit of a planet. For a moment, she stared in awe out the window, before returning her attention back to the 'Q' person. "What kind of offer?"

"Well, I understand that members of an elite group of warriors known as the Justice League are in your domicile, as well as an ancient, and _Voyager's_ former numero uno kid prodigy." He sighed. "I also know that Maleficent and an army of Heartless are approaching, with your ever annoying friend Gaston with them. I really must say that you need to teach him a lesson about going after people out of his league."

"I try to. He doesn't get the message." She sat down. "What offer?"

Q leaned in. "Oh, so to the point. I suspect that's a requirement for the leaders. I must have you meet Picard one day."

"What offer?" Belle repeated calmly.

"I can help you defend your home against the Heartless and the Deadly Alliance. I am an all powerful being who can do anything. It's quite a neat gift, actually."

"I'm sure." She frowned. "I can't make this decision alone. Could you return me to the castle, please?"

Q nodded, snapping his fingers.

Instantly, the two of them were back in the castle, every enchanted person in the structure gasping in shock. The League members were quiet, having seen weirder before.

Kes, however, took one look at the newcomer. "Q. Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Q grinned ingratiatingly. "Ah, Kes. You're looking smashing for a woman of your advanced age!" He took one of her hands, blinking. "Your skin is so soft. What kind of skin care products do you use?"

Morgan strolled into view, her eyes resigned. "Mine."

"Excuse me, _monsieur_," Lumiere began, raising one candlestick up, "but who are you?"

"He says his name is Q," Belle replied.

"No, seriously," Booster said.

Kes smirked. "Seriously, his name is Q."

"They speak the truth." Morgan walked into view from behind the shuttle, her gaze resigned. "He is of a level of evolution beyond my own. Why are you here?"

"Moi?"

"He wants to help," Belle quickly explained. "_How_ is something he hasn't told me yet."

Q nodded, sitting down on the now repaired warp nacelle. "I can arm this castle with weapons. Phasers, torpedoes, the works. I can connect them with the shuttle's systems, so you can have complete control over it."

"What's the catch?" Morgan asked.

The Beast glared at him. "A creature like you usually has an angle. What is it?"

Flash and Knight looked at each other, agreeing with the question. An omnipotent force wanted to give them the ability to fight back. This usually meant that they wanted something in return. What it was, varied from simplistic to disturbing, to downright terrifying.

Q looked up. "One thing; Stay free, and alive. That is all I ask. Maleficent wants to try again, and this time, she won't let you escape like last time."

Belle nodded. "I just wish she had died."

"Ditto," Beast groused.

Q smirked ingratiatingly. "Well, if it is any consolation, you've just been given a second chance to do just that. So, will you take my deal, or not?"

Belle looked at Kes, who nodded, then at the Beast, who also nodded. She didn't even have to look at Flash to know what his response was. "Alright, we will."

"Excellent." Q snapped his fingers once. "You will find that you now have a complement of five thousand photon torpedoes ready for launch, as well as phaser batteries set along the castle walls and towers. Perfect for thrashing Heartless or those pesky Kazon ships if they ever show up. I've also given you shields that'll make Deep Space Nine's look like a paltry piece of paper."

Kes frowned at him. "Deep Space Nine?" she echoed.

"Never mind."

Morgan turned around. "Unfortunately, we need to move fast. The Deadly Alliance knows you're here. They will have sent troops as well."

"And they have!" Barda shouted, coming down the hallway. "It's H.I.V.E.! They're coming in from the South!"

Flash groaned, slapping his hand over his eyes. Even he knew what this meant. "We should have brought Cyborg with us!"

Kes turned to Q. "It seems that your assistance couldn't have come at a better time."

"Yes, well, I'm kind of like that." A sudden trill in the ether caught his attention, and his head turned. "I must return to the Continuum. Something has happened." He quickly vanished in a bright light, leaving the completely restored shuttle in his wake, complete with a sparkling new paint job.

Vigilante whistled. "Okay, I'm officially impressed."

"Now if only he showed this much professionalism with Captain Janeway," Kes muttered. "She might've liked him a bit more."

Morgan smiled. "Q is Q. And besides, he is a great deal more likeable than the rest of them, and easier to deal with."

"Fair point."

Beast turned. "Monsieur Gold Booster, could you assemble the staff in the main dining room? And don't be surprised if the couch talks back to you. He's not used to being woken up."

Booster nodded, a little freaked out as he started his journey throughout the castle, collecting everyone he could.

Kes turned around, ready to talk to Belle about the next move... only to discover that she had vanished. Confused, the Occampan turned around as the others began talking about strategy, trying to locate her.

She suddenly had a thought, and started in the direction of the garden.

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Belle entered the garden, wandering around. Her mind was on everything she had learned, and hating the fact that Maleficent had been right about her. She was no longer sure what was real and what was not.

Her wanderings brought her to the fountain, its soothing waterfalls helping to calm her down a bit. She looked into the water, seeing her reflection in the water, contemplating the image before her.

Whenever she was upset, which happened a great deal, she usually went looking for the closest body of water, and stared at her reflection, because it helped calm her.

This was different.

Nothing had changed. Her deep brown eyes still spoke of great intelligence, her farm girl beauty was absolutely flawless. She had all of the graceful curves that came with her age and excellent genetics. For all intents and purposes, she was no different to day than she was yesterday.

But there was a new feeling to it. Her eyes were now full of turmoil, of hidden knowledge that she knew she was close to understanding.

Leaning back, she frowned for a moment. _'I wonder,'_ she thought, an idea flickering in her mind. With a plan now in place, she slowly pulled the bow holding her ponytail in place off, allowing her mane of brown hair to fall over her shoulders. Steeling herself, she leaned in again.

Now the person staring back at her was new. Again, nothing had changed. But... there it was. Change her dress to something red, and have belt like ribbon decoration around her waist, for starters...

Belle, without a shadow of a doubt in her mind, knew right then and there that she looked just like her mother. She could tell that now. She also knew that her parents were gone... never to be seen again. And so, she stared at her reflection, taking in the memories.

Then, without looking up, she said, "My father's eyes were blue."

Kes stopped in surprise, then smirked. She hadn't made any sound when she approached her newfound friend. "I thought I was the psychic here."

"I heard you coming. My father's legacy to me. I got his sense of responsibility, his intelligence and 'street smarts,' and all of his abilities." One of the beauty's hands slid up to cup her own cheek, tracing the skin as if she were feeling it for the first time. "But I got my mother's beauty, and her compassion and joy." She turned around, smiling slightly. "She used to make these incredible sculptures, and show them to her fellows."

Kes blinked again. "How do you know that?"

"... I have no idea. I'm just figuring out this for myself. ... But, I seem to have my parent's memories in here, among other things. I seem to be... learning instantly."

The Occampan nodded, before sitting down next to her. "I understand where you are going with this. I have some understanding of what it's like to... become greater than you can handle." She observed her own reflection. "Our eyes do reflect our lives, don't they?"

"Too much some times," Belle replied sadly. "Papa... tell me what you know."

Kes stood up, patting Maurice's shoulder for a second. "You two need to talk about this," she said quietly. "I'll be inside if you need me."

Maurice nodded, grateful, as he took Kes's spot next to Belle. The two of them began to talk earnestly in low voices.

Kes headed back inside, hoping that all of their problems could be dealt with as easily.

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Realm 4

"I may have something," Kero said.

Yami turned as Yue landed, both of them observing the lion like creature there.

The protector f the Sakura cards opened his eyes, observing them critically. "That is a doorway, alright, but not one made of magic. It's a phenomenon that was caused by something I can't understand."

"Technological." Dark Magician landed. "I have done a survey of the mass, my King. It appears to be around thirty miles in diameter, and is being held open by some sort of energy barrier."

Yami nodded. "In other words, we should hope to whatever gods we believe in that it doesn't swallow the Earth whole."

Yue nodded as well, his white hair billowing in the slight breeze. "I have used my newfound abilities to peer into the maw. It initially appeared to be a portal to the seventeenth century... until I looked harder." He took a breath. "It seems to be a bridge between the seventeenth century, and a time from beyond our own, interconnecting with our own."

The ancient spirit turned to DM. "Have you ever heard of anything remotely like this happening back in Ancient Egypt?" he asked.

DM shook his head. "I'm just the new Dark Magician. The original one vanished after he finished training me."

"That's a comfort," Tea grumbled. "So now what?"

Yami frowned. "Suggestions?" he asked. "It's obvious that we can't just leave the area without knowing if this is a threat of some kind to the planet."

Kero looked at the X Van. "Why don't we call Xavier?"

"... Excellent idea."

Tea returned the vehicle, sliding into the driver's seat. "Let's hope this works," she muttered, activating the screen.

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Watchtower

"I think J'onn and I found a way to shut the portal," Batman said.

The other League members leaned in. "Okay, we're listening," GL stated.

J'onn brought a holographic display up. "The portal is, for all intents and purposes, an energy surge. We simply need to introduce another energy source to cancel it out."

Shayera guessed immediately. "The binary cannon."

"Exactly. We'll need the exact energy frequency for it to be effective, but that can be easily dealt with by using our sensors."

Superman nodded. "Do it. I'll deal with the political ramifications."

"No," Shayera interrupted, leveling her customary glare at the Kryptonian. "You will take care of them _now, before_ you make any modifications to _anything_. We don't need the United Nations getting on our cases at this time."

Superman and Batman stared at her as she got up, walking out of the room, then at each other uneasily. Each of them knew that they could beat her in a fight, but now they were entertaining doubts about that.

Diana shivered a bit. "Talk about scaring someone. But, as much as I hate to say this, I think she's right. We need to let the government know what we're doing, before we do anything that gets them upset."

Superman sighed. "I'll talk to them."

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Realm 186

Belle and Maurice entered the dining, expecting everyone to be receiving final instructions. They entered into the middle of an argument.

Everyone was talking, or shouting about something or other. Morgan and Barda were trying to discuss battle tactics, but had ended up at each other's throats. Lumiere and Cogsworth were ready to kill each other, but that wasn't anything new. Beast was trying in vain to keep it all under control, but it wasn't working.

Flash entered the room, took one look at the scene, and issued an immediate command. "_Everybody, shut up_!" he ordered. Instantly, the entire room quieted down, and he felt a swelling of pride. He had given an order, and it had been obeyed. Superman had been right. "Okay, what's the problem?"

Lumiere turned around. "We are talking about what we are going to do against these enemies, Monsieur," he said. "And we haven't come up with a decent plan."

"Okay... for starters, what about the enchantment?"

Morgan turned to him. "I can't do that, Flash."

Beast's massive head turned to her. "Alright, don't turn me back. Turn the others back. We can get Chip out of here, as he's the only child in the whole castle." He sighed. "Look, I know that I'm not the ideal person to say this... but I'm the only one who should be punished, not them."

Morgan looked rather hesitant, but slowly nodded. "It seems that you have learned quite a bit about responsibility and compassion, your Highness," she said, smiling. "Very well, I shall release the spell on your servants." She knew the other reason for this. Every advantage would be needed, and they needed the power and speed of the Beast. She closed her eyes, concentrating.

Several moments later, the now human staff and others were listening to Flash's plan. "Okay, we know that we've got one hell of a weapons systems that we can use to thin 'em out a bit. I want all of you to station yourselves at all intersections. They appear, you take them out."

Kes smirked. "Simple strategy."

"I like it," Lumiere said. "Question, did 'Q' leave us weapons that will work against them?"

"I checked. He did. I suggest everyone arm yourselves with whatever close range weapons you have here."

Belle stood up. "Everyone will be armed with either a phaser rifle or Type Two. Kes will instruct you on how to use them." She leaned in. "You all know what the Heartless are capable of. You know what they will do to achieve their goal."

Barda raised her hand. "What about Blood?" she asked.

The beauty turned to Flash. "That's your department."

Flash nodded. "Okay, unlike these Heartless punks, they'll try for a more conventional approach, like breaking down the door. And they won't need any battering ram to do it. Barda, I want you and Vigilante at the door. They come through, I want you to start shooting."

The woman grinned, tightening her hold on her mace. "Now you're talking."

Kes grinned.

Flash turned to Morgan. "We ready?"

Morgan nodded, eyes glinting with determination. "We are."

"Let's get to work, then."

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Realm 4

"_You're serious_?" the President asked, disbelief coloring his tone. What Superman was suggesting was flat out insanity.

Superman sighed. "Yes, Mister President. J'onn and Batman believe that a three second discharge of the binary fusion cannon will close the anomaly."

"_... I don't know about this. The Pentagon are already antsy about you guys having that thing. There have been talks about preparing a military response for this._"

Superman sighed again. "Mister President, I'm not going to get into an argument about it now. The fact is that we're facing an enemy far more powerful than even us. The portal is situated in American territory, so I'm requesting permission to fire the cannon." He paused. "Sir, I understand that we kept the existence of the cannon hidden, because it is a final line of defense. But at the moment, there is no emergency. The Watchtower can stand being powerless for an hour, with the Thanagarian fleet surrounding us.

"_... Alright. How long will it take to make the modifications?"_

"About thirty minutes."

"_Good luck, then._"

Superman put the phone back into its slot, breathing out in relief. "J'onn, we're all set. Begin the modifications."

"Understood," J'onn replied.

Superman nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. Hopefully, this would go a long way to helping them return to the government's good grace.

His good mood lasted as long as it took for Xavier to roll up to him, his gaze stricken. "We have a problem," he said.

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"If I remember what I know about portals," Eriol Moon said, looking at the rippling sky, "if there are two point, with a third point being added by accident, then there is a chance that any energy source being added to the effect will obliterate the pathway between worlds, or realities. In other words, travelers will be stranded, with no way of getting back."

Yami looked up, staring at the young man before him. Unlike the ancient spirit, Eriol was the true reincarnation of Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards and the creatures now all around them. And, unlike the Pharaoh, he had retained every one of his memories from the past. He also noted that Madison seemed to like him a great deal, if her sitting closer to him was of any indication.

Tea, who was obviously a little more aware of what this meant, frowned. "The Professor told us that Flash and a team from the Justice League went through something called a Stargate to a far off realm, and that they were going to use their space weapon to close the rift."

Ruby Moon shook his head. "If the Professor was fast enough, then they'll hold their fire."

"But what can we do?" Ruby Moon asked.

Meilin thought about it. "Can we actually _send_ monsters to whatever realm those guys are in?"

That surprised them all for a moment. But, slowly, they all started nodding a bit. The idea was ludicrous, but the whole situation was. It wasn't as if this type of thing happened daily.

"An interesting idea," Sakura noted. "But if we do... will we be able to call them back before the weapon is fired?"

"Yes..." Yami trailed off. "There's only one way to find out," he replied, bringing his duel disk up. "I now summon Celtic Guardian, Curse of Dragon, Dark Valkeria, and King's Knight!"

Tea snapped her duel disk on, activating and slipping her newly developed deck together. "I'm bringing in Fire Sorceress, Succubus Knight, Spirit of the Winds, Spirit of the Harp, and Performance of Sword!" When she had first seen the cards, she had asked Yami about that. Yami had simply replied with, _"They remind me of you, beautiful and strong."_ She also remembered blushing at such a compliment.

DM looked at him. "Hopefully, we will be back soon," he said.

Yami nodded. "As do I." His gaze shifted to his deck holder, where the Dark Magician Girl Card remained. He wasn't going to lose anyone else because of his own carelessness. Steeling himself, he gave the order he never thought he would give.

"Now go!"

As one, the ten monsters flew upward, entering the portal.

"And godspeed," Tea whispered, gaze fearful.

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Realm 186

Gaston looked at the massive structure before him, a little amazed by what he was seeing. "Interesting."

Maleficent chuckled. "Not as amazing as the creature within. Of this, I can assure you." Her gaze narrowed as something registered. "Though, I must admit, something is different."

Gaston followed her gaze towards the rippling field. "What the hell is that?"

Maleficent looked up as well, her original statement pushed aside for a moment. "Good question."

As they observed this new development, the sound of distant marching caught their attention, and they turned around. "What the-?" Maleficent muttered, before pointing to two Heartless. "You two, find out what that is."

The two bowed, and slipped into the shadows, heading for the source of the marching sound.

About thirty minutes later, they returned, simply staring at her.

"An army of machines are approaching the castle." Maleficent frowned. "They are going to be there before us."

Gaston, while admittedly not the sharpest tool in the shed, still did understand a few things about armies. "You think they're after Belle, too."

"There is no other explanation. And I have a hunch that they don't want to capture her for any reason." The self proclaimed 'Mistress of All Evil' turned her attention to her troops. "Move out! We must reach the castle before them!"  
As the army began to move faster, her gaze shifted back towards the castle, and that strange feeling she had had. "I wonder who is in there."

She decided to find out.

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Kes sat in the shuttle, looking over the modifications that Q had put into it. The tactical display had been upgraded to include the new torpedo launchers and phaser arrays. _'Q actually came through this time,'_ she thought, feeling palpable relief go through her. _'Belle should have no trouble controlling them.'_ Satisfied that there would be no further problems with it, she looked up.

A pale green face was staring at her from it.

Kes immediately whirled around, her eyes finding nothing out of place. _'My mind,'_ she thought, remembering her encounters with Species 8472. _'Whoever you are, I want you out. You are tampering with forces that you don't understand.' _

'Oh, but I'm sure Belle has already told you about me, alien,' the other voice replied, leaving no doubt as to who she was. _'I know more about telepathy than you could possibly imagine. Shall I demonstrate?'_

Kes suddenly whirled around, her powers alerting her of a new presence.

The Heartless charged forward, his sword held high. At the same time, she felt the new presence push into her mind, searching out everything it could about her

With a shriek of terror exiting her mouth, the Occampan crumbled under the mental onslaught. Not of the actual attack, but the reminder that her mind, even augmented by vulcan mental disciplines, was vulnerable to attack. She curled up into a ball, futilely trying to fight back.

The next thing she knew, Belle was shaking her. "Kes!" she shouted, her hand raised to slap her. Behind her, Morgan was watching her with alarm.

Kes finally opened her eyes, looking at Belle. "She's almost here," she whispered, her gaze stricken. "Her mind... it's more powerful and disciplined than anything I had ever encountered before in my life."

Flash watched her. "That cinches it." He turned around, nodding to the Beast. "Battle stations."

They had just run out of time.

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Negaverse

Kilrah walked into the throne room, observing Beryl's court assembling. Nodding to himself, he turned his attention to the queen. "Brother Blood reports that they have reached the castle."

Beryl looked up from her crystal ball, her grin so large that one would think that her jaw was hinged. "Excellent!" She rose, acquiring everyone's attention relatively quickly. "Mighty warriors of the Negaverse, we are about to witness the destruction of one of the most legendary family lines ever conceived!" she bellowed. "Or, at the very least, we shall watch as Maleficent is hopelessly humiliated! Either one is pretty good!"

The whole court laughed at this. No one in the Negaverse had any real love for the Heartless. They were simply not useful, and were easily defeated.

With a flick of her wrist, Beryl brought a screen into existence, observing the image before them all. The scene of the battle that would come... unaware of the spy in her midst.

Among the Guardians, he was known only as the Dark Guardian.

Nothing was known about him, save for the fact that he had been trained by Timelord Akalon. Not even Alania knew who he was. He knew everything about her, though.

Just as he knew everything about Beryl.

Akalon had asked him to infiltrate the Negaverse hierarchy to determine who it was that had helped Metellus put the Deadly Alliance together in the first place. No evil force, no matter how powerful, could do what she had done within a few months. And, as a rule, all of the rest of evil tried to give the all powerful realm as wide a berth as possible.

Unfortunately, he had discovered nothing. The computers were protected by several layers of encryption codes that he didn't dare break, and he had not gained Beryl's trust yet. So, he would wait patiently until he was given an opportunity to do his job.

He only hoped he had the chance to do so before his Guardians were defeated... or before Belle was killed.

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Sorry that this took so long. The character of the Dark Guardian belongs to Akalon. Part Four will, hopefully, finish off this arc. I won't spoil it, so you'll have to keep reading.

The computer was disconnected for almost a whole week, while we waited for parts to arrive for our new computer desk. And please review.


	67. Fifty Nine, Part Four

**Part Four**

Morgan quickly checked Kes's already tenuous mental defenses, making sure that they weren't damaged any. "She appears stable now, but I don't think she should be bothered by any other telepathic bursts for a while."

Kes looked at everyone assembled. "It was like she was here, in the shuttle with me. She was able to glean a great deal of information from me, including the new weapons we have at our disposal." She sighed bitterly. "She knows what I am, knows what I've been through."

Belle frowned. "That is never a good sign." She turned. "Flash, you're the one in charge of this mission. What are your orders?"

Flash looked at Kes, a little surprised by this. "Can you still control the defense system?" Kes nodded. "Then you're in charge of that. Belle… could you help her?" He turned around. "Beast, you are in charge of coordinating defensive efforts with Shining Knight. Mister Cartier, I can't ask you to do anything…"

"You're going to need all of the help you can get," Maurice interrupted. "I may not be fast, but I can still fire a weapon, and I can protect the boy."

Flash hesitated, nodding once in understanding. "Alright, join the party. Barda, get him a gun."

Barda sighed, gesturing. "Come on, sir. Let's teach you to tango."

The Fastest Man Alive shook his head. "I really hope Maleficent's willing to talk. I really don't want to fight both her and Blood at the same time."

"You and me both," Belle replied.

"What you can expect with Brother Blood is a combination of magic and hand to hand combat," Gold explained, addressing the assembled group before him. "His strength has been enhanced by cybernetic technology that he stole from a friend of mine, which will also make him more durable against most energy blasts. And you already know what the Heartless are capable of."

Mrs. Potts nodded. "What about my son?"

Knight turned. "Our search of the castle found a tunnel to the outside. If necessary, we can evacuate through there. It leads to the bottom of this cliff."

"Which is a veritable death trap," one of the butlers informed him immediately.

Vigilante speared him with a glare. "Hey, you have any better ideas?"

Knight also looked at it. "The entrance is in the back of the castle. Mister Cartier, you are to take Chip there, and leave immediately. If the castle is overrun, we shall do so as well." His gaze grew solemn. "Am I forgetting anything?"

Beast walked. "Yes. I suggest that all of the women be evacuated. A number of them have never used a weapon before in their lives."

Lumiere nodded. "I like the Master's plan."

"So do I." Barda grinned. "Of course, you try to get me to leave, and I will beat your furry hide black and blue."

Beast just stared at her. "There is a difference between you and the female staff. They don't know how to fight, and you do." He grinned toothily.

Barda returned the grin. "Good point."

Knight nodded as well. "Sir, you can add that to your mission outline."

Maurice chuckled, the phaser in his hand. "I'll do what I can."

"We know you will."

The army of machines stopped, Blood breathing in the cold air, as if testing it for impurities. "Ah, the perfect day for victory," he said, his metallic eye glinting in the darkness.

Gizmo nodded in agreement, teeth chattering. "Couldn't the victory wait 'til it was warmer?" he muttered to himself, while Mammoth and Kid Eye snickered.

The leader of H.I.V.E Academy let a small smile grace his face. "What say we get our mission underway? That way, we can go home, and toast to the inevitable demise of the Teen Titans."

"Now I like that." Mammoth already knew how he was celebrating; by getting a few pies, slugging down a few six packs of soda, and whipping Kid Eye's ass in video games.

Whatever plans they had, though, would never reach fruition.

As they reached the castle, a sudden crackling of electricity suddenly caught their attention. One of the robots had suddenly fired at the castle, as if to test something.

In both Kid Eye's and Blood's mechanical eyes, which could see in realms beyond normal vision, both saw what the machines saw; an electrical variance surrounding the castle. And when the energy blast dissipated harmlessly, they knew exactly what the variance was.

Belle, it seemed, was not as helpless as they once thought.

Kid Eye's massive ocular device trailed upward, making a schematic of the entire structure, before checking for inconsistencies. "I don't know what the girl did, but I've got some sort of advanced laser array situated on the towers, as well as the fore and aft defense walls. I've also got several launchers on the sides of the castle, and enough torpedoes there to take out a space fleet." He shuddered. "I'd say that they're ready for us."

Blood frowned. "Not just us. These weapons look like they were placed here for an aerial strike. They're ready for someone else."

"Like them?" Gizmo asked, pointing in one direction. The other's looked.

There, approaching the castle from a different angle was an army of misshapen creatures the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. There were various colors to them, but cloaked by a darkness of some kind. And they all had the same gold eyes.

"Son of a bitch," Mammoth whistled. "That is some army."

"Yes…" Blood's frown grew to become a full blown glare. "They must be the Heartless that Beryl warned us about." His glare became more fearsome. "It's safe to assume that they're after Belle as well, but for an entirely different reason."

"Great."

Kid Wicked merely inclined his head, before turning to Blood, his gaze inquisitive. As was always the case, it didn't take a mind reader to know what he was asking.

Blood grinned. "Kid Wicked, we are certainly going to deal with them. But I think we shall use them first." He turned his attention to the castle. "It's entirely possible that they will launch a full scale attack on them. While Belle and the Justice League deal with them, we shall slip in via a… back door of sorts. Our troops have no hearts to take, so the Heartless are powerless." He brought up his communicator, tapping into the Existence communication grid. "Master Dartz, could you prepare a number of low level blasts from the Orichalcos? I want to cause the Heartless a little heartache."

"_I shall… I have ten monsters approaching the realm. Dark Magician is leading them."_

"Yugi and one of his friends sending reinforcements, no doubt."

"_I wouldn't worry about that. Their way of summoning monsters is limited to the size of their duel disks. They will pose no threat to you. But, the Justice League has developed a way to seal the dimensional breach between realms."_

Gizmo sputtered at this. "What! We can't stay here, then!"

"_Calm yourself, young one. They won't fire the weapon until they have no other option left. And it will take time for them to complete the modifications necessary. You have all of the time in the world."_

Blood grinned. "Then let's pay our respects to royalty. It's time to put the reserve plan into action."

**Realm 4**

"As you're no doubt aware, we have no good options here," Batman said. "If we fire the cannon, then we will be trapping Flash and his team on the parallel Earth. If we don't fire it, then there is a chance that the Deadly Alliance will launch an attack on them, if they haven't already."

Xavier nodded, checking the report. "Yami and Miss Gardner have sent a small force of monsters to fortify Flash's position, but it may not be enough. Have we had any contact from him, anyways?"

"Two. Apparently, Kes holed up in some sort of enchanted castle, and now they have been given a means to defend themselves by an omnipotent being."

"Then we can assume that they'll hold their own in a fight." Xavier turned. "I suggest that you move the Watchtower to these coordinates." He quickly rattled off the suggested coordinates. "That way, you'll have optimum range."

The Dark Knight nodded, before turning around.

"One other thing, Batman."

Batman turned his head slightly. "Yes?"

Xavier sighed. "If you have no other choice but to do this, please make sure the shot counts. Otherwise, we will not get another chance."

Batman considered this, not liking it one bit.

**Realm 186**

Morgan sat in the Beast's room, pondering the wilting red rose before her. Her report to her fellow Ancients went as well as she thought it would have… which is to say, not very well. Omah and her faction were going to be talking to the Timelord very soon.

The ancient was wondering if it would be soon enough.

As she thought hard about the choices she had made over her eons of life, she wondered if they were worth it. Every time that she had to stand back, watching entire worlds be crushed by the Goa'uld, she felt a piece of her die in the process. What good was power, if they couldn't use it once in a while to help others in need?

She knew the answer to that question. '_Because if I did that, I run the risk of becoming like the Ori.'_ And she vowed never to become like them.

"Morgan?"

Morgan turned around, catching sight of Flash at the threshold. "I know," she replied. "I can sense them." She rose, adjusting her clothing. "Everyone else is ready, I'm assuming."

Flash nodded. "Let's do this."

The Ancient followed Flash out of the West Wing, all the way back to the shuttle. Now she had an excuse to fight back.

Maleficent approached the castle, eyeing its mighty visage. It was a truly formidable base with which to prepare an effective defense. It had only one entrance/exit, which was most likely barred. An invading army would be forced into a bottleneck, allowing the defenses of the castle to pick them off one by one.

But the Heartless had easily penetrated it by bypassing those advantages. And once inside, they had encountered resistance from the Beast only.

And Belle.

Gaston glared at the castle, as if his gaze was capable of blasting the main doors of its hinges. "So, when are we going to attack?" he asked.

Maleficent allowed a smile to tug at her lips. Gaston had been remarkably civilized the whole journey. She found it very gratifying. It made dealing with him all the easier. "First, we must send in advanced scouts. The mind I sensed has given me a great deal of information. There are others in the castle, possessing powers that must be observed." She turned. "Go, and do not fail."

The Heartless quickly melted to the ground, sliding directly for the castle. The witch and Gaston smirked.

Their smirks vanished as the Heartless suddenly stopped in a profusion of sparks. About half a second later, they flew backwards, an orange field flaring up at the impact zone before disappearing.

Maleficent's eyebrow quirked a bit. "Well, it seems that the castle has been preparing for this day. We are going to have to do this the old fashioned way."

Gaston turned around, looking in the distance. "Why don't we just ask them?" he asked, pointing. Maleficent turned around, curious as to what he meant.

She immediately saw what the Heartless had already reported on. The machine army was standing almost fifty feet away, observing the castle for potential weaknesses. "Well, they certainly are being thorough."

Gaston sighed. "The old fashioned way isn't going to work, is it?"

"No, not anymore." The witch was now glaring wholeheartedly at the newest development. "Who are these people? Why do they come to protect her?"

"Oh, wondering about the Justice League, are we madam?"

Startled, two fully biological beings turned to see the cybernetic life form standing next to them, observing the castle. "Who, and what, the hell are you?" Gaston demanded.

The newcomer smirked. "I am the one who has come to kill Belle Cartier," he replied easily, as if discussing the weather. "However, it seems to me that neither of us have the capabilities to get in there with just ground troops."

Maleficent's eyes narrowed. To hear someone say that they were just going to kill someone outright, while sounding absolutely cheerful about it, was somewhat unnerving. "Your name, sir."

"My name… is Brother Blood. I am here under orders from the Deadly Alliance to destroy the last link in the Hope and Light chain." Blood's cybernetic eye glowed with deadly intent as he stated this.

Gaston took a step forward, his own eyes bulging. Maleficent quickly stayed him, though she was none too please herself. "I think that you are the only person here who is foolish enough to think that you can even fight her with mere 'tin soldiers,'" she stated.

"Just as you are a fool to think you can beat her with your 'Heartless' forces," Blood retorted. "But if you wish to fight her, so be it."

"…What do you mean?"

"It means, as a member of the Deadly Alliance, I have other options. Observe." Blood pulled out a communicator. "De-cloak!" he barked.

For a moment, nothing happened. Maleficent began to think that the man was a nut house.

But then, the skies began to ripple even more. And something out of humanities worst nightmares began to appear.

From Kes's point of view, though, they were vessels that she had never seen before, period. A pyramid shaped vessel and associates, bristling with weapons, was definitely something she hadn't thought would exist.

Flash looked at this in surprise. "Okay, where did they come from?" he asked.

Morgan checked her sensors, a little unnerved by the fact that they had nothing. "This close to the portal's opening, sensors are next to useless." She shuddered. "Those are Goa'uld vessels. But, this is impossible."

"Why?" Beast replied.

"Because the Goa'uld aren't indigenous to you realm, Flash. They're indigenous to mine."

Belle nodded. "Then what are they doing here?"

Kes suddenly looked down at the communications array. "I think we're about to find out. We're being hailed."

Flash turned to Morgan, who nodded. "Put them through."

Kes made several adjustments to the console, bringing a Jaffa warrior onto the screen. "This is-"

"_We know all about you, Kes of Occampa,"_ the Jaffa interrupted, his harsh voice reminding her that this was not a Kazon, but something far more dangerous. "_We also know of this human girl that has our allies so concerned. Surrender her to us, and we shall spare your life."_

Kes frowned a bit at this statement. "To whom do I have the honor of speaking to, _PetaQ_?" she asked.

"_I am Jar'od, First Prime of Baal."_

Kes nodded. "Ja'rod, I don't know how Queen Beryl was able to acquire your services, but it does not matter. You will not have Belle."  
"_It matters not if you surrender her,"_ a new voice stated, as another man stepped out from behind the Jaffa. This one was a human, one with black hair, and a matching goatee.

Kes's eyes hardened. She knew who this was, despite having never seen him before. "Baal, I presume," she snarled.

The man known only as Baal, one of the more powerful of the Goa'uld System Lords, smiled ingratiatingly. "_I am happy you recognize me, Kes. It makes this a great deal easier. Whether you surrender or not, Brother Blood will be leaving with Belle. How she leaves, and what state your castle is in, will depend on you, of course."_

"_Consider the lives of everyone in that castle, Kes,"_ Ja'rod added. "_If you give us the girl, we shall spare all of you. You needn't kill them all in a fruitless act of defiance."_

Kes didn't believe a single word they said. And neither, it seemed, did Belle. "Your gracious offer notwithstanding," she said, her eyes letting them know exactly what they could do with it, "I don't think you fully understand what you're getting yourselves into. We are more than ready to fight back."

"_You are like a toothless old Grishnar cat, trying to frighten us with your roar, Beauty."_

Belle and Kes traded equal looks, and snorts, of derision. "Perhaps this old cat is not as toothless as you think," Kes stated. "We had a brief meeting with Q, who gave us the means in which to fight back. Right now, we have five thousand photon torpedoes armed and ready to launch. We have phaser banks, and shields capable of withstanding your attack. If you don't believe me, feel free to scan the castle."

Baal looked to someone off screen, who apparently did the scan. The results, it seemed, weren't what he was hoping. "_It's a trick!"_ he snarled. "_There is no way a castle_ _of Earth_'_s past to be able to this type of weaponry!"_

"We can assure you, this no trick. Q was here." Kes smiled blandly. "Are you willing to try your luck?"

Ja'rod glared at her. "_We shall see if you can back up your claim."_ Abruptly, the small screen cut off.

Kes turned around. "For some reason, I think they've decided… that today is a good day to die."

Flash nodded once, his expression as serious as any of them had ever seen. "Shields to full power," he quietly ordered. "And prepare for war."

"_They have refused, stating that they now possess weaponry capable of doing battle with us,"_ Baal stated, sounding sour.

Blood nodded. "If Q is involved, then it would indeed be true. Commence your attack." Shutting off his comm unit, he observed Maleficent's stormy expression. "You will find that I have resources beyond your own," he said quite pleasantly. "You see, we don't care if you need her to open Kingdom Hearts, or of your obsessive need to wed her. I am here to kill her, and there is nothing you can do to stop me from doing it."

"Who gave you these orders!" Gaston bellowed furiously.

Gizmo walked up to them, his metallic spider legs clinking. "Queen Beryl of the Negaverse, you crap munchers!" he sneered.

Maleficent's eyes widened in shock as what the short man had said processed fully through her mind. Of all the people he said, he chose the one being that she would never want to face. "She… can't!" she stammered. "That girl could give her knowledge… the ability to gain even more power!"  
"Don't you realize yet, Maleficent?" Blood started laughing. "We don't want that kind of power! We want destiny itself …Including yours!" He and the rest of H.I.V.E went back to their army, chortling.

Maleficent turned around. "The second their shields are down, attack! We must get Belle before they can!" she ordered.

The Heartless didn't need to answer. They were thrumming with intent.

----------------

The attack was initiated by a wing of Death Gliders, their disruptors already firing in rapid succession. The Alkesh flew in behind them, firing liberally. Such an attack would have been more than enough to destroy the castle, and vaporize its remains into atoms.

The shields held.

Flash nodded to Belle. "Okay, target them. Ready even number photon launchers."

"Aye, sir," Belle replied.

From the towers, the impossible happened. Photon torpedo launchers rolled out of the sides. Phaser arrays rose from the garden and statue displays.

Flash looked at the small screen in the shuttle. "Fire on my mark… Fire!"

Belle hit the controls. Instantly, half of the launchers lit up, spewing photon torpedoes in rapid succession.

The attacking vessels were immediately bracketed, their shields failing almost instantly The two Alkesh were destroyed just as quickly. Ten Death Gliders were annihilated.

"Ready odd number launchers… Fire!"

A second volley was issued from the castle, this time from the other launchers. The attack destroyed eight more death gliders, and achieved a glancing blow on the Goa'uld mother ship.

The castle shuddered with renewed fury as the remaining vessels struck hard and fast. "They're still closing," Morgan reported.

Flash looked at Bell again, no longer hoping for an easy way out. "Ready phasers," he ordered.  
"Standing by."

"Fire!"  
Instantly, ruby red streams erupted from the castle walls, peppering the death gliders. Every one hit was transformed into a superheated ball of plasma.

Morgan nodded. "Fifteen death gliders destroyed. Eight more damaged."

Flash turned his attention to Kes. "Contact Baal. Maybe we can put an end to this, before it gets any further."

Kes opened hailing frequencies, waited a few seconds, and shook her head. "There's no response."

As if on the cue, the castle shook again, causing fine particles from the ceiling to float to the floor. Belle grimaced "I think they've given us their answer, Flash."

The Speedster nodded, not surprised. "Weapon stations… fire at will."

The entire defense array lit up like a Christmas tree, striking every available target they could. It became a dance really. A very deadly dance.

Blood watched as they continued obliterating vessel after vessel. "Dartz, it's time to bring the Seal into play," he whispered.

As he said this, the portal above them took a greenish tinge. The familiar shape of the Orichalcos appeared slowly, hovering above the castle with deadly intent.

Green beams emerged from the Seal's six point star, spiking to the castle, slamming into the shields.  
The mother ship launched a full scale assault at the same time, joining the Seal's bombardment of the castle. Their combined power was more than sufficient to get the job done.

One of the servants suddenly cried out as a part of the wall exploded in front of him, knocking him back.

Kes quickly checked the sensors. "We've lost shields, and I can't get them back online!" She quickly got her phaser out, checking the charge on it.

The sound of Heartless appearing was immediately contradicted by the sound of the front doors being forced open. The robots swarmed the main room, sonic cannons already blazing. The Heartless were hit by the first salvo, disappearing upon defeat.

Everyone present fired immediately at them, Kes secretly thanking whatever deities out there that these were not Borg. She did this because of the fact that their phaser blasts destroyed circuitry and computer chips, effectively ceasing their functions.

The Beast fired off several more shots, before he was jumped from behind. He started batting the Heartless with his free hand, roaring in rage.

Flash ducked a particularly vicious overhead swipe, his fists of lightning pummeling the robot. He quickly disarmed a Heartless, and back handed him.

A cry of pain caught his attention, and he turned to see Barda pulling a knife out of her side, before bashing the Heartless in question with her weapon. He was at her side in an instant, getting her into the shuttle.

Belle was fighting like she had done battle thousands of times before, expertly stopping blows that would have killed her otherwise, slicing her way through the various enemy soldiers that came at her. She whirled, blocking a rather powerful blow, then drove a swift punch to the Heartless's face.

The Heartless flew backwards, slamming into the far wall. Belle had no time to be surprised, as she was immediately attacked by three of Blood's troops.

Kes held her own rather well, Tuvok's training in the Vulcan martial arts returning to her quickly. She had never mastered that damn Nerve Pinch, but she retained the rest of it. And she used it to the fullest.

The last Heartless hit the ground, vanishing in a puff of smoke, just as the last cyborg's head rolled by Beast. Belle dropped her sword, and ran to him as he staggered, clutching his side, while a steady tremor began to build within the castle walls. "I need a medi kit!" she shouted, helping him into the shuttle.

Kes, who had retaken her console, shook her head. "We have another problem! The Orichalcos blast has also destabilized the rock face underneath us. The whole castle is going to fall into the ravine! We have less than thirty minutes to get out of here!"  
"Flash to all personnel! Evacuate immediately! All League members, Mister Cartier, and Mrs. Potts, report to the shuttle!"

"Computer, initiate emergency transport!" Kes ordered. "Transport as many of the survivors in this castle to Paris, immediately!" She could only hope Q had augmented everything in the shuttle.  
"_Emergency transport confirmed. Evacuation commencing."_

Belle ran the tricorder over the Beast's body. "He's has internal bleeding from his kidney, as well as damage expanding across his entire left side. He was stabbed by a Heartless object of some kind." She quickly grabbed a hypospray, selecting a painkiller, and injected it into his neck. "Hang on," she whispered to him. "Don't die on me."  
Beast nodded weakly, his eyes fluttering.

"Hey, Flash!"

Flash looked up to see Vigilante and Gold Booster running forward. Behind them, Mrs. Potts was ushering her son in their direction. "What happened?" he demanded.

"The area was blocked off!" Booster replied. "Maurice told us to go, while he held them off. I saw him get hit by several attacks. He's dead."

The speedster cursed under his breath, as Belle gave out a low moan of despair. "Come on, you guys! We need to leave."

"Chip, get onboard," Mrs. Potts urged, making sure her son boarded the ship. "We'll be out of here soon."  
She had just finished saying that when a red energy burst hit her from behind. Her cry of pain was silenced as the energy snaked around her neck, snapping it in two.

Right in front of her son.

"_No!"_ Chip shouted in horror.

Belle quickly looked out the shuttle door, saw a cybernetic man in robes standing there. Her hand came up. "_Fire Mandala!"_ she intoned.

Four spheres of flame appeared out of nowhere, flying through the air… only to bounce off a red shield.

Blood grinned, his eyes filled with madness. "You won't escape!" he bellowed. "If I don't kill you, Queen Beryl will!"

"That bitch is welcomed to try!" Belle retorted angrily, hatred thick in her voice as he pulled Chip into the vessel.

Kes sealed the door, and brought the engines online. "Hold on!" she shouted, hitting the controls.

The shuttle began hovering, its thrusters now working perfectly… and shot forward, accelerating to full impulse immediately, knocking Blood down with the backlash.

At the same time, Dark Magician and his small squadron of monsters emerged from the portal. One look at the scene before them told them everything they needed to know. "Protect the shuttle at all costs!" the most powerful of magicians ordered, sweeping the Death Gliders with a Dark Magic Attack.

The other monsters quickly followed suite, destroying enemy vessels as they got too close.

The shuttle craft rose swiftly, as it was designed for atmospheric entry and exiting. With the monsters covering their back, they entered the portal, disappearing into the dimensional lanes.

The Goa'uld mother ship, after quickly beaming a few passengers onboard, followed them.

Maleficent and Gaston watched as the last of the alien vessels went through the shimmering doorway. "I wonder if the Stargate is still here," the Mistress of all Evil commented casually.

Gaston turned. "What say we find out?"

**Realm 4**

"_Get ready to fire that cannon!" _Flash shouted. "_We've got incoming! Goa'uld attack vessels are on our tail!"_

Robin, who had beamed aboard from Titan Tower, stood up. "Goa'uld? Are you sure?"  
"_Yeah. Some guy named Baal!"_

The Boy Wonder looked at the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight nodded, and looked up. "J'onn, prepare to fire! Flash has some company! And contact Talek! Let him know that we'll need his services!"  
"Understood." J'onn turned around. "All hands, in eight minutes, we will have a binary fusion discharge! Report to battle stations!"

Superman landed next to Batman. "How much longer until they exit the portal?" he asked.

Batman checked the clock. "About seven minutes, twenty four seconds."

Superman nodded, and sat down. The waiting was almost over.

"We are approaching the exit aperture!" Morgan reported, gripping her console tightly. "Goa'uld vessels are closing!"

"Computer, divert auxiliary power to the engines!" Kes immediately ordered. "Everybody, hold on!"

The engines began to whine as power was fed into the impulse drive, shooting them forward.

The mothership began to speed up as well, their engines glowing with the energy to crush suns. Their weapons banks were primed, ready to fire the second they were out.

The shuttle exploded outward, quickly angling away, and shooting towards the horizon. The monsters that had accompanied them immediately vanished, recalled by those who had summoned them.

The Goa'uld vessel did so as well, already firing away.

The second the shuttle had left, a powerful blast emerged from the binary fusion cannon of the Watchtower, shooting downward. The coordinates given by Xavier had placed the Tower right over it, giving them no margin of error to worry about.

The blast struck the aperture with the force of a nuclear explosion, causing it to close in on itself. Its collapse caused a shockwave to emerge, which rocked both vessels.

But their shields held. Barely, but they held.

Kes sighed in relief, checking her instruments. "I have another vessel approaching… Flash?"  
Flash checked it, grinned. "It's Talek," he said. "Contact Baal. Maybe he'll be more willing to talk, now."

Kes nodded, bringing him on the screen.

"_Occampan!"_ the System Lord bellowed. "_Your shields are almost gone, you have no weapons to speak of, and I can have reinforcements here within the hour. Surrender while you can!"  
_Kes grinned. "I don't think so. My shields are holding. Your ship's own shields are faltering. And my reinforcements are closer than yours. You're facing a war on two fronts now. Is that what you really want?"

"You cannot hope to win a battle against both The Justice League and Stargate Command!" Morgan added. "Stop this now, before you lead the Goa'uld into their worst defeat in history!"

"_We will not surrender!"_ Blood bellowed, slamming his fist into the console in front of him.

Belle stood up. "If you don't, then the Thanagarians will destroy you," she said quietly. "And if they don't, I will. Now, do we tell them to stand down, or to come in firing?"

Kes could see the conflicting emotions on Baal's and Blood's faces. One the one hand, Beryl had ordered that they kill Belle at all costs. On the other hand, they couldn't follow their orders if they were dead. "_No, Belle, we will stand down,"_ Blood replied. "_But remember this! We have already taken your family, your friends, and your home from you. Soon, we shall take your life… and this Earth will be ours."_ With those parting words, he cut communications.

Kes ran a sensor scan. "The Goa'uld vessel is moving off," she said, relief in her tone. "We're clear."

Belle quickly returned to the Beast's side. "We're safe," she whispered. "We'll get you to a doctor. Everything's going to be fine."

"No… it won't." The Beast drew in a breath. "The… the rose…"  
Morgan shook her head. "It was destroyed with the rest of the castle… I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care what he looks like. I love him… I love him just the way he is."

Beast smiled weakly. "I love you… as well… Belle. And… no matter what… what happens, I will… always be with you."

Kes stopped the young beauty as she went to grab another hypospray cartridge. "It's too late," she whispered. The damage is too great."

Belle looked up, saw the hopelessness in her eyes, and knew they reflected her spirit. She loosened her grip on the canister, instead gripping the Beast's hand with her own.

And she held it… long after the Beast breathed his last, his face peaceful.

Chip stood by Belle, watching this silently. He had lost the only home he had ever known, and his mother all in one day. And Belle had lost her father, her love, everything. She had nothing.

Kes turned around. "I am setting a course for the Watchtower," she said, her voice cracking in grief. "Commander Talek has sent an escort of fighters to make sure we make it there safely."

Flash nodded. "Inform Superman that… we have casualties here. One fatal, one serious." He sighed. "We completed our mission… but at what cost?"

Belle closed her love's eyes, not looking up. "You did everything you could," she said quietly. "It's not your fault."

"Then why do I feel responsible?"

Maleficent and Gaston stared at the inactive Stargate with a speculative air. "I don't think it will work anymore," the Frenchman mused.

Maleficent didn't disagree with him. "It will be a starting point, though," she replied. "I no longer need to worry about the Key bearer interfering in my plans. And the Beast is no longer an obstacle." She turned around. "Nevertheless, I think it is safe to assume that Belle is beyond our reach."

"Then we'll find a way to get her back into our reach."

"Good point." The Mistress of all Evil quickly enveloped the Gate in dark energy, taking it to her palace in the forbidden mountain. "When I have discerned how this works, I will contact you. In the meantime, I suggest you go home, and relax."

Gaston grinned, his eyes full of victory. Sooner or later, Belle would be his.

And there was nothing she could do to change it.

And so ends this four parter of Yugioh: Redemption. I'll come back later to add more. In the next chapter, Sora will begin the search for her sacred weapon.

This has been a rather rough week so far. I have been typing this, Armageddon, and writing an original story. It's starting to take its toll, but I shall persevere! And, as always, review.


	68. Episode Sixty: Love's Trial

**Digimon: Silver Star Story- Season Two: Deadly Alliance**

**Episode Sixty: Love's Test, Part One**

The Alliance, as a whole, was pretty small. There were six Sailor Scouts, eight Digi-Destine, their partners or former partners, two cats and a flying fur ball, and seven warriors of various classifications. Thirty Two in all. Not exactly a force to be frightened of, normally.

It was the sheer power, and determination emanating from them that made them so dangerous.

One Dragonmaster in the making. Two magicians from the Magic Guild of Vane, one who was the daughter of Lemia Ausa, the other trained by Ghaleon himself. Five Sailor Soldiers with varying power ratings, the prince of Earth, and the Crystal Tokyo princess. Two Digi-Destine with sacred weapons, with the surety that the majority of them were expecting weapons as well. Two half demons, one with the potential for greatness, the other already using that potential.

And, of course, the Six, who were growing stronger exponentionally.

Sora decided, in a rather melancholy way, that if she were anyone else, she would be rather worried.

Venus, who was silent, and Biyomon who was talking to her boyfriend, were watching her out of the corner of their eyes with concern. Ever since the first battle of Vane, when the Lunarian war started, Sora hadn't been sleeping very well, her rest disrupted with tossing and turning, as well as nightmares. Four major battles, as well as various skirmishes over the last week, had involved them killing those they've contacted. For Sora, this was just plain useless.

Tai sidled up to her, having been wanting to talk to her for the last week. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Sora looked up slightly, not really taking in his features. She had committed them all to memory. "Don't worry about it. It's… it's nothing."

"'Nothing' makes you lose sleep every night. That way, I might be able to help you." His tone was so sincere, so open, that it reminded her that she was not alone.

Sora focused on him, rather amazed by how he had always managed to help her. She felt a tear begin to shimmer in her eye. "All of this fighting… why does anyone have to fight?" Why can't they simply negotiate? There's plenty of green land here in Lunar. Why kill everyone?"

Tai sighed, feeling very old. Older, next to this beautiful girl who was full of idealism. "I have asked that question many times myself, Sora," he said, rubbing the back of his neck." And I learned that hatred and prejudice have a hand with many of the dealings with the Vile Tribe. The human Lunarian population is as much at fault as the demon population. Humanity fears what it does not understand, and many of the demons believe that they are superior to us." He sighed, looking around. "Do you know what I feel when I kill a soldier?"  
Sora shook her head, though she knew what the answer was.

"Nothing. When I go into battle, I literally have no emotion. Ever since the Star Chamber, I tried to figure out why."

"Did you?" Sora asked.

Tai nodded. "It's a defense mechanism that I instinctively developed. In battle, I have to become emotionless. Otherwise, I would go crazy, and you would get hurt, or worse." He hugged her with one arm. "Everyone has their own way with dealing with tragedy, though some find that they can't. I just hope your defense mechanism is sufficient to help you. I care for you too much to lose you.

The Digi-Destine of Love looked at him for a moment, seeing the compassion and other feelings swimming in his eyes, and smiled, nodding. "When did you become so wise, Tai?"

"Oh, I'm not smart. I just have some experience in the field." Tai grinned down at her. "I am the leader, after all."

"And that gives you experience in this sort of thing?"

"Well, I can't take your job. I'm not really sensitive to other's needs and emotions."

Sora's smile became gentle. "You seem rather sensitive to me, Tai." She brushed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you."

Biyomon slowly grinned. "I think Tai has a future as a psychiatrist after this is over," she whispered to Gabumon.

Gabumon gave her a dog grin. "No, he has a future of being a great hero… a great man."

"Yes…"

* * *

"According to Mercury's scans, we're about ten miles away from another sacred cave," T.K. informed his fellow leaders at their nightly meeting. "It might be Sora's, it might not. We have no way of knowing."

Tai and Alex exchanged glances. "If we can get to that Cave, we may be able to hold off any assault while Sora gets her sacred weapon," Alex noted quietly.

"Big time." Serena picked up the map. "But, there's a village not too from here. Probably three hours distance. We should go over there to replenish our food stocks before we go anywhere else."  
T.K. nodded. Despite the fact that all of them, including their three biggest eaters, had cut back on their consumption, they were nearing the end of their rope. If they didn't restock soon, then rationing would become very strict indeed.

And sadly, for Sailor Moon to be fully effective, she needed a certain amount of nourishment everyday. The Silver Crystal required a certain amount of energy to work at all, let alone at full efficiency.

Alex nodded as well, having reached the same conclusion. "Then that is what we'll do. With any luck, we'll reach it within the day."

Tai got up. "We'll do it tomorrow. Right now, I don't want to push any of them, and I want some sleep. It's been a few rough days."

On that note, and the fact that they knew they would many more rough days in the future, the meeting came to an end.

_

* * *

"Small village," Ginny noted._

Agumon rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Miss Obvious."

Sora didn't say anything, though she agreed with Ginny on this. It _was _small village. It couldn't even be called a village.

There were about ten huts, all placed close to each other, a general store, and a massive building for storing foodstuffs for the winter. _'It must be a rest stop for travelers,'_ Sora thought.

Kyle grinned. "Well, welcome to the village of Sarka. It's one of the dozens of villages scattered throughout the Marius Zone. It's also where a person goes to hide."

"Like us," Rini murmured, "even if it's only for a bit."

Darien turned to Kyle. "If you know about it, then why don't the demons destroy it?"

"Because they don't know people go there to hide."

Mia giggled. "Well, does that answer your question, Tuxedo Mask?"

"I guess so."

"Ahem." Luna gestured with a paw. "Shall we?"

* * *

Bara observed the village before her with barely concealed irritation. She didn't know why she had been selected for this, but she would do this, because Racc had told her to. She always had to obey her Master. _'This village is too close to one of the sacred caves,'_ she thought. _'Why Xenobia doesn't simply destroy it is beyond me.'_ But she knew Phacia's argument by heart, and knew Kirok and Royce agreed with her. The village was worth nothing, and if it was destroyed, it would not even be a good example. It was relatively isolated from the rest of the Silver Star, with only traders coming to trade with them.

But, it was close to the Cavern of Love.

And Sora Takanouchi was the bearer of that crest.

'_She will most likely go after the weapon.'_ Bara frowned underneath her mask_. This means… I will have to kill her before that happens.'_

'_And I will have to do it quickly. Otherwise, the Master will be angry.'_

In some corner of her mind, she rebelled at the thought. Kirok would want her to make up her own mind on this, but she knew she couldn't.

Racc forbade it.

* * *

T.K. looked around in surprise. "Is this the place?" he asked.

Angemon looked around. "Looks like it. Man, it sure hasn't changed much in fifteen years."

Matt grinned. "Let me guess; A vision."

"Bulls eye." Angewomon rubbed her bow arm fretfully. "This was where Angelica was captured."

Angemon and Kari nodded, understanding. "Well, if you start having flashes of the past, you let us know, okay?" Kari asked.

"I can do that."

Luna jumped off of Serena's shoulder. "Well, seeing as how we're going to be here for most of the day, let's go check the place out."

Artemis grinned. "The two cats will check out the local rodent population. Excuse us." He and Luna took off like bullets, chasing an orange streak into the village.

Matt, and through association, Ginny, turned to look at Rini.

Rini shrugged gamely. "Lunchtime," was all she said.

"_Note to self, stay out of Crookshanks way when she goes after a mouse,"_ Ginny said.

"Ditto with Miko." Kari shuddered. "She went after Koromon when he was at our apartment."

Agumon winced. "My condolences. What did she do?"

"She attacked him because Kari gave him her bowl. We learned that you never take a cat's food bowl away from her, as she was clawing up my face, then Koromon's entire form." He grinned in embarrassment as Joe and Lilika covered their mouths. "Yeah, I'm getting attacked, and now my experience with cats comes back to me. Sora was laughing so hard when I told her the edited version, she nearly fell out of her seat."

Sora smiled. "I remember that day. Miko can sure be dangerous when she wants to be."

Mercury shook her head, smiling. Tai's life was crazier than any Sailor Soldier's.

* * *

The village welcomed them enthusiastically, though they were somewhat wary of the nonhuman Digimon. After assurances from the rest of the Alliance that they were not a threat unless provoked, they were allowed to wander freely.

Sora walked around the area, watching as the people talk animatedly with members of the Alliance. She rubbed her eyes, deciding that a quick nap before they left, would do her some good.

"Excuse me, young lady."

'_So much for that hope.'_ Sora turned around, putting on a small smile. "Yes?" she asked.

The elderly man, who had a great mane of hair, observed her for a second. "You have the look of someone who has killed, but didn't want to. You're looking for answers, but you don't know where they are."

Sora blinked in surprise. "Yeah. How did you…?"

"I have had some experience counseling people with that, so I know what to look for. But for you, I think the answers you seek are at the cavern a mile from here."

"The cavern?" Sora's confusion grew. "Question; How do you know that I'm even thinking about going for it?"

"It's either you, or your Uruk-Hai counterpart. She is watching the village even as we speak."

Well, when he put it that way, Sora decided that obtaining her weapon was a good idea. _'Besides, I will still be fighting, regardless,'_ she thought. _'I might as well do something that will help.'_ "Thank you, sir."

The old man nodded, smiling. "Good luck to you, young one. May you find the answers you seek."

With that, Sora went looking for Tai.

* * *

Nash thanked the young lady before him, before he started on his way back to towards the meeting point, clutching the food bag he had been assigned like it was one of Vane's beloved tomes. It was that important.

Alex and Jessica were over with their one and only horse, tying the supplies to the saddle. "Alex, seriously, you need to party like there is no tomorrow," the priestess said. "You need to. And, also; Just a thought, but you might want to consider blinking once in a while."  
Alex stopped what he was doing, and turned to stare at Jessica in disbelief. So did the horse, surprisingly.

"Sorry… I've, uh, I've had a lot of sugar today."

"Clearly."

"But, hey, I've gotten a reaction outta you, so it was worth it."

Alex sighed. Loudly, the omnipotent one must add. "You sure did that. Were you talking to Nall?"

Wouldn't surprise me in the least," Nash replied, putting his bag on the horse. "She and the opinionated fur ball do think alike."

Jessica turned to glare at him. "The difference between me and Nall is that I can do a great deal more damage."

"Don't. Unlike Nall, I can actually fight back."

Alex sighed again, walking away. He really didn't need any aggravation at this time.

"Hey, Alex!"

"Hey, Nall. Have you and Jessica been collaborating behind my back?"

"She used the blinking suggestion?"

"I thought so." The aspiring Dragonmaster scratched Nall's neck affectionately. "I glad everyone is worried about me. Really, I am. But I will be fine."

Nall frowned. "Well, if you say so…" He took off for Artemis and Luna, who were finished with their lunch.

Alex sighed, turning around to go back to the horse, and his two bickering friends. "I'll be fine, after we save Luna," he said quietly.

* * *

Angewomon walked over to the food storage unit, removing her helmet as she did so. Lunarians, she knew, didn't value modesty as much as other humans she knew, as she had actually seen a man walk behind his house almost bare ass naked, but they still respected other people's wishes. And she had made it clear that she wanted to be alone.

Pluto, she had seen, had vanished into one of the huts, a man and woman leading her. She had no idea why, and it wasn't her business, though she had pretty good idea what it was she was doing. _'As long as Angemon doesn't get any ideas about that,'_ she thought, _'I won't have to hurt him.'_

The thought of her actually hurting her friend and love was ludicrous enough to cause a fit of giggles to emerge. She knew that he would never do it willingly, and she could never hurt him.

Just like Angelica…

_-----_

_Angelica sighed as Angelus massaged her back, always so careful to avoid the various scars that crisscrossed over her skin. "I have missed this," she whispered. "How long has it been?"_

_Angelus smiled sadly. "Almost ten years." He bit back a retort. "I couldn't get shore leave fast enough. Althena and Commander Jordan needed me for training of new recruits for Zion's primary presence on Lunar, and Takeru had me fielding four offensives into Vile Tribe controlled territory."_

"_Ah, the life of the second oldest Guardian in Existence history."_

"_It's no excuse. I should have been here, by your side."_

_Angelica sighed, turning her head to look at him. "Love, you trained me yourself, knowing perfectly well that I was your counterpart, despite opposition from Timelord Akalon and the Q Continuum. You didn't give a damn. 'Who better to train her than someone who she'll know better than anyone?' you asked." She smiled. "And then, when I was at Gallitep, you risked eternal incarceration in the center of the Milky Way by coming for me, when you should have been leading the charge against Queen Skarde's left flank. And you respected my wishes to stay away, while I went through the darkest period of my life."_

"_I know, but I still feel badly," Angelus groused._

"_I am in the middle of Zion, with most of the Guardian force here," Angelica reminded him. "I couldn't be any safer than if I was with you." Her smile turned wicked. "But none of them could give me as good of a massage as you."_

_Angelus grinned as well. "Angelica, are you trying to tell me something?"_

_Angelica turned around fully, letting the towel drop away, revealing her body fully to him. "It means, I'm ready," she said, holding her arms out to him. "I trust you not to hurt me, and I know you would never do anything to betray that trust. Just as you know I would never do anything that would betray your trust in me."_

_Angelus grinned, leaning down…_

-------

Angewomon went bright red, covering her face with one hand. "Okay, that was vivid," she murmured, feeling her core starting to ache. "And arousing." Her communicator beeped, and she pulled it out. "Angewomon."

"_Angewomon, did you, by any chance, have a vision just now?"_ Angemon asked.

"Yes, actually. Why?"

"_Could you meet me at the food depot?"_

"I actually right outside it, right now."

"_Well, I'm inside. Mind coming in? I need… something looked at."_

"I will be right in. Angewomon out." Grinning wickedly, the female Angelic strolled into the depot. The next half hour was going to prove interesting.

The door closed behind her.

* * *

Sora walked over to where Tai, Kyle, Palmon and Darien were presently talking. "I thought the leaders were going to powwow a new plan for the next leg of our journey."

"We are, but it won't be for another hour," Tai replied.

Kyle grinned. "And I'm not a leader, but I do have a lot more experience than most of you."

"And not above shoving it into our faces," Palmon grumbled.

"So, Tai and Darien have been grilling me on various subjects. Tactics, skills, diplomatic maneuvers. That sort of thing."

Sora could imagine very well what some of those maneuvers were.

Darien groaned. "He also throws in clever taunts and curses into every sentence he says."

"And it's driving us crazy!" Palmon threw her roots into the air. "Tai's stopped me from trying to kill him… twice!"

Sora turned to Tai, who shrugged. "Kyle made a few offhand remark about how Palmon's flower looked like… something."

Sora glared at Kyle, who looked decisively paler. "Really?" she asked.

"Moving on." Kyle quickly pulled out a tactical map. "Okay, this is an old war map my father used during the Heresy War. This strategy is rather simplistic…"

Sighing, Sora walked away from them. _'Boys will be boys, even Lunarian boys on a growth spurt,'_ she thought, rubbing her eyes fretfully. _'I just hope Mimi and Izzy haven't been asking him about that 'experience.'_

* * *

Tentomon started laughing at the looks on both Izzy's and Mimi's faces. "You two have been on Lunar for too long!" he chortled, and Agumon kept his mouth shut.

Mimi shrugged. "So? We are Lunarian."

"It was her idea," Izzy added, chucking a finger at his lover. "We have a few problems. Sora, for starters."

Gomamon nodded once. "That is a problem. A big problem."

"And, let's face it, Lilika is my twin sister. She can hear the sound of a butterfly clapping… or is that one hand clapping?"

"One hand clapping," Mina replied, grinning as she and Lita walked up to them. "See? I don't butcher every single phrase."

"No, just most of them," Tentomon retorted, grinning.

"And you're not exactly quiet yourself, love," Lita added, grinning even more.

Izzy looked at them. "And how the hell would you know how loud she is?" he asked slyly.

Lita observed her fist, knowing its various encounters with peoples, and enemy's, jaws. "Since last night," she remarked lightly, letting the substantial threat of pain and suffering hang in the air. "We'll leave out the details, but she is certainly… loud."

"And we'll leave it at that," Mimi said. "We certainly can't have you getting into the gory details with such sensitive ears present."

"Hey!" the three Digimon shouted at once.

Izzy just looked back in complete innocence. "What?"

The three Digital Monsters came to a conclusion; Those two were starting to worry them.

* * *

Sora finally located Lilika with Joe, Agumon, and Weregarurumon, talking about a few things. Joe, she saw, was standing still, perfectly at ease with his surroundings. A rarity, in any case. _'Probably because of Lilika's presence,'_ she thought, happy for them.

Weregarurumon turned to her, smiling a wolf's smile. "I thought you'd be talking to Tai, or one of the others."

Sora returned the smile. "Well, Tai is talking to Palmon, Darien, and Kyle about 'strategic maneuvers," she said. "Pluto went into a hut some time back for whatever reason. Angewomon is probably with Angemon. Mercury and Greg are predicting weather patterns for the next four weeks. As for the others… I really don't want to know what they're doing."

Lilika smiled. "Well, we were just getting to know a little bit more about each other, and Joe was telling us about his aspirations to becoming a 'doctor.' What is a doctor, anyway?"

"Earth's version of a healer. The majority of our people have no magical power, so we're forced to develop new technology to help better ourselves."

"Ah. It must be terrible, not having the ability to heal your wounds."

"Yeah, but we also know more about illness. We've already developed vaccines for various viruses, and are progressing on research for curing others." Joe grinned. "We're not perfect, but we work to better ourselves."

Sora's smile grew. Joe was really passionate about the medical field. With a little luck, he would become one of Japan's finest doctors. She turned her gaze outward, staring out into the distance. "That must be the cave."

The others turned, staring at the spec in the distance. "You're probably right," Weregarurumon replied, his eyes capable of seeing greater detail than the others. "It's smaller than the Cavern of Courage, though the dimensions seem to be the same."

Sora nodded, unsheathing one of her sai's, and looked at it thoughtfully. She had a pretty good idea what the weapon was.

Lilika noticed the look on her friend's face. "What is it, Sora?" she asked.

"I was… just thinking about the good old days. When all we had to do was beat the forces of evil, who would just be reborn anyways."

Joe nodded. "Sad, isn't it? Now we have to actually kill people who are, for the most part, not digital data, but flesh and blood. It's something that is bound to stay with us."

"I know I should be used to it by now, but… I don't think I ever will be."

Lilika shook her head. "Sora, your body is already dealing with it the only way it can. You are not still at the battlefield in your mind, like many soldiers would be in your position. You still are here." She smiled, giving her a hug. "Don't worry. I think that you will emerge victorious in your personal struggle."

Sora returned her smile. Lilika was right. She was better off than some people. She was still here.

But, she looked at the distant cave, and wondered.

* * *

Greg nodded. "So we're in agreement?" he asked.

Mercury grinned. "We're in agreement. We'll go with Sora to the Cave." She shut her visor off. "Do you really think Bara will go after her?"

"After everything that's happened concerning Tai and Matt, yeah. They want our friends and sacred weapons. The best time to obtain them is when they first obtain them… when they are alone. We won't give them that last part." Greg grinned. "They're getting desperate, which gives us the advantage. Tai eluded Racc long enough for us to get involved, and Kirok ended up helping Matt. They'll go crazy if Bara fails."

"That's what I'm afraid of. But we'll worry about that tomorrow." A wicked plan forming in her mind, Mercury leaned in, getting near Greg's ear. "So, what did you think about my little tease a few weeks back?" she asked.

Greg blanched, remembering all too well. "It was… stimulating."

"Really? I figured that you were happy to see me." Mercury looked down, observing his growing bulge. "It seems that you are happy now," she added seductively.

Greg was indeed becoming 'happy,' as his erection began pushing against his pants. "Amy, a-are you sure this is a good idea? I man, we're only fifteen… actually, I'm sixteen."

"I turned sixteen seven days ago. And I'm enjoying this. Of course, if you want more, you can find me at our tent." Amy leaned in, licking his ear delicately. "See you around, sexy." With that, she sauntered away, head held high.

Greg stayed where he was, stunned beyond belief. "What happened to the book worm girl?" he asked himself. "She never acted like this before." He grinned. "I kinda like it."

He took off after her.

* * *

Nighttime saw the majority of the Alliance retiring for the night, hoping to catch a few winks of sleep before they left tomorrow, or other, more carnal pleasures.

Sora was not among them. She was sitting outside, enjoying a few moments of peace and tranquility. She found it soothing.

Biyomon fluttered down next to her, watching her. "Enjoying the night, Sora?" she asked.

Sora turned, smiling. "I am, because I know it won't last." She sighed, looking over at the tents. "You know, it's times like these that I envy the others. They don't let what's happened to affect them."

"Of course, if it weren't for the Sunak, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

"That's true."

"Mind if I drop in on that conversation?"

Sora and Biyomon turned as one. "Oh, it's you," Sora grumbled.

Jane rolled her eyes. "'Oh, it's you.' Who were you expecting, President Clinton?"

"Just not you."

"Good grief, Sora. I always show up when someone has a problem. You have a problem."

Sora frowned. "Good to know that I have a problem. What is my problem?"

Jane stared at her, seemingly looking into her soul. "You have no idea if you will ever get used to fighting. You're wondering if you should stay with your friends, or find a safe place to hide. Am I right?"

Biyomon shook her head. "How did you_ know _all of that?" she asked. "Sora only told me about it last night!"

"Uh, uh. That's _my_ little secret. But here's what I'll tell you." Jane leaned in. "You need to go after your sacred weapon tonight." She held up a hand o stave off Sora's argument. "Bara is watching the village now. She is under orders to attack the second you leave it. But… there is a trading party that is leaving for Meryod within the next few minutes. Go with them. When you reach the cave… you will know what to do."

"Why does she have to go alone?" Biyomon asked.

"Because let's face it… she's the only one who can enter the cavern in the first place. And unlike the Cavern of Courage, there is no emergency hatch. If you fail, you may never be able to leave."

Sora gaped at her in surprise. "How is it that you _know_ all of this?" she asked.

Jan smiled. "I have a gift of reading into a situation." Her smile faded. "And I also know a few people with a whole lot to lose if you fail. In fact, they have as much to lose as you and your friends. She got up, brushing her jeans off, and flashing a quick smile. "Good luck, Sora," she added, before walking away.

Sora and Biyomon watched as their mysterious friend walked away, humming some obscure tune under her breath. "She's… unique," Biyomon said after a moment.

"But she's right, too." Sora stood up, brushing the dirt off of her rear. "I have to do this alone. And Biyomon… don't follow me. And don't tell anyone."

"I won't… but I don't like this, Sora."

"Neither do I. But, what choice do we have?"

* * *

Bara watched as the Meryod trade convoy set off from the village, all of her mystical senses staying trained on the village. So far, they hadn't moved one inch. _'They must be getting ready to turn in for the night,'_ she thought. _'It has been a long day for them. I wish I could, but Racc wants me to stop them. And I must complete my mission, unless told otherwise.'_

And she had to admit, she was curious about these people who trusted one another with their lives, and were willing to sacrifice themselves to save complete strangers. Especially that leader of the Digi-Destined, Taichi Kamiya. He seemed to exude confidence, confidence in himself and his friends. Sora Takanouchi also intrigued her. There was a woman who didn't fear anything, but didn't want to kill anyone, even if they were the enemy. It brought images to Bara that she hadn't though of in centuries.

Focusing on her mission and the village, Bara failed to notice one of the convoy suddenly break off from the rest of the group, and start for the cavern.

But, then again, she hadn't been expecting that.

* * *

Biyomon finally found Gabumon after fifteen minutes of searching, and roughly shook him. "Hey, wake up, Gabumon!" she tweeted quietly.

"Wha-?" Gabumon mumbled, cracking an eyelid open. His gaze landed on his girlfriend, who looked very concerned. "What is it?"

The little bird looked around. "Not here. Come on." She pulled on his furry arm until he got up, and led the way to the depot. Gabumon followed, confused.

The confusion wouldn't last, that was for sure.

* * *

Angewomon stirred, smiling as came to. She ached pleasantly in certain places, from the pleasure that Angemon had given her. She looked down, observing the man before her, who was sleeping peacefully. Love stirred in her heart as she watched this. Peace was something none of them had a lot of anymore.

Angemon stirred, his eyes opening to observe her. "How long have you been awake?" he asked.

Angewomon smiled, her wings ruffling slightly as they enfolded back. "Not long. I was just watching you sleep."

Angemon's hand reached up to stroke a cheek slowly, lovingly. "You are amazing. Did you know that?"

The female angelic blushed, looking away. "I don't know if I deserve such praise," she murmured. "I'm not the greatest looking girl in Existence…"

"You're gorgeous," he assured her, turning her head so he could gaze into her eyes. "Myotismon couldn't take your spirit away from you. And I promise you that no one ever will."

Angewomon stared at him, blue eyes to blue eyes, saw the truth in his soul. Tears of joy shimmered in her eyes, and she smiled. She didn't deserve this noble man. "I love you, Angemon." She leaned down, captured his lips with her own.

Angemon returned the kiss, caressing her breast.

* * *

Jogging quickly, still covered by the cloak, Sora made her way to the entrance of the Cave. She immediately noted that it was much smaller than the Cave of Courage, though it had the same dimensions as it. It also had the Crest of Love stamped to the side of the entrance, pulsing rapidly. It was almost like a strobe light. _'Definitely the right place,'_ she thought in satisfaction.

Pulling the cloak off, the keeper of Love took one final look around, making sure that she hadn't been followed. Finding no one, she relaxed. "Okay… here goes nothing."

Taking a deep breath, and gathering all that remained of her courage, Sora stepped into the cave.

* * *

"She did _what_?" Gabumon exclaimed, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the others.

Biyomon nodded, eyes downcast. "I'm afraid so."

The furry Digimon turned sharply. "I'm going to get the others! We're leaving right…!"  
"No!" Biyomon quickly got in front of him, blocking his route. "Gabumon, Jane told us that Bara is watching the village, waiting for us to go to the cavern! She doesn't know Sora is gone!" There were tears in her eyes as she said this. "We can't tell anyone until tomorrow!"

"Wait a minute? Bara is watching the village? That's all the more reason to tell them!"  
"We have to keep up a pretense that everyone is here. Please… don't tell anyone."

Gabumon wrestled with himself for a moment, before sighing. "Alright," he said. "But first thing in the morning, we tell them. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

Sora stopped at the end of the stairwell, her heart rate accelerating. For the first time since she had left the village, she felt the pangs of fear slithering through her system. For a moment, she actually though about turning around and leaving.

'_No! I've come this far on my own! I can't stop now! Too much depends on me finishing this!'_ With courage she did not feel in her heart, she strolled down the fire lit corridor, eyes straight ahead. She had no idea what she was going to come across, but she would be ready for it.

She reached the end of the hall… and stopped in surprise. "What the-?" she said aloud. "A door?"

Indeed, it was a simple white door, with a simple door knob, was all that remained in front of her. There were no markings on it, nothing that clued her in on what was on the other side.

Sora thought for a second, and, throwing caution to the wind, grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and walked through…

… only to find herself in a darkened room, though she could make out the general layout of it. Realizing that she was in a room of some kind, she looked around, found a sliver of light coming from one side, and moved towards it. _'Curtains,'_ she thought in confusion, before gripping them, and pulling them apart.

She saw the city of Tokyo.

Overcome with shock, Sora turned around, and took in the room she was in. "My bedroom?" she sputtered in surprise. "I'm… I'm home? But how?" She turned around, seeing that the hall had, in fact, become her closet. "Okay, this is weird." Quickly walking over to her computer, she booted it up, checked her email. She might as well get it out of the way while she was here. "I have got to clear this out," she muttered, scrolling through.

Then one email caught her attention. Clicking it open, she began reading.

_To Sora Takanouchi, Digi-Destine of Love,_

_If you're reading this, it means you managed to return home. Unfortunately, this is only for a short time. At this very moment, this realm, and Harry Potter's realm, are moving at a slightly faster time rate than your home realm. You have two days to locate your sacred weapon, and return to Lunar, before the time rate speeds up in both universes._

_Two Guardians have been dispatched to help you. They'll be there in about five minutes, so stay put. Finally… let your parents know that you and your friends are all right. It'll allow them to sleep at night._

_Alania_

Sora stared at the letter for a moment, making sure that she had read it properly, before smiling. _'Home,'_ she thought, _'even if only for a while.'_ She quickly turned around, ready to find her mother.

A sound outside her door froze her in her tracks. Someone was right outside her door. Slowly and silently sliding her sai's out of their holsters, she got ready.

The doorknob turned slowly, then stopped. The door suddenly slammed open. Two shrieks of battle came mere seconds later…

… as Sora Takanouchi and her mother stared at each other in shock, weapons poised.

Mrs. Takanouchi stared at her daughter as if she were a mirage. She was quite literally, the last person she would have thought to see, let alone in her room. She took note of the strange garments Sora was wearing, as well as the weapons she was holding up.

Sora's attention was focused on the frying pan her mom was holding, and was wondering if she was having a flashback to last year. "Umm, Mom, I can explain everything, but only if you don't bash my brains in. Here." She quickly put her sai's back in their holsters. "There. Can you put the frying pan down?"

Mrs. Takanouchi let the frying pan slide from dead fingers. Then, a split second later, she let out a cry of joy, jumping at her daughter, hugging her. "Oh, you're alive! Thank Kami!"

Sora returned the hug, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I've missed you, Mom," she whispered through her mother's sobs. "I've missed you so much."

After two minutes of reunion, Mrs. Takanouchi pulled back, eyeing her only child critically. "You seem too thin. Have you been eating enough?"

"Adventuring tends to melt all the fat from you, doesn't it? Yes, I have been eating enough, Mom." She looked around. "And we're all together still. Tai, Kari, and the others. We even found our Digimon friends, and the Sailor Scouts to boot."

"You can tell me all about it…"

Sora turned. "No, I can't. I won't be able to stay long. There's a reason why I'm here." She took a breath, knowing that her mother wasn't going to like this. "Mom, a war has started on the world I was sent to. I've been fighting in it… and I done something I never thought I could do."

"A war? What do you mean?" Takanouchi asked.

"It means," a new voice interjected, "that she has been forced to kill, and it isn't sitting well with her."

Both ladies turned as one to the new voice. "Who are you?" Sora demanded.

The woman, a redhead wearing strange garb, stood at the doorway. "I'm Lily Potter, one of the two Guardians of Magic. I was sent to help you."

"Potter… you're Harry's mother!"

Lily nodded, smiling kindly. "Mrs. Takanouchi, your daughter has two days to complete the Trial for her sacred weapon. Let's move to the Living Room, so I can explain."

Sora gestured. "After you, Mom.

Takanouchi rolled her eyes, walking out of the bedroom, Sora right behind her.

------

"She has to find a weapon?" Takanouchi repeated numbly. "But Sora has never had to fight before in her life! She doesn't even have a single violent bone in her body!"  
Sora sighed. "Like I said Mom, I have been forced to fight on Lunar. And the monsters there have nothing but violent bones in their bodies." She looked up, the suffering plain in her eyes. "I've had to kill to protect myself, my friends, and Lunar."

James sighed, leaning forward. "And, sadly, she doesn't have a choice. It's kill or be killed." His eyes bored into Sora's skull. "Now, we need to find your sacred weapon, and then make sure that you make it back here alive."

Lily grinned. "And we have a few people who can help us with that mission."

Sora looked at her in surprise. "Who?"

* * *

Archer glared at the sensor grid. "There are no hidden caverns in the entire city of Tokyo, Mrs. Potter," he said testily. "If there were, _Enterprise's_ sensors would have found them by now."  
Lily could understand, and sympathize with Archer. With both his second officer and his Chief Engineer gone, he was short a full hand of cards. "Okay, let's assume that the cavern isn't, in the literal sense, a cavern. What if it was some sort of a shrine?"

Malcolm shifted from one foot to the other. "It would take weeks to scan for every single shrine in the world. And we're only a week away from the Sunak invasion."

Sora, who had been in awe when she had first set foot onboard the_ Enterprise_, suddenly snapped her fingers. "What if we only searched for shrines in Tokyo?" she asked. "I mean, there are quite a few of them in the city."

Archer nodded once. "Malcolm?"  
The Chief of Security nodded once to himself, deep in thought. "Well, if we narrow the scanning range a bit… and possibly realign the grid, I might be able to pick out individual buildings in the city."

"Get on it, Malcolm. And don't be afraid to ask for Ex's help."

"I won't. I'm just worried that Ere or Chrono will get on my case."

Archer sighed, turning to Sora. "Quite honestly, I have to agree with Malcolm on this. It'll take some time to complete the scan, and time is a luxury we don't have."

Sora nodded. "I know, but what choice do any of us have?" she asked. "We have to get those weapons. For some reason, every fiber of my being is crying out that it's more important than we know."

James turned to her, intrigued. "You are certain of that." It wasn't a question.

"To a fault."

Lily nodded, leaning against the briefing zone, arms folded. "Sora, this is the first time that all six crests have been brought together. Sincerity, Knowledge, Courage, and Love have always been on Lunar. Friendship has always protected Dreamscape from the darkness. Reliability has wandered the Existence lanes. This marks a turning point in that cycle."

"It also means the Uruk-Hai have a chance to take them."

"Not necessarily. You said so yourself that Kirok helped Matt and Ginny out when Tom Riddle attacked, and that Bara is under orders to simply watch the village."

The Digi-Destine of Love stared at Lily in surprise. "Do you mean… what I think you mean?"

James grinned. "The Uruk-Hai have never done battle against a foe quite like the Digi-Destined. For the most part, I would say that most of them are afraid of you."

Sora nodded. "Okay. So what do I do now? I mean, we won't have any information until they start that scan."

"… Spend it with your mother," Lily said at last. "It may be the only time you can."

Sora smiled. "You're right. I am going to spend my time here with my mother."

Lily returned her smile, before raising her staff, sending her back to the surface. She then began to modify ship systems so that they ran more efficiently.

Hey, she was bored! So sue her!

_

* * *

Angelica jolted awake when the ground beneath her shook. Her head hurt, her arms were sore, and she was thirsty._

_The moaning around her caught her attention, and she turned her head, seeing others with her. Confused, she took a look around, taking in her immediate surroundings. _'I'm in a prison cart,'_ she thought._ 'How did I get in a prison cart? The last thing I remember was that ball and chain coming at me.'

_She realized that she must have been knocked unconscious, and was immediately embarrassed for that reason. She should have moved faster._

_But then she looked out the front window… and saw what was happening. They were approaching the one place she had always thought was a myth._

_The Gallitep Prison Camp. The home to the sadistic demon Thorak, student of Parrt, the Uruk-Hai's sadist._

_Angelica sat back down, hitting her head against the wall. This was going to make escape a problem. There were defenses set up that prevented those with teleport ability to_

_The cart came to a stop. Angelica got ready._

_A powerful electrical field suddenly activated, causing everyone in the cart to convulse, shrieking in pain. The female Angelic tried to call upon her pain management tactics, but couldn't. It was too sudden._

_The second the field vanished, the cart opened. Demon soldiers swarmed the place, grabbing the prisoners one at a time, and throwing them out. A rough hand grabbed Angelica's arm, and threw her like she was a twig. She hit the ground hard, gasping as the pain in her head flared up. She lay there, trying to collect her thoughts._

_A boot slammed into her side, causing another gasp of pain to emerge. "Get up, human vermin!" a harsh voice ordered. "Stand for inspection!"  
Angelica quickly got to her feet, her fist already coming up._

"_Don't try to be a hero, woman. There are fifty other people here, not to mention the hundreds of workers we already have. We won't hesitate to kill them all."_

_She quickly stayed her hand. While fifty guards, no matter how heavily armed, would be no match for her. She had five thousand years of combat experience to fall back on. But the others… they would be slaughtered. Growling to herself, she relaxed._

_The guard looked disappointed. "Good girl," he said. "Stand there, and stay. Move, and I will kill someone."_

_Angelica slowly moved to stand next to a young man who was at the prime of his life. He had just joined the army of Meribia, and had been eager to prove himself. He didn't deserve to be here, in the midst of the enemy, looking like he had been put through the ringer._

_Before she could say anything to him, though, the guards had snapped to attention. Her gaze shifted to the side._

_There, a powerfully built demon walked down the line of prisoners, observing each and every single one of them shrewdly. His eyes were cold, fathomless orbs of red, as he checked them, ordering the guards to rip the clothing off of each, furthering their humiliation._

_Angelica shuddered as she saw this. _'Barbaric,'_ she thought._ 'Totally barbaric.'

_The demon stopped in front of her, eyeing her with intrigue. "A woman," he said, his voice dark, forbidding. "We don't get many female warriors here." He nodded._

_Angelica offered no resistance as they ruthlessly stripped her, knowing what was at stake. The time would come when she struck back against them, but she would have to wait._

"_A very beautiful woman." The demon grinned. "I think the guards are going to have fun with you. That much is certain." Abruptly, he walked away. "This is the Gallitep Prison Camp! There is no stockade… no guard towers… no mystical frontier! Only a large mass of swamp acid is needed! Punishment, is exile from the prison, to the outside! There, nothing can survive! If the swamp does not kill you… the monsters will! This… I promise you!" He smirked. "Work well, obey the guards, and you will be treated well. Work badly, or disobey… and you will die." With that, he walked away, heading for the command building._

_One of the guards brought his sword up. "Alright, enter the camp! You will find nothing that you can use to clean or cover yourselves. There is a Goddess Statue for your use, but that is all!" The grin he had was malicious. "Go!"_

_Angelica breathed a sigh of relief as they were roughly ushered into the main area of the camp. _'They don't know who I am. That's a good sign.'_ But that didn't mean that she was safe. Judging by the looks of it, there was no escape from here._

_She would have to bide her time, like she had already decided to do._

_But she didn't realize that she would be biding her time for the next four months._

-------

Angewomon woke up, breathing hard as memories of the past went through her. Fear ran rampant within her mind, parts reminding her of her own past. Not something she wanted to remember… not after the best night of her life.

Turning her gaze, she looked at Angemon's peaceful face, smiling slightly in his sleep. He never had to go through what she had gone through, seen much of what she had seen. And she hoped to the Gods that he never did.

But at the same time, she wanted him to wake up, to comfort her, to let her know that everything was all right. She _wanted_ to have that much from him.

For now, she would watch him sleep, and enjoy what remained of the peace for as long as possible.

Because she certainly couldn't.

* * *

Here is Episode Sixty, sooner than expected. This will continue on in the next chapter, as will the revelation of Angelica's time at Gallitep. Stay tuned.

I actually started typing this when our computer was unplugged, so it was mostly done by the time we put the new computer desk together. It's a great deal more fun, now.


	69. Sixty, Part Two

**Sixty, Part Two**

Dinner was quiet, which was not surprising in the least.

Mrs. Takanouchi had gone and made a full Japanese dinner, something Sora had not had in over a month. There was some initial small talk, made awkward by the fact that this wasn't a normal day.

But, as all things do, the tense silence ended when Sora looked up. "So."

Her mother looked up. "So."

The two started laughing at this, a rather welcome respite. It finally broke the ice between them. "So," Sora began again, "where do I start?"

"Try at the beginning."

And so Sora began to tell her tale. And what a tale it was! Dragons, elves, demons, and damsels in distress. Beings of unimaginable power, plotting to take control of a world. It was something that was either out of a fairytale… or a nightmare.

Of course, the older Takanouchi mused, there was a starship in orbit, and a very powerful spirit running around, causing a great deal of trouble. Danger was an accepted part of life these days.

"So here I am," Sora said, finally reaching the end of her story, "trying to locate my sacred weapon, before I head back to Lunar. And I only have a day left before this time dilation thingy decelerates here." She sat back, feeling wrung out. "It's a lot to take in, sometimes."

"And I'm just listening to it." Mrs. Takanouchi leaned forward slightly. "Sora, why don't you stay here? I know it sounds selfish, but I don't want you to have to fight anymore."

The young girl smiled. "Oh, mom… I wish I could, but then I would be abandoning everyone. And there's more at stake than just Lunar and this Earth. Every alternate Earth out there is at risk. If I can do something, _anything_, to try and stop that, then I will." She sighed. "Even if it means not sleeping well for the rest of my life," she added.

"But… Sora…"

"War is coming, mom. And it can't be stopped by just mere strength, and courage. It has to be fought with faith, friendship, and loyalty. I have to be the friend Tai and the other's need right now. I have to have faith that we can stop this before it gets any further. And I have to be loyal to my own conscious… and it's telling me that I have to do this. I just… I just hope that you will be proud of me."

Mrs. Takanouchi smiled, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. "Sora, there isn't a moment in your life that I haven't been proud of you," she said gently. "You have always been considerate to everyone else, regardless of who they are. You always stood by your friends and team, even when you were hurt, or sick. And here, right now, you have chosen to stay in the fight, even though you are in conflict. I can honestly say that I have never been prouder of you than in this moment."

Sora had never heard such praise from her mother before, and it moved her. With a cry, she was in her mother's arms, hugging her, crying tears of relief, and of joy. Mrs. Takanouchi was crying too, though she was crying for what she knew was going to come.

Neither one of them moved for a long time.

Malcolm finished checking over the scans for the upper portion of Japan, now completely bleary eyed. Nothing had been found on the preliminary scan, so he had taken the printouts to his extremely small quarters to go over, hoping to see something out of the ordinary. So far, nothing.

A chime at the door caught his attention, and he looked up. "Yes?" he asked.

The door opened, admitting Ex, who was carrying a cup. "Hey, there."

Malcolm smiled, sitting up slightly. "Hello. I wasn't expecting you."

"Well, when Yggdrasil itself starts telling you to relax, then you know you've overstayed you welcome for the day." The young goddess held out a cup. "Here. I stopped by the galley before coming here."

Malcolm smiled, taking the cup. "Thanks," he said, putting it to his lips. "Just what I needed… hot coffee."

"It's the least I can do."

The lieutenant took another sip, then set the cup down on his small table. "Four hours of going through the results of the scan, leaf by leaf, and I haven't found anything out of the ordinary. It's becoming aggravating, to say the least."

Ex sat down, rubbing his shoulder for a moment. "You're tense," she murmured. "How long were you laying down, without moving?"

"About… an hour."

"Well, there's your problem. You need to relax for about fifteen minutes." Ex quickly pulled the scan results out of Malcolm's hand, despite his protests. "I mean it," she said firmly, before getting behind him, digging into his shoulders with her hands. "For fifteen minutes, you have no responsibilities to worry about. All you have to do is relax."

Malcolm closed his eyes, feeling his shoulder muscles unknot slowly. "You're pretty good," he said after fifteen minutes. "How did you get so good?"

Ex smiled softly, rubbing his neck. "My mother studied human massage therapy as a hobby," she replied. "She taught me when I was ten."

"She taught you well."

"That she did. How do you feel?"  
Malcolm opened his eyes, rolling his shoulders. "I feel fine, now. Thanks." He turned his head, giving her a chaste kiss, which she returned. Grinning idiotically, he turned his attention back to the papers.

His grin faded as he stared at the top sheet, staring at the one thing he didn't he would find. "I found it."

"Huh?"

"The shrine. I found the shrine." He looked at the paper in disbelief. "If you hadn't told me to relax, I would have overlooked it! Ex, you're a genius!"

"Oh." Ex grinned. "Do we have to tell them right away?" she asked.

Malcolm stood up. "No, but I need to contact Thor. His scanners will be able to determine if there is an enemy presence there."

Ex nodded, already realizing this.

Sora let out a low moan of appreciation, lying down on her bed. She was never going to say a bad thing about her mattress again, that was for sure. After spending more than two months on the ground, with only a bedroll between her and the dirt, the mattress and box spring were a blessing for her back.

Mrs. Takanouchi chuckled as she watched this from the door. "You sound like you have never used a bed before in your life."

Sora grinned. "Camping should be something someone does only once in a while, not for months on end," she replied. "This is Heaven."

"I can believe it. Well…" Takanouchi walked over to her only child, giving her a peck on the forehead. "Good night, Sora," she whispered.

Sora nodded, eyes already closing. "Night…"

Takanouchi watched her child for a moment as she slipped into sleep, smiling, before getting up, and heading for her room. They had a big day tomorrow.

A day that would dictate everyone's lives, no doubt. She would need to be aware of it.

_Angelica grunted a bit, resetting a young man's leg. There were no tasks to do, no projects that required them to aide the enemy. No, the camp just existed to keep them from escaping._

_In truth, she could think of no greater torment… except for what she knew was going on at night._

_During the night, the guards would enter the camp, and take some of the female prisoners with them, some who tried to fight back. More than twenty minutes later, their screams of pain and humility rang throughout the camp, sending chills down their spines._

_Angelica did everything she could for the victims, finding ways to smuggle them out of the camp. As they were never able to trace them back to her, she was able to get a good number of the women out of there. Each escape route worked only once, though, forcing her to look again._

"_Stay here," she told the young man. "If the guards show up, hide. Understood?"_

"_Yes, ma'am."_

_The angelic Guardian stood up, rubbing her back fretfully. The sheer amount of Empowered in the area negated her powers somewhat, making it difficult for her to utilize her abilities. She persevered, though, as she tried to find a permanent way to escape._

_Her thoughts were interrupted when a meaty hand landed on her shoulder. Turning her head, she stared into the eyes of one particularly large demon, her own gaze resolute._

_The demon grinned, showing a series of sharp teeth. "You're going to a good li'l girl to screw," he growled, eyeing her body. "Even with all these scars."_

_Angelica bristled. The scars had been delivered by Thorak himself, as part of his 'reconditioning plan.' Her throat, she knew, would never be the same. "Remove your hand, or I will gut you."_

"_I would love to see you try. Oh, by the way, if you fight back this time… we'll just kill the rest of them."_

_Now that was something she couldn't allow. She allowed the demon to shove her across the camp, towards the soldier's bunks… where her own personal hell was…_

Angewomon watched as Angemon slowly woke up, turning his head to stare at her. "How long have you been awake?" he asked sleepily.

Angewomon sighed, sitting up. "About an hour," she replied. "I couldn't go back to sleep."  
"A bad dream?"

"A bad memory… from Angelica's time at the labor camp."

The male Angelic quickly brought her over to him, hugging her as she began to shiver. "It's alright… it's alright," he murmured, rocking her back and forth. "Thorak can't hurt you… Myotismon can't hurt you anymore, either. You're safe."

"They took her to their barracks," she whispered, tears starting to spill from her cheeks. "They… took her against her will, over and over again… They… they almost broke her… and… and…"

The emotions running through her were finally too much for her, and she broke down, sobbing in Angemon's arms. "They raped her!" she sobbed, unable to stop. "They raped her, and they continued to rape her for months! And they laughed every single night at their accomplishment!"

"Shh, Angewomon," Angemon whispered, still rocking her gently. "None of them can hurt you. And I will kill them if they lay a hand on you. I promise."

Angewomon shuddered, the images still vivid in her memory. It was one of the things she hadn't wanted to see from Angelica's life. Even Myotismon hadn't been that cruel. She didn't think she was ever going to feel safe again.

But Angemon's hands ran up and down her back, his soothing words still going into her ear, slowly easing the tension in her muscles. Her inner turmoil was disappearing under his gentle caresses. Tears ran down her cheeks still, but the flow was abating. Sighing, she snuggled up to him. "How is it that you know how to calm me down with just words and gestures?" she asked softly.

Angemon smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I have been around Tai and Sora for a long time. I learned how to be understanding. And you were always easy to calm… at least, in my opinion."

Angewomon finally started smiling, looking at him. "You need to do a bit more calming," she said, bringing her lips to his.

"Thor located the anomaly in this area," Malcolm explained, pointing to the area in question. "It seems to be something that we have never seen before."  
Sora nodded. "That's it. That's where the weapon is. The question is… where?"

Archer nodded at that. "Under the circumstances, I don't know what else we can do to narrow it. Any suggestions?"

Lily frowned. "What about simply searching this sector? I mean, we don't have the many shrines to check."

"How many?"

"One."

"What are the shrine's name?" Sora suddenly asked.

Malcolm checked. "The Hikawa Cherry Hill Temple."

Sora nodded thoughtfully. "Rei's home," she murmured.

James turned to her. "Sailor Mars's home?"

"The same."

Lily grinned. "We now have a place to start looking. And it's the last place any of us would have thought to look."

Archer looked at it. "Unfortunately, it looks like there are at least fifty Agents in that area. They've been trying to take out every shrine in Tokyo for some reason."

"Oh, they have a reason." The Digi-Destine of Love stared at the map. "I'd say the Deadly Alliance knows that a sacred weapon was placed in a shrine, but they don't know which one. We do."

Archer nodded. "Well, good luck. I have no one to spare that can help you get there."

Lily grinned. "There's always Sailor Neptune, and Amara."

Sora turned to her. "Who?"

Sailor Neptune looked at Lily in surprise. "You need our help?" she asked, incredulous. "Why do you need our help?"

Lily sighed. "Michelle, I'll be perfectly honest. We're going to have to fight our way to the Temple. About fifty Agents are there, combing the grounds. Now for some reason they haven't attempted to enter the Temple itself, but it's only a matter of time."

The Water Senshi nodded, still surprised. But she was thinking about it, which was good.

Lily watched as she struggled with the decision, and sympathized. She was still new to her position, and wasn't too sure of herself. Of course, she didn't know the full extent of her power yet. "Look," she said comfortingly, "I know you're unsure of yourself, but I wouldn't ask for yours and Amara's help if I didn't think that you were capable. The question is; Do you think that you are capable?"

Neptune looked up, the indecision clear in her eyes. But, after a moment, that look vanished in her eyes, and she nodded. "When do we do this?" she asked.

"Right now. We have no time to waste."

_Angelica folded up like an accordion_ _as the demon's fist slammed into her abdomen. She was left gasping as the demon walked away, laughing. Fresh blood dripped from her head as she looked up._

_It had become an almost weekly thing. On the fourth day, she got beat up, on the fifth day, she was violated. On the sixth day, they made her watch as they hurt another. It was maddening._

_And, slowly, Angelica was losing her identity._

_Before she had fully recovered, she felt hands on her, gripping her arms. She couldn't summon the will to fight them as they dragged her across the area. She couldn't summon a great deal of will to do much of anything. She figured that they had decided to change the schedule, and hurt her more so today._

_So it was with a great deal of surprise that she found herself being dumped into a laundry cart, and covered with demon smelling sheets and clothes. "Stay in here," he heard the one soldier she had befriended over her two year incarceration. "We're getting you out of here."_

_More than three hours later, Angelica could see bright light from underneath the clothing… and the sounds of battle from outside._

_Then a pair of hands, so familiar to her, pulled the sheets from off of her, and a face she hadn't seen in over two years revealed itself to her. "You're safe, Angelica," he said soothingly, pulling her from the cart._

_Angelica buried her blood smeared face into his shoulder, and began to cry. She didn't stop for a very long time._

"She had been hurt… for so long," Angewomon whispered, with Angemon's arms around her, "that she had almost given up. Later, she found out that Angelus had been on his way there, having discovered the location of the prison recently. The mission wasn't sanctioned by the Guardians, but he came, nevertheless."

"I know," Angemon whispered, stroking her hair. "He loved her so much, that he was willing to risk everything to get her out. That makes him a hero in my book."

Angewomon smiled softly at that. "I think he would be happy to know that he had your support." Her smile turned quizzical. "You know, you remind me of him. Loyal, proud, compassionate… not to mention having such a sexy body."

Angemon grinned, kissing her. "Thank you for the wonderful compliment. And I would love to thank you properly, but sadly, we need to get up. Tai will probably want to get moving as soon as possible."

"Ah, do we have to?"

"Yes, we do."

Angewomon sighed, snuggling into him for a moment more. "Well, I guess we better get dressed, then," she said.

Angemon grinned. "We can always do this again tonight," he suggested. "In fact, we can even… experiment."

Angewomon let out a giggle.

The Agents were genetically designed to be impervious to superstition. Indeed, they themselves were at the very heart of the most vindictive myths traveling the universe. So, they had no reason.

However, some of the older Agents were beginning to think the Cherry Hill Temple was haunted.

And why, do you ask?

Because some of them were disappearing… only to reappear somewhere else later, dead. One would see something out of the corner of his eye, only to turn around and see nothing. Shadows were flickering in and out of focus the moment one tried to strike.

And, they were distracted from the temple itself.

Sora quickly tiptoed to the Temple entrance, sliding inside, as Lily and James finally dropped the act, and came out of hiding, sacred weapons out. Standing in front of the entrance, they stood ready.

Every Agent turned as one, took one look at the two Guardians, and charged… only to be met with machine gun fire. Massive spheres of water, Neptune's trademark, slammed into several Agents, 'eroding' them, for lack of a better term.

_Bat'leth_ and staff whistled through the air, taking their first targets out of the fight immediately. Such was the way of battle, if you were battling with Guardians.

Sora made sure the door was closed fully, before turning around, staring at her immediate surroundings. It was only one massive room, with very few decorations to it. The largest object there was the fire crackling at the other end.

The old man presently in front of that fire, wearing the robes of a priest, turned around. "Well, hello there, young lady," he said in greeting. "Are you seeking answers to your questions, or would you like a tour of the temple grounds?"

The sound of something slamming into the walls caused Sora to jump a bit. "The first one," she hastily stated. "Are you Rei's grandfather?"

"That's me. … Not exactly what you were expecting to see, was it?"

"Not really." She looked around. "Why haven't the Agents managed to enter?"  
Hino smiled gently. "Sakar, or his minions, cannot enter this shrine so long as I, or my family, are protecting it." He stood up, walking over to her. "You are here to undertake the Trial, as I have hoped."

"I'm also looking for answers to my questions… if there _are_ answers, that is."

The priest nodded in understanding, then gestured towards the flickering flames. "Then peer into the Great Fire, Miss Takanouchi," he said. "The answers to your questions lie within its eternal flames…as well as to your test." He made his way to the door. "I will be outside the door."

Sora turned towards the fire as Mars's grandfather left, kneeling before it. '_Okay, how do I do this? … I guess I'll try talking to it."_ Clearing her throat, she leaned forward. "Great Fire, am I supposed to fight in this war?"

The fire blazed higher, showing her a picture of her standing by her friends. She took that to mean that she was. '_Now I must ask you a question,'_ a voice said in her head. '_Why are you so conflicted? I sense a great del_ _of pain in you.'_

"I've done something that I have never done before. I've killed soldiers, soldiers who have families."

'_Such is the way of war.'_

"But, isn't there a way to stop the bloodshed?"

'_Not so long as Xenobia rules the Vile Tribe. Have you ever considered that, in some instances, killing someone is the only option?'_

"Only if they have done something so heinous, that mercy is not an option. I always believe that the law should decide a person's fate. But, what about Ghaleon?"

'_He cannot be contained by 'law,' as you so put it. In his instance, do you believe the end justifies the means?'_

"No!" Sora stood up. "There is no end that justifies the capturing of innocent people, and using them for evil purposes!" she shouted.

'… _So, what are you going to do with him?' _the voice asked.

"I'm helping one of my friends become the new Dragonmaster, so that we might be able to save Lunar."

'_In other words, you are helping him to kill Ghaleon.'_

"I would rather not. I would like to know why he turned his back on his friends… on the Goddess. But, if there is no other choice… I will do whatever it takes to help my friends. I love them that much."

'… … _I have one last question for you, keeper of Love. Do you love your friends enough to give your life for them?'_

Now, that Sora could answer definitely. "In a heart beat," she replied.

'_And should you reach that time, can you honestly say that you will have no fear of it?'_

"No, I can't." As the questions continued, Sora found that her inner turmoil was disappearing. The pain she was feeling had vanished. Her answers came more surely, with greater power in her voice. "But I would have to be a fool not to fear death. At the same time, I won't let that fear control me."

'_Then allow me to be the first to congratulate you. You have passed the test.'_

"I…I passed?"

'_Yes. These questions were created to test your devotion to your friends, your moral fiber, and your feelings. Love is the emotional center in which the other five crests revolve. It is as vital to a person as Courage, Friendship, Reliability, Knowledge, or Sincerity.'_

"So, what happens now?"

'_Now, you take your sacred weapon, and return to your friends. And… good luck, Sora Takanouchi.'_ And with those words, the fire shot upward, enveloping the interior of the shrine.

Mesmerized, Sora reached into the fire with both hands, grasping hold of two objects within.

And, outside, the sound of a Zat' Nik' Tel slammed into the doorframe.

An Agent slammed into a tree with enough force to break it in half. He slid to the ground, dazed for several moments, before getting back up.

James and Lily looked at each other, then at Neptune and Amara. All four of them knew that they couldn't keep this up for much longer.

And, to make matters worse, reinforcements were on their way.

James turned to Lily. "Well, it was fun while it lasted," he said.

Lily nodded. "That doesn't mean we give up yet." She brought her staff up, twirling it. "We make sure they can't get anywhere near the shrine."

Amara nodded, looking at her gun. "I'm just about out of cartridges," she said.

"Can't be helped," Neptune replied.

The Agents closed in, weapons out and crackling. The four brave warriors prepared themselves for the final confrontation.

And then the wind started to pick up.

Before, there was very little wind. A simple, gentle breeze had been blowing, but now it was increasing rapidly.

The Agents staggered back, unable to withstand the sudden blast of air. They fell down as another gust of wind slammed into them.

Lily and James felt the hackles on the backs of their necks rise up, signifying the presence of another Empowered…right behind them. As one, they turned around.

There, standing next to High Priest Hino, was Sora Takanouchi.

And yet, it wasn't her.

Her clothing, the way she stood, had changed considerably over the last eight minutes. When she had walked in, there was a subdued feel about her, like the weight on her shoulders was too much for her to bear. She had been dressed in Lunarian garb, consisting of a pink shirt, and brown pants. A pair of sai's, which were mass produced, and sold cheaply, had been strapped around her waist.

Now, though… her body seemed straighter, as if she had some understanding about herself. Her clothing, now a pair of reddish gold leather pants, with matching halter top and boots, were clean, and well formed to her figure. A pair of intricately designed sai's now were attached to weapon holsters around her legs. But the most telling feature was what was new to her.

Presence.

The young Warrior of Love forward leaped from the entranceway, landing right next to Neptune, her weapons out in an instant. "Grandfather Hino, protect this shrine!" she ordered. "All of you, stay together! And hold this line!" Her full attention shifted back to the small army in front of her. "Come and get it."

The Agents all looked at each other, brought their weapons, and charged.

The ten feet between the stairs and the shrine suddenly exploded into violence. Blades flashed through the air, crackling with snarls of power and electrical current. An alien blade glinted in the setting sun as it sliced through the air. Machine gun fire filled the air, bringing with it, death for those they struck.

And for Sora, who fought with a skill unmatched by anyone on Lunar, it was the first time that she didn't feel the urge to cry as she fought.

None of them knew how long the battle lasted, but by the time it had ended, there was only one thing that was certain.

The heroes had won a great victory that day.

James panted, sending his _Bat'leth_ back into the ether. "Well, that was certainly entertaining."

Amara grinned, sitting down. "Definitely."

Lily turned to Sora, who had holstered her new weapons. "Well, let's get you back to your mom. We have at least six hours before the day ends."

Sora grinned. "I'm ready to go back. I just hope Tai isn't too angry with Biyomon."

"I wouldn't worry about it."  
"How do I get back to Lunar?"

"The same way you came here. Right through your closet."  
"There is a joke in there, somewhere," Neptune muttered.

Sora's grin grew. ""Let me know when you find it. But now, it's time for me to say good bye."

"She did _what_!" Tai exploded.

Biyomon nodded, quailing under the Digi-Destined leader's furious gaze. "Jane sent her there last night," she replied. "She said she had to because Bara was watching the village. She would've attacked the second we left."

Mercury returned from the edge of the village, computer in hand. "Well, Jane was right… again. Bara is holding stationary at about half a mile form here. Judging from the looks of it, she's been there all night."

Angemon nodded. "So she doesn't know where Sora is."

"That's my best guess."

Serena and Darien looked at each other, and nodded. "Well, then… let's not disappoint her. For the sake of appearances, we head for the Cave now. We'll force Bara's hand, so we can deal with her."

Luna smiled slightly at this. This was definitely not the same Moon Princess that had once fought Luna tooth and nail about school work and the like. "We'll make a princess out of you yet, Sailor Moon," she said with pride.

Serena returned the smile. "I'll settle for being a good person, if that's all right with you."

Tai nodded. "Ditto on that… on both things. Alex?"

Alex turned to Nash. "Get everyone together. We're moving out."

Nash saluted. "I shall do so, _mon_ _captain."_

Bara snapped out of her meditative state, her eyes locking onto the Alliance as it left Sarka. "Finally," she muttered. "I though they were never going to leave." She stood up, worked the kinks out of her muscles, before she began running. She had to complete her mission.

And she would… otherwise, Racc would punish her for failure.

Sora hugged her mother good bye, tears making their way down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I can't stay," she said.

Takanouchi looked at her daughter. "I'm sorry you can't, either. But like you said, the rest of your family needs you now. Just, promise me one thing."

"What's that?"  
"Come back in one piece."

Sora started chuckling. "I will certainly try to keep that promise," she said. "Mother… make sure to tell the others that their children are fine… including the Sailor Scouts."

"Ten minutes," Lily suddenly said.

Sora nodded, then went to the closet door, opening it. Her gaze returned to her mother, and smiled. "Good bye, Mom," she whispered, before entering…

… only to find herself back in the cavern hall. Turning around, she found that the door was now gone. "I have got to get used to this," she muttered, as she started for the exit.

Several minutes later, the young girl emerged from the Cavern of Love, taking a deep breath of Lunarian air. It seemed fresher than before, and he knew why. There was no lingering stench of pollutants to worry about. '_We take our world for granted,' _she thought after a moment. '_And our lives.'_ She hoped that, someday, Earth would fully understand what they were doing, and change.

The sound of an explosion caught her attention, and she turned eastward. '_That was a Giga Blaster strike! They must have left the village!'_

And Bara would have likely attacked.

She broke into a run.

Biyomon fluttered ahead of the group, wondering why they were moving so slowly. Bara was probably going to attack them, regardless of how fast they were moving.

And she wanted to see Sora, _now_.

Mercury nodded, her visor giving her the relevant data that she needed. "Bara's on an intercept course," she reported. "At this rate, she'll be in here in fifteen minutes.

Tai nodded, looking at Matt. "She should know that we can fight her."

"_But she doesn't know that Sora isn't here,_" Ginny pointed out.

"She will when I don't digivolve," Biyomon muttered. She was pecking herself for listening to her friend.

But she also knew Jane was right. The Uruk-Hai had gained their status through open war, _Secar__ Triad_, and through tournaments. Sora wouldn't have stood a chance.

Alex looked up. "I can see her. Jupiter, Nash, Mimi?"

"Yes, Alex?" Nash inquired.

"Give her an enthusiastic greeting from us."

"With pleasure." Jupiter's lightning rod rose up, picking up ionization in the process. Mimi and Nash called upon their mystical might, calling upon their most powerful attacks.

"_Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!_"

"Check this out!_ Thunderthrust!"_

"_Thunder Blast!_"

Bara watched in confusion as the Alliance suddenly came to a halt. With her superior eyesight, she saw Tai and Matt engage in conversation, saw Mercury typing on her computer. She even saw Joe observing her with a clinical detachment. _'What in Zphar's beard?'_

She got her answer when a massive barrage of lightning strikes came at her. With a yelp of astonishment, she leaped into the air, just before the attacks hit where she had been originally. She was pelted by dirt and rocks, but managed to avoid the worse of it. Landing, she staggered a bit, surprised by the turn of events.

Tai waved to her energetically. "Morning, Bara!" he said in greeting. "Did you enjoy the wake up call?"  
With a snarl, Bara pulled her sai's out, striking in fury.

The leader of the Digi-Destined pulled his weapon out at the same time, blocking her first strike easily, before shoving back. "Oh, and did we mention that Sora's not here?"

Bara looked around, saw Biyomon, but no Sora.

No Sora.

With the knowledge that her mission had failed before it had begun, and fear now clawing at her, Bara let out a roar, planting a massive kick to Kamiya, sending him back almost thirty feet.

And then she charged at the rest of the Alliance.

----

Royce watched as Bara engaged the Alliance in battle, making note of every movement that was made. She stretched out with her Seer abilities, encompassing the whole group…except Greg Urawa, yet again. She was no longer surprised by this, though she was still aggravated.

The rest of them, however, were like open books. She could see the turmoil that bubbled in their futures, and found it satisfying. She could feel Biyomon's despair and hopelessness slowly strangle her, and found it even more satisfying.

However, as her gaze traveled the battlefield, she saw that Sora Takanouchi was not among them. Frowning, she turned her attention towards the cavern. _'That Jane girl,'_ she thought angrily. _'If I ever get the chance, I will remove her form the equation permanently.'_

In the meantime, she would watch, and sift through the various images she was seeing, trying to determine which one would do the most damage.

----

Mercury hit the ground hard, her twin sabers flying out of her hands, and disappearing in the process.

T.K. and Kari were moving so fast that they were blurs. Both of them slammed into Metalgreymon.

Kabuterimon and Ikkakumon unleashed a barrage of projectiles at her, hitting their target. A thousand needles flew into the smoke cloud.

"_Moon Scepter Activation!_"

"_Mars Fire Ignite!_"

"GIGA BLASTER!"

" _Venus Crescent__ Beam!_"

Although the Uruk-Hai couldn't see, her hearing had not been impaired. Quickly leaping out of the smoke, pulling needles out of her body, she quickly starting throwing them at them, forcing them to scatter. She landed right in the thick of them, punching and kicking. Grabbing Sailor Moon's leg, she threw her into Kabuterimon. Leaping up again, she kicked Angemon in Ikkakumon, before whirling, smashing Pluto into Jessica.

Matt and Kyle moved in quickly. The Nanza Warrior aimed at her legs with a leg sweep. When she jumped to avoid, Matt moved in, striking out like a viper.

Bara blocked his attack, kicking Kyle in the jaw in the process. Her whirl caught Matt in the chest, knocking him back.

Angemon slammed into her with the force of a bull, sending her in Greg's direction. He swiftly arm barred her, stopping her forward momentum. She hit the ground hard, barely rolling out of the way as Angewomon's energy sword bore down on her. Pulling the last of the needles from her, she threw them at the female angelic, before turning.

An explosive surge of magic hit her from behind, forcing her to stagger. Turning yet again, she saw Mia and Nash preparing to attack again. Picking up speed, she grabbed Mia's hands, head butting Nash. She then proceeded to knee Mia in the gut, over and over again, before letting her drop, retching, to the ground.

Tai came in, katana flashing in the air, forcing Bara to turn and fight him. He kept moving forward, forcing her back.

Bara blocked and disengaged, giving Tai an appraising look. "You're not bad looking… for a human," she said. "No wonder Racc is afraid of you."  
"You, and your boy toy, can go to Hell!" Tai snarled, suddenly launching a roundhouse kick.

It slammed into the side of the Uruk-Hai's face, taking the mask with it. A tumbling of red hair appeared, temporarily masking her features.

Then Bara's face was revealed to them, and all of the males gaped for several moments.

Bara was gorgeous. Her face was flawless as any could hope a face to be, with eyes the color of fire. She was the personification of emotion.

Bara grinned once again. "You are also strong. Very nice." Her sai's were out again. "Let us end this."

A gentle tapping on her shoulder caught her attention, and she turned around.

Lilika smiled. "Allow me."

And her fist slammed into Bara's jaw.

----

Royce's eyes widened fractionally, as she watched her niece's fist connect with Bara's face. "Have to admit, didn't see that one coming," she muttered, surprised by the assertiveness of the attack. Her powers allowed her to see that the fight between them would end, though, and it was still in her favor.

As she waited for Bara to put an end to Lilika, a new viion suddenly popped into her mind; That of a young Earth girl sprinting out of the Cavern of Love, and making a beeline for her friends.

_'Oh, this could be a problem…'_

----

Biyomon hung back as her friends fought off the Uruk-Hai that wanted Sora so badly, a surge of helplessness going through her. Without Sora, she couldn't digivolve into Birdramon. And a rookie level Digimon had as much luck beating a creature like Racc as Sailor Moon had successfully fighting her hunger.

And Bara didn't seem to be having any problems. She was presently trading blows with Lilika, Tai, and Weregarurumon, with Angemon, Angewomon, Greg and Mercury hovering the background, waiting for an opening. The four active fighters were moving so fast that they were little more than blurs.

The little bird came to one conclusion; They were so screwed.

Bara suddenly leaped over her opponents, feet slamming into Tai and Lilika. When she hit the ground, her hands came together, with Weregarurumon's head between them. She turned around as he reverted back to Gabumon, her weapons out again as she blocked and struck back, moving so fast that it was impossible to tell if she was moving.

It became apparent that she was, as her sai's sank into Mercury's side. Not taking any time to enjoy her cry of pain, she landed a powerful kick to Angemon's jaw, slashed at Greg's face, and started pummeling Angewomon to the ground. "Anyone else?" she asked pleasantly.

"GIGA BLASTER!"

_'Forgot about the lizard.'_ "_Ninjetti__ Fire Wind Stroke!_" Bara intone, collecting the air particles around her, and heating them up. She quickly sent the blast of hot air right at the two missiles. There was enough force behind it to destroy them easily, and finish Metalgreymon off.

But Tai wasn't about to let that happen. "_Giga Blaster!_" he shouted, forming two fire like versions of the originals, and sending them at the attack. All three attacks collided as one, detonating on impact.

Bara flipped backwards, riding the shockwave. "You are good!" she exclaimed delightfully, thoroughly enjoying herself now. She hadn't had this much fun in five thousand years.

In fact, she hadn't had any fun, period.

Biyomon sighed in relief as Tai picked himself up. _'Sora, we can't keep this up,'_ she thought desperately. _Where are you?'_

As if to answer her question, she felt a sudden surge of power go through her. _'Yes!'_

**BIYOMON DIGIVOLVE TO…BIRDRAMON!**

Bara looked up as Birdramon suddenly appeared, and turned around.

And Sora's foot became well acquainted with her jaw, knocking her off of her feet, and sending her back twenty feet. "Hi, Bara!" she said in greeting. "Keep your hands off of my friends!"  
Bara scrambled to her feet, eyeing the new sai's strapped to Sora's legs, the change in ensemble, and the obvious change in attitude. "So, you've managed to pass you trial," she said, cracking her neck. "Very well." She charged forward, sai's in an attack position.

Sora slid her own set out, and followed suite.

The two of them met midway, colliding with a flurry of punches, kicks, slashes, and mystical attacks. And, from above, Birdramon released Meteor Wing after Meteor Wing.

Tai stopped Lilika before she could run past him. "This is Sora's fight, now," he said. "Let her do this."  
It quickly became apparent that their reasons for fighting were completely different. Bara was fighting out of fear of Racc's punishment. And that made her fight as hard as she could.

Sora, however, was fighting for her friends, and the very thing she represented. And, as she had recently discovered, she was willing to die for that.

Bara quickly backed up, coming up with a quick decision. She quickly ducked under a powerful backhand, sweeping the young lady's feet from under her, and leaped upward, slashing at Birdramon. The Champion level Digimon had plans for later, though, and rose, managing to rake the Uruk-Hai with a talon. "See you later," she cawed.

Sora had regained her footing, and had leaped up, performing a bicycle kick that would have made Liu Kang proud, and launched an air blast that would have made Ermac cower in fear. Both attacks hit perfectly, sending Bara back fifty feet. Birdramon quickly followed that up with three Meteor Wings, hitting with perfect accuracy.

Sora looked behind her, seeing her friends getting back up. Her eyes locked with Tai's, and held for a moment. _'I love him,'_ she thought, finally admitting what she had known all along. _'I think I always did.'_

And her crest glowed.

**BIRDRAMON DIGIVOLVE TO… GARUDAMON!**

Bara rose, groaning a bit in pain and irritation. Like she didn't have enough problems already.

Birdramon's head and beak became more eagle like in appearance as she grew larger. The wings migrated to her back as two muscular arms appeared. Her spindly limbs grew larger, and stronger, as her torso became more human in structure. Finally, a massive head of hair appeared, hidden under a wooden helmet.

Kyle gapped at the Ultimate level monster. "She looks like an animal spirit," he whispered.

Alex grinned for the first time since Luna's kidnapping. "She'll last longer, too."

Bara stared at Garudamon for a second too long. She should have attacked.

"WING BLADE!" Garudamon bellowed, air particles around her heating up rapidly, and focusing into a bird like shape. When it enshrouded her mighty form, she launched it at her target at something resembling terminal velocity.

Bara quickly brought her hand up, launching a mid level wind attack at it in response. It slammed into the Wind/ Fire attack head on, causing an explosion, and the usual shockwave.

----

Royce's cloak billowed as the wind suddenly picked up. Her stance shifted to balance herself, as a new vision appeared before her. It wasn't in their favor.

_'Time to switch strategy,'_ she thought, pulling her comm link out, and sent out the signal to retreat.

She vanished, returning to the Frontier to plan her next move.

----

Garudamon glared down at Bara as the dust settled. Sora stepped forward, ready to attack again.

And Bara's communicator buzzed once.

A near overpowering sense of relief surged through the Uruk-Hai's body. Racc wouldn't dare touch her. Now without incurring Phacia's wrath. "I guess we shall have to continue this later, Takanouchi," she said, bowing. "Farewell!" She quickly vanished in a swirl of fire.

And, just like that, Sora had a vision.

It wasn't a Seer vision.

It wasn't even a message of any kind.

It was simply an image.

And she wasn't the only one to have it.

----

"Sora… Sora!"

Moaning softly, Sora slowly regained consciousness, looking up to see… "Garudamon," she croaked, before turning her head. "Tai."

Tai smiled in relief. His hand, so strong and firm, held hers in a gentle grasp. "You did great, Sora," he said. "And thanks… thanks for coming back."

Sora smiled, not even needing words to thank him.

Garudamon smiled. "Come on, let's get going." She stood up firmly. "I will carry you until you are strong enough to walk, Sora."

Sora nodded, closing her eyes again, and letting her head rest on Tai's shoulder.

And she began to ponder the image she had seen…

Takanouchi quickly ran to the phone, grabbing it, and dialing the Takashi residence. " Nancy, they're alive!" she said. "Your son's are alive!"  
And, over the phone, the sound of a mother weeping in relief could be heard.

The trial of Love is over, but the test has yet to end. But, that won't be for a while. It's time to return to the Harry Potter universe, which by my estimates, is around the Christmas season. So please, continue reviewing.

After a great deal of thought, I have decided to end Captain Planet at the conclusion of the Sunak invasion, as I simply don't think I could keep on writing it. Also, I want to be able to focus on the original story more.


	70. Episode Sixty One Invitation

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Harry Potter: Stargate/ Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption**

**Episode Sixty One: Zion**

**Realm 3**

To say that Hogwarts was in a state of pre Christmas joy was an understatement worthy of remembering.

Already, the teachers were rolling out the decorations for the holiday season, despite the growing threat of war looming on the horizon. In fact, it was perhaps in spite of it. It was their way of telling Beryl that, _We're still here, and we are not afraid of what the future brings._

And, as Wendy reflected while she helped put up a string of garlands, it could put a smile, or the best approximation of one, on even the most placid face.

As she stood on the ladder, humming Christmas tunes under her breath, Obi-Wan walked up to her, confusion evident in his expression. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Wendy looked down, smiling at him. "I'm just helping with the decorations."

"This, I can see." Even at the differences of height, Wendy could see the amusement expressed on his face. "I was wondering more about, for what?"

"Oh… for Christmas, actually. I would think the Jedi would know something about that." "Actually, I don't. I have never had any need to celebrate."  
Wendy was immediately reminded that, despite the fact that he was human, Obi-Wan and his friends didn't know a great deal about Earth customs and holidays. "Well, Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, when family and friends get together to celebrate the end of one year."

"Celebrate? Celebrate what, exactly."

"Well… family, for starters."

"Ah."

"That's only one reason. There are many reasons, including religious, and even some bordering on selfish." Wendy finished pinning up the garlands, before starting down the ladder. "Everyone has their own reason for celebrating… and some choose not to. It's really quite…"

Her sentence was cut off when she stepped on one of the rungs… and her foot slipped.

With a yelp of surprise, Wendy lost her grip on the ladder… and was immediately steadied by Obi-Wan, her hands clasping his shoulders. "I seem to be saving you from life threatening situations, and potentially embarrassing ones alike," he said, humor lacing his tone. She had been on the fourth to last rung, after all, and would have only suffered a few bruises.

Wendy chuckled, looking up. "Well, I'm grateful that I have you to make sure of that." Her gaze locked onto his, and held it. She hadn't expected this little tidbit. All she was going to do was thank him, then let go, and forget the whole thing.

But she found that he wanted to kiss him, to hold him close, and to never let him go. And she found that worrisome.

And there were other considerations to think about. Obi-Wan Kenobi's allegiance to the Jedi Order was absolute, and he would do nothing to jeopardize it. And neither would she.

Reluctantly, the young woman disentangled herself from Obi-Wan, clearing her throat. "Well… um… anyway, thank you."

Obi-Wan nodded, looking a little more flustered than he usually would be, and eternally grateful Anakin wasn't there to see it. "You're… you're welcome."

The awkward situation was disrupted, rather rudely, in fact, when a snide voice said, "I would say a lot of people would find this interesting, but you are blocking the hallway."

Obi-Wan turned around, bowing slightly. "Mister Malfoy," he said. "I trust you are here for a good reason."

"Yes… actually. But it isn't any of your concern, Master Jedi."

"Then perhaps you should move along, sir." Wendy stepped up. "And, for future reference, try not to mention these things with such… disdain."

"And I would appreciate it, if you didn't tell me what to do, muggle," Malfoy hissed. "Here, you are just a minority." He strolled towards the stairwell, his cape billowing around him.

Wendy shook her head. "I'm still better than you, you bastard," she muttered darkly.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "One of these days, I think you'll prove him wrong about his superiority."

Wendy smiled, looking like she wanted to say something.

The conversation was abruptly halted by the sound of their comm units going off. Sighing in aggravation, Obi Wan quickly brought his up. "Kenobi here," he said.

"_I need everyone in the conference room, now,"_ McGonagall replied, uncharacteristically somber. _"Something has occurred that everyone should hear… including Mrs. Barrington and Mister Pan."_

Wendy frowned. "What does that mean?"

**

* * *

Zion**

Alania walked down the streets of Zion, heading for the main grounds of Zion Academy. Considering everything that has happened, she decided to call in a few people.

The first few were easy to convince. They had been stewing about in various departments, trying to overcome various weaknesses in medical, tactical, and the limitations of navigation. Their efforts had paid off with the development of the newest ship of the fleet. The first of its kind.

But now, she needed to talk to someone about the position of Science Officer.

That someone had accepted a post as Science Teacher at the Academy several years ago.

Entering the grounds, she strolled towards the left building, where all of their science classes were performed. If she knew the woman, she would be in the thick of conducting a lesson.

Sure enough, as she approached the Dimensional Sciences, she could hear the teacher in the middle of her lesson involving dimensional time dilation. _'It's the beginning of the year,'_ she remembered suddenly. _'She is _really _not going to be happy with me.'_ Steeling herself, she opened the door, entering.

Almost twenty students were standing around the Protectorate mapping system, watching as various realms were highlighted. Alania grinned at the attentive looks they had on their faces, before turning her attention to the person conducting the lesson.

The woman in question was a Trill, red spots dancing down the sides of her body. Once a prestigious Starfleet Officer of the United Federation of Planets, she had decided to put that knowledge to good use, guiding the next generation of soldiers, diplomats, scientists, and Guardians through science with compassion, courage, and a rather unique sense of humor.

"According to Twentieth Century Earth's theories, most notably Schrödinger's cat, if there is a situation with multiple actions or solutions, then a new universe will form, where each action is played out," Jadzia Idaris, formerly Jadzia Dax of _Deep Space Nine_, said. "Now, because of the complexity of this theory to even the Guardians themselves, it is virtually impossible to predict every single action that every person throughout a particular universe is capable of doing, or what time frame it is currently. For starters, in one reality, someone like Captain Jean-Luc Picard could be real, and in another reality, he is a character played by Patrick Stewart. In one universe, I'm Jadzia Dax, in another, Terry Farrell, the person playing the part." She smiled. "But, we have a way to figure out a few things about each universe, how each one went down a certain path. Can you name one way?"

One of the students, a boy wearing a style reminiscent of a Pokemon trainer, raised his hand. "Existence Time Dilation?"

"Correct, Ash. In the Protectorate alone, there at least a hundred realms pertaining to certain universes, so we can figure out what acts occurred that changed the course of history for that particular realm. For example, the Mirror Universe. It has been established that Zefram Cochrane did not greet the vulcans who came to Earth with open arms, but instead killed them, and took control of their vessel. This, in turn, led to the creation of the Terran Empire, or Realm 666."

"What about alternate timelines," one of the students asked, "especially in those universes that have already been established?"

Jadzia grinned. "An excellent question… but that's for another day. I want you to comprise a report about two identical realms you have picked, with the exception of 9002 and 666, complete with the action that led to their divergence, as well as the four most likely actions that could have happened. It will due in four weeks. Class dismissed."

"And that is my cue," Alania murmured, stepping up. "Miss Idaris!"  
The trill turned her head, catching sight of supreme Guardian as the students filed out of the classroom. "I take it you liked the sermon."

"Oh, yeah. Nothing catches my interest more than talk about so called hypothetical situations. But, that's not the reason I'm here." Alania took a breath. "How would you feel about going out into space again?"

"I would have to ask who died."

"I'm serious."

Jadzia stared at her for a second. "When you revived me, you told me that you needed my services in a classroom, helping the students with understanding complex scientific equations and theories. Now you want me to dust off my spacesuit?" She sighed. "What captain called?"

"No captain. I'm looking for a science officer for a new ship. The Supergate system has just been installed, and the vessel passed Locc's personal inspection."

"… Wow. This… this is incredible. I… I never thought you would ask me to go into the service."

Alania grinned outright. "If you decide to, you'll be given the rank of lieutenant commander. The same rank you held under Sisko."

Jadzia turned to the great Protectorate projection, staring at it for a moment. "Who do you have for the Captain's chair? The _Genesis's_ first officer?"

"No. In fact, the person in question has no idea that she's being considered. Call it… a gut feeling where she's concerned. But first… I have to send a few messages."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

"I hope you find these quarters to your satisfaction," Diana said, stepping away.

Slowly, Belle slipped into the room, taking in the Spartan, but obviously comfortable surroundings. Kes, she knew, would be getting a similar arrangement right next door. "_Just in case,_" she had said.

The young woman nodded once. "They're enough for me. I see only one bed, though."

Diana nodded. "We'll bring in another one for Chip, but we didn't have a lot of time to get these ready."

"Thank you, all the same."

"Are we settling in fine?"

Both women turned to see Kes standing at the entrance, looking in. She had changed out of the dress she had been in, opting instead with a blue-silver ensemble jumpsuit, which was the only set of clothes she had in the shuttle. Belle couldn't help but notice that it looked good on her.

Kes sighed. "Our quarters are virtually identical. All metal and glass. I need to get some flora in."

Diana chuckled. "I transformed mine into what an Amazonian residence on Themiscera looks like. Almost everyone who has them up here has modeled them as they have seen fit."

Kes nodded. "I kind of gathered." She looked around. "Could I talk to Belle alone, for a moment?"

"Sure. I'll be outside if you need me."

"Thank you." Kes waited until the Amazon was outside, before closing her eyes.

Belle frowned. "Kes?"

"Shh… okay, there. I shut off the spy camera in the wall. I don't want their faceless friend listening in on a private conversation." The Occampan sat down on the bed. "I just spoke to this Superman, and he had told me that you aren't the only one that has lost a loved one."

"I kind of gathered that."

"Actually… do you know someone named Wendy Darling? She's a friend of Tinkerbell's."

"Tinkerbell?" Belle smiled softly. "I don't know this Wendy, but I do know Peter Pan. Why?"

"Her husband was murdered almost a month ago by some kind of warrior called a Sith Lord," Kes replied. "Apparently, Peter's world is deep within the Guardian Frontier."

"And the Heartless have been there," Belle finished. "What does Superman want with me?"

"Well, for starters, he wants you to grieve for everything you've lost. Two, he wants to know everything you can tell him about the Heartless. Three, he wants you taught in basic defense skills."  
"And what about you?"

"Professor Xavier, who is quite the telepath himself, has agreed to help me learn more about my powers, and how to refine my control of them. Vulcan mental screens simply are not enough, and I don't think that there are any Betazoids on this 'Watchtower.'"

"Well… you may tell Superman that I'm fine. Really, I am."

Kes observed her for a moment, already amazed by how much in control of herself Belle was. But she could also read between the lines, and one didn't need to be a psychic to see the exhaustion subtly lining Belle's youthful face, and the pain apparent in her eyes. It spoke of a deeper pain, a pain that was of an emotional and spiritual nature.

It disturbed Kes slightly that she could already see all of this.

The moment was shattered when Belle suddenly looked at the clock behind her, checking the time. "I need to go get Chip from… 'J'onn,' right?"

"J'onn, yes. Do you mind if I join you?"

"I would like that."

----

"Where _is_ Raven?" Beast Boy almost shouted, arms waving over his head. "We're supposed to be outta here by now!"

"Peace, friend," Starfire soothed. "I am sure that she will be along soon, Perhaps she is doing the 'primping.'"

Rebecca snorted. "Starfire, we really need to improve your use of the English language."

Yugi simply chortled in the background.

Robin grinned behind his magazine, reclining fully on the couch. He was no better informed of Raven's movements than Beast Boy, but the green skinned Titan didn't need to know that.

For the better part of the two weeks since their foray to Realm 3401, Raven had begun a redecorating project for her room. She had been very secretive about it, not even letting him in for a pre observation. Hence, Starfire had concocted the most elaborate story about what was going on, and… well, suffice to say, sweet, innocent Serenity had learned quite a bit about Tamaranian sex practices. The blush alone had taken three hours to dissipate, while poor Joey and Tristan were in a corner, trying to beat the images that explanation had brought on out of their heads.

Robin had found himself intrigued and amused, and had relayed the story to his fellow Trainee. She had laughed for almost three minutes.

Jinx, whose pinkish blush had barely subsided, sat down next to DMG, drinking a root beer. "Well, whatever she's doing to that room is probably creepier than how she kept it before. I mean, while I was outside, I saw her lying down on the beach, just looking out over the ocean. _That_ was creepy."

"Next time," Raven replied, entering the room, smiling slightly, "I'll be in a bikini. That should cause your head to explode."

Robin grinned, taking in her attire, while everyone's jaws hit the floor in shock. "I'd say the clingy black shirt and form fitting jeans are getting plenty of reaction," he retorted. "They look good on you. I didn't know you had that outfit, though."

"And when does she start telling you everything?" Terra asked, recovering quickly.

"They were yours once, weren't they?"

"Yeah. My present to her before my… departure. I'm a little thinner than her, so they're baggy on me."

Raven smirked. "I, on the other hand, am a bit fuller and curvier than our geomancer Bang Baby here." Her smirk grew. "Besides, they're comfortable."  
Beast Boy keeled over in his chair, as Cyborg pushed his mouth closed. Yugi and Rebecca were laughing quietly, while DMG put a hand over her mouth, trying to contain the explosive chortle that was threatening to pop out.

Robin simply eyed her in appreciation. "Read my mind, Raven. I think my overall appreciation is more than sufficient.

Raven sniffed in mock offense. "See if I ever help you again, Boy Blunder," she replied, eyes twinkling.

----

Rogue moved across the mansion grounds quickly, heading for the vast woods near by, staff in hand, as she thought about the coming practice with Logan. She wondered why he had asked for her to meet him in the woods.

In truth, she had no real idea why she was having this session alone with him.

'_Relax,'_ she assured herself, remembering that he had called for various teammates to do certain tasks without any backup. For Bobby, there was putting out an entire forest fire. (simulated of course.) For Kitty, it was retrieving a particular item without tripping a single alarm in the process.

For her, whose powers were that of a parasite, it was usually more conventional tests, like endurance, flexibility, combat skill, and speed. _'So why the weapon? I've never had any use for one before.'_

Unless he was trying to figure out how much of a natural she was in battle.

Shrugging off any concerns she might have, Rogue soon reached the area she was supposed to meet her instructor, she saw that she had been given the raw end of the deal.

Logan was there… but so was Shayera.

"'Bout time you got here, Stripes," Logan growled. "I was beginning to think that you forgot where the woods were."

"Har, har, har," Rogue retorted, glaring at him. "Ah had no idea you had a sense of humor. Now why'd ya call me?"

Shayera smirked at this comment. She already liked this girl.

Logan grinned. "Bird Brain has decided to teach you a few things about a staff weapon, so I don't want to hear that you killed her for whatever reason."

"No promises."

"Good. Have fun."

The Thanagarian shook her head as the ol' Canuckle head made his exit, before turning to her new student. "Now then, let's get started."

About three hours later, Rogue had mastered the basics of the weapon, as well as some of the more advanced techniques that came with it. She was somewhat amazed, but not too much.

"Alright, Rogue," Shayera finally said, impressed with the X-men's growing prowess, "were going to take a few minutes to rest. Then we'll see how much you remembered."

"Good." Rogue sank down on a rock, taking a drink from her water bottle. "You'd think Dartz would want to attack while we were weak."

Shayera grinned, stretching out a bit. "People who use magic are kinda tough to figure out. They're either like Dr. Fate, who uses his powers for better understanding of the universe, Zatanna, who uses her powers to pull off incredible tricks, or Agatha Harkness, who uses her powers to calm a person with…violent tendencies."

Rogue nodded, stretching her limbs as she began to prepare herself. No sign of her inner intrigue showed on her face.

Shayera, who could read subtle shifts in a person's body, immediately knew something was up. "Something wrong, Rogue?"

Startled, the young mutant turned to Shayera. "Not really," she replied.

"Uh huh. Try again."

Rogue sighed, thinking about how more persistent a Thanagarian could be than even Logan, sitting down again. "It's just…I've been thinking a lot…about who my parents could be. Ah mean, Mystique adopted me, an' Irene raised me, but Ah always had the feelin' that there was somethin'… else about me. An' I don't mean mah mutant powers."

"You mean… something special. You're looking for someone."

"Well… yeah. How'd you know?"

Shayera sighed, fluffing her wings a bit. "Well, I know, because I'm looking for someone as well." She looked up. "Rogue, have you ever heard of Alania?"

"Alania…? … Now that you mention it, Ah heard Agatha and Mystique talkin' about her once. Why?"

"Because she's who I've been looking for."

The young woman nodded once, not surprised. "Ah used to look for her, until mah powers started acting up. After that, Ah couldn't really get to a computer."

Shayera was silent for a second. "You know, I've got everything about Alania from the last thirty years saved on my screen. Maybe we can shift through it, see if we can't find anything that might help us find her."

"Really?" Rogue asked.

"Really."

"I don't think that'll be necessary."

Both women turned as one to the new voice. Shayera was, for the first time in her life, not really surprised. "Trinity," was all she said.

Rogue, in the meantime, gaped in surprise. "How the hell did ya get passed our security?" she got out. "The entire wood's got motion detectors planted all over."

Trinity grinned slightly, her eyes twinkling. "I am presently hovering a micro-inch off the ground," she replied simply. "It gives the impression that I am touching the ground, so no one immediately realizes."

"Sweet."

"I am here to give you this." The woman gave Shayera a letter. "You three should read it when you are not in my presence. It's… personal in nature."

Shayera nodded, before blinking. "Hold on, both of us?" she asked.

"Yes. Alania is looking forward to meeting Marie and Belle as well. And you are not the only ones." Trinity smiled. "I must be off. I'm needed back at Zion, now." Bowing once, she vanished.

Rogue blinked. "How'd she know my name was Marie?"

Shayera shrugged. "I don't know. It's probably the same way she knew my hacker alias. Alania must have an extensive network at her disposal." Curious as to what the letter said, she stood up. "Let's go to the Watchtower, and see what Alania wants with the lot of us."

**

* * *

Realm 3**

"Belle?!" Peter sputtered. "Belle's now on the Watchtower?!"

Wendy leaned back as Tinkerbell jingled. "So the Heartless are trying again. I have to admit, Maleficent is tenacious."

"Actually, it wasn't just the Heartless, though I'm looking forward to this conversation," McGonagall said, leaning forward in her chair. "According to the Justice League report, there was also a Deadly Alliance force there, including a Goa'uld warship."

Harry's eyes became hard, as Hermione let out a hiss. They remembered all too well their last encounter with them. Wendy and her family were refugees because of it. "Any idea how they managed to get into the Kingdom Hearts Zone?" he growled.

"None so far, though it may have been because of the Stargate set there that may have allowed the transfer. In any event, Miss Cartier is now onboard the Watchtower, undergoing various psychological and physical examinations."

"But why are we hearing about this, now?" Obi-Wan asked. "From what I can understand from the mission debriefing the Guardians had given us, the Heartless were after seven 'Princess's of Purity.'"

"And that all seven were captured, and used to open the doorway to Kingdom Hearts," Claire finished. "We know, and that is what is in the official reports. Unofficially though, there was another investigation ordered by Alania herself."

"Six of the seven princesses were captured, and taken to Hollow Bastion, the epicenter of the Heartless invasion," Hermione explained. "Their pure hearts were taken from their bodies, and they were preserved in coffin shaped pods, awaiting the return of those hearts. But Belle, for some reason, resisted their attack, and had to be taken, kicking and screaming, from the castle she had been living in.

"Once there, she managed to escape, learned of the plot itself, evaded capture, reached the room where the others were kept, faced off against Maleficent, and caused a great deal of damage before she was recaptured. This, in turn, intrigued the Guardians enough to look into it."

"They soon concluded that Belle possessed uncharted Potential," Claire finally finished up with. "But Timelord Akalon told us to leave her alone, because her destiny ran down a different path. And we always obey him, even when we know it's wrong."

"But that's no longer an option, is it?" Wendy asked.

"No… no it isn't."

McGonagall nodded once. "Well, it appears that we have a problem here," she said. "If the Deadly Alliance is willing to breach this Kingdom Hearts Zone to kill this woman, then there is a strong possibility that they will try again. Options?"

Ron leaned in. "How about we meet this woman? I mean, it wouldn't hurt to know her, right?"

Harry nodded, opening his mouth.

A knock on the door interrupted their meeting, as Kingsley entered, looking apologetic. "Sorry for intruding, but we just received a message for Mister Potter, Miss Granger, Mister Pan, and Miss Barrington. It's a personal one."

Harry sighed in frustration. "Excuse us, Professor. This should only take a moment." He and the other three other Trainees headed for the console in question.

_To the four Trainees of Hogwarts School;_

_By the personal invitation of Alania, First Guardian of Zion, you are invited to visit the great capital city for the weekend, for a series of meetings concerning the defenses of the Big Ten, and to see the prototype for a new class of starship. Oh, and to get to know the place where Lily and James Potter lived for six years after Hogwarts. You are allowed to bring several guests with you, like close friends and family, only._

_We look forward to your visit._

_Commander Locc, Zion High Command_

Harry blinked in surprise at this. "Well, that is certainly worthy of Alania," he said.

Peter shook his head. "Why all four of us? And why can we bring friends along?"

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe because we're Chosen Ones. Or maybe that's because Alania wants to meet them. But… what do I tell my parents?"

"You haven't told them?" Jane asked. "This is too big to keep from your parents!"  
"Well, unlike you, my parents had reservations about me going to a magic school!" Hermione retorted, immediately regretting her tone. "I'm sorry, Jane. That was uncalled for. But, my parents did have reservations about this."

Jane smiled. "Then just tell them."

"Which reminds me, I'll tell Ron while you're doing that," Harry said. Grinning, he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll understand."

"You've only met my parents once, Harry. Trust me, it's a tad more difficult than you think."

**

* * *

Realm 3**

"Like, hold on Rogue," Kitty said. "You want us to come with you?"

Lance frowned. "I don't know, Rogue. What about Logan? Summers? Kurt?"

"Ah've already asked Kurt, and Ah don't think Logan should be here. Besides, you behaved yourself when we went to Dakota City. Ah figured you should see how the High Society acts."

"I know how they act," Lance grumbled. "I mean, look where you live at the moment."

"Yeah, but the Professor doesn't act snotty and arrogant."

The Earth Mover conceded the point, grinning. "Alright… I think I can stand a little field trip…" His grin faded. "And I want to ask her if there's any way to save my friends."

"I hope there is," Kitty said, hugging him slightly.

"So do Ah," Rogue added. "So, will you go?"  
Kitty smiled brightly. "We are so totally going!"

----

"Us?" Vixen echoed. "Shayera, have you gone mental? We're needed here!"

"Kes and Belle are already going. And I'm asking both of you if you would be interested." Shayera grinned. "I thought you'd like to join me on my pilgrimage."

GL and Vixen looked at each other, then at her. "Sure," the Lantern said, green eyes twinkling. "I've wanted to meet the Guardians for a long time. The Oa guardians spoke of them quite highly."

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better," Vixen grumbled. "John, they were willing to let you take the fall for a crime you didn't commit!"

The man merely held his hand up, showing her the ring. "You have to remember, Vixen, I thought I had committed the same crime. If Superman and J'onn hadn't discovered the holographic device, and Flash and Kilowag hadn't come to my aid, then I would have gone on, ignorant of what happened." He grinned. "And in the end, the guardians were grateful that I was blameless."

"…Oh, okay… Count me in, then."

Shayera grinned. "Thanks," she said, truly grateful. "We're leaving in two hours. Is hat enough time?"

"Should be."

"See you then."

John grinned. "We'll be there."

----

Robin finished packing his bag, turning to Cyborg. "You'll be in charge until we return," he said. "Make sure Beast Boy doesn't get into my room, and into my uniforms… like the last time I left!" He paused for second. "And you stay outta them, too."

Cyborg grinned. "No problem, Robin."

The Boy Wonder turned around again. "Hey, Rae, are you ready to go?"

Raven bounded into the room. "Before you ask, remember; I didn't really go out as much as the rest of you. So I don't have any other clothes besides what I'm wearing."

"Oh? Well, we'll have to change that, won't we?"

"Yes, we will. Shall we, Boy Blunder?"

"We shall, Pretty Birdy."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

"Hermione, calm yourself," Wendy said gently, as the young witch paced back and forth. "I am sure that your parents were open-minded when they found out you were a witch."

"Oh, they were, after about six hours of looking dumbly at Professor Dumbledore, while he ate lemon drops and performed various spells." Hermione rubbed her hands together. "This is going to be a tad more difficult to accept."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they will understand."

Harry entered, grinning. "It's time to see if your optimism is well founded. Hermione, they're waiting for you in Professor Dumbledore's office."

Hermione nodded, her nerves increasing. "Harry, could you come with me?" she asked. "I really don't want to do this alone."

Harry smiled. "Sure."

Wendy looked at Jane, who was obviously trying not to laugh. _'She sees it too… good. At least she obtained her father's intuition.'_

Once again, the thought of Edward sent a pang of grief through her. Her smile faltered slightly at that, remembering all of the times Edward had said that he could see when someone had something important to tell him, or if they were keeping something hidden.

Jane sat down next to her, knowing what was going through her mother's mind. "Daddy wouldn't want to se any of us sad," she said quietly. "You know that."

"I know… it's just that…" Wendy brushed a tear from her eye. "I was remembering something your father once told me about people who hide their feelings from someone they care for. They end up wearing their emotions on their sleeves. And… I can't help feeling that I am nothing more than a walking emotional poster."

"Well, if you're talking about Master Obi-Wan…"

"I should have known better than to try and keep something like this away from you."

Jane giggled. "He likes you too. You know that."  
"I know." Wendy took a breath. "Edward would want for me to be happy, but how can I be when the man who has, for some strange reason, already become my closest friend, has sworn an oath to an order that abhors close connections between people?"

"… … I don't know, but I do know this. 'Love will find a way.' You told me that one, remember?"

"I remember. And I'm glad you remembered as well."

"You didn't raise an ignorant child," Jane replied.

Wendy smiled. "No… no I didn't," she said, hugging Jane. "And I am forever grateful for that.

----

Amanda Granger sank into one of the plush chairs, stunned beyond belief. Daniel Granger was only handling it somewhat better, but not by much.

Hermione had just finished telling them everything that had happened over the last month, from their journey to Lunar, to their discovery of what they were, all the way to the creation of the SGC and their first mission through the Gate. Now she sat there, waiting anxiously, while Harry stood beside her, as patient as anyone could be.

Amanda turned to Dumbledore. "You allow this?" she finally got out. "You let _children _enter potentially dangerous situations, with_ weapons?_ You're supposed to be protecting them, for god sake!"

Dumbledore nodded. "I had reservations about this as well. Unfortunately, even my protection is not enough. We have had to fortify this castle several times over the last two weeks, due to Sirius Black's escape, all the way to a demon incursion that almost cost young Mister Potter here his life. In short, nothing I or the Ministry can do will make your daughter safer. And, I am sorry to say, Miss Granger has made it painfully clear that she will fight alongside Harry, regardless."

Hermione saw her opening, pounced on it. "Mum, Dad, I have powers, abilities, and knowledge that can help," she said. "And the Professor is right. Nothing they do can protect us. If our enemies want us dead, they will find a way to do just that. At least this way, I'm taking the fight to them."

"But you're only thirteen!" Daniel objected. "You're just a child!"

"I stopped being a child when I became Harry Potter's friend," was the brusque reply. "I've seen too much already."

Harry put a hand on her shoulder, letting her know that she could stop. If she kept on this vein, she and her parents would be at each other's throats, which would be the exact opposite of what they wanted. "I have tried over the last two years to protect your daughter. I never want to put her in danger. But Hermione has made it perfectly clear that she will not 'babied' by me or Ron. And she is not only capable of handling it, she is also very gifted at it." He grinned. "Two attributes that I am sure come from her parents, if I may be so bold."

The observation and compliment had the desired effect, as the two adults paused in their justified indignation. Dumbledore nodded to Harry, the only sign of his relief showing through.

Daniel looked at Harry, then Hermione. "Well, it seems that you chose your friends well enough," he said gently, finally cracking a smile. "But this wasn't the only reason you wanted to see us in person, is it?"

Hermione smiled as well. "I have received an invitation to visit the Guardian city of Zion for the weekend, and I was wondering if you would like to come."

"…You… you want us to come with you?"  
"Well, it did say I could bring my parents. Harry is bringing along the Weasley's. And… I would love it if you would come, as well."

Amanda stared for a moment longer, before a smile emerged on her face. "We would love to, Hermione," she said. "When do we leave, actually?"

Harry's grin grew. "How fast can you pack for a two day trip?" he asked.

----

Arthur was practically skipping as they made for the Gate Room, already wondering what strange new technological devices he would see at work. Molly was anxious about going through the shimmering opening. Fred and George were obviously wondering what Guardian jokes were like. Ginny was simply curious about the Potter family's home city.

Peter couldn't wait to see what Zion was like, and Jane shared his enthusiasm fully. Harry and Hermione were almost jumping up and down in joy, with the Grangers and Ron watching in amusement at this. Claire, who had been living there for more than six years, was almost as jumpy.

Obi-Wan merely frowned. "Why did you ask me to come?" he asked.

Wendy laughed lightly, holding Daniel close. "Oh Obi-Wan, I thought you would like to see this. And besides, Jane and Danny wanted you to come, too… just as much as I did."

The Jedi Master nodded, somewhat surprised. Anakin and Padme had demurred, wanting to get a few days of absolute peace. But the second Daniel had turned those puppy dog eyes on him, he had instantly agreed. _'Great and powerful Jedi, I am,'_ he thought in amusement. _'I cave in because a young boy gave me puppy dog eyes.'_

Harry grinned. "Well, as I am sure Peter here will agree, let's get this adventure started!" He started for the Gate, everyone behind him.

McGonagall and Dumbledore watched from the Control Room as those embarking for Zion went through the Gate, feeling nothing but intrigue and concern. As the Gate shut off after the last of them stepped through the event horizon, they turned to one another. "Care for a lemon drop?" the Headmaster asked.

McGonagall frowned. "Actually, I want to talk to you about Potter's current place of residency."

"Then let us retire to your office. Now that we know that his parents are alive, it gives another option." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Plus, I think now both Harry and the Dursley's are going to be happy about the change."

On that, McGonagall agreed whole-heartedily.

**

* * *

Zion**

Robin stepped out of the Gate, moving out of the way as Raven, followed by the others, exited, looking around in amazement. "Incredible," he whispered.

Raven shook her head. "'Incredible' doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Ah'll go with that." Rogue looked around. "This is… beyond description."

Kitty and Lance both nodded, not taking their eyes off of the incredible sight before them.

A massive stretch of city, disappearing on the horizon in both directions, lay before them, its majestic skyscrapers extending to the heavens. And, in the center of the city, rising high above them, was the largest palace any of them had ever seen before in their lives. It was almost like out of a fairytale.

From either side of their immediate position, there were a series of Stargates, all of them activating and deactivating at regular intervals, allowing passengers to enter and exit. They could see that sometimes, two gates would activate at the same time, which meant a far more advanced dialing system had been developed.

Kes smiled. "I may be wrong, but I think that's where Alania lives," she commented.

Belle giggled, Chip looking around in curiosity. "I should say so."

Shayera nodded, holding back a twitter as she took in GL's and Vixen's expressions.

"Actually, I would say that she and half of Zion's population lives there."

"Actually, that also doubles as the Senate Chambers, and the home to the primary military base," a new voice said, "but I can see where the mistake could be. It's big enough!"

Robin and Raven turned as one, identical grins of delight apparent on their faces. "Hello, Claire!"

Claire returned the grin, as Harry and the others all turned as one. "Grayson, you know you can remove the mask at least once in your life! It clashes with the shirt!"  
Raven leered at him. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Give it a rest," Robin replied behind clenched teeth. "Harry, Hermione! How have you been doing?"

Harry grinned. "We've just survived, Richard. You two?"

"The usual." Robin gestured. "This is Shayera Hol, John Stewart, Catherine Pryde, Lance Alvers, Rogue, Belle Cartier, and… Kes."

Ron shook Lance's hand. "An honor."

"Likewise, Mister…"

"Ron Weasley."

Harry quickly made introductions, including a few that Belle or the two Titans already knew. He was going to have to ask how Peter knew the young French woman. He was also going to have to ask Belle if she knew anyone by the name Hikari… later. Presently, he was enjoying watching Robin's friends all go up to Wendy, wanting to know if she was _the_ Wendy.

Raven turned to him. "Is this how you feel everyday?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Wait until they find out that he's _the _Peter Pan. They'll go ballistic."

Kes chuckled for a moment. "You should have seen Starfire. They let her rent a Disney movie called _Beauty and the Beast._ When she found out Belle was the real deal, she wanted to meet her."

"And the fact that she had just had her fairy tale story ruined by the Deadly Alliance didn't register immediately," Shayera added. "When Kori found out, she decided wait for a few weeks."

"Smartest plan ever," Ginny murmured. "Harry, Hermione, did you notice that Belle has a very striking resemblance to Hikari?"

Claire blinked. "I was about to say the same thing. The resemblance is uncanny."

"Probably just good genetics," Amanda replied. "Question, though; Who is Hikari?"

Hermione sighed. "Long story, Mom. I'll explain later."

"I look forward to it."

The group chatted for a few moments as they moved from the Stargates, and the smiling intendents controlling them, heading for the exit of Zion's civilian controlled Stargate system. On the way, Claire explained a few things about the cities transportation. Due to the sheer size of the capital, transporters and fast moving air vehicles were the normal ways of travel, and it would be extremely difficult to get a taxi at this time of day.

Acquiring transportation became moot, though, the second they stepped outside.

Claire gapped at the sleek looking cruiser before them, recognizing it easily. "That's Alania's personal skimmer!" she said in awe. "Capable of reaching up to Mach Three in under thirty seconds, and equipped with shields you would only find on _Tantalus_ class warships!"

Kes was gapping as well, though for an entirely different reason. "I'm a little more surprised about who's driving it." She walked forward. "Jadzia Dax?"

Jadzia, now clad in a uniform eerily similar to the one she wore more than four years afo, grinned widely. "So, we finally meet, Kes," she said in greeting, shaking the Occampan's hand vigorously. "You're looking good for a nine year old, you know."

Lance looked at Belle questioningly. Belle shrugged. "An Occampam's natural lifespan is nine years," she explained quietly. "As such, their bodies age just as rapidly. Before Morgan got involved, Kes was equivalent to a ninety year old human."

"Ah." The walking Richter Scale turned his attention back to the conversation between the two aliens. "Do you two know each other?" he asked.

Kes shook her head. "We only know each other from reading mission reports across the Alpha and Delta Quadrants of our realm. But, I'm wondering… why are you here? Last I recall, you were on _Deep Space Nine._"

Jadzia's smile became somewhat sad. "Well, like you, I wasn't given a choice in the matter. I was killed almost… well, four years ago… by Gul Dukat. So it's Jadzia Idaris, once more."

The non Trainee visitors all traded looks of confusion. This woman was _killed_? Then how was she here, talking?

Harry, however, grasped what they had meant. It was in his father's memories, after all. "Gul Dukat?" he asked sharply. "The former Prefect of Bajor?"

No less concerned was Kes. "How did that happen?"

Jadzia opened her mouth, thought about it for a second, then closed it. "I'll tell you later. Right now, Alania is quite anxious to meet all of you… especially Peter and Rogue here?"

"What?" Rogue asked.

"She wants to meet us, personally?" Peter asked at the same time. "Why?"

The Trill grinned, shaking her head. "Ah, ah, that's for Alania to tell you. But I can tell you this… you will be surprised."

"For some reason, I don't doubt it."

Harry smiled. He had the distinct feeling that this was going to be quite the meeting.

He had no idea how much of one it was going to be.

* * *

And here is Part One for their trip to Zion. Part Two will be the meeting, obviously, among various revelations concerning them. So please, review. 


	71. Sixty One, Part Two

**Part Two**

**Realm 9002**

The Fire Caves of Bajor.

For more than five hundred thousand years, these caverns were considered among the great natural spots in the Bajoran world, with tunnels that seemed to go on forever. If a person was not careful, he could become lost within those catacombs.

But, the Bajoran religious leaders knew that there was something else about the caves. It was a prison for one of the most vicious races of beings Existence has ever known.

The Pai-Wraiths, a force of supreme darkness, had been involved in a titanic war with their equals, the Prophets, for control of the Celestial Temple, an artificially created wormhole in the Denorios Belt.

And they had lost that war.

As punishment for their insurrection, the Pai-Wraiths were expelled from Paradise, and imprisoned within the heart of the Fire Caves, never to be released. The Prophets then retreated into the Temple, not to be heard from for four hundred and ninety thousand years.

But here was something about the Pai-Wraiths that even those powerful entities did not know. It was something that no one knew about the devils.

They weren't a race that evolved naturally. They were developed.

Trigon the Terrible had been experimenting with omnipotent soldiers ever since he had conquered his realm. He had acquired the services of a powerful Shadow Monster within his first year of life, and had corrupted an all powerful Jedi, transforming him into the most powerful Sith in the Protectorate. But now he wanted to develop an army. The Pai-Wraiths were his first creations, and though they were defeated, they had proven that they could survive in a conflict with a naturally formed power of equal strength. Unfortunately, he couldn't retrieve them, as the Guardians were keeping a close eye on him.

But then, destiny gave him a slight opening.

The year was 2375.

Dukat, a disgraced Cardassian Gul, had acquired the services of the Kai at that time, Winn Adami, to help him free the Pai-Wraiths from the Fire Caves. He almost succeeded, killing the Bajoran afterwards, but the Prophets had known that this would happen, and had prepared their Emissary, Captain Benjamin Sisko, for the final confrontation with them. He was successful in this, trapping Dukat with his gods, and joining those who had helped sire him. But it gave Trigon an idea. He would just need a human to accomplish it.

And then, fate stepped in one day. Terra's victory over Slade had given Trigon his human servant. He made Slade a deal; if the human served him, he would restore him to his former form, and life. Eager to become fully human again, and wanting revenge against the Teen Titans for killing him, Slade accepted this devil's deal.

Now Slade stood at the precipice of the massive cavern, staring into the darkened abyss, patiently waiting for his employer to do his part.

Sure enough, a subspace rupture began forming over the massive hole. The Mark of Skath appeared, fire already collecting around it. It shot downward into the abyss, sending fiery hot sparks shooting upward. The flames spread across the cavern floor, gaining speed.

And then the abyss caught on fire. An unholy bellow of rage erupt from the fires.

And then an alien was _thrown_ out of the mass of Pai-Wraiths, and onto the ground in front of Slade, unmoving.

Slade nodded, satisfied. "Rise, Emissary of the Pai-Wraiths," he said. "We have much to discuss, and much more to do."

Gul Dukat's eyes slowly slid open, blood red with madness.

**

* * *

Zion**

Raven blinked once as a slight, dull pain manifested itself in her head, throbbing for about three seconds, before vanishing. Her eyelid fluttered for a second, trying to pinpoint the source.

Robin turned to look at her, concern apparent on his face. "You okay, Rae?" he asked.

Raven smiled slightly, nodding. "It's just a slight headache. It'll pass."

The Boy Wonder wasn't convinced, but he didn't push it. Raven would tell him when she was ready. He could be patient.

Chip and Daniel had their faces pressed against the window, taking in the city as the skimmer flew over the landscape. "Wow!" Daniel exclaimed, pointing down. "That's a statue of Mommy when she was younger!"  
Wendy looked out, chuckling. "Well, that's not something you see everyday. Who made that?"

"That is the private collection of Sculptor Jaswa Deltrone," Jadzia explained, chuckling." He _claims_ to have gotten permission from the various women he has sculpted over the years. Some of them, he keeps cloaked because… well, they aren't exactly for the children."

Harry groaned, rubbing his nose for a second. "Please tell me he doesn't have a sculpture of my mother down there."

"No, not that I'm aware of."

Kes covered her face, already dreading the answer. "Does he have one on me?" she asked.

Jadzia frowned. "You, me, Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, the Wendy we see before us now… I think he even has one of Padme Amidala and Counselor Troi. I don't know if they have any clothes on, though."

Belle blushed, as Wendy moaned slightly, covering her eyes as if to shut out the image that was brought up. Jane giggled at her mother's reaction.

"Really?" The Occampan started getting up from her seat. "I'd like to have a word with him… or her."

"Sit down, woman," Hermione said. "I don't think storming the castle is going to change his mind, is it?"  
"Nope," Jadzia replied.

Amanda sighed. Zion was starting to sound like a den for hooligans and such. "If he doesn't have permission, why hasn't anyone shut him down?" she asked.

Jadzia grinned. "We can see it because we have a special set of windows that let us see through his Romulan cloaking device. He doesn't show this stuff to the world… though that's only because Alania and Lily threatened to transform him into a dartboard if he ever did."

"Now _that_ sounds like my mom," Harry said, starting to laugh.

Obi-Wan shook his head, keeping his own laughter in. Instead, he frowned as he looked outside. "Should we really be going this fast? We will probably slam into the side of the palace when we reach it."

"You mean, like now?" Jadzia tapped the brakes immediately.

And the skimmer stopped, just like that, almost a centimeter from the palace wall. No one was thrown from their seats. There wasn't even a shudder as the vehicle stopped.

Rogue turned to Obi-Wan, who had the silliest expression on his face, to which Daniel was laughing at. "You were sayin', sugah?" she asked.

"Funny, I can't remember." The Jedi Knight snapped out of it, and picked Daniel up, who was laughing at his expression. "Oh, you find this funny, don't you, young man?" he asked, starting to tickle him. "You loved that, didn't you?"

Jane smiled as her little brother squealed, trying to escape the Jedi's grip. "I did, and so did Mother."

"Oh, really?"  
Wendy shrugged. "It was funny," she said, grinning, though for different reasons than her daughter. Obi-Wan was starting to grow comfortable around her children. Almost like a father figure would.

Peter rolled his eyes. "And you didn't want to stay in Neverland, Wendy… why?"

"Because she was, like, totally crazy," Kitty replied.

"Does she always sound like a valley girl?" Fred asked Lance.

Lance grinned. "Most of the time, but I don't care. I love her just the way she is."

"So don't get any ideas… either of you!" Robin stated. "Otherwise, I may just leave an explosive in your bag of tricks."

The twins decided that they would behave… up to a point.

With a little maneuverability, the skimmer flew beside the palace for several moments, giving everyone there got a good idea of how large the structure was.

Arthur's mouth was hanging wide open as he took in the various other devices flitting about. "Blimey, do these things run on eclectic power?" he asked, almost salivating.

"No, they don't," Kes suddenly replied. "They run on matter-antimatter conversion, don't they?"

Jadzia grinned, impressed. "You got it, Kes. In fact, it was Takeru who managed to make the conversion process an economically possibility for privately owned vehicles such as this. He also made it possible for non Guardians to become an active part of the Protectorate Starfleet, among numerable accomplishments."

"What?" Belle looked at her in surprise. "My father did all of that?"

"_Father?_" Harry and Hermione echoed in shock.

"Your father was Takeru, the Guardian of Hope?" Ginny asked in surprise. "No wonder you looked so much like Hikari! You're her kid!"  
"And that's why Alania wanted to meet with you," Shayera added, understanding dawning for her. "Hot damn!" Her understanding frowned. "Then, why does she want me?"  
All further conversation was deflected when Jadzia brought the skimmer down onto Alania's personal parking spot, shutting the engines off. "Okay, here we are. Everybody, when you get out of the vehicle, head don the hall to processing to get your ID cards. They'll allow you to get into non classified sections of the building."

Belle got up, looking at Harry. "You knew my parents?" she asked, as they began disembarking.

Harry shook his head. "My parents did," he replied after a moment. "And I know a couple of kids who are trying to find out everything they can about them, and the other Guardians of Althena." He grinned. "Looks like the second generation has finally met, huh?"  
"… Yeah… yeah, I guess that's true." The two Trainees looked around for a moment. "Do you think she'll answer our questions?"

"I hope so…Well, come on. Alania awaits."

Alania rechecked the information before her, glaring at it like she could get it to change to something more to her liking. "Is this reliable?" she asked.

Locc nodded. "Not really, but I figured that you would like to see it, anyways."

The First Guardian nodded, tossing the pad onto the desk. "Have the Guardians of Judos head for Bajor. I want them to collect as much Intel as they can, and report back to me, personally."

"Yes, Milady." The commander turned on his heel, walking out the door.

Alone at long last, Alania let her head fall back, eyes closed. There were some days where she just did not like her job. This was one of those days… and they were growing more numerous.

Then, without looking up, she said, "You may come in, Samuel."

The door opened hesitantly, admitting a young man into her office. He was young, around nineteen, with long silver hair, tied back into a ponytail. His lean frame spoke of long days of hard training. His clothing marked him as a member of the elite Haider family line.

Samuel Haider Junior, the son of the great Timelord Akalon, chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, Milady," he said.

Alania waved it aside. "Come now, Sam. I've told you not to address me so formally. You're practically my nephew." She gestured for him to sit down. "I don't think I even need to ask why you're here."

Samuel nodded. "My father wanted me to ask you if you were planning to go to war. My mother is all but ready to help prepare the medical corp-"

"And I'm glad they are ready to help. Really, I am. But I will not let the entire Protectorate enter into a confrontation that it may never emerge from… not until I have no other option open. You are well advised to remember the most fundamental aspect of the Guardian, my student."

"My apologies, sensei. I will not forget."

"Excellent." Alania eyed him shrewdly. "You want to meet them, don't you?"

The young Trainee nodded. "I've always wondered how they would look like after all of these years."

"You've been carrying an intense curiosity about them this whole time?"

"No… just the last month."

"You've been looking at photos of them, haven't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Samuel replied. "Marie is… very lovely."

Alania shook her head, smiling at the youth's eagerness. It was obvious that he had a crush on someone who he had never met before.

Her gaze sharpened several seconds later. "Here they come," she whispered.

Almost several seconds later, someone rapped at the door. Samuel turned to her. "You have got to teach me that trick," he said.

The First Guardian winked at him, before saying, "Come in, Jadzia."

Jadzia entered the room, grinning, as Alania's guest filed in, all of them looking like they were in a daze. Considering what they had seen on the way to her office, that it was a very real possibility. "You have got to stop doing that. Otherwise, you're going to start scaring people."

Alania grinned. "I haven't terrified anyone yet in over a thousand years. Why should I stop now? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome!" She shook Wendy's hand first enthusiastically. "I'm Alania, your ancient tour guide for the day."  
Wendy's eyebrow arched a bit at the statement. "You can't be the same Alania who founded Zion… can you? I mean, you would have to be…"

"Nine hundred and sixty five million, four hundred eight seven thousand, two hundred and thirteen years, one hundred and five days, and fifteen seconds old," Alania finished, eyes twinkling merrily as the young woman gaped at her. "I'm not bad looking for someone of my years."

"…No… no, you're not."

With a hearty laugh, Alania gestured for everyone to sit down. "Jadzia, could you wait outside? I won't hold Kes long." When the Trill complied, she settled down, stretching. "So, who wants to introduce themselves first? Belle? Harry? Rogue? Let me know when you get tired of this."

Harry bit back a grin, wondering how he was going to explain this to his parents the next time he saw them. "Well, personally, I don't think we _need_ to make introductions to you, as you probably already know what we've all had for breakfast."

"… Fair point. Mister and Mrs. Granger, did you have doughnuts for breakfast today? I thought they gave you cavities."  
"Mother!" Hermione gasped in mock astonishment. "And here I thought I knew you!"  
Amanda blushed. "Hush, you," she muttered good-naturedly. "So, you know all of us?"

"Yes… and let me tell you, it makes introductions easier… and shorter" Alania grinned, gesturing to her young charge. "This is Samuel Haider Jr., my young apprentice. He, like you lot, is among next generation of Trainees."  
Samuel nodded to them in greeting, eyes lingering on Rogue for a second. "A pleasure, everyone. My father told me quite a bit about you all."

Harry grinned. "Your father is Timelord Akalon?"

"Yes it is, sir. He's not too happy with whoever is pulling the strings these days."

"I have no doubt."

"So, why did you summon us all here, madam?" Molly asked, smiling slightly.

The First Guardian's gold eyes glinted in merriment. "Well, for the majority of you, I figured you would want to see this grand place of ours for yourselves. That's the first reason. Two, I wanted to talk to Shayera here about something that has been bothering her. And three… it was to welcome my son and daughter home."

Peter and Rogue both blinked as one, staring at her. "What do you mean by that?" the X-Man asked hesitantly, a suspicion growing in her mind.

Tinkerbell jingled out an explanation that was both out of this world, and impossible.

Arthur turned to Hermione. "What did she say?" he asked, seeing the shocked look on the young girl's face.

Hermione visibly collected herself, as Belle gapped like a fish out of water. To say that she, or anyone else for that matter, wasn't prepared for this bit of information would be a bit of an understatement. "She said… that Peter is Alania's son…"

"And Rogue is her daughter," Kitty finished, eyes wide as the implications of this set in. "They're related."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

"Why didn't you go with them?" Amanda asked, walking down the streets of Jump City, holding Kurt's hand.

Kurt sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure," he replied. "I mean, this is something Rogue has been wanting for years… answers. This Alania can probably give her those answers. I… I guess I don't think I could handle those answers, especially considering Mystique."

Amanda nodded, feeling a swell of pity go through her. It had been almost five years since Kurt learned that Mystique was his mother, and it had taken him almost four years to get over that fact.

He was afraid that Alania would lie to Rogue, and give her false hopes into finding her parents. And that thought saddened his girlfriend. Smiling slightly, she leaned in. "Kurt, Rogue understood that this could be a wild goose chase. But she went anyway, because it may not. And I think she would want you by her side."

"I know, it's just…"

Kurt's musing was cut short as Amanda took a rather unique approach to diverting his attention. She took his face between her hands, and kissed him firmly on the lips. As she did so, she absent mindedly noted that this was the first time she kissed a guy with furry cheeks. The thought brought a giggle out of her, and she smiled happily.

Kurt broke the kiss, looking dazed. "Well," he said vaguely, "you certainly know how to get a guy out of a deep blue funk."

Amanda giggled, stroking his fur covered face. "At some point, I might want to know if I can send you to Heaven."

Kurt grinned, looking around. "At least no one looks at me in fear here."

"Well, this is a place where they have a Clayface wannabe, a cybernetic lifeform, and a half demon. A fuzzy blue elf isn't that scary to them, considering the _real _monsters the Teen Titans have to face on a daily basis."

"Fair point." Kurt looked around. "It's been pretty quiet around here since our first battle with the Orichalcos," he said. "I mean, here on Earth."

"Yeah… but I'm not complaining. Batman has been helping me with my combat training, and Dark Magician Girl has been showing me the weaknesses of various types of monsters. The more I know, the better prepared I will be when Dartz attacks again."

"Have you talked to your parents?"

"Just my mother, and it amounted to w that she wanted me to come home. My Dad doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"I think he's just upset that you chose a mutant over your own parents," he replied.

Amanda shrugged. "Well, that's his own fault if he wants to be a hypocrite. He always talked about how we should treat everyone as equals, especially after everything MLK Jr. did for us."

Kurt nodded. "Maybe he will understand that someday."

"Yeah, maybe." Amanda grinned. "So, where are we going for lunch?"

Kurt returned the grin. "Cyborg showed me this nice little place that makes the best Italian food. So, how about we go there? And this time, I'm buying."

The young woman smiled, taking his proffered arm. "Oh, if you insist," she said.

Laughing the lightly, the two love struck teens made for the restaurant in question.

----

Cyclops walked into the medical bay, as Beast was making his usual rounds there. "Any change, Hank?" he asked.

Beast shook his head, sighing. "Every test I have done has shown… nothing. They're perfectly healthy. I'm picking up delta waves, which is conclusive for someone who is unconscious. There is just no reason why."

"At least, none that can be explained with science," the young X-Man said. "Even Kaiba is agreeing with Yami and his friends… which is saying something."

"Yes… it's saying that there are going to be others like them, very soon."

"That's true."

"_Watchtower to Cyclops."_

Sighing, Scott put his hand on his ear, turning on his communicator. "Go ahead, J'onn."

"_We found something that you should see. It concerns Kitty and Avalanche."_

Confused, Scott turned to Beast. Beast shrugged, just as confused. "I'm on my way up." He sighed. "Maybe it's something concerning their powers."

Beast nodded. "Somehow, I doubt that."

**

* * *

Realm 3**

"What do you have?" Remus asked, walking down the hallway to Dimensional Cartography.

"We were hoping that Professor McGonagall could help us with that," Cho replied, shrugging. "I just received word that there was a jump in one of the realm's reading, and that was about it. But, seeing as how you're friends with two Guardians, and you are currently teaching four Trainees about DADA, I thought that you'd take a look first."

The DADA teacher nodded at that bit as they entered the massive room. It was no different in design from the Astronomy classroom, though it was much larger. And the telescopes did not look up into the heavens. They looked beyond them, to parallel realities, and helped create the small scale map in the center of the room.

Dimensional Cartography was really nothing more than a small scale version of the Zion Reality Checker. Where that device could map out almost eight hundred thousand realms beyond the Guardian Protectorate's borders, DC could only map about eight hundred realms around Zion and the Big Ten, and not with the level of sophistication that you would find in more modern outposts.

And currently, Remus was looking at the silhouette of Realm 405, which was flickering rapidly. "What realm is that?" he asked.

An Unspeakable looked up from his console, having already analyzed all the information about the universe in question. "Realm 405 is an alternate reality of the X-Men," he replied. "In this reality, a major pharmaceutical company developed a mutant antibody, which could suppress the mutant x-gene. Magento attempted to destroy it, and was beaten by the X-Men."

"So, what did long range scans say?"  
"We couldn't tell you. All we got was a powerful surge. According to the computer, it says that is Class Five… whatever that means."

Remus could already guess what Class Five meant. If the Guardians followed a similar system that muggle weather stations did, then Class Five was very powerful.

And very dangerous.

Quickly, Remus turned to Cho. "Get your SG unit together, and check this out. Can you determine where the change occurred?"

"…Um… somewhere in New York state. I can't get any more precise than that."

"Alright, we'll do it the old fashion way. Take your unit, and SG-7 with you."

Cho nodded. "Ah, sir. But… don't you think that Professor McGonagall should be the one giving us the assignment?"  
Remus smiled. "Don't worry, Cho. I've gotten that taken care of."

----

"You're sending them to Realm 405?" McGonagall echoed. "The last time I recall, you weren't in command of this facility, Professor Lupin."

Remus sighed, shifting uncomfortably. '_It doesn't seem to matter how long it has been since I was a student here,'_ he thought. '_Minerva still has the ability to make me feel like I've done something wrong.'_ "I did what I figured was the right idea at the time," he replied out loud. "We don't any idea how long the trail will stay even lukewarm. I sent Anakin as well, and I need Padme to see if she can get a few of the Jedi to help. I'm sorry if I cut you off at the knees."

Snape leaned forward, fingers laced together. "I will be joining them soon, Professor. And while I do not agree with Lupin's handling of the situation, he _did_ do the right thing. If it was someone working for Trigon, then we all know the Dark Lord may be their next target." He sighed. "I don't need to remind you about the history of my time with him, and the secrets he shared with me."

McGonagall raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, you two. You've made your point!" Sighing, she rubbed her eyes. "Next time, though, I want to be informed _before_ you decide to send anyone through the Stargate. That way, I can either give you the go ahead, or tell you no. Is that clear, Professor Lupin?"

Lupin nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now, you have a go. Make sure you find something of import, Severus."

Severus nodded, before getting up. "We shall certainly try," he replied.

**

* * *

Zion**

"We're… related to each other," Rogue got out, surprise pulsing throughout her body.

Peter looked at her, at Alania, and at Wendy, whose mouth was hanging open at this. "There's no way I can have an older sister," he said. "I mean, wouldn't she have been sent to Neverland with me."  
Alania grinned. "Well, for starters, you're right, Peter. There is no possible way for you to have an older sister."

Peter breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's your twin sister."

Tinkerbell started laughing as her best friend's face became something similar to Wendy's.

Jane eyed both siblings critically for a few second, then nodded. "I do see the family resemblance. They both look like they're ready to keel over and die."

"Thanks for the show of support, Jane," Peter muttered.

"I'm telling you what I see. Too bad if you don't like it."

Hermione grinned.

Alania, also grinning broadly, hit her comm panel. "Trinity, could you and your counterpart come here, and take the Justice League members to sector eight?" she asked. "Shayera, you are searching for answers. I can tell you this; those answers are located in that sector." She turned to Kitty and Lance. "Mister Alvers, Miss Pryde, Guardian Demos will give you a grand tour of our facilities, and put you through a Gene test."

"Gene test?" Kitty echoed.

"I'll explain later," Robin replied hastily.

"Kes, Belle, Jadzia is waiting outside. I have something that the two of you will want to see. As for the rest of you… Claire is an excellent tour guide. I am sure that she'll show the sights, and the best stores. Arthur Weasley, step away from the disintegrator!"  
Arthur started, then stepped away fearfully, having been only a centimeter from touching a small sphere on Alania's table.

Ron sighed, rubbing his eyes for a moment. "Thank you," he said.

Alania nodded. "Anytime." Her grin turned into a small smile. "I think that I am going to get to know my children a bit before they have to leave. Come back in a few hours. We'll have dinner."

Harry grinned, getting up. "It's a date," he said, turning around. "Come, everyone. Claire and I will show you all of the hot spots in Zion."

----

"So, what is it that Alania wanted you to show us?" Belle asked, as they boarded a rather handsomely designed shuttle. "It can't be something else my biological father did… could it?"

Jadzia chuckled as she brought the controls online. "No, though I can see why you would be confused. Guardians live for so long, that it seems that they did it all. But, why tell you when I can show you?"

Kes and Belle shared a look of annoyance as the shuttle left its parking spot. "We are not in the mood for anymore secrets," Kes stated firmly.

"Well, Kes, what are your plans for the next few weeks?"  
"Huh? … Well, I was planning to finish my medical training with J'onn, and apply for a position with the Justice League's medical staff. Why?"

Jadzia grinned. "Let's just say I know a ship that has an opening for someone like you," she said mysteriously.

----

Claire stepped out of the skimmer, grinning broadly. "Welcome to the shopping sector of Zion," she said, gesturing grandly at the vast area before them. "Here, we have everything from clothes to the latest entertainment craze."

Harry looked around, pointing towards one particular advanced looking building. "There's Zion First National. There is no safer place to keep your valuables… save perhaps Gringotts, or Hogwarts."

"Harry…" Ron began. "I don't want you to think that you have to give us any money, or anything."

"I'm proud of you, Ron. Come with me. I think you'll find that your financial troubles are well on their way out the door." The young Potter started for the bank, whistling aimlessly. The others followed him, confused.

The interior of the bank was just as amazing as the exterior. It was constructed in a style reminiscent of Eighteenth Century Earth banks, complete with massive chandeliers giving off a soothing light.

Ron nodded, impressed. "Wow, this is amazing."

Harry grinned. "Come on, people," he said. "I'll show you what I meant before."

Ron shared a confused glance with his family. Molly shrugged, at a loss.

Harry stopped in front of one teller, smiling. "The Weasley family would like to see their financial situation," he stated pleasantly.

The teller looked up, flashing him a ten gigawatt smile. "Will one of the Weasley's please show me their identification card," he replied. Ron hesitantly showed him his. "Hold on a second, Mister Weasley. Your information will be downloaded directly into yours and your family's minds. There will be a moment of disorientation, but it isn't anything to worry about."  
Ron and his family all rocked back slightly almost as one, clutching their heads in surprise. Arthur turned his gaze to Harry, shocked. "We… we have that much already?"

Hermione shrugged gamely. "Guardians pay their mortal workers very well," she said. "A normal paycheck for one of them is about two thousand credits every week. Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny all have been working for the SGC for about a month. And Ginny did acquire nine hundred and twenty two silver during her first day on Lunar."

Amanda and Daniel looked at each other, then at their daughter. "And you?" Amanda asked.

Harry laughed slightly, sliding his ID into a machine. "As Hermione is my counterpart, you get about four hundred and eighty thousand credits exchanged into an equal amount of British pounds, and transferred into your account back home. She is allowed to access the Potter family account any time she wants to." He turned around, holding a credit slip. "Anyone up for some shopping?" he asked.

----

Obi-Wan and Wendy sat down in what passed as Alania's living room. Both of them had the thought that it resembled a ballroom. Of course, Alania had immediately told them that it had started its life off as a ballroom.

"When you two were born," she began, handing Peter and Rogue a cup of juice each, "Timelord Akalon told me that you would both be on the path to greatness. He never told me that one of you would become a fairytale hero, and the other would send Apocalypse packing. So, imagine my surprise when you were both doused with a mystical energy, and popped up on the grid."

Peter smiled hesitantly. All of this was still so new to him, and he wasn't used to having a mother who was almost as carefree as him. "Well… Mom… I was in Neverland, save for the occasional popping up to listen to Wendy or Jane's stories. I was exposed to magic for a while."

Alania grinned. "Yeah, so Tink here has told me."

Rogue took a swig of her drink, blinking at the sheer taste of it. "What Ah want to know, is why you didn't come for us."

Wendy looked at her. "It's a good question. Why _didn't_ you?"

"Actually, I tried to," Alania replied. "I had constructed a ship for that very purpose… the one Jadzia is taking Kes and Belle to see. I also kept scanning the entire Protectorate for you both. I did everything, save for physically searching for you."

Wendy, who would have searched the ends of the Earth for her children if they went missing, could sympathize. She had kept an eye out for them for the longest time. She had her people searching through the entire Protectorate, even participating in that search much as she could. And, in the end, she didn't have to go that far.

Alania turned her attention to Obi-Wan. "So, when's the wedding?" she asked, her grin turning mischievous.

Obi-Wan stared at her in confusion. "Who's?"

"Yours and Mrs. Barrington's, of course."

Jane started laughing as the venerable Jedi Master blushed, as did her mother, both of them staring at her with the most astonished look on both of their faces. She would never let them live this down!

Rogue chuckled a bit, before turning her attention to Samuel. "So, how's it that you managed to become Alania's student, when you're the Tahmelord's son?" she asked.

Sam grinned. "Well, when Alania was still young, my father taught her how to use her powers, and showed her the entirety of reality. Of course, that was after the first realm… disappeared. So, she promised him that she would train me."

"And… why are you here, now?"

"Well… I wanted to meet you."

Rogue suspected that there was more to his statement, but all she said was, "Ah."

"Yes, ahh." Alania stood up. "You know, that look doesn't suite you, Marie. The completely clothed look, I mean."

Peter turned to her, frowning. "Why are you fully covered?"

Rogue slumped back. "Mah powers," she replied quietly. "If Ah touch someone, Ah absorb their lahfe energy. In a mutant's case, Ah temporarily absorb their powers. The problem is Ah can't control it."

Alania smiled slightly. "I can easily help you with that little problem." She gestured. "Touch Mrs. Barrington."

"What?"  
"Trust me on this."

Rogue sighed, looking to Wendy. Wendy nodded, letting her know that it would be all right. Sighing, the mutant pulled one of her gloves off, and hesitantly brought it to Wendy's face, lightly touching the skin.

Nothing happened. Nothing at all. Wendy didn't feel any weaker. Rogue didn't feel the familiar rush of life energy saturating her veins.

Samuel grinned. "You have voluntary control over your abilities," he said. "How does it feel?"

Peter leaned forward, a little surprised. "How'd you know, …Mom?"

Jane giggled. "The way you can fly, Peter. It's her talent."

"And Jane's got it." Alania grinned. "Every Trainee has a special talent that comes to them naturally. Jane, you and Peter here share a rather rare ability, that of flying. Rogue can temporarily take a being's powers, and use them."

Daniel, who had been quiet up to this point, let out a low whistle. "Wow…"

"Big time, Daniel."

Alania stood up. "And now," she said, "I'm going to let the two of you get into new clothes. You see, when I learned that you were on your way, I got your measurements, and went shopping… for the first time in eons."

Peter and Rogue stared at each other, then at her. "This, I gotta see."

"Definitely," Rogue replied.

**

* * *

Realm 405**

"What do you have?" Snape asked, walking up to Cho.

The Ravenclaw sighed. "Nothing good, sir. The coffin is empty. There's nothing in that hole."

"What about the emissions we detected?"

"Nothing that can be explained by our equipment. Whoever it was used magic equal to the Guardians."

The Potions Master frowned thoughtfully. "Who was this Jean Grey?"

Cho checked her tricorder, bringing up the information in question. "It looks like she had achieved the full power of a Class Five mutant… but her alter ego, the Phoenix, was unstable. She ended up killing this universe's Professor Xavier, and a whole slew of people before she was stopped."

"Then, may I suggest that we return to the school. I have a feeling that we're going to need to call in reinforcements."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

"They're not mutants?" Scott blurted out.

Batman shook his head. "Doctor Fate took a look at their blood work. While the X-Gene is there, it's dormant."

"But," Fate continued, "I did discover that the power they possess is almost mystical in nature, saturating their cellular structure. In short, Shadowcat and Avalanche are much like Robin and Raven."

"Trainees," Xavier muttered thoughtfully.

"Exactly."

The young X-Man walked over to the window, staring at the Earth for a moment as it rotated serenely below them. "Do they know?" he asked. "Kitty's parents, I mean."

Xavier shook his head. "And I believe that Kitty should be the one to tell them, if she decides to, that is."

Batman nodded, knowing better than anyone that certain secrets could only be entrusted to exceptional people. This was a secret that only the person in question could decide to talk about.

And he had a feeling Kitty would if it would be the right thing to do.

**

* * *

Zion**

Kitty and Lance walked out of the Infirmary, slightly dazed at what they had learned, and everything they have seen.

"What do you think?" Lance asked, looking at his girlfriend.

"About all of this?" Kitty shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. I mean, I never thought I could say that I'm not a mutant. You just can't say that."

"Tell me about it. I never knew that it was even possible." The earth mover grinned. "So, your talent is intangibility, and mine is being a walking richter scale."

"Freaky, isn't it?"

"Not really. We've seen weirder."

"Fair point."

Kitty grabbed his hand, holding it firmly. She was forever in awe of how much Lance had changed since their first meeting, and how he was still changing. "You know, you're taking this so much better than I thought you would."

Lance grinned. "Probably because of the company I'm keeping. You have that effect on people."

Kitty smiled. "Let's go find Rogue. I want to get something to eat."

----

Robin skimmed through a book as he waited for Raven to finish her purchases. "I still can't believe that we have accounts here," he said.

Raven grinned, sliding her data slip into the machine. "Dick, my mother had opened an account for me here," she said. "As for you _why_ you have one… I honestly can't say. As for how much you have… a little surprising."

"Tell me about it. What'd you get?"

"I'm not telling. That's for you to deduce, Detective." Raven's mirth grew as Robin blushed crimson. She was enjoying this. Being able to flirt, laugh, even smile, these were treasures that had been denied to her for most of her life.

Now she had them, and she wasn't going to let them go.

Returning to the present, she chuckled a bit. "So, what did you get?" she asked. "Knowing you, it's probably forensic and mystery books."

Richard stuck his tongue out at her, then showed her one of the books in question. "It's something on my parents," he replied. "It seems that the Guardians knew them when they were younger, so I requested something on them. The shopkeeper showed me this."

Raven nodded, surprised to see how much emotion Robin was managing to keep in. "Dick… you are allowed to grieve for them, you know."

"Rae, I've been grieving for them for my entire adolescence. "I'll probably be grieving for them the rest of my life, however long that is. … I wonder, though… if they're proud of me."

"… Dick, I think they would be."

----

"Oh my," Belle murmured, taking in the sight before them.

The realm of Zion was unique, as it was just one massive planet. There was no space to worry about, and no need to worry about less oxygen in higher altitudes. When Kes had asked why that was, Jadzia had told them why.

The realm was artificially created by Alania as a safe haven for the Guardians, and the survivors with a new home. The Big Ten were the perfect defense, each realm connecting with the others to form an impenetrable barrier, which screened out the most evil presences.

But, at the moment, what they saw blanked their minds of any questions they might have had.

The vessel in question was incredible. A massive primary hull lay just underneath its secondary hull, shaped liked a spinning top. The two nacelles on the side were connected to a pylon, one that was vaguely reminiscent of a _Miranda Class_ Federation Starship. The whole thing was a reddish gold color, and sparkled in the sun. It seemed almost like an introverted _Nebula Class_ starship.

Jadzia walked up to them, grinning. "She's the first of her line," she said proudly. "Her name is the _Valkyrie, _the most advanced ship in the Guardian fleet."

Kes nodded dumbly. Not since _Voyager _had she seen such a magnificent vessel. "Why… why the _Valkyrie_?" she asked.

"Because of the fact that it is a completely female crew," was the reply.

"Ah."

"A completely female crew," Belle whispered in awe. "And you still haven't filled every position?"

"Nope. Ah… hey, Tasha!" Jadzia grinned as a blonde woman jogged up to them, wearing yellow for security. "This is Lieutenant Commander Nastasha Yar, the _Valkyrie's_ tactical officer, and Chief of Security."

Belle took Yar's outstretched hand, surprised by the strength of the woman's grip. "A pleasure, mademoiselle," she said in greeting.

Kes frowned a bit. "But… according to _Voyager's_ records, you…"

"Died on Argos IV, I know." Yar grinned at Belle's confusion. "The Guardians revived me, and asked if I could overhaul the defenses of Avalon so that they could run more efficiently. I was brought here when this ship was completed." She turned to Jadzia. "We're still having a problem with the pattern buffer on Transporter Pad three. It keeps splicing the people we send through."

"Spliced?" Kes echoed.

Jadzia sighed. "It's when the transporter leaves parts of the person behind, though it doesn't kill them. A devil to restructure them, though, even in this day and age. Try running the diagnostics program, then a broad spectral program blast to eliminate the defects."

"I'll give that a try. Thanks, Jadzia."

Belle turned to Kes. "She died?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Yar served aboard the _U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D_ under Captain Picard's command. Unfortunately, she died on her first year of duty there," Kes explained. "Tom thought it would a great idea for me and Neelix to learn about some of the great Starfleet Officers out there. That's how I knew about Commander Idaris here."

"Ah."

The Trill grinned. "Well, Belle, the reason why I asked you here, is because of the fact that the _Valkyrie_ needs a first officer. Alania would like you to be that woman."

"Me? Be first officer?" The French Beauty frowned thoughtfully. "I would be able to do some good," she murmured. "But what about Chip? I don't like the feeling of leaving him here."

"You won't have to. Some of the crew have children, too," Yar replied. "Chip wouldn't be alone."

"Then I accept."

Kes smiled. "I'm sure Chip will appreciate it. Now, I was wondering if I could have a tour of sickbay."

"You can tour the whole ship if you want to. There is one position left to fill." Jadzia smirked as Kes stepped forward a bit. "The Captain's chair is still empty, and Alania figured… that you would be so kind as to fill it."

The Occampan turned around in shock, her blue eyes widening. "Me?" she got out. "Captain? Of this ship?" She shook her head. "Is Alania crazy? I don't have any command experience! All I have is a medical degree!"  
Jadzia's grin fell away, replaced by a serious expression. "Look, I know that it's a massive leap by any means. And normally, you wouldn't be given a command. But Alania has this uncanny ability of picking out those who have the capability, and most notably, those she _knows_ can do the job above and beyond the call of duty. She seems to think you can do it… and to tell you the truth, so do I." She leaned forward slightly, her eyes pleading. "Will you?" she asked.

Kes looked at her, then at Yar, who was simply waiting patiently, before turning to Belle, who looked surprised. "What so you think, Belle?" she asked.

Belle shook her head. "I can't tell you. You have to make this decision for yourself."

The woman turned to look at the ship before, and thought long and hard. She went over all of the reasons for why she shouldn't accept this proposal, each one any captain would have put down on a datapad.

There was only one reason why she should say yes. She remembered the last time she had made such a choice, and that was when she had met Neelix, and later, Kathryn Janeway and her intrepid crew.

Taking a deep breath, praying that she wasn't going to make a huge mistake, she turned to Jadzia. "I'll do it."

Jadzia refrained from jumping for joy, settling for hugging her. "You won't regret it, I promise!" She let her go, excitement shimmering in her form. "Come on, let's get back to the palace! Alania's going to want to hear the good news!"

----

Harry stepped out from the fitting room, grinning. "So, what do you think?" he asked.

Hermione and Ginny blinked, gaping at him like fish out of water. "Wow," Hermione said, the only thing she wanted to say, when what she wanted to do was get on her knees, and pledge her undying loyalty.

Throughout the years Hermione had known Harry Potter, with the exception of his school robes, and any sweaters Molly had knitted for him, he had always worn massive, tatty hand me downs from his cousin Dudley. They were almost two sizes to big for him, and made him look like a homeless person. His shoes were always tatty as well, the rubber having been worn out of them.

The Harry before her was wearing a pair of blue jeans that fit him perfectly, and a button downed shirt that showed off his forming physique rather well. And, seeing as how Harry was no longer the skinny kid from the old days, it was quite a bit. His sneakers, with a good inch of rubber on them, were completely new, and matched the ensemble completely. In short, he was extremely handsome… and completely different from the person he had been.

Amanda nudged her daughter in the side, smiling. "Hermione, dear, you might want to close you mouth. It's impolite to gap at someone."

"You'd gap too if you saw such a transformation take place with Dad," Hermione replied. "Wow, Harry… wow."

Harry bowed. "I'll take your speechlessness as a sign that you like my new style. But, the show is not yet done. Ron Weasley, come on out."

Ron slowly stepped out, earning several gasps of amazement from his family, and a wolf whistle from Claire. He was in a casual suit the color of blue with a white shirt, with shoes that seemed to shine in the light. Every thing seemed sharper about him… though that was because of the fact he was wearing new clothes, not hand me downs from his brothers.

"You look… so handsome, Handsome," Claire said, blushing quite red. Being fair skinned did nothing to hide it.

Ron blushed that famous Weasley red, glad everyone liked it. "Thanks, Claire."

Harry grinned. "Everyone is now looking spiffy, and you can change the credits into Wizarding money so you don't have to come here every time you need something. But, in the meantime, let's get back to the palace. I think dinner will be ready for us."

Daniel nodded once to that. "Good idea, Harry. But, can I have a word with you… in private?"

"If you're going to give me a chat about the birds and the bees, I have about nine hundred and sixty eight million years of that ripping through my brain right now."

"Actually, that isn't the whole thing."

"Ah. Could you excuse us?"

Ron watched as the elder Granger and the Boy Who Lived retreated a slight distance away. "I hope he doesn't try to kill Harry," he said.

Hermione snorted. "He does anything stupid, Dad will have a piece of my mind," she replied.

Amanda smiled at her daughter's statement. She had always been forthright with them, and had always managed to come out non confrontational. Her ethics were strong, and her parents had only encouraged her on that.

As they watched, Daniel and Harry finally grinned at the same time, the whole conversation clearly done in a civilized manner. The two females breathed in relief.

Daniel turned around. "Well, come on!" he said. "I don't think dinner will wait forever!"

"I agree." Arthur grinned. "I never realized shopping could make a man hungry."

"Welcome to middle class, Mister Weasley," Hermione stated gleefully.

----

"And how was your time in the city?" Alania asked, as everyone sat around the table, helping themselves to some food.

Kes smiled slightly. "I took you up on your offer. So did Belle here."

"Good, good. I hope that my senses aren't off."

"There never off," Jadzia replied, grinning. "Alania, you might as well stop hoping that you're infallible. It looks like you'll never be wrong."

"It's called experience, young lady. You should appreciate it."  
Arthur looked around, taking in her living quarters. "I'm a little surprised that you haven't been wrong yet."

"You and everyone else, Mr. Weasley," Harry assured him. "Actually, I'm a little surprised that you wanted to meet all of us… about as surprised as I am with Rogue's new outfit."

Rogue blushed. Her attire and look was about a one sixty from what she had been wearing when they had arrived. And it was obvious that Samuel also liked it, as he was eyeing her subtly every few moments. "But mostly appreciated," he said quietly, almost to himself.

Peter, who was catching this subtle observation, as well as the statement, made no comment, as it was not his place. "Any idea if you'll get the chance to visit Hogwarts."

"Personally, if Tieranos gets his head out of his butt for about seven seconds." Alania looked up as the door chimed. "That must be him right now. Belle, could you get that?"  
Belle smiled slightly, getting up, ruffling Chip's head affectionately as she made for the door.

Her smile faded as she opened it, revealing a woman in white robes. "May I help you?" she asked.

The woman stepped inside the room, pulling the hood of her robe down.

Raven stood up in shock. What was _she_ doing here? _How_ was she doing here?

"Hello, Raven."

* * *

And here is Part Two of the crossover event, with a little guessing game. Who is the mystery woman? Part Three will not only continue where this left off, but it will also feature the death of a very prominent Starfleet officer, as well as the introduction of the rest of the _Valkyrie's_ senior staff, so stay tuned.

Okay, a few things to tell you before I go. One; I am going to repost CP: Armageddon again, only up to Chapter Twenty, as I have almost finished rewriting it. There will be no cameo appearance by the Starlights, and no _Klashef_ either. Two, like I have stated in a previous chapter, I am working on an original story that I hope I can get published. The only other thing I will tell you is that Alania is one of the main characters (Seeing as how she is my character and all.)


	72. Sixty One, Part Three

**Part Three**

"Mother!" Raven gasped in shock, standing up. Of everyone she had expected to come through that door, her own flesh and blood was not it.

Alania shot up from her seat, as did Robin, who looked like he had just been sucker punched. Everyone else gaped in absolute surprise.

Slowly, Arella Roth entered the living establishment of Alania, her eyes taking in every person there. She let her gaze pass over Harry without even a flicker of recognition, before landing on her daughter.

Harry didn't know if he should be relieved, or indignant.

Alania stepped up, realizing that this would not be pretty, and hoping to do some damage control. "Arella, I need…"

"You need to explain to me how my daughter is capable of staring at me in absolute shock, without losing control of her powers," Arella interrupted her brusquely. "And then you can tell me why I wasn't informed about this until a scribe told me."

Raven shifted her attention between the two women, feeling a sense of agitation go through her. "Okay, before you two start talking about me as if I'm not here, Mom, _I_ will tell you. Milady, if you'll excuse us…" Bowing to the First Guardian, she walked over to her mother, grabbing her by the arm. "C'mon, let's go for a walk."

Arella blinked as Raven started dragging her out the door. "I can walk, Raven," she said.

"Your point?"

Jadzia chuckled dryly as Mother and Daughter walked out of the room. She had always wanted to do that with her mother, but never could. "How much do you want to bet that Raven will have her convinced by the end of the day?" she asked.

"Pretty good, I'd say," Harry replied. "Of course, Raven and Arella haven't spoken in… what?"

"Three years, and considering Raven's family history, they couldn't actually have a good relationship." Robin sighed. "At least they can try now."

"Yes…" Belle sat back down next to Chip, who watched her for a moment. "What is Raven's situation?" she asked.

Alania sat back down in her seat, good cheer gone. "It's… a long story, my friends… and it begins about eighteen years ago."

----

"So, what happened?" Arella asked, observing her daughter.

Raven sighed, walking along the gardens of the great building. "Well, it's quite simple," she replied. "I was hit by a particularly powerful blast of magical energy. And, as Alania has told me, I possess the Gene."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I have the potential to become a Guardian."

"Ah."

Raven stopped abruptly, turning to stare at her. She knew that Arella understood, and was resigned to what awaited her only child. It filled her with anger. "Mother, let's get one thing straight. I have _never_, _ever_, fully believed that my destiny is set in stone. And I have spent years searching for a way to break it. I have been given an option to do just that." She chuckled a bit. "Quite honestly, being able to have emotions has freaked out some of my friends out, too."

Arella's face remained stoic. "Raven, you know as well as I do that Trigon will not rest. You are his daughter in blood as much as my own."

"Yes, but I'm not his daughter in any other way. …Come to think of it, you weren't much better."

"That is unfair, and you know it."

"Is it?" Raven moved forward, so that she was directly in front of her mother. "Is it fair that you and the rest of Azarath put so much faith in a damn prophecy, instead of doing everything in your power to make sure that it didn't come to pass?" Her voice grew more forceful as her frustrations boiled over. "Is it fair that I wasn't allowed even a moment of feeling? Is it fair that my own _mother_ wasn't allowed to be a mother, but a fucking _caretaker_? Tell me, where is being a fucking _portal_ for a _bastard _of a father _fair_?"

Arella, taking a step back, was understandably shocked. Raven, it seemed, had just unloaded almost two decades worth of resentment and anger at Azarath's position concerning her. To this day, she had always regretted not giving Raven what she deserved, and earned; a family and home that loved her. Instead, every member of Azarath's senate had drilled into her head that prophecy of her creation was absolute. Her powers would forever be controlled by her emotions.

And now, here Raven stood, her face torn between rage and grief, now in a position to stop the prophecy in its tracks.

Raven finally looked away from her mother, feeling no shame, no embarrassment for her outburst. All she felt was a sense of fatigue. She hadn't meant to go off like that, but at the same time, she was glad that she did.

Arella sighed, lowering her head. "Raven… I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But… I know what it's like to be deceived. I know what it's like to be used by that monster. And I had prayed every day to Azar, or to God, that there was a chance… a chance that you could lead a normal life."

Raven whirled around, her gaze now full of surprise, and disbelief. "You… prayed?"

"I never told you. …" The Azarathian sat down, fighting down her tears. "I had joined a cult of devil worshippers, who had perfected a ritual to open up a mystical doorway between realms. With it, they hoped to bring Lucifer to Earth, and I was chosen, a virgin, to become his wife. … I think you can guess what happened."

"Dear old daddy appeared," Raven replied bitterly.

Arella nodded. "After I learned of who he was, and what he was here for, I fled. My parents disowned me, saying that they weren't going to have a hussy for a daughter. My entire family wanted nothing to do with me. I actually began contemplating suicide."

"But Azar found you."

"Actually, it was a descendant of one of her pupils. He brought me to Azarath, and helped me come to grips with everything that happened. He told me that you would play a very important role when you had grown older, and that I should carry you to term."

Raven sighed. "And you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to listen to his advice."

"Can you honestly say that he was wrong?" Arella asked.

"… No… I guess I can't. I mean, I found my niche."

Arella nodded once. "You have proven yourself more than equal to any enemy out there, and you have challenged your destiny every day. I just wish that I had your courage."

Raven sat down. "I wish I had your problems," she replied half jokingly. "Of course, I also wish I had a cabbage patch kid doll instead of a statue head resembling a dragon staring at me every time I started meditating."

"A dragon's head?"  
"Long story."

"Ah."

Raven smiled slightly. "On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that Alania has enough food in there. How about you finish crashing the party, and I'll tell you?"

Arella returned the smile. It was a pretty good idea, as she did have a few more things to talk to Alania about. And she was starting to feel a small sort of connection forming with her child. It was fragile, but she had a place to start. "Very well."

**Realm 9002**

Lieutenant Commander Worf, the Federation representative to Qo'nos, and one of the most respected men ever to wear a Starfleet uniform, stared out the window of his room, taking in the sweeping plains that made up Chancellor Martok's estate. It would be the last time he would see them for a while, as he prepared to visit his adopted parents on Earth, and then talk to Starfleet Command about getting him reassigned with Captain Picard onboard the _Enterprise-E_. He missed serving aboard a starship, defending the Federation from its enemies, and helping maintain order within its borders. Picard, of course, would all too happy to have him back.

He also missed his daily glass of prune juice. He hadn't been able to get any for the last two years, and he was suffering from withdrawal.

His bags packed, the mighty Klingon warrior now simply had to wait until his transport arrived… something he could do in the city. He was meeting the Chancellor and his son for one final celebration before heading out.

Unfortunately, he would never make the appointment. In fact, he would never leave that room, ever again.

As the thought to head out the door entered his mind, the chime broke through his concentration. He turned around, noting that the security system hadn't picked up any concealed weapons. "Enter!" he barked, getting ready to physically survey his guest.

And then that became moot, as the murderer of his wife into his room, smiling ingratiatingly. "Hello, Commander," he said.

Worf started forward, his _d'k_ _tagh_ out. "You!"  
Dukat observed him with an almost bored air , red eyes glinting with amusement. "Come now, Commander Worf. Don't you think that it is simply time to forgive and forget? I mean, your wife's death was three years ago." His smile became predatory. "Of course, I'm not here to talk. I'm here to kill you."

"You are most certainly welcome to try, Dukat. Personally, I will kill you, and send your body to Captain Kira as a gift!" He started forward, knife up…

… and Dukat merely raised his hand, sending energy that no corporeal being could possess at him.

The mighty Klingon warrior couldn't even bellow in pain as agony beyond anything he had ever felt course through his body. Instead, he began to shake as his internal organs were literally burned to a crisp. And, as his mind began shutting down, as his life began to fade, he wondered if this was what Jadzia felt in the Bajoran Temple, just before the monster had sealed the wormhole.

And then he thought, and felt, no more.

Dukat let Worf's body drop to the ground, smiling slightly. "A pity," he said. "He was a great warrior."

"Too true, Dukat," Slade replied, stepping out from the shadows. "But, as they say, life's a bitch."

"Too bad he wasn't Captain Sisko."

"Captain Sisko will be dealt with soon enough. But not now. Now, we prepare for the next part of our plan. But, before we go…" Slade quickly walked over to the window, sticking his hand out. "A little message for the Guardians… and our enemies."

Several moments later, a small Klingon shuttle broke orbit of the Homeworld, entering a trajectory that would take it into the heart of the Bajoran sector. There, they would rendezvous with their forces.

In the home of the Supreme Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, the corpse of a valiant warrior, Starfleet officer, and father, lay where he died, his _d'k_ _tagh _next to him, still in his hand.

And, above the grounds themselves, the Mark of Skath hung, a symbol of fear and hatred for all to see.

**Zion**

Jadzia suddenly stumbled, barely stopping her cup from falling from her hand. Her instincts were telling her that something terrible had just happened.

Molly was by her side in an instant. "Are you all right, dear?" she asked.

Jadzia looked at her, frowning. "I'm not sure," she replied. "It was as if… a void suddenly appeared in my heart, like I lost something important."

Alania frowned. "I felt a shift in the Balance. For some reason, I don't think your surmise is off that far." She went over to her desk, hitting the comm button. "Zion Cartography, start scanning the Protectorate. I want to know if anything has happened." Without waiting for a reply, she cut off.

Harry leaned back, his own instincts sounding off as well. Whatever could attract Alania's attention wasn't that good. She was, after all, the First Guardian.

Amanda and Daniel trade confused looks with the Weasleys. "What's going on?" Daniel asked.

Alania turned to her guests, her solemn. "One thing I am capable of doing, that Jedi do on a more limited basis, is attain perception of reality through the Force. However, as I am all powerful, I can keep my eye on all of Existence." Her gaze fell. "I can also determine where it is. I just need to make sure that I am right. It wouldn't be the first time I've been paranoid."

Jadzia got up. "Sir, I think we need to head for the _Valkyrie_. We may need to launch immediately."

It took Kes a moment to remember that she was now a captain, and that command decisions concerning the _Valkyrie_ fell upon her. "I agree. Commander, report there immediately, and await further orders from High Command. Commander Idaris, we're heading for Cartogrpahy."

"Aye, ma'am." Belle quickly picked up Chip. "Now, Chip, I'm going to leave you here with the Grangers, okay?" Chip nodded. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise."

The doorway opened, revealing Raven and her mother, both who looked confused. "A technician just came up to us," she said. "He told us to tell you that the shift occurred in Realm 9002… somebody named Worf is dead."

Jadzia turned around, staring at her for a second. Then the information processed fully, and she knew, just _knew_, that something else happened. Grief filled her, but was soon replaced by rage. "Who… who is responsible?" she got out, her anger growing by the second. "Who would dare attack my mate?"

Raven turned to her, realizing what that meant. "I'll give you two guesses."

"Dukat." A snarl emerged from her throat.

"He's free," Alania said, quietly. "And so are the Pai- Wraiths."

Harry shot out of his seat immediately. "Could you get me a link to Hogwarts? Something tells me we're going to need a bit more than just the _Valkyrie._"

Alania grinned. "Use my terminal. You don't even need a Stargate. And I have several fleets standing by to back you up."

"Thanks."

----

The _Valkyrie_ crew was busy getting their new vessel ready for launch. Engineers quickly brought the warp engines on line, as well as getting the rest of the systems ready.

Lieutenant Sharon Valerii was finishing her diagnostic of the helm, nodding to herself. Despite the seriousness of the situation in which they were heading for, not to mention the fact that none of the equipment had been tested in wartime conditions, she felt a slight surge of pride for this ship. According to Zion's Corp of Engineering, she was the most advanced ship in the fleet, with only the finest crew available. '_Female crew,'_ she amended quickly. There wouldn't be a single man on the ship, unless they were a child.

"Lieutenant," Yar requested.

Sharon quickly turned around. "I can't wait until we can take this baby out for a spin."

"Steady, Boomer. We're not exactly going on a shakedown cruise."

Sharon grinned. "I'm aware of that. Still, after spending eight months in training, it's going to be great to get back into space."

Yar grinned at this. "I know what you mean," she said, as the turbolift doors opened.

Jadzia stepped out of the lift, observing the bridge for a moment. "Ladies, Captain on the bridge!" As one, the crew all turned, standing at attention.

Kes stepped out of the lift, fidgeting slightly from all of the attention, as well as the uniform she now wore. It was now clear where the new generation of Starfleet uniform came from, as Zion had one identical to it. Gray shouldered, black the rest of the way to one's boots. The shirt underneath that denoted what department you were in; Red for Command, Blue for Medical and Science, and yellow for Security and Engineering. Even the gold pips, circular in design, were similar in role.

Presently, she had four pips on her collar.

The Occampan looked around the bridge, taking in the entire area. It wasn't that much different in design to a _Galaxy_ or _Sovereign Class_ Starship. It had three chairs for the captain, first officer, and counselor. Tactical was right above it on an upraised platform. Ops and Helm were located closer to the view screen. The rest of the stations faced forward, with a large display of the _Valkyrie_. The rugs were carpeted brown, giving a comforting feel to the area. '_In short, it's a nice place,'_ she thought, absentmindedly tugging down on her jacket.

Beside her, Belle grinned slightly, looking perfectly at ease in her commander's uniform. Kes felt a certain level of envy for her. She definitely looked like she belonged in that uniform.

Yar stepped up to her, her face wiped clean of any emotion. The consummate Security Chief at her finest. "Welcome aboard the _Valkyrie,_ Sir," she said, straight back.

Kes nodded to her. "At ease. Commander, perhaps you would be kind as to introduce myself and Commander Cartier to the rest of the Senior Staff. I would like to know who I shall be commanding before I lead them to either victory or possible death." Her smile let the entire bridge crew know that she was partially jesting that last part.

Jadzia grinned, pointing to the small group waiting near the command area. "This is Commander Aeris Gainsborough, our CMO. As you know, she alone will decide whether or not you are physically and mentally capable of commanding the ship. Lieutenant Commander Prue Halliwell is our Chief Engineer, and one of the finest witches ever to live, and die. She helped develop several new mystical defenses against various omnipotent forces." She smiled at the last one. "This is Lieutenant Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii. She's our helms woman."

"Ma'am," Sharon replied, bowing slightly.

Jadzia turned around. "Ladies, this Kes, our new CO, and Commander Belle Cartier, who will be filling in the role of First Officer." Her grin was now on full force. "Let's hope they don't screw up."

There, a bit of gallows humor to level out any problems they might have. The bridge crew chuckled a bit, breaking the awkwardness of the situation.

Kes smiled slightly, before stepping up. "I look forward to working with all of you," she said. "Presently though, we have been given our first assignment. So, I'll learn more about you on our way there. Stations, please."

It wasn't exactly something that Captain Janeway would say. She would have said something inspirational. But then again, it was probably something an officer learned over time. With that thought in mind, Kes turned towards her seat.

Belle was already sitting in her chair, clearly feeling it out. "They're comfy," she said in satisfaction.

Kes smiled a bit, before shifting her gaze to her chair. Running a hand over one of the armrests, she observed it for a moment. It was clear that it was slightly larger than the other two, as the captain was the most powerful person on the ship. It gave the Occampan pause. To be in command of a ship, with all of that power at your fingertips… now she knew what Janeway felt every time she sat in that seat. Of course, on her ship, she had Commander Chakotay to help her, and he was an experienced first officer. She had Belle, who had five thousand years of command experience to call upon. '_I guess it all evens out, then.'_ She sat down, feeling rather insecure, but keeping her face blank. "Prepare for departure."

Sharon checked her controls again. "Helm ready, Sir."

"Tactical ready, Sir," Yar reported.

"Engineering ready, Sir," Prue called off.

Aeris got off her communicator. "Sickbay ready, Sir." She sat down in the third seat, making it clear that she doubled as Counselor of the ship.

Kes nodded. "_Valkyrie_ to Zion High Command. Requesting permission to depart."

"_Permission granted,_" Locc replied. "_Good luck, and godspeed,_ Valkyrie."

"_Valkyrie_ confirms. Helm, ready maneuvering thrusters."

"Aye, Sir."

"Hold at station keeping."

"Thrusters at station keeping, Sir."

"Kes turned to Prue. "Running lights, Chief."

Prue checked her console. "Online," she reported.

"Lieutenant, thrusters ahead. Take us out."

"Aye, Sir." Sharon keyed in the necessary commands.

----

Within Zion's primary shipyards, life was beginning to arise.

The _U.S.S. Valkyrie_, registry NCC 74656, was considered by its peers as the most advanced ship in the whole of the fleet. Their corp of engineers had put only the best equipment into her. The finest materials were replicated or forged to make its outer shell virtually indestructible. The most powerful weapons array was created for her, and for her alone. An automatic upgrade system for its computer system was also a new feature, allowing her to acquire sentience, and given limited control to certain functions. It meant that the computer itself was a crew member, and was treated with the same amount of respect as any member with a pulse and a set of lungs.

And, at that moment, its running lights were coming on. Its engines began glowing with the power of a thousand suns.

The mighty vessel began to move majestically from its dry dock, its contours glinting in the afternoon light. The vessel shimmered with untapped potential.

That potential would be unleashed quite soon.

But, despite all of that power, the important aspect of it, of any ship, regardless of design and flag, was its crew. And, according to Alania, they were the best of the Fleet. This would show if it was true.

On the bridge, Kes straightened up slightly, feeling every bit of her position weighing down on her. "Take us to half impulse."

"Half impulse, aye."

_Valkyrie's_ impulse engines came to life sending the vessel forward, away from the various vessels in repair or construction.

"Departure angle."

"Departure angle, Captain."

"… Viewer ahead."

Sharon brought the screen ahead. "Viewer ahead."

Kes turned to Belle, saw the small smile on her face, and could understand it. She was literally seeing all of her dreams come true, in a way that exceeded them. And she was glad to be back on a starship again… though not in the way she was hoping.

Her musings were cut short when Sharon suddenly said, "We are approaching the Supergate."

Kes nodded. "Dial the address for Realm 9002. Once we on the other side, engage cloak, and set a course for Bajor. Maximum warp."

"Aye, Sir."

Belle smirked, leaning in. "You're doing fine," she whispered.

Kes nodded. "Hopefully, I'll continue to do so."

**Realm 4**

Ron burst out of the Stargate, entering the Watchtower. "Can anyone tell me where I can find a Teen Titan?" he immediately asked. "Any one of them will do!"

Superman looked at him in surprise. "They're down on Earth right now."

"Tell them Ron Weasley needs to talk to them. We have a problem."

----

Cyborg stepped off the transporter pad, turning to Kurt. "Any idea what the problem is?"

Kurt shrugged. "I have no idea. Why do you want me here, anyways?"

"Call it intuition. There's Static."

Static walked up to them, looking rather annoyed. "Can't this wait?" he asked. "I need to meet my dad for dinner."

Cyborg shook his head. "There's an old friend of mine here, and he wants to talk to us. Where's Maureen?"

"Right here!" Maureen ran up to them, hurriedly tying her hair back. "There was a reason for bringing me up here while I was searching for a job, right?"

"Ask the Tin Man and Fuzzy Blue Elf here," Ritchie replied, pointing at Cyborg and Kurt. "We're in the dark."

Cyborg sighed. Now he knew what Robin felt like everyday. "Come on," he said. "We'll _all_ get an explanation from my friend."

----

"Gul Dukat?" Superman echoed. "He killed Worf?"  
Ron sat down. "I know how it sounds. But, according to Alania, he was still possessed by a Pai Wraith, which gave him greater power than any Klingon. The local authorities there are investigating, but it doesn't look like they'll figure it out anytime soon."

Cyborg's one good eye frowned. "Why'd he do that that?" he asked. "I've seen _Star Trek_. His beef's with Sisko, not Worf!"

"I have got to agree," Amanda replied. "He has never wanted to harm anyone except the Emissary. Why go after Worf?"

"Alania has a response to that, as well. Commander Worf was a pillar."

"A what?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's a person who serves to maintain the world's balance. If they are all killed, then the realm in question shifts to darkness… until the next pillars are born, anyways."

Batman leaned in, his own eyes narrowing. "And, this helps us… how?"  
"In short, we need your help." Ron managed to contain his squirming. Batman may be a man in a bat costume, but the man's personality made the costume frightening in the extreme. "We think Dukat is heading for Bajor, but we can't be certain. A Guardian fleet is already on their way there, but we need a defense for the ground."

"And your department has already sent troops?" Diana guessed.

"So why do you need our help?" Cyclops pushed himself off the wall. "You have superior technology, and combat skill. We'll seem like amateurs."

"In short, we don't have the numbers. And that's what we need. Besides, do you really think Professor McGonagall is going to send every SG unit through the Stargate?"

"He has got you there, Cyclops," Starfire stated cheerfully.

Cyclops accepted the jab with a small grin, and leaned against the wall again.

Flash nodded once. "My groups ready for deployment," he said.

"Your squadron isn't at full strength," J'onn reminded him gently. "We still haven't fully dealt with the damage the Heartless did to Barda and Vigilante." He turned to Superman. "We send Green Lantern's and Hawkgirl's squadrons. They are all battle hardened warriors, which we will need in a situation such as this."

Superman nodded. "Agreed. Static, I would like you and the X-Men to go with them."

"Us? Why?" Static asked.

"Because it'll be good exercise for you. Your ability of static electricity may prove indispensable in a fight, if a fight erupts."

"… Alright… but Permafrost is gonna need a costume. You can't be a superhero in hand me downs." Static grinned. "I had to make my first costume out of hand me downs."

"And they sucked somewhat," Maureen added, grinning.

Storm smirked. "Fortunately, Kitty is a fashion guru, despite her personality quirks. She had just finished making a uniform for you before leaving for Zion. Perhaps you should try it on."

"I'll tell her thanks when I see her!" The Bang Baby made her way out the door, humming to herself.

"What about the rest of us?" Yugi asked. "Are we on reserve?"

"You bet your ass we are!" Cyborg replied. "You need our help, don't hesitate to hit those little buttons, Ron!"

Ron grinned. "Don't worry, I won't."

**Realm 3**

"We were able to fully repair _Prometheus_," Cho reported, handing Remus the repair sheet. "Unfortunately, we also used up the last of our supplies doing that. We have no warp core to speak of, and we're going to need a major refit if we're going to be a significant threat to this mutant."

Remus nodded absently, frowning at the padd. "It's times like this I wish Lily and James stayed for just a moment longer," he grumbled. "Is there any way to create a warp pulse using auxillary power? Pump it through the warp nacelles?"

Cho frowned for a moment. "I'll go through the equations, but I think so."

"Let me know when you're absolutely certain."

"Yes, Professor."

"Severus!"  
Snape turned away from the engineering console he was at. "Ten other craft of various sizes are at full operational capacity. We could take them and drag _Prometheus _to Bajor."

"Unfortunately, they don't have cloaks… but I suppose we could jury rig a system to extend the cloak from the ship to the rest of the fleet…" Remus turned around. "When Harry told us that we needed to get to this Realm, I never thought we would actually have the means to do it."

The Potions Professor nodded in agreement. "I never thought that I could actually work with him, _and_ you. He certainly isn't like his father."

"And he only hates you because of how you treat him… or anyone else that isn't a part of Slytherin."

"It's who I am, Remus. Considering my life… can you really blame me?"

"Yes," Remus replied good-naturedly. "But, I thought that you would like to know… James wasn't in on that joke. He may have tormented you… but he never wanted to hurt you in any way. Sirius acted alone on that."

Snape turned to stare at him, as if seeing him for the first time. "Why is it that he seemed to be the leader, when you clearly had the brains for it, is beyond me."

Remus started chuckling at that. "Next time you see him, you can ask him," he said.

Snape started chuckling as well. "Perhaps I will."

----

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, nodding fractionally to what was before him. "So, are we absolutely sure that this is accurate?" he asked.

McGonagall sighed. "I'm afraid so, Albus. I have known the courier for years. I trust it."

"Then we have a problem. According to this, if this Dukat character merges with one of these Bajoran orbs, especially with the power he now possesses, he will have the capability to wipe out all life in that realm."

McGonagall stood up, heading for the window. "I received a new update from Zion High Command. The balance shifted slightly towards darkness. The percentage meter dropped about two percent over the last hour. We need to take as many people as we can, and defend the orbs."

"This Worf's death was that significant?" Dumbeldore asked. "And these orbs are that important?"

"I am afraid so, on both accounts. We have run out of time."

Dumbledore nodded, turning his attention to the various instruments on his desk. After a moment, he looked up again. "Do it. And, Minerva… do be careful."

McGonagall finally cracked a smile. "I intend to."

**Zion**

"This mission cannot succeed without your help, Mother!" Raven stated rather stridently.

"I know that, and you know that. However, considering how close we are to his coming, the senate feels that to send anyone against him would leave Azarath open to attack," she replied.

"Then you are going to have to change their minds, Mother."

Arella frowned at this. "I know… but how."

Locc thought about it, finishing his drink. "Perhaps you should go back to Azarath, and make your plea in person. The Senate thinks highly of you. And Azarath has had a secret alliance with the House of Martok since the old days."

Alania knew that those were simply words, but they were words that were true. "We need you on Bajor," she said. "And you owe it to the House of Martok to be there."

Arella nodded forcefully. "Then I'll be there," she replied. "And to hell with what the council thinks."

Raven nodded once, a small smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Mother."

Alania stood up, walking around the desk. "I will be sending young Haider with you, so you'll have some back up. Dismissed."

Raven bowed once, before turning around and following her mother out of the room. The easy part was done.

Now came the hard part.

----

Rogue adjusted her X-Men uniform, making sure everything was in place. She looked at her gloves for a moment… and set them back in her bag, leaving the room.

Samuel was waiting for her outside her bedroom, clad in his battle uniform. "May I escort the lady to the shuttle?" he asked gallantly.

Rogue grinned. "Ah heard that you were comin' with us, Samuel," she replied. "Ah think it was a good idea." The two of them started down the hall. "By the way, why are yah comin'?"

"Lady Alania requested it. And… I wanted to. I have never seen Bajor before. I hear that it is a beautiful planet."

"Well, sugah, this isn't gonna be a pleasure cruise. We gotta prepare for a battle here, and that beautiful planet is gonna be the battlefield."

"I'm aware of that. I am also aware that we may not come back alive." Samuel smiled slightly. "I am ready. The question is, are you?"

Rogue grinned fiercely. "Oh, hell yeah."

----

Obi Wan walked alongside Wendy, who was busy adjusting one of her sleeves. "Do you really think it's wise to leave Daniel here?" he asked.

Wendy nodded. "I trust the Grangers and the Weasleys to keep him out of trouble, and there are few safer places than being right under Alania's nose. He'll be fine." She shrugged. "And he may be able to help young Chip with his grief."

Obi Wan nodded slightly, just as Jane and Peter arrived. "Are you two ready?"

Peer nodded, a hand over his sword handle. He had transferred his dagger to a hidden compartment of his jacket. "About as ready as we'll ever be," he replied.

"Harry and Hermione are waiting for us at the Stargates," Jane added. "We should get there as quickly as possible."

Wendy nodded, having had the same thought. Speed was of the essence, now. "Then we better go, then."

"Good idea."

----

Chip sat silently on the chair, staring at the children's book in front of him. He hadn't moved from that spot in over thirty minutes, with the exception of turning the page.

Amanda and Molly exchanged looks of concern. It was clear that this was not normal behavior. According to Belle, he hadn't spoken in over a week. Of course, he had also witnessed the murdering of his mother, so that wasn't surprising.

Daniel climbed into the chair next to him, watching him for a moment. "Hey, you wanna play pirates?" he asked.

Chip looked up, shook his head.

"Wanna draw?"  
Another shake of the head.

"Wanna… wanna just talk?"

Chip stared at the young Barrington, shaking his head again.

Daniel's own head fell. "You really miss your mommy, don't you?" he asked. "Probably as much as I miss my Daddy."

Chip's eyes widened as he stared at Daniel. As if to answer the unspoken question, Daniel said, "He was killed by a very bad man… right in front of Mommy."

Amanda turned to Molly, who nodded once in confirmation. She, in turn, turned to her husband. "Arthur, could you talk to Alania, and see if there are any counselors that Chip could see?"

Arthur got up. "I can do that." He made for the door.

Amanda sat down next to Chip, putting a hand on his shoulder gently. "I wish that what happened to you had never happened," she whispered. "But you still have Belle with you. I'm sure that she loves you as much as your mother did."

Chip looked at her, a small smile on his face as he nodded. He knew that.

But he simply couldn't get what had happened out of his head. And he wasn't sure he ever could.

**Realm 9002**

Captain Kira Nerys of _Deep Space Nine_ sighed, leaning back in her seat. Of all of the people she thought would die in the aftermath of the Dominion War, Worf was not one of them. He had the respect of an entire quadrant, the friendship of two of the greatest crews in Starfleet, and honor beyond any Klingon's wildest dreams.

And he was on the Klingon Homeworld, surrounded by Klingons. What person in their right mind would go head to toe with Worf, and not get himself killed immediately afterwards.

The answer came in the form of a text message from someone she had never thought she would hear from again… Gul Dukat, and a picture.

It was times like this that she wished the Emissary would come back to the station. He knew more about the Pai-Wraiths than anyone alive. He would know what to do with Dukat.

And he would be able to figure out what that damn symbol floating over Martok's home was.

Her musings were disrupted when the door chime sounded. Looking up, she said, "Come in."

Ezri Dax came in, looking pensive. "We were able to locate the Klingon shuttle…" She stopped, looking hesitant.

Kira frowned. "And?"

The young lieutenant took a deep breath. "It's heading directly for Bajor… to where most of the Orbs are located."

Kira stood up straighter. "Alert Starfleet Command immediately. Have all available vessels prepare to move out." She looked at Ezri. "Is there anything else?"

"… Something's happening n Bajor already. And I think they're related."

----

On Bajor, a portal of fire opened. The Mark of Skath appeared above it.

And the first invasion of Trigon the Terrible's forces was ready to begin.

More than eighty miles away, in the center of the city, two Stargates suddenly materialized, their circuitry starting its booting up process. In about two hours, it would be fully operational.

And then the waiting would be over.

And here is Part Three of the crossover. Part Four will have the battle for the orbs, and Static and his group in their first appearance since Yami's duel. I hope it's satisfactory.

Whew, talk about trying to make it all work. So please review, and let me know what you think. Enjoy.


	73. Sixty One, Part Four

**Part Four**

**Realm 9002**

The _Valkyrie_ emerged from the Supergate system, her super structure adjusting automatically from open skies to the vacuum of space. The Supergate shut down, as most gates do.

But then it started folding up on itself, before entering the underbelly of the Guardian vessel. Its purpose had been served.

"Supergate system has been retrieved," Jadzia reported, her fingers dancing over her console. "Engaging cloak."

Kes nodded. "Once the cloak has engaged, set course for the Bajoran system, Warp Eight." In her mind, she had already calculated the speed they would need to reach Bajor within the two hour time limit, as well as energy drain. Also, two hours would give her a chance to fully understand this ship she had been given command of.

With no sound to even inform them that they were running under a cloaking device, the _Valkyrie_ shimmered out of existence, before angling in one direction, and accelerating to warp.

"Warp Four… Warp Six… Warp Eight, holding steady," Sharon reported.

Kes nodded, getting up. She hadn't even heard an increase in the engine thrum, which spoke of a superior warp design, and for now unknown inertial dampening system. "Commander Cartier, you have the bridge. I'll be in my Ready Room… I do have one, right?"

Jadzia grinned. "Yes, you do, Sir."

"Ah." Smiling slightly, the Occampan entered her personal work space, and stared at it for a moment. It was an almost exact replica of Captain Janeway's on _Voyager_. There were subtle differences, like a color tone closer to the _Enterprise-D's_. And, where the desk was, a room leading to a small alcove, complete with bed, was behind and to the right of it.

Kes liked it immediately. Alania clearly had designed it as she would have liked it designed.

Observing it for a moment longer, the Occampan walked over to the desk, sitting down behind it. She simply sat there for a moment, just enjoying the moment of peace, before pulling her communicator off. She observed it for a second, admiring its birdlike design, before setting it on the desk, and pulling her Starfleet one out of a pocket, and putting it on her uniform. Satisfied, she turned her attention to the computer terminal. "Computer, show me the schematics for the Guardian Starship _U.S.S. Valkyrie,_ Registry NCC- 74656."

"_Yes, ma'am,"_ the computer replied, as a cutaway picture of the _Valkyrie_ appeared on the screen.

"Thank you."

"_I'm a computer. You don't have to say Thank you to me."_

Kes blinked for a moment. "This is going to take some getting used to," she muttered, before she started looking over the ship.

This was how Belle found her commanding officer almost thirty minutes later, polling over the names and faces of her crew. "If you keep doing that, you're going to burn a hole through the screen," she said good naturedly.

"_There's more of a chance of her melting it than burning a hole through it, Commander,"_ the computer supplied.

Kes looked up, smirking slightly. "So, not even my first day on the job, and already my first officer is conspiring against me with the computer."

"Got to keep you on your toes, Sir." Belle looked at her communicator. "Personal preference?"  
"Huh… oh, this? Yes, actually. Alania had already modified it so it's compatible with Guardian systems. Have a seat, Number One."

Belle sat down, tucking that ever wayward strand of hair back behind her ear. "The ship's performing well so far," she reported. "We should reach our destination within the next hour and a half."

"Good." Kes leaned back. "What do you think of the _Valkyrie_, Belle?" she asked.

Belle grinned. "It's a big ship, but I like it. With a little luck, she'll go down in history as the best, as will the crew."

"That is my fondest hope, too. I have a question, though… do you think I can pull this off?"

"Being the most powerful person this ship? … Well, it'll take you some time, but you'll find a command style that works for you. But, you also have to have faith in yourself."

"Excellent advice."

Belle's smile faltered slightly. "I had a good teacher."

Kes looked up. "Maurice?"

"Mrs. Potts."

"Ah." There it was, that pain again. "You aren't over it."

"Did you ever fully recover from what you did, Captain?"

"… No. But I know that eventually, I will put it to rest." Kes turned her attention back to the screen. "Did you know that Lieutenant Valerii was killed by a race of mechanical beings known as the Cylons, who had been created, and mistreated, by the humans?"

"I did, Sir," Belle replied, grateful that Kes had changed the subject for now. "I also know that she had been a member of this colonial fleet, holding the rank of ensign. She was resurrected by the Guardians, and placed in training for this very post." She grinned. "She also excelled in basketball and tennis, as well as various other activities. They say she's equal to a Hikaru Sulu, whoever that is."

"Hikaru Sulu was the helmsman of the _Constitution Class U.S.S. Enterprise, _and its immediate predecessor, the _Enterprise-A_. He was also captain of the _Excelsior_. I know this because Tuvok served under him when he was an ensign."

"Really?"

"Well, Vulcans have very long life spans. It isn't uncommon for one to live past two hundred years."

The First Officer chuckled. "It looks like I have a lot to learn from you, Kes."

Kes smiled. "We have a lot to learn about a lot of things, most of all about each other, and our crew." She looked at the screen. "And our ship," she added.

"That we do."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

Maureen looked herself over in the mirror; taking a moment to admire the uniform she had been given. Not so much the uniform, as the fact that she was wearing something _new_.

The uniform was similar to the one from the _Underworld_ movie, a jumpsuit with matching corset, though the color was blue instead of black. No frills or decorations of any kind, which suited her just fine. It was simple, but that worked for her.

Walking out of the locker room, she started down the hall towards the main room, donning the trench coat as quickly as possible. She didn't want to attract too much attention from the young male population.

Static turned around as Maureen entered the final stretch of hallway, grinning. "That's a nice ensemble," he said eyeing her subtly. "Matches your eyes perfectly."

Maureen blushed slightly. "Thank you. When are we going?"

"As soon as possible." The two Bang Babies started down the hall. "Hey, Maureen, I've… I've been wanting to ask you something."

Maureen looked at him. "Really? About what?"

"… About Professor Xavier's proposal."

"You think I should take it, don't you?"

"Well, you'll have a roof over your head, not to mention much better food."  
"I'll go with that."

Static's grin vanished. "You're really thinking about turning it down, aren't you?" he asked.

Maureen nodded. "Honestly, I don't think I could be an X-Man. For starters, I would still be looking for work. Two, I don't think I could take their training regimen. And finally, I don't think I'm ready to leave Dakota City yet. It's my home."

"I know what you mean. I don't think I could leave it either."

"… Anything else, Static? You look awfully thoughtful."

"It's nothing."

Maureen grinned, turning to look at him more fully. "You know, we've known each other for years, and yet, you never told me your deepest, darkest, secret. Who you _really_ are. Why is that?"

Static sighed. "I'm not very comfortable with telling people that. I've been doing it for years. And… I'm afraid that if people know we're friends, they might use you to get to me."

"Yes, but I'm fighting by your side, now. Teammates have to be able to trust one another with secrets… right?"

Static was about to reply, but Gear chose that most inopportune moment to pop in. "Hey, Static!" he exclaimed jovially, clapping his best friend on the shoulder. "So, how's the process going?"  
Maureen giggled. "See for yourself," she replied, showing off her uniform. To say that Gear's jaw hit the ground would sum up how much he liked the outfit… almost as much as Static did. "Wow…" was all he got out.

Static found Gear's reaction even more amusing than their blue eyed friend, though he also discovered a bit of jealously. "Okay, buddy, time to put your tongue back into your mouth. We need to get to the Gate looking like professionals." He waited until Gear had done so, before continuing on his way, his two friend's right behind him.

Ron was waiting for them with the X-Men, already clad in his combat gear. Two powerful looking pistols and a military grade shotgun were in his possession, already set.

Static frowned. "Aren't you a little young to be using guns?" he asked.

Ron returned his frown. "In case you haven't noticed, this is a war, and I do have combat experience. If the Guardians trust me with this stuff, you can too."

"Go with it," Logan advised. "He knows more than we do. Green Lantern's squad can't be fully organized in time. Shayera's has been, though."

"Got it." Static turned to the Stargate. "How long?"

"About forty more minutes."

Static nodded, turning to Maureen. He saw the same anticipation in her gaze as well. They wouldn't have to wait much longer.

**

* * *

Zion**

Obi-Wan looked at the Stargate, seeing Harry and Hermione in quiet conversation with each other. He noted that Jane and Peter were talking to Rogue. Almost twelve minutes on their side were left until the Gate to Bajor was active, and they were still waiting for the JL members to get there.

Wendy tapped her foot anxiously, looking around. "What is taking so long?" she muttered. "Why haven't they shown up?"

The Jedi Knight kept his face still. He was now beginning to understand where Jane got her personality from. "It could be for a variety of reasons. They could still be in the middle of their conversation with Guardian Trinity." He observed her for a moment. "Is this about Daniel?"

Wendy nodded. "Every time I leave him alone, I get nervous. I feel like I'm abandoning him whenever I go through the Gate. Is it right to feel this way?"  
Obi-Wan thought about it, nodded. "I would say that it's a normal feeling for a mother to feel, especially if their job is dangerous. But, you have to have faith."

"Faith? Why faith?"  
"Because events will unfold as they should."

The young woman observed him for a moment. "You should sound like you simply let everything unfold, and do nothing to influence it," she said.

"That is one thing," Obi-Wan replied. "On the other hand, how do we know if we are playing parts that have been scripted for us long ago, or not?"

"God did not give us free will for nothing."

"God?"

Now Wendy smiled. "Do you mean to tell me that you believe in the Force, but you don't believe in a power greater than that?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "In all actuality, I doubt anyone in the Republic even knew that such a faith existed."

"… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned that."

"No, it's all right. I can respect your beliefs. You've always respected mine."

"Of course." Wendy turned towards the Gate. "I have to wonder, though… how do you go through life without such a belief in something greater than yourself?"

For that question, he smiled. "Oh, but I do believe in something that is greater than the Force."

"And what is that?"

Obi-Wan turned to stare at her fully. "The power of the human spirit, if you'll pardon the expression," he replied gently. "People of any species can recover from just about any adversity, and only grow stronger because of it. And your spirit is as strong as any I have ever met." '_Edward was indeed a lucky man,'_ he thought to himself. '_Wendy's beauty is only surpassed by the generosity and strength of her spirit. And her daughter is just as caring. If it were allowed, I would have been honored to have such a child.'_

The thought surprised him. Never before had he wanted anything like a family. He had always been content with serving the Republic, meditating, and teaching Anakin. The Jedi had been the only family he had known. Now he had been exposed to more, and he discovered that he wanted it all.

As he pondered this disquieting series of thoughts, Harry suddenly looked up. "Here they come… whoa."

Obi-Wan saw everyone else turned around, looking towards the sky. Curious, he did so as well.

And he was surprised.

Shayera landed, wings fluttering a bit. "What?" she asked. "Haven't you ever seen anyone with wings before?"

----

Alania nodded once. "Chip does need help," she said. "Unfortunately, this is something that will stay with him his entire life. All of the counseling in the world will do nothing to change that."

Arthur sighed. "So, what can we do?"

"At this point, that's up to Belle. Being there for Chip will be his best hope if he hopes to live something approaching a normal life."

The Wizard slowly got up, making his way to a window. "Have you ever worried… about your family?"  
Alania sighed. "Every day."

"Then you know how I feel."

"Actually, I know how Molly feels. I know that I never want to see my children suffer, but at the same time, they're already part this war. They can make their own decisions." She smiled. "I have been proud of them for everything they've accomplished. The question is… are you proud of what your children have accomplished?"

"… Yes. Yes, I am."

Alania smiled, a sudden thought occurring to her. "Bring Chip here. I'll see what I can do for him. It's the least I can do."

**

* * *

Realm 9002**

The Klingon Shuttle landed in the outskirts of the capital city of Bajor, at the nearest point of the portal. Slade and Dukat disembarked, both observing the portal for a moment.

A man appeared from the darkened regions of the Shadow Realm… or what had been a man once. Wearing robes of purple and red, a mask that, much like Slade's own, allowed him to see out of his one good eye. Gaunt hands, with claw like nails, completed the fearsome visage.

"Akunadin," Slade said in greeting. "Are our forces ready for battle?"

"As you have instructed, Slade," Akunadin replied. "Soon, the Tears of the Prophets shall be no more. And the Celestial Temple shall crumble."

"Indeed." Dukat turned. "It has been so long since I've had the chance to stare at the First City of Bajor. It seems so… different than before."

Slade grinned. "That's because it is now a Federation planet. Bajor joined a year ago. Everything the Prophets had hoped for had come to pass." He turned around. "Now to undo it. Come forth, monsters of Skath!"

Through the portal, they came. Creatures by the dozens, all various shapes and sizes. They were among the Shadow Realm's most fearsome, created for one purpose; destruction.

The one eyed terrorist's face would have stretched in a smile, but his face wasn't capable of that at the moment. "Creatures of Skath, a glorious day awaits you!" he bellowed. "The powers of purity believe that they can destroy us, but I say that we are the destroyers!"  
A roar of agreement, of impending victory, echoed from them all.

"We shall go to their holiest sanctuary in this city! We shall take their Tears, and crush them beneath our fists!" Another unified roar issued. "And then we shall lash out against the rest of the Bajor, with a fury that Existence has never before witnessed! Who wishes for the destruction of all Alania holds dear?"

The roars grew louder, and could easily be heard in the city. The people there shuddered at it. And they began praying to the Prophets to save them.

Except, in this instance, the Prophets had already answered their prayers.

* * *

**Realm 4**

Kurt fidgeted, trying to remain still. He, and the rest of them, had been standing there for about ten minutes, waiting for the Gate's systems to fully integrate.

And he counted the minutes that he would see his sister again down in his head.

Amanda retracted her staff, slipping it into its spot on her belt, before turning her attention to her boyfriend. "Relax, Kurt," she whispered. "Rogue isn't going anywhere."

"I know." Kurt sighed. "I wonder how they are."

"Doing well. I don't think Alania's going to keep her against her will."

"I know that, too. But now, I feel badly that I didn't go with her."

"Pipe down, Blue," Logan suddenly growled. "Thirty seconds left. Dial up, kid."

Ron stepped up to the DHD, quickly punching in the address for the realm. "It'll be strange when you go through," he explained. "A bit of queasiness or dizziness are the side effects you can expect for your first time through. Just take a few seconds to get your bearings. That's all you need. Understand?" He received a number of nods. "Alright, let's go."

**

* * *

Realm 9002**

The Federation runabout _Rio Grande_ touched down at the shuttle pads in the capital.

Captain Kira, Lieutenant Dax, and Doctor Julian Bashir exited the small vessel, heading for the transporter pad.

Almost twenty seconds later, they were in front of the Bajoran Monastery, watching as Starfleet personnel hastily set up defensive positions, phaser rifles out. "Report, lieutenant," Kira ordered.

The lieutenant turned. "We have set up positions along the entire border of the city, and fortified the temple."

"So we are absolutely certain that they're coming here."

"They haven't stopped. And… we have some news that you're not going to like."

Bashir looked at him. "Lieutenant, so far, nothing we've learned today has been to our liking. What is it?"

The lieutenant steeled himself. "One of the ring leaders is Gul Dukat."

Ezri let out a low hiss of consternation, the events leading up to Jadzia's own demise. "What else is coming?"

"… Monsters."

----

Slade looked at the defense line waiting for them, and grinned. "Starfleet must think that we can be stopped by mere phasers," he said. "Not that we should neglect their courage any. They are willing to die for what they believe in." He turned. "Akunadin, if you please…?"

Akunadin stepped forward, bringing his hands up. Shadows collected at his fingertips.

Then the Shadows shot outward, aiming at the entire defense line.

----

The lieutenant suddenly turned around, staring out in the distance. H had heard several screams, and then… nothing. "Bower to Lieutenant Edon. Come in, Edon."

There was no reply.

Bower turned to Kira, his gaze haunted. "There are about fifty defense points throughout the city, but…"

"But they'll probably cut through them in the same way." Kira turned to Ezri, understanding. "It looks like we're making our stand at the monastery. Let's go."

----

Slade observed the bodies strewn about, shaking his head slightly. "These fools should have known better. They fear the Pai-Wraiths so much, that they never thought to think that others were a threat as well." He turned his attention to Dukat. "Emissary, if you would…"

Dukat strolled forward, focusing himself. Every ounce of his military discipline came to the fore. With that discipline, he thrust his hands out, focusing the full power in his body.

Dukat's time with the Pai-Wraiths, trapped within the Fire Caves, had been both a blessing and a curse. A curse, because he, and his gods, were trapped.

A blessing, because he learned how to effectively control his powers. And he put that training to good use.

The small force was presently stationed on a bridge entering the city. It was a pretty decent size, constructed in a time before the Cardassian Occupation.

And it was about to become the first bridge to ever fly on Bajor.

The foundation broke like it was cheap plastic. The section of wall rose up into the sky, flying over the astonished Starfleet Officers.

Heading for the monastery.

The vedeks and prylars within the temple itself watched in astonishment as the structure approached them, moved by forces beyond normal people's understanding. However, they knew why it was coming. And they knew who it was that was coming.

The bridge reached the edge of the temple, hovering for a moment… before Dukat let it drop to the ground. Those directly underneath it quickly got out of the way as the massive structure came down upon them.

Dukat let his concentration drop at long last. "We're here," he said.

Slade nodded. "So we are." He turned around. "Move out!"

The monsters marching, their combined footsteps like thunder. It heralded the coming of war… a war that no one knew in that universe had ever seen before.

But that didn't mean that Bajor wasn't going to try and fight it.

Akunadin turned to his two fellows. "The Orbs are on the second floor, near the rear of the temple," he reported.

Dukat nodded. "Thank you." He turned his head. "Take it down!"

The first wave of monsters let out an unearthly roar as they charged forward, running headlong into the last line of defense for the core of the Bajoran faith.

----

In Zion's Stargate Corp, the final ten seconds began their countdown.

Nine… Eight… Seven…

----

On _DS9_, Lieutenant Nog blinked as a powerful neutrino surge suddenly went into orbit of Bajor. "What the…?" he muttered.

----

"We have entered orbit," Sharon reported.

"Maintain cloak." Kes turned. "Commander Yar?"

Tasha checked her sensors. "I'm picking up traces of Shadow and Pai-Wraith energy within the city. I have also detected an open portal on the outskirts, and…" she blinked in surprise, "and a bridge connecting it to the Bajoran Temple," she added.

Kes looked at Belle, then at Jadzia. There was no need to speculate who was responsible. "Number One, Commander Idaris, you're with me. Commander Yar, you have the bridge."

Tasha looked at her. "Sir, with all due respect, I don't believe that it would be prudent for the Captain to beam down into a potentially hazardous situation. I recommend a security team accompany you."

Kes observed her for a moment. "I have to ask this… what do you think they will do against a Pai-Wraith possessed Cardassian?"

"… Excellent point."

"I plan on coming back, Tasha. And besides… I'm expecting company."

----

The monsters reached the half way point of their journey, while Starfleet security forces moved forward, ready to meet them head on.

Slade chuckled, halting Dukat. "In chess, the pawns go first. Akunadin."

Akunadin raised his hand, sending out shadow energy to destroy the weapons they held.

None of it reached them.

"Fire!" Kira ordered, her rifle already launching crimson blasts at the approaching beasts, ripping through their numbers.

Slade's good eye widened slightly. "The Orbs are protecting them. They've learned." He turned to Dukat. "That's why the pawns always go first."

Another storm of energy blasts blasted through the monster ranks. Their injuries smoked for a moment before they vanished.

Kira turned her head. "Target the bridge. Tetryon Pulse launchers!"

Ten or so people charged forward as others gave them cover fire. They had already charged up the weapons in question, and were ready to use them. Reaching their destination, they took aim, and fired.

Slade immediately conjured up a firewall, which caught the bombardment before it reached them. "Arclight, use your shockwaves! Target those weapons!" he ordered almost immedaitely afterwards.

A thin, reedy looking monster came to the fore, its hands up. Slade dropped the firewall.

The monster immediately clapped its hands together, launching a full power shockwave at the people before them.

Every officer there suddenly found their weapons being shattered by the attack. Several of them staggered back in surprise. Another shockwave sent them sprawling.

----

Six… Five… Four… Three… Two

----

The monsters surged forward, nothing stopping them now. The now defenseless Starfleet officers started backing up, knowing that they were out of their league.

Kira looked at Ezri. "Any ideas?"

"Does the Temple have a backdoor?" Ezri asked in return.

The Captain shook her head negatively. They were outmanned and now outgunned, and they had no backup plan. They needed a miracle.

Just as she thought this, part of that miracle materialized in three swirling gold lights

The monsters ceased their forward motion in surprise as Kes, Jadzia, and Belle stepped forward, all of them with the same cold expression on their faces.

Dukat blinked in surprise. "She's… alive?" he muttered in surprise.

Slade's one good eye widened. "Well, it seems that Alania herself wanted to give this one a second chance," he replied. "And we have executed her husband. I think we're in a great deal of trouble."

The three _DS9_ officers stared in shock at the impossible, Ezri more so than Bashir or Kira. As the eighth host to the Dax symbiont, she had access to all of the memories of the previous hosts…up to and including their deaths.

Jadzia Idaris, her immediate predecessor, had died at the hands of Dukat himself. How the hell was she standing there, wielding a _bat'leth_? She recognized the middle one as Kes, from the _Voyager_ reports. But she was now wearing command colors, and looked young, vital.

But who was the third one?

As she asked herself questions she had no answers to, Kes said only one thing.

"One."

And the two devices, which had appeared out of nowhere, and what had necessitated their trip to Bajor in the first place, suddenly activated in an explosion of power.

The trouble Slade knew had been coming, had arrived.

The skies began darkening, as clouds gathered. Lightning struck from those clouds, striking at the enemy with unnatural precision.

Storm fluttered downward, eyes pure white as she manipulated her namesake. In truth, she also bought time for the rest of her team to the ground.

Jean gently set the X-Men down, before turning around. "I can sense these Orbs! And it's a safe bet Slade did, too!"  
Cyclops nodded. "Then we're going to stop him! X-Men, move out!"

Kurt turned to Amanda. "Still want to help out?" he asked.

"Yes," Amanda replied, staff out.

Ron took a look at the situation, and tossed his weapons to a few of the officers. "Watch our backs," he said, pulling his wand out.

GL and Vixen came down to the ground, protected by a green bubble. The second it dissipated, the energy of the gorilla flowed through the woman's veins.

Lance and Kitty fell from the roof… and right through the ground. Several seconds later, courtesy of Shadowcat's gift, they rose again, Lance shaken up somewhat. "Don't ever do that again, Kitty," he requested.

Kitty grinned. "Like, no problem."

Robin's grappling hook caught the edge of the temple, and he pushed himself down, landing next to Raven. His staff came out, and two birdarangs were sent flying towards the monsters. It forced them to scatter as their micro detonators went off on impact.

Harry and Hermione took a different approach as Wendy and Obi Wan floated downward, Wendy through Tinkerbell's pixie dust and a happy memory, Obi Wan through his knowledge of the Force. Hermione's sai struck the walls, allowing her to slow her descent. Harry, on the other hand, simply jumped down. He hit the ground on his feet, not even hurting himself.

Rogue and Zodiac emerged from the Gate, following Harry's unique example of descent. Rogue stumbled a bit upon landing, the son of Akalon steadying her.

Shayera was the last to arrive, wings fluttering as she touched down in front of the temple. She had changed into armor similar to her Thanagarian uniform. It was complete with a cape of orange red.

But then she did something that no Thanagarian should be able to do… her wings vanished completely. The cape settled down her back, unimpeded as she started forward, a powerful broadsword in hand.

"You men, cover the doors!" Harry shouted. "Everyone else, get together! And hold this line!" His gaze swept the line, making contact with Raven. She nodded, letting him know that they were all ready. His own sword came out, and he stood ready.

The forces of the Shadow Realm stood there, blinking in confusion. Before them, without need of projectile weapons, stood a line of warriors. These were the same warriors that stood against the Deadly Alliance with varying degrees of success.

Slade had to admit, he was impressed. Despite what it might mean for her, Raven was willing to wage war against her own father. Not that it would change anything. "Kill them all, except Raven!" he bellowed. "Bring her to me!"

Now that they had a new order, they moved with intent to destroy. The flyers took off.

"Supergirl and Fire, take to the skies!" Shayera ordered. "Everyone else, prepare to engage!"  
Obi Wan angled his blade slightly, the Force giving him his first directions. His lightsaber moved swiftly…  
… slicing through a statue of some sort. It fell to the ground, taking out two monsters in the process. Even after all of this time, he couldn't believe how the Force knew exactly where to guide him, but he never questioned it, either.

The battle exploded in violence. Swords and energy of various types flew through the air, hitting their targets easily. A small wall of ice, forged by Permafrost, blocked several more.

Jadzia fought hard and fast, her _bat'leth_ almost as extension of herself. Her knowledge of the weapon, and of _mok'bara_, the Klingon martial arts, made her far more dangerous than the average Trill.

Belle was no slouch in that department, either. She had quite a bit of combat experience, which was acquired during the Heartless invasion, and the Deadly Alliance assault that forced her out of her home. And she also had the experience of her parents to call upon. She put both to good use.

Slade watched the bloody battle with something akin to amusement. He turned his attention to the massive beast next to him. "Go inside, find the Orbs, and destroy them," he ordered.

The beast grinned. "With pleasure."

Logan and Amanda were dealing with a particularly ugly brute, taking it down with well placed slashes to its gut, when they felt the ground begin to shake. Turning around, they watched as the beast, a large, mummified blob, charged its way through the Starfleet ranks. He jumped onto a shuttle, causing its roof to buckle as he slammed through a temple wall.

Arella whirled, breaking a cat creature's neck. "It's going for the Orbs!" she bellowed.

Kitty leaped through a monster, smashing her feet into the back of its head. "Not if I get there first!" she retorted, breaking into a run.

"Kitty!" Lance shouted as she phased through the wall.

Wendy slashed through one monster's arms with her sword… and was promptly backhanded by the creature. Disoriented, she stepped back for a second letting her vision clear. She was so sure she had gotten him.

The creature struck again. This time, Wendy sliced his arm off again, now certain that she had done it… and the monster backhanded her with that arm again. The young woman stepped back again, surprised.

The monster grinned, gesturing to her. "Come on!" it growled.

Wendy's head bowed, thinking for a moment… before lashing out below the belt. "Grow those back," she snarled as the creature fell to the ground, clutching its crushed jewels in agony.

Harry shook his head, effortlessly holding three shadow beasts back. Wendy had been around them all for far too long.

----

Kitty ran down the hallways, trying to find the creature that decided not to use the front doors. She was completely surprised by the move, in fact. Why did they want to destroy the Orbs? Something Dukat wanted, or was it Slade's wish?

She mulled over the question about three seconds when she made a left turn, and saw the back of the creature heading down the hall. Without a second thought, she started after it. Her slim build enabled her to cover the space necessary to reach it. Leaping at it, she grabbed its ankles, using her powers to phase them through the floor.

The beast looked down as well as it could, looking at the floor as it reached its chin. He then looked up to see a slim woman slowly rise up, glaring at it. "Don't you know who I am?" it asked.

Kitty shrugged. "I so don't care," she replied, running through a wall.

"I'm the _true_ Juggernaut, bitch!" With a powerful movement of its arms, it broke free from its makeshift prison, leaping out of the hole he had just created. With a roar, the Juggernaut charged forward.

Kitty managed to contain her wince as she slipped through the walls, the sound of those walls crumbling behind her as a solid mass plowed through them, chasing her. She hated when she came across the unstoppable types. They couldn't hurt her, and she couldn't hurt them, only slow them down.

But then, why did she feel like something had just been unlocked inside of her?

The ever shortening lengths of time between her passing and the Juggernaut's convinced her that now wasn't the time to be thinking about it. Coming up with a great plan, she phased through one wall, and quickly moved out of the way as the monster plowed through the structure, going through another wall. Without stopping to see if it had hurt itself, she started running for the stairs.

Up a story, moving faster than she had ever moved before in her life, the young X-Man skirted through several monks, ignoring their yelps of surprise. She didn't have the time to worry what they thought. She had to find the Orbs before Juggernaut did.

Then, by the greatest of coincidences, she charged into the room where they were kept.

The woman, a Bajoran with graying hair, turned around as Kitty entered the room. "I assume that you are here for the Orbs," she said calmly.

Kitty shook her head. "I'm here to protect them." Her hearing suddenly picked up the sound of someone bashing through walls. "That thing is the one coming for them!" She quickly got in front of the Bajoran, and waited.

The wall suddenly exploded outward, showering the two females with debris. The monster Juggernaut stepped into the room, a hollow toothed grin on its decaying face. "I'm the wrong guy to play hide and seek with," it said.

"Who's hiding, dickhead?" Kitty retorted, fists balled up. "Come and get it!"

The monster roared, charging forward. Kitty, acting on sheer impulse, punched it.

Punched back about twenty feet, that is.

Juggernaut stirred for a moment, and lay still. He was out of the fight.

The Bajoran nodded once, impressed. "Young lady, you are certainly a testament to your people," she said.

Kitty nodded, somewhat surprised. "I'm Kitty, by the way."

"I am Opaka Sulan."

"Nice to meet you."

----

Arella leaped through the air, slamming into a group of monsters from above. Her fists pummeled them one by one.

Wendy stabbed one through, turning to stare at her ally. "I thought you were a pacifist!" she inquired, kicking another creature in the jaw.

Arella grinned. "Let's just say my marriage is not all that it's cracked up to be!" she replied. Her grin faded. "Look out, Jadzia!"

Jadzia turned, _bat'leth_ whirling to block a downward strike. She received a kick for her troubles, and went down, gasping. Roaring in triumph, the monsters raised its sword high.

A sharp piece of debris suddenly exploded through its back, sticking out of its chest. It exploded into fine powder.

Ezri let the piece of metal drop from her hands, locking eyes with Jadzia. The two Trill nodded in mutual understanding.

Claire grappled with one, a feline like creature. "Take… a… flying lesson!" she bellowed, gaining the upper hand as she threw the creature into a pile of metal. "_Lightning Crusher!"_

Lightning lashed out from the young blonde's hand, slamming into her foe's sides, clamping down like a pair of jaws. Within those lightning jaws, the beast jerked about in silent agony, feeling fifty thousand volts go through his system. Claire finally relented, her lightsaber reactivated.

Shayera and Vixen stood side by side, keeping an eye out for each other, while GL served as backup. "You know," Shayera mentioned, "I think the X-Men were surprised to see me so… different!"

Vixen slashed a beast across the face, removing it completely. "I was the same way, if you recall!"

"Yeah, but you're presently dating my ex boyfriend! You have got to be used to this!"

"Fair point!" Vixen bashed a beast's face in.

Rogue blocked several potentially lethal strikes, her staff whirling like a propeller blade, returning the favor. Her blows were more accurate, and hit their targets easily. They all went down like sacks of potatoes. "Sam, how're you doin'?" she asked.

Zodiac turned, his grin almost feral. "Quite well, actually!" he replied, his Kali-Yama wreaking havoc on the enemy ranks. "This is actually my first battle!"

"Not bad for a rookie!" Rogue turned away, her gaze searching for her newly found brother.

She saw him and Jane steadily retreating back, their weapons flying quickly, almost desperately. She made a move to help them, before something caught her attention.

Their eyes weren't showing fear or concern. In fact, it was as if…

"Now!" Peter suddenly shouted, ducking, Jane following suit.

Almost immediately, Belle, Harry, and Hermione jumped over them, powerful blows breaching the enemy's defenses. Within the space of thirty seconds, five shadow creatures were removed from the fight.

Rogue relaxed a bit. '_Thank God he's got such good friends.'_

Kurt's teleportation skill served him well. He was bamfing every which way, keeping them distracted, while Amanda moved in, taking them out with precision strikes. "Kurt, up on your left!" she shouted.

Kurt quickly moved as Cyclop's optic blast fried the creature. "Danke, Scott!"

"Don't mention it!" Scott replied.

Lantern found himself going head to toe with a powerfully built beast. He was somewhat bruised, but still on his feet. His power ring made sure of that. And he gave as good as he got, punishing the beast.

Finally, with one final uppercut, he dispatched the creature via decapitation. "I think that was the last one!" he shouted.

"You're forgetting about the three up on that bridge!" Robin retorted. "We need to get them, now!"

----

Slade watched with some disdain as those assembled started for his position. "They want to end this? Fine. It's time to end this."

Dukat immediately levitated several large pieces of debris, throwing them forward. Akunadin unleashed a fire blast for each one, igniting the metal as it was thrown.

"Take cover!" GL shouted, flying backwards immediately to avoid one. He had, for a moment though, thought he had seen someone else up there. A woman, with elvish like ears, watching the battle with interest.

Kes quickly grabbed Hermione and Belle. "None of us are strong enough to stop those missiles! Fall back towards the temple!"  
Lance suddenly looked down as several more struck defense positions near the structure. "You guys can't, but I think I can... at the source!" He suddenly slammed his foot into the ground, focusing the whole of his powers into the strike.

Those still on the bridge suddenly felt the structure buckle from underneath them. It crumbled from underneath them, sending them to the ground.

Except for the woman, who floated up there. For a moment, Harry thought it was the woman from Realm 405.

But then he saw the ears, and noted how they looked exactly like Kes's.

Kes, it seemed, also saw them, or sensed something familiar about her, because she stopped, turning around. Her gaze furrowed slightly. "Is that an Occampan?"

Hermione turned around as well, frowning. "I think so. I see the ears, and there shaped like yours. Do you know her?"

The captain shook her head. "I don't think I do. I can't see anything from this distance."

"Then perhaps you would like to focus on us," Slade stated, already attacking with a column of fire.

Harry turned around, launching an attack of his own to meet it head on. It was accurate, as the explosion that occurred bore testament to.

It also served as a distraction, as a Pai-Wraith blast erupted through the explosion.

Kes immediately used her fledgling concentration to erect a defense. She was successful, as the attack slammed into it, and dissipated. At the same time, Permafroat and Static launched a full scale attack of their own. Theirs was more effective, knocking all three warriors back about thirty feet.

Raven summoned all of the demonic energy in her being, and launched it as the two Bang Babies flew past. She was going to teach Slade a lesson about messing with her friends.

Akunadin saw the dark energy blast approaching, and concluded that Raven was angry. He barely summoned enough concentration to create a barrier to block it. And, to make matters worse, he heard the sound of transporters materializing people on the ground. "I think we have failed rather spectacularly," he said after a moment.

Slade shook his head. "The purpose of this was not to destroy the Orbs, though Trigon would have been happy if they were annihilated. The purpose was to determine if these children posed a threat to our plans." His eye narrowed. "They pose a very large threat. I don't even recognize that brown haired woman next to the Occampan."

"She reminds me of Hikari, the Guardian of Light." Akunadin stood up… and was barely able to block the follow up attack from Permafrost.

Static unleashed a full scale lightning blast at him, flying overhead, while Permafrost froze her hands in solid blocks of ice, and proceeded to beat Dukat to the ground. She leaped back as he tried to trip her, and created an artic front that would have given Mister Freeze pause, englobing the possessed Cardassian in a sphere of ice and snow.

Dukat stood up, using his powers to melt his icy prison away. "Well, this fight is no longer going in our favor. The test was a success. Now, can we get out of here before they decide to use us for target practice more than they already have?"

The vote was unanimous. The three of them took off, and made for the portal, with weapons fire following them.

Maureen turned to Static, and nodded once, sharing his confusion. "What was the point of running?" she asked. "They could have taken us on. Especially with that woman."

Static shrugged. "They probably didn't want to tip their hand. Not that it matters. They're running."

Cho walked up to Harry, grinning. "Sorry we were late."

Harry returned the grin. "Better late than never. You missed the fight, by the way." He turned. "Kudos to your timing, mate."

Ron chuckled. "Wouldn't have missed this for the world, Harry. But now, we have a few people we need to talk to… like them, for instance."

The whole lot of them turned to see Kira and Ezri speaking to Jadzia. A rather surreal moment, to be sure.

Harry nodded, making for them. The conversations were going to be very interesting, to say the least.

Kes remained where she was for a moment, staring into the distance. She was so sure that she had seen that oman before from somewhere. But, she was dead... wasn't she?

**

* * *

Zion**

Alania sat down next to Chip, observing him for several moments, while the Grangers sat off to the side, watching. "Chip, do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked gently. "Because I can assure you, you may feel better if you do."

Chip looked at Amanda, who nodded in encouragement. He shook his head.

Alania leaned in, placing a comforting hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Then, will you allow me to look through the memories themselves?" she asked, still gentle, forever trusting, forever patient.

Chip looked into her eyes, saw the trust in them, and nodded. Gently, the First Guardian spread her fingers across the katra points on his face. Without even saying the words, she initiated a mind meld with Chip, gently sorting through his memories of the events.

She saw that which gave him the most pain, and moved to counteract the damage caused by such a traumatic experience. She saw Blood, and the Heartless attack the castle. With a understanding of what had hurt Chip so terribly, as if she had been hurt, she isolated those memories from him, only to be open when he was old enough to accept them. _'Forget, for now,'_ she whispered. _'Do not forget your mother's death, but for now, forget the exact events, until you are old enough to accept it.'_

But what she saw, chilled her to the bone.

Her task done, she slowly slid out of Chip's mind, showing him one of the happiest moments in her life… just after she had given birth to her two children.

Chip blinked his eyes, focusing on Alania's again. "What did you do?" he asked.

Alania smiled. "I isolated the memories in question from you, so you wouldn't suffer from events beyond your control." She smiled, ruffling his head affectionately. "When you are old enough, or understand enough to accept, the memories will resurface." She leaned in. "Now, I know Belle cares for you a great deal, maybe even more than she realizes. And I know you care for her. You two are going to have to help each other."

Chip smiled. "I know. Thanks, Alania."

"You're welcome." The ancient woman accepted the young child's hug, and knew that Chip would be alright.

But now, she was going to have a word with Akalon... and to the fates of Exitence, his reasoning had better be good, or she was going to make sure he remembered her warning, as he had his wife reset every single bone in his body.

**

* * *

Realm 9002**

_Captain's Log: Stardate 54702 _

_We were successful in preventing Slade and his forces from destroying the Bajoran Orbs, and were able to save those who had been sent to the Shadow Realm. The damage to both the monastery and the bridge were extensive, but with Static Shock's and Shayera's help, it is no longer irreparable. _

_The crew performed admirably under incredible circumstances. I now see why they are considered the best of the best._

"End Captain's Log," Kes ordered, leaning back. "Begin Personal Log." She looked out the window. "Well, Kathryn… I made it. Even after everything that has happened, I finally made it to the Alpha Quadrant. I hope one day to see you here, back home where you belong. Then… maybe, I'll finally get the chance to apologize to you… for what I did to _Voyager_." Her smile surfaced. "Alania contacted us, letting me and Belle know that Chip is on the road to recovery, and should remain on that road for many years to come. Hopefully, this will mean that Belle will soon recover. She is a good friend, and I don't want to lose her… like I have lost so many friends in the past." She paused, as another thought occurred to her. "I still don't know if becoming the captain of this ship was such a good idea… but Alania seems to think I'll do a good job at it. And I'm beginning to believe her on that. And I have the best Starfleet has to offer to help me with learning. May I prove worthy of this noble vessel, and its crew in the future. End personal log."

Kes leaned back in her seat again, smiling in relief. After everything that had happened over the last few weeks, a good old fashion victory. Shayera was given a clean bill of health, and had one hell of a story to tell to boot. One of these days, she was going to have to track down the Pharaoh, and thank him.

The door chimed, derailing her train of thought. "Come!" she said.

The door opened to reveal Harry and Hermione, both smiling somewhat. "We've cleared it with Professor Dumbledore," the young female Trainee began without preamble. "The funeral will be tomorrow."

Kes nodded once, her smile slipping. "Thank you. I know Belle will appreciate it." Her gaze slipped down to Bajor. "Bajor… should never have had to worry about something like this."

Harry walked over to the window, staring out at the planet beneath them. "No planet deserves to have monsters on them," he said. "They exist, nevertheless. You, above all, should know that."

"I do. … I just don't have to like it."

"I know what you mean. Better than anyone, except for our two birds."

Hermione sat down. "It's so strange that Shayera isn't a Thanagarian. In fact, I can't believe she's a Guardian. How's that possible?"

Kes chuckled, straightening up, and gesturing Harry to take a seat. "It's something of a long, and strange story," she replied. "And… I think it will be best if I start in the beginning… back in Zion…"

* * *

And here it is, just in time for Christmas. This crossover is done… I have another one in store for everyone. Next chapter with have Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption, and Captain Planet: Armageddon coming together, as the fight is taken to Neverland. I will also explain about Shayera's change in species.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Please review this, as well as the new chapter to CP:A. I would really like to know what you think.


	74. Episode Sixty Two: Second Star

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two, Deadly Alliance)**

**Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption**

**Episode Sixty Two: Second Star to the Right**

The explosive force of a hundred blades slammed into the X-Van, shaking it like it was a Christmas ball. It almost spun out of control, before Tea managed to stabilize it. "Sakura, Li, I thought you were going to keep them off our back!" she shouted.

"No good!" Sakura replied. 'None of my Cards can reach them before they attack, and they're too far away for Li's attacks!"

Yami nodded, his puzzle glowing. "Then perhaps it's time for me to take a more active role in this." He brought a card out. "Mirror Force!"

The powerful energy field that appeared behind the vehicle deflected the next storm of attacks from Rafael, sending them right back at his monsters. They barely managed to get out of the way, breaking off their assault.

The King of Games quickly pulled another card out of his deck, hoping to the Egyptian Gods that Rafael would just take the hint, and retreat. After all, he was pretty close to losing his entire deck.

The strongest servant of Dartz and the Orichalcos had come out of nowhere, and had proceeded to summon beast after beast at them. Any attempt to strike at them was foiled, as Rafael simply summoned them back, calling forward another monster in its place.

Presently, Guardian Gror was charging them from the side, while Ealtos came up from behind.

Quickly summoning three monsters of his own, Yami quickly turned his attention to Sakura. "Use the Power Card to increase Summon Skull's strength!" he shouted. "Li, prepare to launch a full scale attack on my command!"  
Li brought a charm paper up, electricity crackling across it. "Ready."

SS broke away from the formation surrounding the X-Van, Power flowing into him. He turned around to face the two Guardian Monsters behind it. Those two monsters approached, ready for battle.

"Now!"

Immediately, the charm was out the window, all of the charged energy within unleashing in a burst of light. Electrical power coursed through SS's veins, as he called upon his attack.

A powerful energy blast emerged from his claws, slamming into the two Guardian Monsters, knocking them back seventy feet. It waited, staying close to the vehicle.

Ealtos brought her bow up, an arrow already notched into it. Quickly aiming, she fired. "Take this, monstrosity!" she bellowed.

Yami looked out the window, saw the arrow coming. "No!" he shouted, leaning out of the window. He quickly fired an attack equal to the attack strength of Rafael's most beloved ally.

The explosion that occurred caused a powerful energy surge to occur. Ealtos flapped backwards in shock, blinded by it. Gror, she noted, had already been called back, as it wasn't a creature that could survive such a calamity. Her friend had spent several years learning everything he could about them, and they had obliged his curiosity.

When the illumination finally vanished, she brought her weapon up, taking careful aim. In her mind, she calculated exactly how far the van should have gone.

But when the smoke cleared, she received a shock of a different kind.

The van was gone.

**

* * *

Zion**

Shayera looked around in amazement at everything that she was seeing. "This place is…?" she began.

Trinity nodded, her eyes twinkling. "This is the memorial zone for Shayera Hall, one of our oldest and most powerful Guardians," she said. "With the exception of the Guardians of Hope and Light, she was one of our greatest." Her gaze fell. "And, like them, she vanished over fifteen years ago."

Vixen nodded. "And, you are showing us this… why?"

GL frowned. "I have to agree with her on this."

"It's not you two." Shayera looked up, understanding dawning. "It's me. She's showing me."

Trinity nodded. "Correct. I am showing you because… of various questions you want answered. Ah, Hubert." She stopped as they reached the far end of the museum. "This is the other Guardian Trinity, my husband."

Hubert grinned, reaching out to shake Shayera's hand. "A pleasure, madam." He looked around. "Everything here has been set up. I was just waiting for you."

"Set up?" Shayera traded confused looks with GL and Vixen. "What are you talking about?"

Trinity smiled. "Nothing terrible or risky, I can assure you. This will simply tell us a great deal about your energy signature. If it's what we think it is, it'll begin the tedious task of scanning Existence for…"

"For what?"

"Well… now I don't want any of you flying off the handle here, okay? Well… the rest of your body."

Vixen blinked in surprise.

John's emerald eyes widened.

Shayera just looked nonplussed. "The rest of my body?" she repeated dumbly.  
"Well…" Hubert turned around. "If you are who we think you are, then your body would have been put into a stasis chamber. If it's far away enough, we'll send your friends to get you. If you aren't, then nothing happens. You leave from here. Simple as that."

Vixen started rubbing her eyes. If there was one thing she hated, it was people who were all powerful. "Who exactly do you think she is?"

Trinity and her husband merely looked around the museum.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding. Her, your Shayera Hall."

"Not unprecedented."  
"How can we see her?" GL asked. "How can we touch her?"  
Hubert shrugged, fiddling with the seat so it could fit the Thanagarian's wings more comfortably. "Neither myself or Lindsey know," he replied. "You'd have to ask the G.C.E. about that."

"G.C.E?"

"Guardian Corp of Engineers. The two of us have been Guardians for twenty five years."

"Oh."

Shayera smiled. "Don't worry, John, Vixen. I'm sure that I'm just another Thanagarian warrior, and not some all powerful Guardian. Why was she in stasis, anyways?"  
"Both of her lungs were punctured by an Empowered weapon," Hubert replied immediately. "Surgery wasn't an option, so we put her in stasis, allowing her own natural abilities to do the rest. In stasis, her powers would focus entirely on the wounds. And the process would take about thirty years… or longer, wherever it landed in Existence." He grinned. "In her stead, a sliver of that power goes, and become reborn as whatever tickles her fancy. Shayera was an Angelic, so the winged Thanagarian people are the people to be."

Trinity finished her modifications, and turned to them. "Now, could you please sit down I this chair. We'll begin the scan automatically."

Shayera handed Vixen her mace. "In case I end up bald and wrinkled, bash their brains in," she said pleasantly.

Vixen grinned. "No problem, pal. Just…"

The two women embraced like old friends, patting each other on the back, before Shayera sat down.

"_Scan commencing,"_ a computer voice droned. "_Scan completed. Subject is located. Transferring conscious to target."_

"What?" Shayera sputtered, before arching involuntarily as a surge went through her body…

… and she woke up in an unfamiliar environment.

Shivering for a moment in the cold, as she had only scraps of cloth clinging to her waist and bosom, Shayera looked around, observing her surroundings. Once she had done that, she quickly stood up, instinctively fluffing her wings out.

Except… she didn't feel that happen.

Confused, Shayera looked herself over. Her body was strong, lean but solid. Her breaths, though growing tight if she breathed too deeply, were good. Her hair was _extremely _long, growing way beyond her feet. She tried to bring the tips of her wings into view.

Nothing. Not even a feather.

Now suspicious, the woman slowly stood up, taking a moment to check her balance. Satisfied that she was able to stand up, she looked down. She discovered that she was standing in a cylindrical object, about six inches longer than her total height. She turned around, and saw that the back was a mirror of some kind. She appraised herself… and felt weak with shock.

Her wings were gone. In fact… it looked like they were never there to begin with. There wasn't even a hint that she had had wings.

As she stared at the impossible, she suddenly noted several other things. For starters, her eyelashes, which were bristle feathers, weren't as sharply angled. There were softer, and looked more like human eyelashes. '_Check that,'_ she thought. '_They _are _human. _I'm _human.'_

It didn't make sense, though. How was that possible? The Guardians were masters of genetic manipulation, but they wouldn't go through all of the trouble to changing her species… unless…

Acting on a hunch, and shivering from the cold, Shayera began to concentrate, willing her wings to appear.

Slowly, oh so slowly, they did. But instead of the light gray she was accustomed to, they were the pure white of an Angelic warrior.

And they emerged from her back… as if they were growing out of her.

Shayera willed them back inside her, on the verge of fainting. "This… this isn't… possible," she murmured aloud. "How can this be possible?" Her head was spinning. She sat back down, trying to come to grips with what she had just learned in these last few minutes. Once she got back to Zion, she would ask for more information.

Which begs the question; where _was_ she?

----

Wendy Moira Angela Darling took a deep breath, savoring the feeling of fresh air, and fond memories that came because of it. "Neverland," she whispered, feeling a swell of happiness become apparent. "I thought I would never see this place again."

"Neither did I," John replied, grinning.

Peter Pan grinned. "I'm glad that I got the chance to bring you back here. I just wish it was under better circumstances." He looked around. "It hasn't changed much in a century."

Wendy smiled. "It's still good to be back here." Her gaze shifted slightly, looking at some point beyond the island. "Interesting."

"What?"

"I sense several extremely powerful forces on the island. None of them were here before."

The eternal youth frowned a bit in puzzlement. He had not been aware of any presences on Neverland before. Then again, he had never paid attention to his surroundings unless he needed to.

"They aren't native," Wendy added, allaying his concerns. "None of them are Sakar, though."

"Which means he's not here… yet." John Darling looked around. "And I have a feeling that he will not be here soon."

"Not yet, no. But, at the same time, we should find who they are."

Peter nodded, already enjoying this. After the last two weeks… from their perspectives anyways, a simple adventure sounded good right about now. "Well then, shall we, Milady?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Giggling, Wendy took it. "But of course, good sir."

Tiger Lily shook her head, looking at John as they also linked hands. She found it amusing, and so did her English friend. They were going to enjoy the next week.

Hand in hand, the four teens flew toward the first energy source.

----

Yami groaned, getting out of the X-Van. That was the last time he ever rode in a vehicle with a homicidal duelist right behind him. "Is everyone all right?" he asked.

Kero shook his head. "I'll live. Thank Kami Sakura had me in a seatbelt," he groaned.

"I second that." Spinnel Sun stretched his wings out. "We managed to survive."

"Yeah, but the X-Van's engine is overheated," Tea added, slamming the hood shut. "Wherever the hell we are, this isn't going to help us any until it cools down." She went over to Yami, who handed her duel disk to her. "And I don't know if Rafael followed us, but I don't want to take any chances."

Sakura brought her wand out, eyeing the area. She could literally _feel_ the magic around her, infusing the very ground they were standing on. There was so much of it, she was feeling dizzy. "Well, wherever we are, it's a completely magical place, forged and maintained by magic."

Yami nodded, his puzzle glowing faintly. "Then we'll have to be careful," he said. "Meiling, you and Eriol take point. Ruby Moon, you and Yue watch our backs. I don't want to have Rafael catch us unawares again."

Ruby nodded, transforming into her Guardian form with Yukito. "We'll keep a bird's eye open for him," she promised, taking off.

Eriol brought his hands up. "I call upon the powers of the day and the night. Ancient forces, unleash you might. Release!"

Madison blinked as the largest wand she had ever seen suddenly came into Existence. "Wow," she said, getting it on camera, which had been rolling since the attack. "That's incredible."

Eriol shrugged. "Clow Reed developed this wand long before he ever began to develop the Clow Cards. I simply modified its mystical properties for Twenty First Century guidelines, as the ambient mystical energies of Earth have been depleted over the centuries."

Meiling grinned. "No problem there. C'mon."

Yami turned to SS. "Return to my deck, and await further orders."

The mighty demon bellowed an affirmative, before vanishing. Satisfied, the ancient spirit quickly activated the van's security system, and started through the jungle.

**

* * *

Zion**

"Where _is_ she?" GL and Vixen bellowed at the same time. One moment, Shayera was sitting there, looking around in curiosity. The next… she was gone. There wasn't even a hint of smoke.

Hubert checked the sensor grid, patching into the entire dimensional network. "It will take a moment to find her, so please be quiet," he replied. "Remember, Existence is infinite, so if they drift outside the Protectorate borders, stasis pods are programmed to remain within twenty realms of the border so as to… ah!" He shot his hand into the air. I have her!"  
"Where?" Trinity demanded.

"Realm 13005! It's an alternate reality of Neverland, and one of the few realms with multiple ways to enter it. One of them is through an ancient Stargate, set there after the nameless Pharaoh defeated the Shadow Realm five thousand years ago."

Vixen blinked. Out of everything she was expecting to hear, that was not it. "Why would the Guardians put a Stargate on a world outside their jurisdiction?"

Trinity frowned. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea. You'd have to ask Alania that question, as she classified it."

**----**

"Yes, I classified the reasoning behind it," Alania replied, observing GL with a clinical detachment. "I did it as a favor to the Pharaoh."

Arthur looked up from the book he was reading. It wasn't something people would think twice about, except for the fact that it was technical manual about bullet trains. "Pharaoh?" he asked, his elation about learning of muggles stymied for a moment.

"One of Egypt's most famous, and most mysterious rulers, had me send someone through the Stargate, with the hope that he would see him again." The First Guardian stood up, walking over to the window. From here, she could see the entirety of the city stretching out before her. "It didn't work out that way. And I don't think I need to tell you what happened after that."

On that, the two Leaguers had no questions for that statement.

Ever since the alliances between the various heroes and duelists of Earth, the story of Yami had become well known. An ancient spirit that waged war against the dreaded Shadow Realm, he was trapped within the confines of the Millennium Puzzle, his memory erased. He remained there for five thousand years, before Yugi Motou put it together, freeing him.

The two of them proceeded to run roughshod over the majority of their enemies and rival duelists, starting with a decisive victory over Seto Kaiba, and ending with a formidable victory over Malik Ishtar during the Battle City tournament.

"So, can we go there?" Vixen finally asked. "To Neverland, I mean?"  
Alania frowned, thinking it over. "I don't see why not," she replied. "The arrangements have already been made, so getting there is simply going through the Gate." She grinned. "When you lot get back, Trinity will be accepting your apologies."

"Don't remind us," Vixen grumbled, heading out the door, GL following her. "You know, I take it back. The Guardians are humans. No other species could be so smug when they were right. Not even the Thanagarians."

GL chuckled.

**

* * *

Neverland**

"What the…?" Wendy muttered.

The first target they had found turned out to be nothing more than an abandoned vehicle. A van, if the four of them remembered what little they had learned about the late twentieth century, was on park, just sitting there in the jungle. That didn't worry them any. The van looked liked it had been pounded on with a mallet, but that didn't worry them.

What worried them was the fact that an advanced security system of some kind was online, preventing them from getting into the vehicle.

Wendy finished her Force inspection of the van, nodding to herself. "Well, John, your suspicions were correct. This van showed up quite recently. Perhaps a few minutes before we did."  
John looked around. "Well, that certainly is good news."

"What exactly does this mean?" Tiger Lily asked, her gaze far more thorough as she searched for hidden enemies. The last week had merely reinforced her training.

Peter brought his sword out, looking around. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked in return. "We're not alone in Neverland. Someone else is here, and we need to find him, or her, before he does something stupid."

Wendy nodded, reaching outward. She felt out for the emanations she had detected, if only to do a more thorough observation. They would need all of the information they could get on these strange forces.

Her gaze suddenly shifted to the right, her lightsaber out, but not ready. "Someone's coming!" she hissed.

Peter turned as well, bringing his sword up. No sense taking chances.

Soon, that someone crashed through the foliage, and stopped, staring at them.

----

Shayera was beginning to think that she had simply gone crazy, or was on the verge of it. Otherwise, how else would she handle the many twists and turns that had been thrown her way so far today? Here she was, supposedly a human, wandering through a jungle with little more than scraps of clothing covering the bare essentials. She was literally holding her hair in her hands to keep it from catching on anything, and her mind was still reeling from all of the revelations she had learned on this day.

And now, this.

She was standing in front of the X-Van, the very piece of equipment that Xavier had given the Pharaoh to use, with four young human children staring at her. One of them was holding a hunting knife, another had a sword up, and yet another was wielding a lightsaber. The fourth one, a young man wearing a pair of old style glasses, was simply watching her, trying to determine whether or not she was a threat.

The lightsaber wielding one stepped up, her eyes seeming to bore into her very soul. She was a maturing beauty, her aristocratic features free of abnormalities. Her body, decked in jeans and a shirt of military design, had no weakness. And the way she held herself and her weapon…

The woman had only one revelation about this. This young lady before her was no aristocrat. She was a warrior.

The young man next to her, wearing garb of similar design, was holding a saber of seventeenth century design in front of him. He had sandy blond hair which was now tied neatly behind him, and a body that spoke of continuous movement and exercise. His eyes spoke of experience and intelligence, which were two requirements when one liked to live life to the fullest. He was the type of guy women would literally swoon over.

Faced with the display of grace and confidence, Shayera decided that she was in front of two very deadly soldiers. And, because of their apparent age, it saddened her.

The young woman observed her for a moment more, before smiling, letting her blade disappear in a hiss. "It's alright," he said, an English lilt apparent. "There is no intent of doing harm to us."

The young man nodded, satisfied, as he resheathed his sword. "That's good news." He stepped forward. "Who are you?" he asked.

Shayera blinked, a little surprise. She hadn't been expecting this level of trust from them. "My name is Shayera… Shayera Hall. I'm new to this place… whatever this place is."

"You're in Neverland," the young woman supplied helpfully. "I'm Wendy. This is Peter."

"Peter Pan? And you're Wendy Darling?"

"Judging from your disbelieving expression, I would say that you have met the other Peter Pan, Mrs. Barrington, and that psycho she calls a daughter."

Shayera blinked again. "You've met them?" she asked.

Peter grinned. "Of course we have!" he replied. "We've also met the Teen Titans, Harry Potter and his friends, his parents, SG-1…"

"I get the point."

The young raven haired boy stepped up, smiling. "Well, it is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hall. I am John Darling."

"Mister Darling."

"And I am Princess Tiger Lily, Milady." The young princess bowed. "Welcome to Neverland."

Shayera returned the bow, made awkward by the fact that when she dipped, her breast were in danger of tumbling out. "An honor, your Majesty." She turned her gaze to the X-Van. "Any idea why this is here?" she asked. "And where are the passengers?"

Wendy frowned, running her hand over the structure. "Well, I would say that whoever was here was under attack," she said. "These indentations were caused by arrows, axe strikes, and fists. Peter, could you pop the hood, please?"

Peter quickly did so, pulling his hand back as if he burned it. "The battery's hot. I'd say they were pushing this when they were thrown here. I'd also say they were forced to abandon it, and as a precaution, they activated some sort of high tech security system so no one could accidentally turned it on."

"Xavier did know how to protect his property." Shayera quickly moved toward the driver's side. "I'd say Miss Gardner was driving," she said. "The Clow Mistress and her friends were in the back seats, and the Pharaoh was riding shotgun."

Peter's head snapped up. "Pharaoh?" he asked, the name jogging something in his mind, taunting him with familiarity.

"Yami. He's an ancient spirit from five thousand years ago who conquered a powerful dark force. For the last two years, he shared a body with a young man named Yugi Motou." She turned her attention to the horizon. "An accident separated the two, and they each have their own body, and their own Millennium Puzzle to use."  
Millennium Puzzle… another phrase that sounded familiar to the Eternal Youth. He knew that he had heard that name before, but he didn't know how.

Tiger Lily frowned a bit. "Then it is entirely possible that they are trying to get as far away from here as possible," she said. "In case their enemies decide to come here."

"We're also dealing with an enemy," Wendy stated. "A powerful nemesis of the Planeteers, a rogue spirit named Sakar, is coming here to take the mystical energies of Neverland. If he does that, he may become unstoppable. We're here to make sure that it doesn't happen."

"Then it seems we have a common problem." Shayera looked around. "I have a few friends that will be here soon. They can help with our problem." She looked down. "Hopefully, they'll bring clothes for me, too."

**

* * *

Zion**

"Why do we need being her clothes?" Vixen asked. "Don't you make them out of thin air, or something?"

Hubert smirked. "Yeah, when we know what we're doing. But Shayera hasn't been a Guardian for thirty years. In fact, she has been in a stasis chamber for thirty years. It'll take a few days for her memories to return to her. And because of the fact that cloth has an annoying habit of decaying a little more rapidly than usual in stasis, she'll be in little better than rags."

GL nodded once, stroking his beard for a moment. "Well, how long is this going to take?"

"Hold on… there. The Stargate there is pretty ancient, so it's taken us a while to align it with our system." Trinity turned to the technician on duty. "Okay, Jordan. Dial up Neverland."

Jordan swiftly dialed the address in question. "There is one thing you should know," he said, as the Gate performed its usual display of power. "The Stargate on the other end is on the exterior areas of the area, near the Black Castle. You may have to walk well into the interior to find her. And when you do, you'll have about six days to leave before the Gate shuts down completely. Afterwards, you may be trapped there, with no hope of escape."

The emerald eyed one nodded in understanding, his ring glowing. "We'll keep that in mind. Thanks." He turned to Vixen. "You ready?"

Vixen grinned, calling upon her powers to acquire cheetah speed. "I am now," she replied.

Trinity gave them the thumbs up as they entered the wormhole. "Hopefully, you'll be ready for the future, as well," she murmured. "Otherwise, we might have a bigger problem then before."

**

* * *

Neverland**

The place they were in must have been in the middle of a heat spell. That was the only plausible explanation that could explain why they were sweating profusely. And they dared not use any of Sakura's cards to cool them off, as they had no idea the effects their environment would have on them.

"This bites!" Ruby exclaimed, trying to wipe the sweat from her brow. "Who'd create a place completely made of magic?"

"It probably evolved this way naturally," Eriol replied, having removed his jacket by now. "The magic was already here."

"I'd say it's a place imbued with it," Li suggested, entering the conversation. "Someone came here, and helped it evolve into a paradise."

Yami shook his head. "It's a haven."

Tea turned to him. "I was just thinking that."

Madison turned to them, confusion plain on her face. She had no idea how those two could carry on a conversation in that way. "Uh… care to explain for those of us who don't speak Pharaoh?"  
The brunette turned to her, understanding her confusion. "Everything here has a purpose," she said. "These trees are very close together, allowing a person innumerable places to hide. In fact, if keep going, we'll probably meet some of the wildlife."

Yami pointed at his puzzle. "This is glowing, which suggests that a Millennium Item was instrumental in its development. Which one, I don't know." He frowned. "I also feel… a strange connection of some kind with this place. I don't know what."

Tea suddenly stopped. "We can continue this debate later. Right now, I think we need to get cleaned off, and have something to eat." She grinned. "And I found a lake to get clean in. So I get first dibs."

Yami nodded. "I'm going to set up a defense perimeter. Enjoy your bath." He started in one direction, finding himself wondering, rather inexplicably, what Tea looked like in the nude. And he decided he wasn't going to become like Duke or Tristan.

Or Joey, for that matter.

----

Tea chuckled as she went through the foliage between their camp and the pond. Listening to Li and Kero trade insults while finding firewood was entertaining, if slightly aggravating. Of course, Sakura inevitably taking Li's side was also pretty funny, and oh so satisfying.

On a more somber note was Yami. He was still blaming himself for Yugi's capture, even though Yugi had made the decision to sacrifice his freedom to save the Pharaoh. And, on a simple level, Tea could understand her best friend's decision. If she had been in Yugi's place, she would have done the same thing.

Reaching her destination, Tea took a look around out of habit, having the strangest feeling. Finding no one near by, or remotely near by, she relaxed a bit. "I'm getting way too jumpy," she muttered to herself, shrugging her jacket off. "I could've sworn that someone was watching me. The last few weeks must have really gotten to me."

As it turned out, she was right.

----

Bill Jukes swept quietly through the trees, his eyes focusing on the female intruder. He had never seen anyone like her before in Neverland. In fact, save for the pirates, he had never seen any other adults in a long time.

He was about to turn around and alert the rest of the crew, when the woman did something to catch his attention.

She had removed her shirt.

Intrigued, the pirate found himself moving closer to the brush as she pulled her short leggings down. He had never seen a woman so… well formed before.

His foot hit a twig.

----

Tea was reaching for the clasp of her bra, when the sound of a twig breaking caught her attention. Pausing, she looked around, wondering if she had missed something important.

Nothing.

She started over to the brush, ready to peer in. She knew something… or someone, was there. And if it was Yami, friend or not, she was going to…

A rabbit suddenly shot out of the bush, hopping away.

Tea sighed,shrugging. "Geez, I am jumpy." She went back over to where her clothes were, unclasping her bra in the process.

----

Jukes's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. He was so happy that she hadn't found him. That rabbit definitely knew when to show up when he did.

But that thought blew away when the woman pulled her underwear off, giving him a pretty good glimpse of her.

He got to the very edge of the area, just short of entering the clearing, watching as she stretched, her head shaking back and forth, before entering the water.

----

"Remember, Rafael can be anywhere, so stay on your guard," Yami ordered his creatures. "I'm going to check the left side… hold on."

The puzzle was rising up, pointing towards the lake. For a moment, he was confused.

Dark Magician looked at it. "It has never done that before?" he asked.

"No, unless by command… whoa!" Yami suddenly turned around, being pulled in the direction of the water.

The five monsters all looked at each other, and shrugged before heading for their guard posts. It was probably none of their business.

----

Tea reclined on the shallow side of the pond, sighing. The water was warm, and soothing to her sore lower back. She was reminded as to why she loathed sitting in vehicles for extended periods of time. Eventually, they were going to have to go back to the Van, and she was going to have to sit in that seat again, but for now, she was going to relax.

The sound of shouting from the camp caught her attention, breaking through her peaceful thoughts. She turned her head in that direction, confused. "What's going on?" she called out.

Her question was answered with the crashing of foliage, the Egyptian curses coming from that direction, and the unexpected appearance of Yami, trying unsuccessfully to stop his forward motion. His hands were on the chain around his neck, trying to remove it before…

The Puzzle suddenly jerked upward, sending both it and him airborne. He flew through the air…

… only to land almost in front of Tea. The young woman quickly shut her eyes from the resultant splash, before covering her assets with her arms, staring at her friend in a combination of embarrassment, and irritation.

Yami, to his credit, was still trying to sit up, so he couldn't see anything. "Sorry, Tea," he said, his back still turned. "This isn't what you think."

"You have no conscious idea what I'm thinking!" Tea retorted. "What are you doing, Yami?"  
"Honestly, I have no idea." He finally stood up, eyeing his puzzle suspiciously. "For whatever reason, my Puzzle just… pulled me this way. Don't know why, though."

"Well, that's good news, at least." Tea looked around. "Um… as long as you're here, you might as well take a bath, too."  
Yami chuckled, looking down at himself. "I already have, and I've washed my clothes. I doubt…" His voice trailed off as, without thinking, he turned around. His gaze immediately fastened on his friend.

Yami was the King of Games, the Ancient spirit of a Pharaoh from five thousand years in the past. However, that ancient spirit had died at the age of eighteen, and was thus trapped in the Millennium Puzzle at that age.

Due to all that, Yami was understandably amazed by the fact that Tea was sitting right there, blushing brightly, obviously naked. In fact, he could be credited for his amazing self control that he didn't fall to his knees in worship.

And there were only two ways to get back to shore. One was to swim all the way over to the other side of the pond. The other involved walking past her.

And he didn't think he could make it.

Tea shifted, staring at him in the same way like a deer caught in headlights. Butterflies were running around her stomach. She knew that a number of her male classmates considered her attractive. Many of them made some rather rude advances on, especially within the last year. She still got angry about the one jock that dared to slap her butt, though it quickly became satisfaction when she remembered what she did to him. He avoided her for a week.

Joey and Tristan had become her friends at that time. Yami had appeared at around that time, helping her through a series of problems she was forced to deal with. Her bond with Yugi had grown stronger as a result.

And she had become intrigued by the mysterious spirit who shared her best friend's body. She wanted to help him find out about his past, and help him become comfortable with the Twenty First Century.

Of course, that was in a platonic fashion, and did not include her naked, and him standing in front of her.

Yami finally snapped out of it. Through sheer will power, he managed to divert his gaze. "Well, uh… I'll leave you alone." He started for the shore, keeping his eyes forward.

"No… wait." She reached out, grabbing his arm as he past her. "You can stay, Yami. I meant it. You're here now, so you should get your bath out of the way." She giggled slightly. "And you can protect me from any vicious animals that should come."

Yami thought about it, and reluctantly conceded her point. Still… "Are you sure that's wise, Tea?" he asked.

"Maybe not, but at the moment, I'd rather not worry about it. I keep getting the feeling that I'm being watched."

Yami smiled at that. "Very well, Tea. I'll stay."

**

* * *

Realm 4**

"There was definitely a dimensional portal here," Ealtos said, turning to Rafael. "My powers don't seem to agree with the Pharaoh's. It caused a disruption in the space time continuum."

Rafael nodded. "Master Dartz, the Pharaoh has been dislocated from our universe. I need to know where he is now."

_"Fortunately, I have studied the Pharaoh's entire life,"_ Dartz replied._ "There is only one place he could be. Ealtos, you will find that the portal will accept one monster. Go through. Rafael, report to the nearest drop off point. Remain there until further orders."_

"Yes, Master." Rafael turned to his friend. "Be careful," he said. "The Pharaoh can be devious."

"I will, of course, do everything I can to stop him." The Guardian monster bowed, before stepping through the portal.

----

GL looked around, whistling in amazement. "Wow," he said. "I never thought I'd see this place for myself."

"Neverland's definitely a paradise." Vixen was feeling at home. Not surprising as the majority of the beasts she emulated were used to open savannas or jungles. "I feel like I should just strip down, and have a banana." Oh, she loved it when GL gaped at her like that! He was entirely too ordered for his own good.

GL was gaping, not at the fact that she said she was going to strip, but the fact that she had made it sound like an offer. Women were a mystery that he would never full understand. "Maybe next time," he replied. "Right now, we need to find Shayera."

Vixen conceded that point readily. They were here to find their friend, not explore her jungle fantasies. "Which way do you think we should go?"  
"Well… I think we should head in the general direction of the mountain. I'd say Shayera will do the same."

"Good idea, John." Vixen got ready to run… and proceeded to run into a tree. "Okay…" she muttered. "I get the feeling that magic works here only too well."

GL chuckled, helping her up. "I think we're going to have to walk to the mountain, Vix."

"Gee, ya think?"

----

Yami swiftly disrobed, and slid into the pond, keeping his eyes straight ahead as he did so. He was extremely uncomfortable with the situation as it stood. The water was warm, the area secluded. There was a distinct possibility that those still at camp would make stories at what they were doing.

Tea was following a similar policy, her gaze straight ahead, her cheeks flaming red. _'Maybe not the best idea I've ever had,'_ she thought. It was too late to say anything about that, though.

"So…" Yami began.

"So…" Tea repeated, wishing she could submerge herself up to her neck. "The water's warm."

Yami chuckled, a sliver of amusement finding its way into his eyes. "Yes, it is. Very relaxing."

"… Oh, this embarrassing."

"What? The fact that we're taking a bath together, or how it came to be?"

"A bit of both, actually." Tea sighed, before frowning. "You don't think the Puzzle…?"

"Did this deliberately?" Yami finished. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least. I think it got rattled from that last attack."

"Fair point." Relaxing slightly, Tea started smiling. The situation was kind of amusing, if you looked at it from a different angle. "Yami, I have to ask… about our 'date' a year ago…"

Yami turned his head to look at her eyes, resisting the urge to roam downward. "Yes?"

"Did you… enjoy it? In any way, I mean?"  
The Pharaoh frowned for a split second, deep in thought. "Well, for the most part, my mind was preoccupied with discovering anything I could about my ancient past…"

"Oh." For a strange reason, that brought a feeling of disappointment to her heart.

"…But," Yami continued, a slight smile growing on his face, "when you were challenged by that man, I was found myself thinking about… well, how graceful your body was… how beautiful it was when you were moving. I found myself… captivated." His smile grew at the memory. "I don't really understand why, but I also don't care."

The disappointment became a small bit of hope. "Thank you." Her gaze turned mischievous. "So, you found me beautiful, Pharaoh?"

"Well, yes."

"Do you still find me beautiful?" She was feeling a bit reckless, which was fine with her. Anything to get Yami smiling was open to use, even seduction.

Yami looked at her for a moment. "Yes," he replied, a little guardedly. He looked away. "Yugi made it a point to mention a little fact about you every day when we didn't have to worry about the fate of the world." His gaze was going distant.

Tea realized that he was slipping into his memories of those fateful days, and quickly grabbed his head, turning his gaze to her. "Yami, I want you to look at me. I mean, _look _at me." She brought her hands down.

Yami's attention quickly latched onto the fact that Tea was no longer covering her breasts. Because of the shallowness of the shoreline, they were only submerged up to their waists. If they wanted to get to deeper water, they simply had to swim towards the center of the pond.

But, presently, he was getting quite an eyeful of Tea's incredible bosom with pink nipples.  
Tea smiled in success when she saw his gaze latch onto her. _'Maybe not my greatest plan, but certainly effective,'_ she thought. She knew she had a great body, but had never used it to her advantage.

However, she also realized that, for the first time in her life, she was nude before a young man, at least, in the physical sense. And he was presently staring at her like she was a Christmas present. He wasn't even blinking. "Do you like them?" she asked, the butterfly feeling intensifying dramatically.

Yami nodded. "Yes. They are… impressive."

Tea smiled, leaning forward slightly. "Would you like to touch them?" This was taking this a little too far, but this was all she could think within a split second. And besides, she wanted him to touch them.

Yami reached out with one trembling hand, stopping just short of touching one of the mounds. Steeling himself, he placed his hand on her breast.

----

Shayera blinked in surprise at Peter's explanation. "So, someone pulled you all out of your own time, deposited you into the Twentieth Century, where you discovered that Wendy was a Force capable being of unknown power, and a starship had been pulled from another realm, and Earth is on the brink of an invasion that could spell the end of the human race."

John looked at her. "I take it you have dealt with these situations one too many times before," he commented.

"Well, an alien invasion is how the Justice League was formed, and a now-ally of ours invaded half a year ago." The woman still couldn't believe that it had been that long since the invasion. She still blamed herself for her part, for not catching on to the Thanagarian's plans sooner.

Tiger Lily looked around. "I am sure that we will be dealt with many more surprises before this is over." She looked at her. "Do you know of a prophecy concerning Fire and Wind?" she asked. Shayera shook her head. "Well, according to it, two warriors, controlling two of the most powerful elements of the planet, will rise up to conquer he who has threatened the universe. We think Sakar is that force."

"So, why come here, if he's so powerful?"

Wendy shook her head. "His powers still have limits," she explained. "Captain Archer had T-Pol and Commander Tucker alter the deflector dish aboard their starship to emit some sort of pulse. It severed his connections to Vandrasil, which served as his main source of power. That's the first reason for his journey. The second one is the fact that the family line in control of Fire and Wind has been growing stronger over the course of a millennium, each one becoming more of a threat to him. Wheeler and Linka are the last link of that chain. If they can become Guardians, they'll possess the power to go with their knowledge, and be able to conquer him once and for all."

"But, there is a problem." Peter looked around. "Neverland is extremely potent with magic. More than enough to replenish his stores, and expand them exponentionally. If he manages to absorb it, he'll be unstoppable."

Shayera nodded, rubbing her face for a moment. "Well then, I hope Lantern and Vixen get here soon," she said. "We're going to need all of the help we can get.

----

The Stargate activated almost thirty minutes after GL and Vixen had left the area. It rippled placidly for a moment.

Then a woman stepped through the Gate, looking around as it shut down. She was a beautiful woman, with flowing red hair ending in the middle of her back. Her eyes were a deep, penetrating brown, capable of peering into a person's soul. She wore a dark blood red uniform with a bird impression of some sort on the chest. She was beautiful, vibrant, on the edge… which was precisely the problem.

She had been killed by her reality's Wolverine. She was supposed to be dead.

The Phoenix, formerly Jean Gray of the X-Men, grinned evilly as she looked around. It was so much quieter inside her mind without that caring, compassionate, weak woman interfering with her every move. Now, Queen Beryl had revived her to help in her war with Alania.

And her part in it… started now.

Leaping into her air, every ounce of her limitless psychic power sweeping the land of Neverland, she searched for her target.

For Peter Pan, the Boy who Never Grew Up, and the all powerful Force Wielder Wendy Darling.

* * *

And here is the beginning of the CP:A/ YGO:R crossover. Part Two will have Phoenix and Wendy's group meeting, as well as the return of the Pharaoh's deadliest nemesis. I will also begin to deepen the connection between John and Tiger Lily, so please stayed tuned.And here is the beginning of the CP:A/ YGO:R crossover. Part Two will have and Wendy's group meeting, as well as the return of the Pharaoh's deadliest nemesis. I will also begin to deepen the connection between John and Tiger Lily, so please stayed tuned. 

There is a lemon of this chapter on Mediaminer. Org between Yami and Tea. It was something that I thought up at the drop of a hat, and it will be the only one between them for a while. Enjoy.

Well, it has been one hell of a week. We had inventory at the store, which means everyone would be coming in for bottle returns. And, unlike the large, mass owned grocery stores, we don't have those fancy machines, which makes it slow going, to say the least.

Please review. Even a gurgle of a review would be great. I'll take anything at this point.


	75. Sixty Two, Part Two

**Part Two**

They decided to keep what had happened in the lake between the two of them.

Neither one of them was ready to explain something of this magnitude to Li or Sakura, both who were too young to know, anyways.

So, Yami and Tea continued onward, every once in a while looking at the other discreetly for a few moments, looking away when the other started shifting his or her attention.

Yami was confused as anyone could be without becoming a basket case. He had never, in all of the years he had known here, seen that side of Tea Gardner before. And, he also knew how much of a slippery slope he was on. When he rescued Yugi, they would be sharing a body again. He couldn't afford to have a romantic relationship while occupying someone else's form. He didn't want to set Tea up for an inevitable broken heart.

But there had been something familiar about their coupling. A memory that hung… just out of reach, like the rest of them. He didn't understand why he felt this way.

Tea was having similar thoughts as she observed him furtively. She was still amazed by what she had done, and how Yami responded to it. The feeling of familiarity was there within her as well, but she didn't know why. She just chalked it up to déjà vu, though, and thought no more about it.

Still, she was disturbed by how strong her feelings for the ancient spirit were. She didn't even know they were that strong until today. And she didn't want to hurt Yami's if she could avoid it.

As the two of them had thoughts of doubt and fear, Sakura suddenly looked up, staggering a bit in shock. "By Kami!" she gasped, trying to block out the strength of the surge going through her head. It was unlike anything she had felt before in her life.

Li was at her side in an instant, holding her steady. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The Card Mistress turned to Yami, her gaze almost frightened. "I just felt a powerful psychic presence enter this world. I've never felt such power before in my life!"

Eriol and Madison looked at each other in surprise. "There is only one type of psychic power strong enough for the Keeper of the Cards to feel," he explained to her. "There is a mutant here with us."  
Meiling cursed rather vividly, getting a reproached look from Spinnel. "That means I'm useless!"

"Be thankful," Spinnel replied with. "It means we Guardian beasts are going to be taking the brunt of the assault."

Yami looked down, saw he Puzzle glowing faintly. "Funny you should mention Guardian beast," he said. "I would say Rafael has just sent one after us."

"Your Puzzle is starting to freak me out." Yukito shuddered. "How can you tell?"

"Because I can sense the energy signature from her. She's flying overhead." He turned. "Everyone into the trees!"

Everyone quickly charged into the tree line, disappearing.

Ealtos scanned the forest path quickly, trying to find the Pharaoh and his intrepid team. Her instincts were telling her to go in this direction. Why was unclear, but there it was.

She had located the X-Van easily enough. There was no damage to it, which meant it had been stopped under the driver's control. Which meant they were unharmed.

It also meant that, eventually, they would head for higher ground.

Her gaze turned to the massive mountain at the heart of Neverland. The higher up, the better.

Contrary to popular belief, the monsters within a deck of cards were indisputably loyal to their card holder, but they had an obligation to be. A few exceptional duelists, Joseph Wheeler and his younger sister, Seto Kaiba, Yugi Motou, and the ancient Pharaoh, as well as Rafael, did not command their loyalty, but asked for it. By doing so, they freed their beasts from the obligation, allowing them the chance to decide their own destiny.

Ealtos had no personal quarrel with the Pharaoh. She had a quarrel with one of his monsters. The second Dark Magician.

Several other signatures of power caught her attention within the midst of her thoughts. Homing in on them, she was startled to recognize one of them. '_A Green Lantern, here?'_ she thought, amazed. Things were becoming more interesting by the moment.

The mountain was starting to become an excellent place to head for, indeed.

----

Wendy suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes going distant. What she was feeling was impossible.

Peter turned around when he noticed that Wendy was not beside him anymore. "Wendy?" he asked.

Shayera also turned around. Something about that question told her that something was wrong.

As if to give credence to her feeling, Wendy looked up. "A powerful presence has just entered Neverland, from the west," he replied. "One… extremely powerful… and pure, unadulterated feeling."

"That's never a good sign."

Tiger Lily nodded, looking around. "This way shall lead us to my village," she said. "I can speak with my father about passage to the mountain range. We can also get you some clothes, Shayera."

"That'd be swell. I'm getting cold."

John looked around. "Are the pirates still here?" he asked. "I would rather avoid them at all costs this time around."

"They have set up a village at the outer rim of the island, near the Black Castle. They will not bother us."

"Always a good deal." Peter looked around. "I'm a little surprised we haven't run into Tink yet, either. She usually homes into me the moment I return to Neverland."

Wendy frowned. That was unusual of the little fairy. "You're right. In fact, I don't think any of the fairies have shown themselves at all."

"Where could they all be?"

John turned to Tiger Lily. "Where do the fairies go if they feel threatened?" he asked.

Tiger Lily shrugged. "Not even my father knows. It is the only secret left in Neverland that has kept for years."

Peter nodded. "Tinkerbell used to tell me that every creature here, save for the humans, have a secret hideaway, one that only they know. They defend the location fiercely, and only tell those they know they can trust."

"Then why don't you know, Peter?" Wendy asked.

"Because I don't want to know. I may have been brash, arrogant, and carefree, but I was not an idiot. A powerful force once attacked this world. Almost annihilated the fairy race in the process. If I had been captured, I would have resisted, but eventually, I would have told them everything I knew about Neverland."

Wendy nodded. It was a pretty sound argument, coming from him. "Well, I remember what Tinkerbell 'feels' like. I think I may be able to locate pixie dust through the Force… after we rest, that is."

"Always a great idea." Shayera gestured. "Please, one of you lead the way."

----

The walk turned out to be pleasant, to say the least. Vixen wondered why she and John had never simply walked before. '_Because I can't stand going extended periods without being forced to resist the panther,'_ she thought ruefully. That, and her very nature was go in, get out. Live life to the fullest was her motto.

John, it seemed, was much more at ease. As a Green Lantern, he flew across the cosmos, protecting the innocence of the universe from disaster, natural and otherwise. So any time he could simply relax, and enjoy natural beauty, he would take it.

"You know, if you keep breathing like that, I'd think you were an animal in heat," GL whispered, grinning.

Vixen let out a chuckle. "Sorry, John. Not much else to do, so I might as well. Raven showed me a few meditation practices."

"That sounds like her. How're they working?"

"… Actually, they haven't done much for me."

The Lantern let out a chortle, understanding only too well. Katma had the hardest time teaching him meditation. And those were necessary for learning to use the power ring of the Green Lantern. "And when did she start teaching you?"  
"Just before we went to Zion."

"It takes time to master. It took me about four years to fully grasp it. But afterwards, I was able to fully utilize my ring's abilities."

Vixen nodded. "You know, you never told me about Katma Tui," she said. "Was she a tough teacher?"

GL nodded. "One of the most demanding teachers I've ever had. She made my drill instructors in the Marine Corp look inept. I couldn't even get a full night's sleep without her barging in, and waking me up… for about six years."

"Oooh, the teacher's pet's grumpy. I see her next time, I'm going to have to talk to her."

"Oh, no! Last thing I need are my ex's and my current trading stories about me!"  
"Shayera and I do it all the time," Vixen purred. "She has had nothing but great things to say about you."

GL groaned.

"You really need to relax, John. You can't be in commando mode all the time."

"It was either that, or Shayera crushing Flash's head in with her mace."

"…Ah."

----

Tiger Lily let a powerful battle cry erupt from her throat, letting her people know that she had returned. Shayera almost clamped her hands over her ears, but refrained. She had handled the ultra sonic's of various ships throughout her career for much longer than the cry of a Neverland native. Wendy, she noted, was discreetly poking a finger into her ear, trying to remove the obvious ringing that had occurred. "Sensitive hearing?" she inquired.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Wendy replied. "I got it from my father. My mother's got no problems with her ears… neither does John here."

John smiled modestly. "Actually, I am in far better control of my movements. Our mother's legacy to me."

"… Gee, thanks for telling me I'm as disciplined as a rabbit."

Peter rolled his eyes, grinning like mad. "I'm enjoying this, and it's very disturbing," he told Shayera quietly.

"So am I. Nice to know that I'm not the only one who has problems."

The Natives swarmed over them, greeting them with open arms, and in their own language. John, Peter, Tiger Lily naturally, and Wendy all knew what they were talking about, and returned their greetings with enthusiasm, hugging and beating those they met on the back.

Shayera felt like the odd one out. She was used to talking to aliens, and other humans who spoke English. She was used to beating something within an inch of its life, not feeling awkward in front of strangers.

In essence, she felt worthless.

Not a feeling she was used to.

A native woman grabbed her arm, jerking her out of her sour mood. She looked at Wendy, bewildered.

Wendy smiled. "She's going to make you some clothes, but she needs to get your… measurements, I think."

"She said measurements," Tiger Lily supplied. "But, unlike in 'civilized society,' it will require your absolute… I have no idea how to say this diplomatically."

"You need to strip entirely," Peter stated, rolling his eyes to the heavens. Being diplomatic was not one of his strong suits.

But it worked, as Shayera now understood. "Lead the way," she said, gesturing. Besides, all she had on were scraps. Being completely naked in front of a group of ladies was not something she was worried about.

----

The Phoenix quickly homed in on her prey, grinning as she did so. The little girl was making this all too easy for her. By staying in one place, she had condemned herself.

But another power had suddenly begun building in that same vicinity, and was starting to grow even more powerful with each passing moment. Something else was there.

No, someone else, who was building up to infinite power.

The red head woman frowned a bit in surprise, stopping. That was different. In her briefings, she had been informed of such a thing occurring. '_Could it be something in the air?'_ she asked herself. '_Is it possible that Peter Pan is gaining god like power, now that he has been away for a century?'_

Taking a moment to bring this into her plan, she decided that she could handle this new development, and continued on her way.

----

A dark portal opened within the inner areas of Neverland, causing the wildlife to run in terror. They did so, because of the fact they could literally feel the darkness approaching.

And that darkness stepped out of it, grinning maniacally, cradling the Millennium Necklace in his hands.

Bakura, the only other ancient spirit to have survived his five thousand year captivity in a Millennium Item, took a deep breath of Neverland air, grinning. "So, after all these centuries, the sanctuary still stands, and has grown," he mused. "I do so hope the boy is here. I have so much I want to talk to him about."

As he grinned, thinking about how his 'talk' would turn out, the Ring began pulsing. Confused, the Tomb Robber looked down. The only reason any Millennium Item would begin to react was if another Item was within the area. So why…?

And suddenly, as if the heavens themselves opened up to give him the answer, he realized why, and grinned.

_He was here._

----

Yami suddenly staggered, groaning as a sharp pain tore through his chest. His gaze went inward, trying to locate the source of the pain.

Tea turned immediately, realizing something was wrong. "What is it?"

"I… don't know. It's as if… another presence has entered this place… one that is… harmful to me…" His gaze snapped up as recognition set in. "Bakura."

Everyone else turned to him in surprise. "The King of Thieves from your time?"

"Yes."

Sakura looked around, her Key locket beginning to vibrate. It was something it had never done before. It caught her attention. "Well, judging from the looks of it, he's more powerful than before. My pendant's going crazy!"  
That didn't set well with any of them. Bakura was extremely difficult to beat under normal circumstances. If he's even more powerful than before, and had a new set of abilities, then everything they were hoping to avoid was going to come at them, times two.

"So, what are we going to do?" Madison asked.

Yami turned. "Eriol, take Madison, and continue on to the mountain," he ordered. "Take Yue and Spinnel with you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to prepare a proper welcome for my old friend." Yami's and Tea's duel disks activated. "Sakura, you, Li, Kero, and Ruby Moon find Guardian Ealtos, and stop her."

Tea set her deck inside the slot, having had perused it during their rest stops. She had chosen each card to create a power that was balanced, strong, and which suited her just fine. "This is going to be only the second time I've used this deck, and possibly the first time I've used it in a dueling situation. Do you think I can do this?"

Kero nodded. "If Sakura can change all of the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, then you will find a way to win against the Tomb Robber. Good luck in this." He waited until Li had gotten onto Spinnel's back, before launching heavenward, the others following them.

Yami looked at Tea. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Tea nodded, a strange calm falling over her. "I am, now." She turned her attention to her duel disk. "And, regardless of how powerful Bakura's become, we'll win."

The Pharaoh nodded, smiling. "On that, we are of one mind." He focused his mind on locating his prey. "He's coming from the Southwest!"

Both of them turned as one, bringing their duel arms up.

----

Shayera stood, trying very hard not to fidget as the other woman eyed her for several moments, before continuing on with her work. Normally, she wouldn't be nervous, but she had never been standing naked in front of a dress maker. Not to say that she was shy about her own body. Her hips had no fat on them, her arms and legs were perfect, and her breasts were just so. In short, she was proud of how she looked.

But here she was, in Neverland, far away from those she was comfortable with, being scrutinized by a complete stranger. John, she was not.

Her discomfort was apparently noticed, but not commented on, as the Native quickly brought up the finished product, handing it to her, and leaving. Grateful, she quickly dressed, mildly surprised that they fit perfectly. '_Maybe they aren't as primitive as I once thought,'_ she decided, smiling.

One problem down; one to go. Namely, her memories.

Ever since she woke up here, she had quickly discovered that her memories with the Justice League, her entire life as she knew it were intact…but they felt incomplete. There was a very large blank spot, as if her mind was covered in a fog. She didn't know why, but she felt that there was more.

She was beginning to think that Trinity was right.

Stepping outside, she looked around, seeing the entire tribe preparing for dinner, saw John and Tiger Lily talking near one particular tent, and smiled. Young love still flourished, even in wartime. But, where were Peter and Wendy?

Looking around, she found the two of them at the edge of the village, rather… engaged with each other. Not to the point that they were unclothed, but rather involved. Shayera, through her observations, concluded that Peter was quite the accomplished kisser. Wendy wasn't half bad, either. '_They must have been practicing for a long time,'_ she thought, smiling a bit in amusement.

Deciding to leave them in peace, the young woman started back for camp, when Wendy's head suddenly snapped up, her eyes going wide. "That power is close!" she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet.

Shayera's attention suddenly focused on the problem. "We're too close to the village! We've gotta go, now!"

Her warning came too late, as the Phoenix suddenly dropped from the sky, landing in front of them. Her gaze focused on Wendy with a predatory air.

Shayera blinked once in surprise. Despite the maturity of her beauty, she recognized the woman. "Jean Grey?" she got out.

Phoenix shook her head. "Jean Grey is no longer present within this body," she replied, a seductive huskiness there that the X-Man should have been incapable of. "I am known as Phoenix."

Peter stood up fully, standing next to Wendy. Despite the fact that he had no power, there was no way his girlfriend was going face this alone. "Well, Phoenix, perhaps you can tell us why you are here."

"It's simple. I want Miss Darling." Her gaze smoldered. "And I want her now."

----

Ealtos shivered as she landed on an outcropping, wondering why she was even here. If the Pharaoh was still in the forest, she should be looking for him, not exploring a mountain.

Except that there was a cave in there, and a feeling of power. A power that she had never felt before in her life.

It was a power that was as strong as the power of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

The Guardian beast found it strangely exhilarating. And so, she decided to check it out a bit. Here, she had no worry of Rafael shutting off his Duel Disk, and her disappearing. He trusted her to do the assignment, and to be careful in the process. But he also encouraged exploration. '_Probably because he spent the better half of a year stuck on an island,'_ she thought. '_He wants to see if there is any light left in the world.'_

Her bow came out, a glowing arrow already notched into it. She was taking no chances with wild animals and the like.

A few moments later, ten arrows dotted the massive cave, each light adding detail to the cave. And what a cave it was! Stalactites were peppered all across the ceiling, letting her know just how massive the place really was. There was a medium sized waterfall gushing from the side, dropping into a small lake.

The floor was smooth though, like marble. There weren't even small rodents here, which meant one thing. There was something in here that the animals didn't want to go near.

Ealtos looked at the waterfall and pond, finding both to be rather appealing at the moment. She had been flying for hours now, and she had worked up quite a sweat in the process.

Grinning, Ealtos set her bow down, and pulled her massive headdress off, releasing a wave of brown hair from underneath. Setting it down, she removed the rest of her clothes, setting them in a pile near the helmet. Grabbing her bow again, she waded into the water, making her way to the au natural shower, setting the bow within grabbing distance. She soon stood under the cold water, keeping her wings away from it. The water caused her body to react, her nipples becoming hard peaks. She let out a slight moan, thinking about how long it had been…

Before she could even consider indulging her body's pleasures, though, a sound from the distance caught her attention. All thoughts of pleasure left, leaving laser edge focus in its place. She swiftly grabbed her bow, aiming into the distance. The fact that she was naked, standing under a steady stream of water, did not register to her immediately. And even if it had, she wouldn't have cared.

A bat suddenly swooped by her, scaring the living daylights out of her. It flew overhead for a moment, before finally settling on the ceiling, just a few hundred feet above her. And, though she couldn't see it, it watched her with beady eyes, a strange intelligence showing through. It twitched a wing, as if shaking out the kinks.

And, almost immediately, a very large number of them flew into the cavern, circling around her.

Ealtos turned around wildly, trying to find a clear shot, but they were circling too fast for her to get more than a glimpse of a wing every once in a while. '_Something is wrong here. They shouldn't be doing this.'_

And then something happened that confirmed it. The bats went straight for the arrows, taking them out one at a time, plunging the cave back into darkness. Soon, the only light that remained was the rapidly disappearing light from the cave entrance, which she couldn't see…

… and the light from the arrow in Ealtos's hand.

"This could be a problem," Ealtos muttered to herself, as the bats tightened formation around her, forming an impenetrable wall. "What do I do now?"

----

Bakura emerged from a pillar of shadows in front of the two duelists, his maniacal grin there for both of them to see. "Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise," he said. "I've come here to locate the protector of this world, and I find my old friends the Pharaoh and Tea. How have you been doing, friends?"

"Better than you, it seems," Yami retorted, his mind racing. Of all of the people had never thought he would see in this world again, Bakura was definitely it. The fact that he was here, and more powerful than before, only added to his worries. "What are you doing here?"  
The Tomb Robber, the only other ancient spirit who controlled a Millennium Item, observed them both, noted that their Duel Disks were online. "Oh, you were expecting a duel from me? You thought I came for you two. Well guess what, Pharaoh, I'm not. I'm after someone close to you, though."

Yami unconsciously took a step closer to Tea. "If you even think about it…"

"Oh, not Tea. Really, did you wipe out everything?"

"Tell us who you're after, or get out!" Tea snarled. "I'm already getting tired of you."

"Oooh, sounds like someone's having a bout of PMS." Bakura grinned, bringing his own Duel Disk up. "I fear I won't be telling you anything. If you can't remember either of them, then you never will. And as for that duel…" He pulled a card out. "I'm afraid I can't oblige you!"

Yami quickly recognized the card, and moved to counteract it. Tea beat him to it. "Negate spell!" she shouted, bringing the card in question up. Instantly, Bakura's card became useless. "Sorry, Tomb Robber. Whoever you're after, they're going to have to wait!"

"I say otherwise." Not really perturbed, Bakura withdrew another card, grinned. "But if you want to fight…fine, we'll fight!" He set the card down. "I now call forth… Phantom Warrior!"

The Phantom Warrior emerged from the monster world, and abiding by the will of his master, he charged forward, blade held high.

"Celtic Guardian, come forth!"

"Succubus Knight, arise!"

The two warriors, allies to the Pharaoh and his friend, appeared, and instantly stopped the PW's attack in its tracks. The two monsters shoved back hard, causing the Shadow creature to fall back.

The three monsters faced off, waiting for orders from their masters. Blades were out, glinting in the fading light.

Bakura's smile faded slightly as he assessed Tea's new found power. Of all of the things he had been expecting, this was not one of them. Since when did Tea Gardner, Yugi's closest companion, who loved all things light and happy, acquire such a powerful monster?

Yami grinned, enjoying his nemesis's confusion. "What's wrong?" he taunted, having a hard time making out what changed?"

As predicted, Bakura turned his full attention back to them, fury beginning to appear on his face. "You really need to learn how to keep your mouth shut, Pharaoh!"

"Tell us why you're here, and we will!" Tea retorted.

"I have a better idea, how about I call this? I summon Byser Shock, and use Black Pendant to increase its attack power!"

BS suddenly glowed as his power grew. He was now a threat to the CG.

All four monsters, and their masters, knowing that only one side would walk away from this battle, studied each other with great care. It was a search for weakness, for fear.

It was also a waste of time. They all knew what outcome would become reality.

War.

----

Sakura flew up in the sky, trying to gain enough altitude so she could hit the wind current presently going over the island. Once there, she pulled the Power Card out. "Power! Release and Dispel!" she ordered, her magic circle appearing under her, giving her some pseudo solid ground to stand on. "Strengthen the Pharaoh's and Tea's monsters!" While that Clow Card slid down in energy streams, she turned her attention to Kero. "Let's go, guys!"

"No time!" Li suddenly shouted. "Something's heading this way at high speed… going against the wind!"

The Clow Mistress turned around, the sword card merging with her wand. Eyes straining, she tried to see what Li had only spotted. And, by sheer luck, she spotted it.

A single black streak, shooting right at them at Mach Three. Sakura brought her blade up.

She was barely able to block a decapitating blow as Sakar, the Rogue spirit, slammed into her with roughly the force of a bull, his obsidian blade glinting darkly in the sun.

----

The very air around Phoenix seemed to ripple, to flex as her powers came to the fore. It was considerable power, and incredible discipline to boot.

And all of that power was focusing itself on the three warriors before her.

But Wendy was no slouch in the power department. And her discipline, while not as impressive as their enemy, was pretty good. And, unlike psychic powers, the Force was called upon by that discipline.

Wendy's power roared to the surface at her command, causing the air molecules around her to tremble. If a Force capable being were present, they would have seen her radiating light.

Shayera and Peter backed up, not wanting to be in the middle of a full scale psychokinetic battle.

Phoenix launched a full scale attack at Wendy, condensing her power to the point it was visible. Once done, she launched a psych sphere.

A shield of Force energy formed in front of the young Jedi, causing the attack to disperse across the barrier. She observed Phoenix from behind the shield, waiting.

Phoenix struck again, this time using a prolonged attack. It caused Wendy's defenses to buckle for a moment… before it became stronger, forcing the attack back at its master.

Wendy observed the mutant for a moment, keeping her elation down. It had been a quick plan, using the Force to strengthen the air molecules to become an invisible forcefield. She used the Force to augment it further, making it strong enough to withstand a prolonged assault.

She did that so she could study her opponent for a moment. And then she acted upon her observation… by launching herself forward, her fist cocked and ready.

The Phoenix was surprised by the sudden physical attack, and was slow to respond. Wendy's fist slammed, unimpeded, into her face, knocking her back by the force of the attack.

Peter whistled. "She's been working on her right hook," he said.

Shayera turned to stare at him. "You mean she's punched someone before?"

"Long story there." He turned. "In the meantime, we need to evac the village now!" He ran back, sending out the order.

Shayera turned back to the battle, watching as Phoenix got up, massaging her jaw. '_Well, this is going to be interesting,'_ she thought, feeling something akin to a tingle go through her spine.

And down her arm.

Focusing at her fingertips.

Confused, the ex Thanagarian looked at her hand, and was amazed. _Electricity was flickering over her fingers._

A name came to her.

Phoenix launched a full scale attack at Wendy, catching the Padawan by surprise. The force of the blast slammed Wendy through several trees, before she hit the ground, unconscious.

Phoenix turned to Shayera, a field of fire like light surrounding her as she prepared to call the full force of her powers.

Shayera beat her to it. "_Lightning Chain Blaster!"_ she bellowed, both hands up now.

Lightning ripped from her hands, smashing through Phoenix's defenses like they were tissue paper. The Class Five mutant was thrown back fifty feet, her body jerking under the power of eighty thousand bolts.

Shayera's wings appeared, and she took off, reaching the mutant's position within the space of a second. Her fist came forward, a right hook that would put Superman's to shame.

It slammed into the Phoenix's shield, causing it to buckle under Guardian pressure. The sheer power behind the blow was enough to launch her into the sky at roughly five times the speed of sound. She was out of sight within eight seconds.

Shayera quickly turned around, feeling invigorated. "This is sweet!" she shouted, jubilant. She remembered something about her past!

Flying back over to Wendy's prone form, she gently picked her up. "Peter, let's move these people out! I don't know how long it'll take before she gets back here!"

Peter grinned. "John and Tiger Lily are taking them to the Native hiding spot! With any luck, no one will find them!" His gaze turned to Wendy. "How is she?" he asked.

Shayera grinned. "Her head's tougher than the trees. She's just been knocked out. Not even a concussion." Her gaze turned to the mountain. Let's get moving. After we get the Natives settled in, we're going for the mountains."

Peter nodded, ready to say something.

A sudden sonic boom caught their attention, and they looked up.

"I'd say Sakar's here," Shayera commented. "But who is he fighting?"

----

Ealtos didn't know how long she had been standing there under the water, the bats flying around in a circle. The arrow she was holding was now the only illumination she had to go by. She had no plan, no chance. She didn't even have any way to cover herself!

All she knew was that the bats were keeping her trapped. She couldn't escape.

Suddenly, as if by command, the wall of flying creatures spread out, once again flying all over the cave. She could now see that the sun had set completely, leaving her arrow the only source of illumination. Her situation went from bad to worse. She turned around.

A woman appeared about thirty feet from her, dressed in complete black, with hair to match. Her skin was pearlescent white, seemingly glowing in the feeble light. She stared at the Guardian Beast, waiting.

Ealtos just stared at her, instantly wary. She could sense the supernatural energy emanating from her. It was a power that she had never encountered before.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, walking forward. The bats seemed to move around her, giving her sufficient room.

Ealtos brought the arrow up. "I am Guardian Ealtos," she replied firmly.

"Ah. A creature of the world of monsters." The woman stopped in front of the pond, observing her. It helped remind Ealtos that she standing under a waterfall, completely naked. "And quite a lovely one, at that."

Ealtos blushed, barely restraining herself from covering her breasts and pelvis. To do so would mean lowering the arrow in her hand. And that was her only defense.

"Your bosom is very well developed… perfect handfuls with large pink nipples."

Instinctively, Ealtos used her free arm to cover her bosom, keeping her eyes on her.

"And I am certain that few female monsters actually wax. I have seen anyone so… bare."

Ealtos kept her gaze on her, but couldn't stop from bringing her other hand down, covering her mound.

Big mistake.

The woman was suddenly in front of her, under the water as well. The bats suddenly solidified around them once again, blocking out any chance of escape. This close to her, Ealtos's weapon became useless.

And for the first time in her life, the Guardian Beast was afraid for her life. But, at the same time, she was… captivated. "Who… who are you?" she asked shakily.

The woman smiled, licking the water from her lips. "I…" she whispered, bringing her face closer, "am Kissinian. And this… is my home." She gently brought her lips down upon Ealtos's, kissing her gently.

The arrow fell from her hand, clattering in the water as she deepened the kiss.

The cave was plunged into darkness… as a distant explosion rocked the skies.

----

Sakura blocked frantically, flying backwards so as to avoid the majority of the monstrosity's power. '_He's strong!'_ she thought, looking for her back up. '_And he's fast! Li, whatever you have planned, you better put it in effect now!'_

Her prayers were answered when Li and Kero suddenly rocketed into Sakar's blind spot, knocking him down towards the canopy of the jungle. "_Elemental Fire!"_ Li shouted, launching his attack in sync with Kero's own. The blast slammed into the Death Dealer, increasing his speed as he hit the ground… hard.

The monsters were on the verge of launching their first attacks, when a massive object slammed into the ground, causing a crater to form in its wake. The three duelists shielded their eyes from the dirt cloud that emerged because of it.

Yami and Tea decided to retreat in this instance. They decided to do that because whatever slammed into the ground was now leaping back out, and they didn't want to be in the general vicinity when he emerged. Hastily calling their monsters back, they started running.

Bakura saw them do this, and made to go after them, when Sakar suddenly erupted upward, energy crackling from his fingertips. The Tomb Robber immediately shifted gears, Shadow magic launching from the Ring. The last thing he needed was a member of the Deadly Alliance interfering with Trigon's plans!

Sakar weathered the attack easily, landing. "I don't know how you managed to get here, Tomb Robber," he said, knuckles cracking ominously, "but I do know how you're leaving… in pieces!"  
Bakura's grin didn't fade one bit. "The only being who will be leaving in pieces, is you! Byser Shock, and Phantom Warrior, attack!"

Sakar grinned. He was going to enjoy this.

----

Madison listened to the sounds of battle from a distance, clutching her camera tightly. She didn't know what was going on over there, but it was bad.

Eriol stood next to her, his staff ready for use. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Madison shook her head, not looking away from the battle. In her heart, she knew something was different. She was literally useless here, little more than a scribe.

Spinnel nudged her arm a bit with his head, getting her attention. "Believe in your friends, and they can do anything," he said.

"I know. I just… I just feel so useless."

"So did Sakura… once." Eriol placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. "Don't worry, Madison. I doubt Sakura or Kero believe you to be useless."

The young girl nodded at that. '_It doesn't change how I feel, though,'_ she thought sadly.

----

GL was just thinking about taking a rest break, when the first explosion sounded off.

He and Vixen were up in a flash, scanning the surround. The blast was so powerful, it sounded like it had come from near by.

Vixen shifted powers, and went on her belly, feeling the vibrations. "What ever hit the ground, it hit hard, and fast," she said. "It's about six miles in front of us, towards the interior of the island!"  
GL shook his head. He had a sickening suspicion that he knew who was in the middle of it. "Well, we better get going, as quickly as possible!" He quickly projected a bubble around the woman, and flew towards the disturbance.

----

John and Tiger Lily finally had to call it quits, stooping over to reclaim precious oxygen for their bodies. Shayera, without missing a beat, grabbed them up, and kept running. Ahead of her, carrying Wendy's unconscious body, Peter flew.

The Natives quickly slipped around trees, ducked under vines and branches, and jumped over any obstacles in their way. They moved with an ease that Peter followed easily. Their course was taking them deep within Neverland, directly for the mountains. That, at least, was a good sign.

The Chief quickly reached a set of bushes, looking around. Shayera set the two children down, and moved forward, remembering something else about her life. A spell.

The old man touched a withered old twig, causing the entire plant to shake for a moment. Then the bushes parted, presenting an opening for them.

One by one, the entire population crawled through the space, while Shayera watched for their new enemy. She had Peter go through after John, before crawling in after them.

She found herself within a kind of meadow, one with many different colored flowers that seemed to glow in the dark. There were trees, and beautifully crafted statues of various deities set in a pattern.

A low moan brought her back to their situation, and she quickly muttered the spell in question, before heading over to where Wendy was finally coming to. "Welcome back, kid," she said in greeting.

Peter leaned in slightly. "How do you feel?" he asked, concern plain in his tone.

Wendy blinked her eyes for a moment, before looking at him. "I feel fine. Where are we?"

"My people's refuge." Tiger Lily sat down Indian style, observing the place. "We learned that every part of Neverland has such a place for every sentient specie on the island. Ours looks like this. The Fairies most likely have a giant tree that is filled with light. The mermaids… well, no one has seen theirs."

"I don't want to, if it makes anyone feel any better." The young Jedi sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Well, we can't stay here. I'm like a hyperactive beacon. That Phoenix woman will be able to track me."

"No, she won't," Shayera replied. "I can assume that the doorway can only be opened by those who know what to look for, for starters," she said. Tiger Lily nodded. "Well, as an added bit of protection, I cast a spell to block you energy signature. The only way she can find us, is if she physically finds us."

John smiled in amazement. "You are truly an amazing person, Miss Hall."

Shayera grinned. "I try."

----

Sakar and Bakura glared at each other, irritated with the change in fortune. Though Bakura's beasts were defeated easily, the two combatants proved to be equally matched.

"Stay out of my way, Tomb Robber," the Death Dealer snarled at long last. "Otherwise, you and your kind will become extinct."

"So long as you don't touch the Pharaoh or the protector," Bakura retorted. "Or you will meet the rest of my _kind_, spirit… up close and personal."

With those parting words, the two of them took off in two different directions. Sakar by air, Bakura by land.

As such, the Death Dealer reached the mountain first… and slammed off an invisible wall.

----

"What the hell was that?!" Yami panted, finally stopping to take a breath. "It looked almost… human!"

Tea shook her head. "I don't know, but I do know that it isn't friendly!" She looked around. "Do you think Sakura and Li ran afoul with… whatever it is?"

Yami nodded. "A distinct possibility, though judging by how fast he hit, they gained the upper hand."

"Let's count our blessings, then, and get to that mountain before Bakura catches up with us."

Yami didn't answer, only started running.

----

Phoenix frowned, coming to halt. Wendy's signature suddenly… stopped.

The Class Five mutant quickly turned around, stretching her mind's abilities to the limits, trying to locate her elusive prey. She had her not just ten seconds ago. Now… she had vanished.

The Phoenix creature, an alternate personality locked away for more than two decades, was little more than pure feeling. Act and react, with superior intelligence added to the mix. So, when she lost Wendy, she came close to losing it, and destroying all of Neverland.

Except she saw Sakar near the mountain, systematically smashing himself against a powerful shield of some kind. Instantly remembering what Queen Beryl told her about the Death Dealer's setback, she flew over to her.

Sakar shook his head, finally concluding that the barrier was sound. It was galling, really. First that strange girl, then Tomb Robber arrived, and now this. He was beginning to wonder what was so interesting about this mystical ball of dirt and rock.

"Sakar!"  
The Death Dealer turned to see the Phoenix approaching, looking as angry as he did. " Phoenix," he returned in greeting. "I take it Queen Beryl sent you here to locate someone."

"Miss Darling." The red head looked at the invisible barrier before her. "We have a complication, though. Shayera Hall is here."

"Really?" Sakar grinned. "So, her stasis pod showed up here, eh? Well, she's found herself in quite a situation, then." His gaze clouded a bit. "Unfortunately, Bakura is here as well. He's here for Pan."

"Interesting. Why?"  
"No idea. And quite frankly, I don't care. If he can get the boy, then that is one less problem for me to deal with later."

Phoenix suddenly grinned, a thought coming to her. "What if we helped him do that?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Beryl wants Miss Darling. Bakura wants Mister Pan. I say a temporary alliance, until our objectives are met."

Sakar frowned for a moment, before a rather vicious grin appeared on his face. "An excellent idea, Phoenix," he said. "It will allow us to achieve all of our objectives easily. Let's go find him."

----

Sakura landed near Yami, shaking her head. "We couldn't find her anywhere, Yami. And when we made to land on the mountain, we were repelled by some magic shield. It felt like monster magic at work."

Yami nodded, not surprised. If a Millennium item was used to create this world, then the holder would leave a monster behind to regulate it in his absence. "Well, we better get moving. Bakura said he was looking the protector of his place. We need to find him before he does."

"Where do we look, though?" Madison asked. "We don't even know where we are!"

"Perhaps…" Eriol muttered a spell under his breath… before blinking. "That's strange."

Yue turned. "What is it?"

The reincarnated wizard turned to Yami. "I can scan every spot of this island, except for a small bush about a mile from here."

Tea looked at Yami, nodded. "Let's go take a look. We may find some allies in this place, and some answers about what is in that mountain."

The Pharaoh had a rather interesting feeling that he already knew what was there.

----

In the mountains, under a waterfall, two naked female forms were exploring each others bodies, moans of pleasure echoing within the chamber.

In another, an entire room full of monster tablets were set in the walls, creating a disturbing mural.

Within the center of this room, three massive tablets stood on an altar, with a powerful looking bird symbol above them. That symbol was the official symbol of Azarath, the land of pacifists. The three monsters were their most powerful protectors, the sorceress Azar's mightiest creatures.

In yet a third room, located within the cone of the mountain, a single tablet stood in silent vigil. The monster locked within had waited patiently for the better half of five thousand years… waited for the Pharaoh, or his descendants, to return to free him.

That time was now.

The Magician would arise once again

* * *

And here is Part Two. Part Three will have everyone meeting at the mountain, as well as a few other revelations concerning the monsters in question. Oh, yes, and Peter and Wendy's second dance in midair. Please stay tuned. 

Well, the end of this Neverland is nigh. And yes, I chose not to do a lemon this time, though I came close. As for today… we are in the grips of our yearly blizzard up here, where clearing out a driveway becomes an hourly thing. Whoever said that better late than obviously never used this in winter. And please review. Input would be appreciated.


	76. Sixty Two, Part Three

**Part Three**

"One would think we'd find something useful," Vixen said. "Instead, we find a giant hole that looks like something hit it."

"Something did, and at a pretty good velocity." GL looked around as he swept the area with his power ring. "I'd say we're not alone here. My ring's detecting Shadow Magic in the vicinity, and several mystical powers I've never seen before." He looked up. "One of them was strong."

"Do you think Yugi's friend is here?"

"And someone else, holding one of those Items."

Vixen couldn't say she was surprised. According to Yugi, not everyone holding a Millennium Item was a nice person. Some of them weren't even in control of their own bodies.

But who else was here? Did the Peter Pan of this world return? If so, what followed him?

GL turned, sweeping the area. "This way," he said. "Whoever was here went this way… towards the mountains."

Vixen grinned. "Well, let's get going. Whoever it is couldn't have gotten too far."

----

Yami looked up at the mountain, his gaze speculative. "Anyone have any good ideas as to how we're all going to scale this damn thing?"

Tea grinned. "I guess mountain climbing wasn't a necessary part of your royal training," she said teasingly.

"Is it for dancing?" Yami shot back, just as amused.

"Touche."

Madison looked around. "There's a path near here," she said. "I'd say it goes up a ways."

"I could kiss you, but what would Li think?" Sakura asked. "All the same, we need to keep our eyes open for the enemy. Something tells me that they are not going to give up so easily."

----

Peter looked around, doing a head count of the Natives. Satisfied that they were all there, he made his way over to Shayera. "I would say that they'll be safe for a while."

Shayera nodded, shaking her head. "If we don't find out why Phoenix wants your friend, then no one's going to be safe." She frowned. "Which reminds me… where is she?"

"Last I saw her, she was heading over there. It's a slightly private place. I'm heading over there myself, actually."

The woman shook her head. "Have fun." She walked away, making for the Chief's present location.

Peter, in the meantime, made for the area in question. He was trying to determine why. She had been given something by some of the younger females, and was told to go over there. They then found Peter, and told him to head over there in about fifteen minutes.

Well, fifteen minutes had passed, and he was curious as to what Wendy had been given. '_Hopefully, nothing that her mother will find offensive,'_ he thought.

Entering the area, he looked around, trying to find his girlfriend. The woman who had his kiss forever around her neck, and whose kiss he had around his neck. The one person he loved more than life itself… and he loved life with all of his soul. So where was she?"

"Peter."

The young man turned around, surprised that she had managed to sneak up behind him… and stared, mesmerized, at what he saw.

Wendy was presently clad in a dress that was clearly made by the fairies. It shimmered in the moonlight. It was almost sheer around her abdomen, giving a tantalizing glimpse of her body. It was more opaque at her chest and waist, so it wasn't entirely indecent. A bit risqué, maybe, but not entirely indecent.

Wendy smiled, pleased that he had his attention. "Do you like it?" she asked.

"I…" Peter cleared his throat. "I love it… a whole lot. But… where did you… how did you?"

Wendy giggled. "It's an apology from Tinkerbell. She wanted to give it to me before we left Neverland, but there wasn't any time." She looked at her skirt. "It's a material that can become opaque, or transparent according to the situation." Her smile could outshine the sun. "I think I'll give you a full show when we're older," she added impishly.

Peter nodded, grinning. "I can't wait." A thought struck him, and he bowed. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked, reaching out with a hand.

Wendy curtsied. "I would be delighted," she replied, taking his hand, and coming close.

Slowly, the two of them began to move, until it became a waltz that would have done her mother proud.

Wendy's eyes softened as she looked into Peter's. She hadn't forgotten the closeness, the feeling of being safe. In fact, her memories didn't do her justice. It was better than what she remembered.

Peter had missed this. A simple pleasure that he hadn't had since she had first come to Neverland. And now, he had it again. And he wasn't going to let go.

Slowly, the two of them levitated into the air, stopping only a few feet from the ground, never stopping their movements once, too caught up in each other's gazes and their own dance to truly notice. Young love was in both of their hearts.

Shayera was the only witness to this dance, and to the tender moment they were sharing. '_Oh, John…I wish we could have those days back,'_ she thought.

Turning around, she returned to the camp, allowing them their last moment of peace and serenity… because come tomorrow, they wouldn't get anymore.

----

Bakura stormed through the forest, his gaze smoldering with thoughts of revenge. The second he found the protector, he was going to decapitate him in front of the Pharaoh and his miserable friends.

But that brought up an interesting point. Where were his friends? And why did he seem so… alone? The only person there with him that the Tomb Robber recognized was Yugi's right hand woman, Tea. Those kids that he had seen in the sky, fighting Sakar, were unknowns.

And he hated unknowns.

"Tomb Robber."

Bakura whipped around, the beast within him crying for blood and souls. "Death Dealer!"

Sakar held up his hands in mock fear. "I'm not here to fight you, Bakura," he said, as the Phoenix landed next to him. "We're here to suggest a temporary alliance between us… as we do have a common goal."

"You want the protector of this world, as does Galaxia. Sakar merely wants the powers within Neverland to increase his own exponentionally. I want Wendy Darling."

Bakura grinned. "I believe that we have a deal." His mind churned for a moment. "Very well. I think you should know, though… that the Pharaoh and his friend Tea Gardner are here."

The mutant let out a hiss. "Blast it! If he makes it to the mountain, they'll uncover the three beasts that could match the Egyptian God monsters in power and abilities!"

"Then we go in after them." Bakura grinned. "This place was forged of Millennium and Azarathian magic. Mutants are allowed passage, as am I."

Sakar leaned in, intrigued. "What do you have in mind?"

----

GL was growing frustrated. They had been following the trail for about an hour, and they had seen nothing out of the ordinary. But they were closing in on the mountains.

And Vixen could already hear voices at their destination, though none of them were Shayera.

"Maybe they're Indians," GL suggested. "The natives."

"I know who they are, John," Vixen snapped. "But this is getting old. I want to find Shayera, now."

"You and me both."

The two JL members reached the area… and stopped, instantly realizing that this time, natives would not be the first people they made contact with.

Instead, they had just followed a pirate raid back to their little village.

Without a word, Vixen crouched, calling upon the tiger, and silently moved around the encampment. "This isn't what I hoped for when I came here to see Neverland!"

GL nodded, landing. His uniform dissolved to become completely black. "Looks like they didn't leave after Hook was eaten. Probably couldn't." He looked around. "We can probably sneak around their camp if we go this way," he murmured. "Otherwise, we're going to have to go through them."

"Well, we slink away, then."

But before either of them could move, one of the pirates spoke up. "You know, I've seen a lot of things in me time, but nothing compares to what I saw last night. I mean, I saw one of the most beautiful things I ever lay eyes on."

Another pirate laughed. "Billy, we've seen beauties in our times. They're called mermaids."

"This one had no scales, and had legs."

GL stopped Vixen, motioning her to wait for a minute. "We might be able to learn something."

"Fair point. Do you think they're talking about Shayera?"

"Probably."

Their conversation was unheard by the pirates, as one of them leaned in. "Really? What did it look like?"

"It was lady. She was getting ready to take a bath. She was… blimey, long legs, perfect bosom, and brown hair to the shoulders."

"Not Hawkgirl," Vixen murmured.

"Nope."

"Ye should've gotten her, then!" Another pirate bellowed, laughing. "You would've had first dibs."

"Except she wasn't alone. Some bleeding man with the freakiest hair style I've ever seen suddenly came crashin' out of the foliage. He had some sort of pyramid around his neck."

GL and Vixen traded startled looks. Were they talking about who they thought they were talking about?

"He landed in the pond. I bolted immediately. I only saw him for a moment, but he didn't look like the type ye wanted to mess with."

That confirmed it. The last thing either of them had expected had happened. The Pharaoh and Tea were in Neverland.

GL didn't know whether or not that was good or bad.

"So I followed them for a while. I couldn't be sure, but I think they were headin' for the mountains."

'_Of course.'_ GL shook his head. Everyone was heading for the mountains. That seemed to be the song and dance for the day.

"But on the way there, they were stopped by some albino man with a weird pendant. One shaped like a circle, eye in the center, and horns all around.

Vixen turned. "Is it just me, or did he just describe the Millennium Ring?" she asked shakily.

"He did," GL replied. "Which means our problems have just multiplied." He started shifting slightly. "We need to get moving… now!"  
"Actually, matey," a new voice drawled, "I think you should stay right where you are… otherwise, ye'll get to see Davey Jone's locker sooner than later."

Vixen turned her head slightly, just enough, to see the pirate behind her, two pistols aimed at their heads. And she didn't need to know anything about ancient weapons to know that they were most likely armed, with a pellet each. At the range he was at, he wouldn't miss.

Complicate it with the fact that a Green Lantern couldn't cover himself with a protective field, and attack, and you had the makings of a bad day.

GL looked at her, his eyebrow arched. Vixen nodded, seeing him clench his hand. "Alright," she said, remembering to put a bit of fear in her voice. "We'll come quietly."

The pirate grinned. "Hey, mates, we got ourselves a couple of trespassers in our little home, and one of 'em's a bounty lass!"

Vixen groaned. '_Pirates,'_ she thought. '_Always looking for a piece of ass when they're not pillaging.'_ But this was their chance to get some information. And she could get some payback, while John pretended to flee, before circling the encampment.

As if to add weight to that statement, GL suddenly kicked out, catching the pirate in the leg. With a groan, the cretin sank to the ground. The powerfully built man started running.

Noodler let out a snarl, pointing his two pistols at the man's retreating back. He fired.

GL heard the primitive weapons discharge, was glad that he covered sufficient distance, and activated his shield for a split second so the bullets didn't hit him. Then he pitched forward, hitting the ground and not moving a muscle. '_Thank God for marine discipline,'_ he thought.

Noodler pulled a knife out, and pointed it at Vixen, who was playing the part of the terrified damsel perfectly. "Ye're goin' over there," he said, limping slightly. Move it."

Vixen slowly did so, not having to fake being reluctant. She just hoped GL would show up to help her.

It just was no fun beating up anyone alone.

----

Ealtos stirred, sitting up slightly on the bed. Her vision was a blur, and her arms felt weak. '_Probably from the number of orgasms I've had,'_ she thought, dazed. Her groin certainly agreed with that assessment, tingling pleasantly.

Kissinian looked up, smiling slightly. "Ah, so you have awaken," she said, sitting up, a plate of fruits in her hand. "I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep the night away."

Ealtos fluffed her wings out. "Are you a monster with a long suppressed sex drive, or have you been trapped here, all alone?"

"I was here since the first day this world was created. I was assigned as the defender of this world's magic."

"It seems you have done an incredible job. I have never seen such a paradise before in my long life."

Kissinian smiled, offering her the plate. "So, what brings such a beautiful creature as yourself to Neverland?"

Ealtos sat up, taking the plate. "My friend Rafael had me come to locate the nameless Pharaoh," she replied.

The other monsters frowned. "To kill him?"

"In a sense. Rafael is under contract with Dartz."

"… I see. So you know of him."

"Name a monster who doesn't." Ealtos took a piece of pineapple, and popped it into her mouth. "I am certain you know what he's trying to do."

Kissinian nodded, shifting on the bed. "So, even after ten thousand years, he is trying to revive the Great Beast Leviathan. And your master helps him."

"He hasn't played the Seal of Orichalcos, if that's what you're wondering. But he did manipulate the Pharaoh to use it."  
"… I was afraid of that."

The Guardian monster set the plate on a nearby table, no longer hungry. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have mentioned that."

"No, it's okay." The Defender observed her for a moment. "You have no idea, do you?" she asked. "You have no idea why Neverland was created."

"… … I always thought it was created by the imaginations of children."

"That was another Neverland. This one was created by the Pharaoh and Azar, almost five thousand years ago."

Ealtos leaned in. "Really? Why?" She was curious as to why the King of Egypt and the Founder of Azarath would want to create a world.

Then, Kissinian told her.

----

The other pirates looked up as Noodler entered camp, their new prisoner in tow. "Arr, what a bountiful lass ye found there," one of them said appreciatively.

Noodler grinned, showing off a set of teeth that looked like a jigsaw puzzle. "Caught her at the edge of camp, sneakin' around," he drawled. "Figured she was lost." His grin grew. "Not anymore!"  
Vixen fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if a bunch of idiots with primitive weapons were a threat to her. She faced worse in her time, up to and including Grundy. Pirates were nothing.

But, for now, she would act like she was in mortal peril.

The pirates got up, leering at her. "Well, Noodler, you get to have fun," one said. "Just save somethin' for the rest of us."

Vixen caught a hint of emerald green among the forest leaves. She kept a poker face on that would have made Batman proud, though, so as to not give away their advantage.

The sight of Noodler's pistols, reloaded most likely, reminded her that she had a slightly more pressing matter to attend to. Returning her attention to the pirate before, Vixen laid her trap.

Noodler dragged her over to a darker, slightly secluded portion of the area, pointing his weapons at her. "Those are mighty fine clothes you've got, lass. Now, if you'd be so kind as to remove them. Ye can keep the jewel."

Vixen removed her gloves first, resisting the urge to chuckle. This guy was more of an idiot than she thought. He was making it too easy. And stripping down to nothing was never a problem with her. She liked modeling her body off. If he tried to touch her, which was part of the trap, then she'd hurt him… badly.

Noodler, it seemed, was getting rather excited. Again, he was making it too easy.

She pulled her uniform down, tossing it to him, making a pitiful attempt to salvage her modesty. She was also careful to keep her expression as fearful as possible. He needed him to come into range.

Noodler set his weapons aside. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said, coming within range of her leg.

Vixen suddenly chuckled. "Not as much as I'm going to enjoy _this_." She slid her knee forward slightly.

Then rammed it into his crotch.

Noodler's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Staggering back, he looked up in time to see her fist approaching his face at near terminal velocity. She didn't look like a maiden.

Now, she looked like an animal.

That was his last thought as consciousness fled…

----

The other pirates scattered like crazy as emerald energy bolts slammed into their ranks, knocking each one out easily.

GL flew into the camp, emerald eyes blazing. He felt pellets bounce off the protective field covering him as some of the braver ones opened fire on him. A minor nuisance, to be sure.

One of them hit him from behind with a massive tree branch. It broke in half, bringing him to the ground. Unfortunately for the pirate, it wasn't sufficient enough to actually hurt him, and he whirled around, his glowing fist knocking him into a tree ten feet back.

Within moments, the place was clear of everyone except the unconscious pirates… and Green Lantern.

Vixen came back out, zipping up her suit. "I had loads of fun," she said, grinning. "How about you?"

"Cute," GL muttered, returning the grin. "You actually had to do that to get his attention?"

"Well, he did have two guns pointed at me."

"Right. Is he still conscious? Is he still _alive_?"

"Conscious, not at the moment. Alive… well, he'll wish he wasn't for a while."

GL nodded, walking up to Noodler. He picked the man up, and formed a rope to tie him up with. Then he slapped the man… hard.

With a groan of pain, Noodler came back to life…and practically shrieked in terror. "Ye're the spawn of the devil! Keep back, woman!"  
Vixen chuckled evilly. "Oh, I like his description."

"Very fitting," GL replied. "Especially when you go all lioness on me." He walked up to Noodler, his ring up. "And you think she's dangerous, asshole? I'm marine trained. I know twenty different ways to kill you right off the bat, and I'm imaginative enough to think up of a few new ways." He leaned in. "Now, that man you saw, he wouldn't have happened to have had a tri spiked look to him, now would he?"

Noodler blinked in surprise. "Uh… yeah, actually."

"Thanks." Abruptly dissolving the rope, GL turned to Vixen. "Yami's definitely here. Which means the X-Van's probably somewhere in the opposite direction of the mountains."

Vixen nodded, looking into the distance. "I can track it easily, but I don't think I'll be able to drive it. You, on the other hand, can airlift it to the mountain."

"There's also the security system, but I got that covered already." GL smiled. "Keep going, Vix. I'll be there as soon as possible."  
Vixen immediately switched form tiger to cheetah, and launched herself forward, reaching maximum speed within a minute.

GL flew back towards the outer rim of the island, sweeping the jungle with his ring. A relatively simple task, though time consuming. After, it would be the only vehicle on the entire island.

----

Madison stuck close to Eriol as the group continued their trek through the forest, her camera running as she took in every single detail she could. "Do you think we're going to run into any wild animals?" she asked, adjusting something for a second.

Eriol smiled gently. "If we do, I will protect you," he replied softly. "You have nothing to fear."

"I know. I just want to see where we are. And I'd love a new idea for a super kawaii costume for Sakura!"

Sakura and Li chuckled. "Madison, we love her uniforms," the young Syoroan said. "But I think Sakura would like something a little less…flamboyant next time."

"Definitely." Kero retracted his claws. "We still have half of you stuff jammed into Sakura's closet. When are you going to pick them up?"

Madison grinned. "When we get go home, I want her to pick out her favorite ones."

"I'm _wearing_ one of them right now!" Sakura replied, gesturing at herself. It was the one she wore, which was what she wore when she changed the Light and Dark Cards, as well as her meeting with Clow Reed himself. She was saving the one she wore when she united the Chaos and Hope Cards for the time when they made their final push to Dartz.

Li, who was now wearing his family ceremonial robes, had had several modifications done to them so they weren't too small for him. Like Sakura, he was saving the one Madison had made for their final push to help Yami reclaim his Egyptian Gods.

Ruby looked at Yue, who was smiling. "They're all so cute to listen to, don't you think?" she asked.

Yue looked at her. "About as cute as you climbing all over Touya." He chuckled slightly as she blushed. "You enjoyed that way too much, if you want my opinion."

"I didn't ask for it."

Yami chuckled to himself, looking at Tea. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" he asked.

Tea giggled. "I don't know, but they're not as bad as Joey and Tristan. Isn't that right, Spinnel?"

Spinnel snorted. "Aside from the Master, I am the only sane one in this small force."

"I'm standing right here, cat boy!" Meiling snarled.

"I am well aware of your location, Meiling Rei. I simply do not care."

"I'm thinking Summon Skull, or Curse of Dragon," the King of Games mused loudly. "Which one do you think can fry a giant cat easier, Tea?"  
"Definitely CoD," Tea replied, eyes twinkling. "It'll be a great feast, to say the least."

Both Guardian Cats looked at the two of them in shock. "Don't even go there, guys," Kero said, eyes wide with shock and worry.

"Then please quiet down. And, Meiling, I want you not to attempt a physical beating. We'll need everybody capable of moving, with all four limbs in full working order."

"Fine," Meiling pouted.

Tea shook her head in amusement. "Well done, my Pharaoh," she whispered.

"Elementary, my dear Tea," Yami murmured lightly. "I honestly would like silence where they're concerned."

"So do I…" The young woman suddenly stopped. "What in the world…?"

Yami was about to ask what she had heard, when he heard it too. It was the sound of someone crashing through the foliage. "Eriol, incoming from behind!" he shouted, bringing his duel disk up.

Eriol brought his massive staff up, aiming. At the speed this being was moving, he would only get one shot.

With a final burst, the person blasted out of the jungle… and promptly ducked as a powerful energy blast rocketed overhead. "Alright, whoever, if you want your ass kicked so badly, I'll be happy to oblige!"

Yami held up a hand. "Vixen, I presume."

Vixen blinked, eyeing the man for a moment. "I want to say Yugi, but I know that's not you."

Tea grinned. "You're right." She turned to Sakura. "It's alright. She's a member of the Justice League."

Sakura smiled in relief, letting her staff retract. "Thank Kami. I thought it was that psycho with the black blade, or Bakura."

Vixen grinned. "Don't worry about it. We had an encounter ourselves with some of the native population here."

"There are others here?" Madison asked.

"… Do you guys even know where you are?"

"Should we?"

"You're in Neverland."

Kero blinked, before he chuckled. "Yeah, good one."

"Seriously."

Yami looked at Tea. "I'll admit, my understanding of places is rather… limited. Could you tell me what Neverland is?"

"If Yugi ever had a place in his heart for it, this would be what his side of the Puzzle would be like," Tea replied, giggling. "He used to think he was Peter Pan."

Yami chuckled. That sounded like Yugi.

Eriol walked forward, his staff looking around. "How is it that this place is Neverland?" he asked. "The Pharaoh here detected two different energy sources at work here. One of them was the Millennium Puzzle itself."

Whoa, whoa, hold on. Did you just say… what I think you just said?"

"Yes, you did, Madam."

"Well… that was never in the book."

Sakura sighed. "I'd rather I didn't know that."

"That makes two of us," Tea grumbled. "So, did you come alone?"  
Vixen shook her head. "I came here with Green Lantern, and we came here for a reason. One of ours is not what she appeared to be… even to herself."

Yami looked at her. "Hawkgirl." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. How'd you-?"

"Call it a hunch." Yami turned around. "Where is Lantern?"

"Getting the X-Van." Her eyes turned. "Speak of the devil, here he comes with it."

Indeed, with the X-Van encased in a green bubble, was GL, bringing their only mode of transportation to them. He gave them a small salute.

Vixen waved back. "You know, I'm thinking he found your car."

"We can see that." Tea waved. "Thanks, Mister Stewart!"  
GL set the car down, landing next to it. "At least you two were smart enough to activate the security system for this bad boy," he said. "The damn thing would've blown my head off if I was anyone else!"  
Yue shrugged. "Xavier likes to protect his equipment. Such is its value."

"You got me there." The Lantern walked up to Yami, observing him. "You're the spirit of the Puzzle, huh?"

Yami nodded, somewhat surprised. "Yes, I am. How did you…?"

"We had a little talk with Seto Kaiba and Static."

"Ah… hold on, Kaiba?"

"It's… kind of a long story."

Tea grinned. "You can tell us about it as we're climbing the mountain. Set the van here. We'll pick her up on our way back."

GL looked at the mountain. While quite the athlete, he was no mountain climber. "I'm going to assume that this is the only way we can go," he said, pointing at the path.

Madison nodded. "Yep. It's a direct path to some cave about sixty feet up. We can make there in about three hours… if we don't have any problems long the way."

Yami nodded. What was three hours, as opposed to the days of walking they had already done? "Well then, who's up for some hiking?"

----

Ealtos looked at the pool, watching the images before her. "Are they really going to make it here?" she asked.

Kissinian smiled. "I think they will. They are not like anyone else."

----

About an hour and a half later, Yami had entertained the notion that they weren't going to run into anymore problems. He was beginning to think that whatever they were going to find in that mountain.

And then he was kicked in the side, almost careening off the path, and down towards a rather gruesome end.

"Yami!" GL shouted.

"John!" Shayera came from behind a rock, stopping Wendy from pressing her attack. "They're friends!"  
Wendy looked at the spiky haired young man before them, her grip on her lightsaber tightening somewhat. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I've had enough problems with evil people for one week."

"You too, huh?" Tea walked up to her. "We've had a creep with a freaking obsidian sword, and Bakura."

"I see you've met Sakar. We met some woman who called herself the Phoenix."

GL looked Shayera over. "I see that this bag is worthless."

Shayera shrugged. "I met up with all of them."

"Who are they, anyways?" Sakura asked.

Peter grinned. "I'm Peter Pan. This is Wendy Darling."

Tea grinned in disbelief. "Yeah, good one. I'm Gandalf the White. The man beside me is Aragon. And these are the Hobbits from the Shire."

Madison looked at her. "Why do we have to be the Hobbits? Why can't Kero and the other Sacred Beasts be them?"

"Are you saying that my sister and Peter are lying?" John asked, glaring at them. Tiger Lily watched them all, her knife already out. Kero bared his teeth, while Meiling went into a fighting stance. "Because I am John Darling, and this is Tiger Lily."

"And if you'd like, I'll show you how things have changed," Peter added, taking a step forward.

Yami held up a hand. "Honestly, I don't know who you are, and I don't care. Shayera trusts you, and that's all I need to know." He looked at Peter. "Though I seem to think that we have met."

"You too?" Tea shrugged. "At least I'm not going crazy."

'_Interesting,'_ Shayera thought.

Eriol, however, frowned thoughtfully. "A fascinating thought. Is it entirely possible that both of you have been here at some point?"

Peter looked at him. "And who are you?" he asked.

"I am Eriol Moon, a reincarnation of Clow Ree."

"Ah." The eternal youth turned to Shayera. "Is that even possible?" he asked.

Shayera shrugged. "I was trapped in some sort of capsule apparently. Yami here is a five thousand year old spirit who was trapped within that pyramid."

Yami sighed, rubbing his eyes fretfully. "Why don't you tell him that this is a power source as well, and that I'm facing the powers of the Shadow Realm?"

"Why should I? You're doing a pretty good job of that."

Tea rolled her eyes heavenward. What is it with heroes and their need for jokes? "Look, I'm sure you guys can go on this vein forever, but we really need to get to that cave before Bakura and the other bad guys decided to attack. Is that okay?"

GL grinned. "I like this kid."

Yami finally cracked a smile. "So do I. And she's right. We can talk on the way." His puzzle suddenly started glowing. "In fact, we should get going now!"

"What's wrong?"  
"Bakura."  
"Let's go!" Li shouted, starting forward.

----

Bakura scanned the mountain, watching the group as they started on their way again. "Very interesting," he murmured. "They have met, and they're heading for the cavern holding those all powerful beasts." He stood up. "Perhaps it is time to see Azar's greatest monsters for myself."

He made his way for the path.

----

Wendy observed Yami and Tea as they talked quietly, both of them looking around as if enemies were going to appear at any moment. Grant you, in these uncertain times, there was a distinct possibility of that actually happening.

Turning her attention back to Peter, he saw her watching them, a confused look in his eyes. "Peter?" she asked.

Peter started, before looking at her. "I keep having this feeling that I've seen them before. They even have the same stance… same eyes."

Wendy turned her attention to them again, then looked at him. "You know, I think you're starting to remember your parents. At least, what they looked like." She grinned. "Though your father must have been teased mercilessly with a hair style like that."

Peter started grinning as well. "It's… very interesting, isn't it?"

"It most certainly is."

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when Shayera suddenly stopped, gripping her head for a moment in pain. "Shayera?" Peter asked, concerned.

Shayera stood up fully, shaking her cranium for a moment. "I don't know," she replied at long last. "For a second, a series of flashes… so intense… probably more memories being released… from sort of stasis lock."  
GL looked at her. "That sounded almost mystical in nature."

"It was one of the memories already unlocked. I taught it once at a seminar in some realm or other."

"You must not have gotten home much."

The 'former Thanagarian' smirked. "Actually, until I came to Earth as Hawkgirl, I didn't really have a home. But if it's Zion you're talking about, I tried to get back whenever I could." She looked at the clothes. "I take it that's armor of some sort," she said.

"Good guess," Vixen replied. "Question, though; Where are your wings?"

"Don't ask for a demonstration, Madam," John interjected. "It would do us some good if we were to complete all of our missions."

Yami nodded. "I concur. Eriol, how much longer?"

"About ten more minutes."

"Good."

Li looked at Peter for a moment, observing his sword. "So, you're Level Four Swordsman."

Peter blinked. "I'm sorry. What do you mean by that?"

"You're extremely proficient."

"Yes, actually. You?"  
Li grinned. "The best of my class."

"There were only two of us!" Meiling stated heatedly. "And you got to use a sword because you could use magic!"

"Your point?" Sakura asked, as Kero and the other Guardian Beasts snickered. "I can use a sword too."

"Yes, but you suck at it."

"Again, your point?"

Yami chuckled. "So, Peter, you have no clue as to who your parents are, and what they had in store for you?" he asked, engaging the young man.

Peter blinked in surprise. "Uh, no actually. I don't even remember their names. Al I know is that I ran away when they began talking about what I was to be when I became a man." He frowned. "I don't even remember the whole gist of it."

"Then you and I are kindred spirits, if you'll pardon the expression. I, too, have no memories of my past before I met Yugi." The King of Games pointed at the puzzle. "For almost five thousand years, I was trapped within the confine s of the Millennium Puzzle, a mystical artifact of Ancient Egypt. It is one of seven such artifacts that, if brought together, can either save or destroy all life on Earth." He looked away. "I apparently used these items to save Egypt from the master of dangerous Shadow Games, a being of such immense power that he could conquer anything."

Tiger Lily looked at him, curious. "There are legends among my people that speak of such a battle," she said. "Of the nameless Pharaoh who would one day return to life, and challenge the darkness once again. You are that man?"

Yami nodded. "I was freed from the puzzle by a young man named Yugi Motou. And, up until recently, we have shared a body, challenging those who use the Millennium Items for evil."  
Vixen turned her head. "Which reminds me, we've got some good news for you. Yugi's free."

From the silence that followed, what she had said was the very last thing Yami had expected to hear. "What?"

It was also the last thing Tea expected, obviously. "Umm… Vixen, I hate to tell you, but spirits don't simply become free from the Orichalcos," she said.

Shayera laughed. "It was a bit more complicated than that," she explained. "Yugi was able to transport himself into a dream world, where he met up with the Titan Terra. With a little help from Raven, and a whole lot of luck, he got his own body, and his own puzzle."

"Creepy," Sakura said, sounding impressed, nevertheless.

"If you two want, we can arrange for you two to see him."

Tea was about to say yes, when she looked over at Yami. His gaze was extremely distant, her mouth a hard thin line. '_He's barely handling the news, going through that duel.'_ she thought. It wouldn't do either Yami or Yugi any good if they met at this point. And, Tea now realized, she wasn't ready to see him either. "I don't think we're ready for that, ma'am," she replied. "As much as I want to, as much as Yami wants to, neither of us are ready for that."

Shayera nodded. She understood. "That's alright. When you are ready, you know where to contact us."

"In the meantime," Spinnel suddenly stated, having been quiet the whole time, while Madison continued recording everything around her, "we have arrived."

Indeed, while they were having their spirited conversation, they had reached the cave entrance. It was simply amazing how quickly a person could reach their objective without several problems to deal with. A truly refreshing change of pace for the Pharaoh.

Except… there was something wrong here. His puzzle was glowing through and through. He couldn't even begin to understand why.

Tea suddenly gripped her head, grunting as _something_ suddenly slammed into her head. It was a sensation she had never felt before.

Sakura turned her head, sensing the energy buildup from both of them. She caught a glimpse of Tea's eyes glowing bright white before they returned to their original brown color. "Tea…?" she asked.

Tea slowly straightened up, shaking her head for a moment. "Yeah?"

"Did you know that your eyes glowed for about a second?"  
Wendy also turned around, having sensed something similar. For a moment, she had sensed a mystical surge that radiated with such force, she almost staggered from it. And what caught her attention even more so was how familiar it seemed to her. Almost like Tea…

'_It's almost like Tea is resonating with Neverland,'_ the young Jedi thought.

Yami looked at her puzzle, then at Tea. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Tea nodded, gaze steady again. "Yeah, I think so." She smiled shakily. "Well, that was different. Is that what you deal with every single day, Sakura?"

Sakura grinned. "Usually." She looked at the cave. "I guess whatever's in there is for you two. So go on, then."

The two duelists looked at each other, then at the cave entrance. "Then we should see what is in here," Yami suggested.

Tea smiled, holding out her hand. "Yes, let's."

Yami took it, grasping it gently, as the two of them walked into the cave, Peter and Wendy right behind them.

Shayera made to follow, when the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly rose up. Not taking it as a good sign, she turned around. "We're going to have company," she said. "The Phoenix has just penetrated the perimeter."

John turned around, looking out into the horizon. Finding nothing, he turned to her. "How can you tell?" he asked.  
"I have no idea. I just… felt it."

GL turned around, his ring powering up. "Well, I don't know what you all are doing, but we're going to have to stop her from entering! The rest of you, get in there, and stay in there!" He and Shayera took off like shots, Shayera's wings exploding from her back in midair. They flew towards the confrontation with a being of limitless potential.

Vixen turned towards the group of children. "You heard him, kids! Get in there!"

Madison needed no further encouraging. She led the way into the cave, as everyone else followed.

Vixen got in front of the cave, tuning into the spirit of the bear. She may not be able to do anything against Phoenix, but she could hold her off long enough for someone else to do something.

A blue lightsaber suddenly emerged within her peripheral vision, and she shifted her attention to Wendy. "Why are you still here?"

Wendy turned her head slightly. "The reason Phoenix is after me is because of the fact I have an infinite capability with the Force," she replied. "I think she and her allies want that."

"Ah." Vixen turned her full attention back towards the distance. "Well, I guess we should give it to them."

"Oh, yes."

----

Yami and Tea slowly walked into a massive room, their eyes taking in the cave's impressive display of stalactites. "Incredible," Yami murmured.

"Yeah." Tea looked around. "There's a waterfall here, too." She looked up again. "A lot of bats, too."

"Yes. Bats who are more than what they seem."

Madison caught glimpses of individual bats as they flew across the ceiling, finding well hidden spots in which to hang from. "I've never seen so many bats before in my life," she said. "And I'm getting it all on tape! This is sweet."

"I'm glad you think so, Madison," Sakura replied, shivering slightly, while Li kept his sword raised, ready to use it. "Personally, I'd like to know when we're getting to the next chamber, because I don't want to hit with bat droppings."

Yami nodded, fully agreeing with the young girl. It was extremely difficult to clean crap out of one's hair, especially when the person's hair was shaped in a triforce pattern like his and Yugi's.

Yugi, free… the very thought of that was something of a shock to the King of Games. His very mission, one on which the very fate of the world, now Existence itself, had a simpler objective to it; Save Yugi. He had focused on that very objective, for the main goal was simply too massive to wrap one's head around.

Now that objective was no longer necessary. All he had was a small strike force, composing of four young teenagers, a thirteen year old scribe of sorts, four beasts who possessed formidable power, himself,… and Tea, to who he found himself looking to for guidance more and more. And his feelings for her were becoming more confusing as of late.

However, while his mind was occupied, his eyes searched the entire area, looking for a light to follow.

Kero looked behind him. "We need more eyes, more power."

"I've got it." Tea brought her deck up. "I summon Senju of the Thousand Hands!"

Senju, a moderately powerful fairy monster, was also an oddity among the fairies. Unlike the majority of them, Senju was the only fairy who possessed more than one pair of hands. And those hands were pretty good at being flashlights.

With a powerful burst from each hand, light suddenly illuminated the entire cave. However, the light did nothing to disturb the bats any. They just went about their business.

"Okay, that's freaky," Meiling noted. "They didn't even react."

"Which only reinforces my theory." Yami looked at the now revealed doorway. "They are nothing but an illusion, created to aide in the defense of this mountain." He frowned. "But what is so important that, not only do I help in the creation of this world, but to give it such defenses?"  
Tea squeezed his hand. "I get the feeling that we're going to find out very soon, in that next chamber."

Sakura's staff appeared in her hands. "Well, let's get going," she said, starting forward.

Peter looked at John as the group made for the doorway. "What do you think?" he asked.

John frowned, thinking hard. "Quite honestly, I do not believe that there is nothing to fear in this place," he replied. "However, at the same time, I do not think it would be wise for us to lower our guard any."

"Good, we're on the same page, then."

"For a change."

The mountain suddenly shook.

----

Phoenix took one look at the emerald blur heading her way, and knew that Shayera had been located by Green Lantern. '_Time to alter my own plans.'_ She came to a halt, and prepared herself.

GL fired a full scale blast at the mutant, taking care to be on edge. From what Shayera and her group had told them about this woman, he wasn't going to take any chances.

All of his caution was for nothing, however, as the young woman suddenly rocketed forward, the energy blast splaying harmlessly against a psychic shield. She slammed into GL with the force of a pit bull, almost snapping him in half.

Shayera came at her, her fist slamming into Phoenix with a force equal to hers, knocking her off GL. She quickly followed, every ounce of her power flaring to the surface.

Phoenix was astounded by this power ratio. It was stronger than before, and far more refined. Shayera was many things, but unlike others, she wasn't rusty in the least. And in a battle like this, that made all of the difference.

Shifting gears, she quickly evaded Shayera by a margin of centimeters, she grabbed the Guardian's leg as she blew past, halting her forward progress rather effectively. Moving quickly, she started twirling, increasing her speed incrementally, and literally threw Shayera, her powers increasing that speed even further.

Shayera slammed into the mountain at roughly the speed of sound, a speed more than enough to crush any living thing… except a Guardian.

Shayera slowly picked herself up, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. '_Geez, that was like being thrown by Darkseid!'_ she thought, remembering that an Empowered brought a Guardian to her level. That made her job much more difficult. She quickly took off like a light, rocketing out of the cavern.

And, unseen to her, Bakura slid into the hole she had created, heading for his nemesis.

----

"What in the…?" Tea whispered. "What kind of monsters are these?"

Before them, locked in stone tablets, were three monsters none of them had ever seen before.

A powerful looking dragon, almost reminiscent of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

An armor clad woman, wielding no blade, but dangerous nonetheless

And a creature that suspiciously looked like an angel, wielding a staff of some sort. Nothing extremely interesting about them… at least, in the physical sense.

But Tea could feel the energy coming off of these seemingly harmless tablets. It was an energy that she found extremely… familiar.

Peter looked at Tea, seeing the flash in her gaze. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Yami turned to Tea, realizing what was going through her mind. "Tea… are you sensing the power coming from these tablets?"

"… Yes. I feel like I know these monsters."

"… So do I, just in a passing sense, though."

The conversation was diverted when a new voice suddenly stated, "That's because you have seen them before, my King, and might I say that it is good to see you again."

Startled, the small group turned as one, taking in the sight of a young woman standing there. And, quite literally, the last monster either Duelist had expected to see there.

Guardian Ealtos.

Tea looked at the stranger, that feeling of déjà vu increasing. "Who are you, and what are they?"

The woman smiled. "I am Kissinian, protector of Neverland, and of your son. And these monsters, are the Azarathian Gods themselves."

* * *

And here is Part Three. Part Four will have a bit of an old school Shadow Duel between Yami and Bakura, as well as a duel between Kissinian and Tea. The battle between the Deadly Alliance and the Justice League will also heat up, as Sakar enters the fray. So please stay tuned. And please, please, leave a review. Someone please tell me that you're still reading. 


	77. Sixty Two, Part Four

**Part Four**

Sakar watched from outside the energy shield as Phoenix, Green Lantern, and Shayera collide in blazes of power, invisible and emerald green snarls of power clashing in a battle of supremacy. "Impressive," he said. "Mister Stewart is certainly courageous. Few dare to challenge a Class Five mutant."

He had no idea why members of the Justice League were here. Them, or the Pharaoh and his lady friend. The only reason he was here was because of the ambient energy that Neverland possessed. Now, not only did he have to worry about his own problem, but them as well.

As he began to plan his move, a glint of blue caught his attention. Looking to the mountain, enhancing his eyes in the process, he caught a glimpse of a lightsaber. '_I should have known,'_ he thought, not really surprised. Where Peter Pan went, Wendy Darling was sure to follow. Which made his job much more difficult.

Difficult, but not impossible.

For now, he would wait, watching the fight between the three warriors, waiting for Bakura to do his part.

Then he would do his part.

----

"The Azarathian Gods?" Tea echoed. "You mean these beasts are from Azarath itself?"

Kissinian nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, actually. Azar herself placed them here five thousand years ago as part of this world's protection."

Yami stepped forward, something else she had said nagging at him. "You said you were protecting my son," he said. "What do you mean by that?"  
"Quite literally, what I said. I am protecting your own flesh and blood."

Peter and Madison traded looks of confusion. There was _another_ boy here?

Yami frowned thoughtfully. There was a ring of truth to what she said. But something else was bothering him. "Then why is Ealtos here?" he asked. "She happens to be working for an enemy of ours."

"I know. She has told me about the revival of the Orichalcos. I told her to wait until you got here."

Ealtos shrugged, blushing. "I kind of had no choice. She jumped me."

Yami looked around, believing that. "I'm certain."

Peter looked at the three monster tablets, denoting the differences in each. "There are other monsters like this?" he asked, something nagging at him.

Kissinian nodded, smiling mysteriously. "The Azarathian Gods had only six other monster within their power. The Sacred Beasts, which were the Shadow Realm's most dangerous monsters, and the Egyptian Gods, whom the Pharaoh himself commands." She stepped forward. "These six creatures were used to challenge Zoorc, the Supreme ruler of the Shadow Realm, and his master, Trigon the Terrible."

Tea turned around, her eyes widening. "Trigon?" she got out. "The destroyer of realms?"  
Yami turned his head, looking at Tea in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"She doesn't know how, but I do," Kissinian replied. "Tea, you are the keeper of all of Azar's knowledge and power, if not her memories. You are, in fact, a direct descendant of hers." She hated lying to her, but she didn't think the young human could handle the truth quite yet. "These monsters are yours by right… but you must pass a test first."

"What test?" Tea asked.

"You must defeat me in a duel." A duel disk appeared on the monster's wrist. "I have kept my eye on your home realm for many years, and have watched the game become a commonplace event. If you want these monsters, you will have to defeat me."

Tea looked down at her own wrist, her deck nestled within its slot. Except for open battle, she had never used it in a duel before. These weren't the monster's she was used to. It was deck that was designed to pose a challenge to any being she came across.

But, judging by the sounds of battle going on outside, she would have to do this. Green Lantern and Shayera needed help. "Alright then." She activated the device, listening as its holographic imagers began working. "I'm going to have to work with this deck for a long time, so I better get used to it."

Kissinian smiled, grateful that she was going ahead with this. She had no doubt in her mind the young woman would prevail, but she wasn't going to make it easy for her. "My King, if you and Ealtos go up the stairs behind me, you will find a small ante chamber. There is a tablet there that you will find most interesting… and useful. Summon your magicians when you get there. They will know what monster it is."

Yami nodded, looking at Tea, who nodded. Knowing that she would do fine without him being there, he started up the stairs, Ealtos right behind him.

Kissinian focused her full attention on Tea, a deck appearing in the draw slot. "Now, as they say these days, let's duel."

Tea nodded, five cards already in her hand. "You get to go first, as you're the one who issued the challenge."

"Indeed."

**Kissinian: 4000**

**Tea: 4000**

Kissinian looked at her hand, smiled slightly as she drew. "First, I shall place one card facedown on the field, and summon the Anthrosaurus in defense mode. And, since we are in a mountain terrain, he gains a bonus from it, which increases his strength by seven hundred and eighty points." She smiled. "I end my turn."

Tea nodded, drawing. "I'll also place one card face down, and summon the Banisher of the Light to the field, in defense mode." A solid defense, but she couldn't win a duel on defense alone. She needed to attack. '_I have Change of Heart, Commencement Dance, Cyber Shield, and Dark Witch,'_ she thought. '_I'll have to sacrifice my defense to summon her, but it would be enough to destroy Anthrosaurus. But then there's that facedown card I have to worry about. Is it a trap, or a bluff?'_

Kissinian nodded as Tea called for the end of her turn. "I wouldn't worry too much, Miss Gardner," she said. "Even if you had a good hand, it wouldn't ultimately decide the end of a duel." She drew, looked at the card, and smiled. "I now play the D Human in Attack Mode, and activate the Magic Card Legendary Sword. It powers up my monster by five hundred points, bringing its attack power to twenty five hundred and eighty points. But, I will not attack this turn."

Tea nodded in confusion, before drawing. '_Hmm, the Magic Lamp._ _All I need is Djinn, and I'll be set. But first… decision time. Do I sacrifice my defense monster and summon Dark Witch, or do I wait for later?'_ She looked at her face down card. '_I think it'll work, but I'm going to have to time this just right…'_

Her plan set, she swiftly put it into action. "First, I sacrifice my Banisher of the Light, in order to call forth the Dark Witch, in Attack Mode!" The first monster vanished in a blaze of light, only to reveal a being with bluish wings, a pair of red horns, and wielding a staff. "Next, I play Cyber Shield. It powers up my monster by three hundred points in both attack and defense." The armor appeared, attaching itself to her new monster. "Now, Dark Witch, attack with Staff Breaker, and destroy her Anthrosaurus!" she shouted.

The DW flew forward, bringing her staff down upon the monster in question. It made short work of it, before returning to Tea's side of the field.

**Kissinian: 3920**

**Tea: 4000**

"An excellent move, Miss Gardner." Kissinian drew. "A novice move, but effective. Let's see if you can improve upon it."

----

Yami had followed Kissinian's directions to the letter, heading up the stairwell. Behind him, being quiet, was Ealtos. For that, he was grateful.

The climb took forever, but it wasn't boring in the least, due to the almost harmonic reverberations of the battle occurring outside. And, if that Sakar being broke through the defense barrier, it would become even more so.

"Hard to believe," Ealtos suddenly said, looking up, "that the darkness that helped forge the Millennium Items could help create such a beautiful place like this."

Yami turned his head slightly. "Personally, I'm surprised that this place was created for my son… whoever that is."

The Guardian Beast nodded. "That too." She had an idea who it was, of course, but she didn't want to concern him with family issues.

Especially since he wouldn't be staying.

"We're here," Yami suddenly stated, coming to a stop. "By Ra…"

Ealtos stood next to him in shock, unable to believe it. Of course, any monster worth anything knew who this was.

A Dark Magician.

The _first_ Dark Magician.

Slowly, the Pharaoh walked forward, pulling his three magicians from his deck. "I call forth Dark Magician, Magician Valkyra, and Sorcerer of Dark Magic." Three dark bursts of light appeared, admitting the three monsters into the cave. "My friends, do you know this Dark Magician?"

DM turned around, took one look at the stone tablet, and almost keeled over in shock. "It… it can't be."

S of DM helped steady him, his own gaze strong. "I have to admit, I too am shocked," he said. "How is it that he managed to survive after all of this time… here? The stone is not even corroded.

Yami looked at the two magicians. "How do you know him?" he asked.

DM stood up fully, and walked towards the tablet. "This Dark Magician is the one who trained me," he replied, his staff up. "He was the first of us."

"He was human once," S of DM explained. "A member of your court during the days when you were Pharaoh of Egypt. He was involved in a Shadow Game with the evil that tried to destroy the world, using his power to increase the strength of his Magician. When he lost the duel, he merged with the monster, imprisoning himself in stone so that he could serve you. This Dark Magician and I were among his first disciples, learning everything he knew, and watching as he grew."

Valkyra nodded. "I am a second generation magician, who learned from these two. It'll be a thousand years before I can even think about being a Dark Magician Girl wannabe."

Yami chuckled a bit. '_The monster world has a very different idea about the world than I do.'_ His attention sharpened. "Then how do we set him free, then?" he asked. "Because I don't think blasting the tablet would be a good idea."

"Chip a piece of stone off, see if he gets angry?"  
S of DM just stared at her. "Yes, and while we are at it, why don't we prick one of Ealtos's fingers?"

"Come near me with a needle, and I'll knock you into next week," Ealtos snarled. "I don't care how strong you are."

"That was sarcasm."

"This is an order. Can it."

"Yes, my King."

"And stop calling me King and Pharaoh. I go by Yami these days."

DM chuckled. "We outnumber you in this instance, Pharaoh. And besides, it's not like we don't talk about you behind your back, anyways."

Yami didn't even deign that with a response, instead observing the stone tablet more closely. '_I wonder,' _he thought, fingering his puzzle. A hint of an idea was starting to percolate within his mind, and it sounded feasible. But what if he was wrong? He had no idea the full capability of the Millennium Puzzle, or himself. For all he knew, he'd destroy the tablet.

His musings were cut short by the sound of clapping. He turned his head. "Is that you, Ealtos?" he asked.

Ealtos shook her head. "Not me." Her attention sharpened. "It's coming from the other side of the chamber."

"How observant," a new voice declared, one so familiar that none of them had to ask for clarification. "I see now why Rafael keeps you on his payroll."  
"A pity that you are here, Tomb Robber!" Valkyra stepped forward. "Why don't you come out of the shadows so we can kick your sorry ass?"

Bakura decided to oblige, stepping into view, his Ring glowing faintly. "Mahad certainly knew how to choose his apprentices, didn't he Pharaoh?" he asked. "I see before me two of his elite students. Your current Dark Magician, and the Sorcerer of Dark Magic. Did you even have normal names?"

"None of your concern." DM stepped forward, his intent obvious. "How did you get in here?"  
"With a little help from the Phoenix. She threw Shayera into the side of the mountain, creating a second entrance. And, seeing as how I am a thief, I took advantage."

"Good for you."

Bakura's smile grew as he took one look at the tablet. "Ah, an old friend of us both, Pharaoh," he said in delight. "I never thought I would see Mahad again. Did you?"

"Mahad?" For a moment, Yami was confused. This Dark Magician had a name? An Egyptian name, at that?

"Well, yes. I'm sure you were listening to your creature's explanations of how they came to be. The first Dark Magician, as well the second holder of the Millennium Ring. It was rumored that his power was so great, he had to lock it away for safe keeping." Bakura frowned. "Of course, I thought that he had been destroyed during your duel with High Priest Seto all those years ago. Oh well."  
The mere mention of that ancient duel brought a scowl to the spirit's face. "So you want to finish the job. Is that it?" He started forward, the puzzle starting to glow as well. "Well, I'm afraid that I will not allow it. Magicians!"  
As one, the three magicians were in front of the tablet, staff's beginning to collect their mystical powers for battle. "The Pharaoh is right about one thing, Bakura," DM said. "It will be a cold day in Hell before you will be allowed anywhere near our teacher."

The Tomb Robber appeared somewhat surprised by this resistance, but he recovered, his maniacal grin returning. From the looks of it, he had been expecting some sort of fight, though not against three powerful opponents. "In that case, I think it's time that we heat things up, then." His Duel Disk activated, his ring's power increasing. "I now summon my most powerful monster. One that possesses the power to stand against the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and even the Gods themselves."

Yami blinked. "What?"

A card emerged from his enemy's deck, crackling with power. "You heard me. Your magician's won't be able to stand up to him, for long." He slammed the card down. "I call for… the almighty Diabound!"

The power of the Shadow Realm unleashed itself in a storm of fury, beyond anything the Pharaoh had ever witnessed. If he lived a normal human lifespan, he would never forget this day, ever.

For out of that energy blast emerged a beast from his darkest nightmares.

A chimera of a beast appeared, one that was clearly forged from the hatred in Bakura's heart. It rose up, two clawed, muscular green gray arms the first thing they all saw. The tail emerged, possessing a snake's head at the end of it. Its torso, which looked like it had been carved out of stone was the next thing they saw. It spoke of power and destruction.

Then the head emerged. Full of sharp, pointed teeth, it had a set of eyes that were made Doomsday's rage look mellow in comparison.

Yami took a step back, sensing the fury and power radiating from this creature. He had never known that Bakura possessed a power of this magnitude. But, then again, he could study the Shadow Game into eternity, and still only scratch the surface.

Bakura laughed at the expression on the Pharaoh's face. "Well, my old friend, I see that spark of surprise in your eyes. Could it be that you have never seen a beast like this before?"  
"You're right, but this seems to be my year of seeing new cards and monsters." Yami glared at him. "And, quite frankly Bakura, I have very little to lose for myself."

"Too true. Diabound… attack!"

"Magicians, counterattack!"  
----

**Kissinian: 3920**

**Tea: 4000**

Madison kept the camcorder running as Tea and Kissinian's battle continued, thoroughly amazed by the skill being put on display. "I almost want to learn how to duel," she whispered to Eriol.

Eriol smiled, patting her shoulder. "Just keep recording. You can learn a bit from a video."

Kissinian slipped a facedown card onto the field, smiling slightly. "I place one card facedown, and end my turn for this round." She smiled a bit. '_Now, make the move that I know you will do.'_

Tea drew, looked at her card, and nodded. "Alright, first I play Curtain of the Dark Ones. And whenever he's on the field, any magic users I have out get a power boost of two hundred points. Next, I play Dark Pendant, which boosts my monster's power even further, making her more than a match for your beast. Now, I move to attack D human!"

'_Excellent.'_ "You have triggered my trap, Miss Gardner! Infinite Dismissal will immobilize your monster for one turn, and that shall protect my monster from your attack!"

Tea cursed. "I place another card facedown, and end my turn."

"Very well. I now play Axe Raider, in Attack Mode! And with his rise comes your monster's downfall."

Tea frowned in confusion. '_But, that monster is a hundred Attack points less than my Dark Witch. She can't be thinking about attacking now, can she? Wait… her monster gets a field bonus, which brings her attack up to twenty four hundred and eighty. …Why did Pegasus not round that up to twenty five hundred?'_

Kissinian smiled. "I also play Kunai with Chain! It powers up my monster by an additional three hundred points, bringing it up to a total of twenty seven hundred and eighty. It also traps your monster for the rest of the turn." She held up her hand. "Now go, Axe Raider! Attack with Battle Axe Swipe!"  
Axe Raider charged forward, axe held high. Tea looked at her facedown card, and shook her head. She couldn't risk using it now. So, she braced herself.

AR's axe sliced through the Dark Witch like a hot knife through butter. The witch let out a high pitched shriek before it disintegrated.

**Tea: 3520**

**Kissinian: 3920**

The monster slid one final card into an empty slot. "I shall place this one facedown, and end my turn."

Tea drew, nodding to herself. "Alright, I'll place two cards facedown, and play the Magic Card Change of Heart… and take control of your D Human for one whole turn." With a minor flick of her wrist, D Human switched over to her side of the field. "Now, instead of attacking with him, I'll use him to summon another monster. Next, I'll play Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two more cards." She quickly drew them, and smiled. "Next, I'll sacrifice your D Human to summon an Earth creature of my own! In fact, this is one of Joey's favorites." She waited until DH disappeared, before placing the next card down. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight to the field!"

The sound of iron clacking together suddenly started, as a massive pothole appeared on the field. A powerful blade appeared, slamming into the ground. And, following that blade, a creature completely encased in iron armor appeared. The mighty Gearfried, a warrior who had to be restrained because of his power, emerged from the hole.

The field they were presently fighting on gave him an additional power boost, bringing his points to twenty five eighty hundred.

Tea grinned. "I also play the extremely powerful Mystical Space Typhoon! It allows me to destroy one Magic or Trap Card on your side of the field. And I choose, your Kunai with Chain!"  
Kissinian blinked. '_Blast it! She destroys that, and my Axe Raider will be helpless!'_

A powerful blast of wind erupted from the magic card, slamming into the KwC. It promptly disintegrated, going to Kissinian's graveyard. Axe Raider returned to his normal strength due to it, seemingly trying to maintain his stiff upper lip.

"Now, attack with Iron Sword Slash!" Tea ordered. "Take out her Axe Raider!"

With a powerful bellow of retaliation, Gearfried charged forward, one of his mighty blades raised. He brought it down immediately, destroying the beast before it.

**Kissinian: 3820**

**Tea: 3520**

Tea grinned at her. "Now I'll end my turn."

Kissinian nodded, drawing. "First, I'll place this monster on the field in defense mode, and end my turn."

Tea drew. "Then I move to destroy that monster. Attack Gearfried!"

Gearfried's weapon slammed into the beast, slicing it in half… only to receive the shock of a lifetime.

Tea's eyes widened in surprise. "Marshmelon?!"

"I see you recognize this card, Miss Gardner," Kissinian replied, smiling slightly, "as you should also know that this card can't be destroyed in battle. So, if I keep this here, my life points are safe." She drew again… and nodded to herself. "Miss Gardner, it is becoming clear to me that you are not ready to claim the Azarathian Gods. Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that this is a Shadow Game that we are having."

"What?"

"Yes. Nowhere near as dangerous as the ones you are familiar with, but still fraught with danger." The monsters showed her the card she had just drawn to her. "Do you know what card this is?" she asked.

Tea shook her head, mind racing. "No, I don't."

Kissinian nodded, not surprised. "It is a card that Azar used when she faced off against Trigon the Terrible. It gave her the power necessary to seal him away for all eternity. And now I play it." She slid it into a slot. "I now play… the Seal of the Millennium!"  
The second she finished saying that, the ground began to tremble under foot. Gold light erupted from all around them, bringing a definitive sense of overshadowing to them all.

Peter looked over at the monster tablets, saw each of them glowing with a dim luminance. "What's happening?" he shouted.

"Kissinian is playing a spell card that only Azar herself could harness!" Kero replied. "It's said that, during Trigon's first war with Azarath, the founder used a powerful spell to trap the demon in his own realm, and taught the spell to one of her monsters! I think we found out who it was she trained!"  
The Eternal Youth's gaze returned to the duel. "Then, this spell draws all of the mystical energy of a world to it… including all of its creatures."

"Exactly, Peter Pan!"

The seal finished forming, revealing the symbol of Azarath, the ancient Egyptian eye symbol superimposing it. And, at each end of the eye, Kissinian and Tea stood, ready to continue their Shadow Game.

Just as the mountain shook with renewed fury.

----

GL's bubble began to constrict quickly, squeezed by the power of the Phoenix. He put all of his will behind his defense, but he couldn't match her power. And neither, it seemed, could Shayera. She was beating them both rather handily.

Wendy, finally saying enough is enough, she launched herself forward, creating shockwaves in the process. The Force crackled around her, and unleashed itself.

Phoenix suddenly found herself slammed backwards, exiting the energy field at roughly twice the speed that she had entered.

Sakar, finally deciding that enough was enough, unleashed a full scale attack upon the barrier. It hit the field, causing it to shimmer as it held back the attack.

But the shimmer shouldn't have happened. Its power was being tested to the limit.

Phoenix finally brought herself to a stop, and rocketing back towards the confrontation. A powerful psychic burst preceded her, slamming into the Jedi with the force of a nuclear explosion. Wendy was thrown back…

… only to be caught by Shayera. The Guardian grinned. "You okay?" she asked.

Wendy nodded. "I'm just peachy. Can we please kill them before Sakar manages to penetrate the barrier?"

Shayera nodded. "I'll deal with Sakar. The rest of you, take out Phoenix!" she shouted, before rocketing towards the Death Dealer, every ounce of power at her command bubbling to the surface. With a mental command, her broadsword appeared in her hands.

Sakar's obsidian blade emerged as well, and he raised it for battle.

The two titans collided in an explosion of power that shook Neverland to its mystical core. Every being on the island shuddered at the energy blast that emerged from such a collision.

GL and Wendy nodded to each other, turning as one to the mutant. They brought their hands up. Phoenix drew into her limitless energy source, and unleashed it.

Psychic, Lantern, and Force energy collided at the same time, causing a powerful explosion that rivaled Apocalypse's own. The energy discharged knocked all three combatants back, the barrier crackling with the dispersed power.

Outside, two battle for survival raged.

Within, two Shadow Duels continued.

----

Valkyra's scepter was the first to unleash its might, utilizing a powerful green sphere as her attack. "_Mystic Scepter Blast!_" she bellowed.

The blast slammed into Diabound, causing no discernable damage. It didn't even tickle it.

Bakura smirked. "Is that all you have, woman?" he asked. "You're going to have to do better than that."  
Yami pointed towards DM and S of DM. "Then we shall! Gentlemen, if you would?"

"_Dark Magic Attack!_"

"_Celestial Blast Attack!_"  
The energy blast the two of them unleashed was far more devastating, as both were of a higher level than Valkyra. Theirs proved more effective, knocking the Shadow Creature back into the other side of the mountain. It slid to the ground, stunned.

Bakura grimaced in pain, clutching his arm. "Better… but not good enough." He straightened up, the mad gleam in his eye growing. "Diabound, remind the Pharaoh why you are among the strongest of monsters! Use Helical Shockwave!"

Diabound rose, his massive hands coming close together. Energy visibly collected between them, growing more massive by the second. Once it reached for full power, it unleashed it.

S of DM quickly moved out of the way, shoving DM in the opposite direction. And just in the knick of time, as the energy blast passed by them. The shockwaves that followed, however, were more than enough to knock them both to the ground.

Yami and Valkyra saw the energy blast fly overhead, and managed to keep their footing. The Millennium Puzzle helped them weather the majority of the attack.

"Well, it seems that we have a problem," DM commented.

"Really? I had not noticed. Let's go!" S of DM charged forward, slamming into Diabound. DM did so as well, each one grabbing an arm and throwing him skyward. Both launched their attacks at him, aiding in his ascent.

Sadly for Diabound, there was still a ceiling… or rather, there was a ceiling, as he slammed through it, destroying it utterly.

The Pharaoh quickly stood in front of the tablet, a force field forming around both him and Mahad's prison, protecting both.

Valkyra ran, avoiding the falling debris. She was a level four monster. She wasn't prepared to fight a level eight behemoth like Diabound! But what else could she do?

"Valkyra, I need your help!" Apparently, Yami thought she could be useful. "I don't trust myself to use my full power on this Dark Magician, so I'm going to need a conduit. Can your Scepter handle the puzzle's energy?"

Valkyra looked down at her scepter. "No… but maybe if you were to use a power enhancing card on me, it could toughen me up enough to cast a de-petrifaction spell!"

Yami grinned, pulling out two cards. "I'll activate the magic cards Dark Energy and Black Pendant!" He watched as Valkyra took the added energy of those spells, enhancing her power by twelve hundred points. "I'll deal with Bakura, while Dark Magician and Sorcerer of Dark Magic deal with his monster! Now go!" He turned around, an energy blast of almost unsurpassed magnitude unleashing from his puzzle.

Bakura's eyes widened in shock at this, before getting out of the way, feeling the energy discharge singe his hair. '_He's already rediscovered how to use the puzzle as a weapon!'_ he thought, watching the blast take out one side of the mountain. '_How could he have done that?!'_

Gathering himself, he quickly brought the whole power of his Millennium Ring into play, bringing every ounce of power he could into it. When he had enough, he returned the favor.

Yami swiftly brought up a barrier, watching as the Tomb Robber's attack was absorbed. "Not bad," he said. "Perhaps next time, you will actually hit me!"

Bakura charged up again, fury now in his gaze. "Then I'll try again!" he snarled, unaware of the little balls of light that streamed down the stairwell.

Grant you, he had bigger problems than Tinkerbell and her fellow fairies.

----

**Kissinian: 3820**

**Tea: 3520**

Kissinian smiled slightly as Tea looked around in shock. "The Seal of the Millennium was created by Azar after her husband defeated Zoorc the Dark One," she explained. "Much like the Seal of Orichalcos, it powers up my monsters, though only by three hundred points. And, your soul is safe from it. It can also be destroyed by a specific spell card, so it isn't invincible." Her smile grew as her eyes narrowed. "However, it also allows me to use six instead of five monsters, and I get to summon an additional one per turn, if there's room on my side of the field." She pulled her last card out. "When it's summoned, I get to summon any level monster I want… and I choose this one!" She placed it down on the field. "The Panther Warrior!"  
The monster, which was a humanoid beast with the head of a panther, appeared on the field, his customary scimitar in his hand. "Now, there is one drawback about this seal. I no longer have the field advantage, as it counts as a field card. However, it does have a nice consolation prize, as all of my monsters can get the power boost." She gestured. "Now attack, Panther Warrior! Destroy her Gearfried with Bestial Sword Slash!"

PW brought his blade up, and launched himself forward. The saber slammed into G the IK with enough force to hurt even Tea.

**Kissinian: 3820**

**Tea: 2820**

Tea shook her head, trying to come to grips with what just happened. "Alright, my move." She looked at the card in question, adding it to her hand. She then spotted something. On one hand, there wasn't anything different in her hand.

On the other hand, a workable strategy was percolating. All she needed was one more card. But first…

The young duelist pulled one card out of her hand. "First, I play the magic card Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two new cards!" She quickly drew, and put the cards in her hand. "Now, I shall play one Trap Card, and Water Omotics. Finally, I'll play Commencement Dance, which allows me to sacrifice her for the monster Performance of Swords!" '_Now all I need is a Cosmo Queen's Prayer, and I'm all set.'_

Kissinian smiled, drawing. "It's time to end this duel, then," she said. "Attack, Panther Warrior! Destroy Performance of Swords!"  
PW charged forward, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Not so fast!" Tea shouted. "You've activated my P of S's Special Ability! It allows me to bring back a Magic Card of my choosing, so long as I use a Trap to stop your monster from destroying her. And I do have a Trap!" She waved her hand. "Widespread Ruin stops your attack right in its tracks, and destroys your monster in the process!"  
The Trap suddenly spewed out a blazing fireball, which slammed into PW just seconds before it hit P of S. The mighty beast warrior bellowed in fury as it was destroyed.

"Now you've triggered my Panther Warrior's special effect! Whenever it's destroyed using a Trap Card, half of its Defense Points can be used to decrease the power of your monster. The other half goes directly to attacking your life points."

P of S's Attack points decreased eight hundred points, which wasn't a good thing in this instance. So did Tea's life points.

"But I'm not done yet. I also play Tremendous Fire, which takes a thousand life points directly from you!"  
Kissinian winced as a powerful blast of fire erupted from Tea's hand, slamming into her.

**Kissinian: 2820**

**Tea: 2020**

Tea looked through her graveyard, pulling out Pot of Greed. "Now, I'll play this card again to draw two more cards… and end my turn."

Kissinian shook her head. "Very well, then. I play copycat, which allows me to copy any monster on your side of the field, and the one I choose to copy is your Performance of Sword!" The monster took the form of the monster. "Now, I will use the spell card Monster Reborn to revive my Panther Warrior." Her smile returned. "Now, I sacrifice all three of them to summon an even more powerful monster. One of such destructive power that you will not be able to stand against him!" She slammed the card down. "I call forth the only fiend monster in my entire deck… Invader of Darkness!"  
The ground crackled with power as her three monsters were destroyed, sacrificed on the altar to summon one of the most monstrous fiends in the game of Duel Monsters. It was a beast that was almost impossible to defeat.

"Now Invader, attack Performance of Swords with Dark Blaze Strike!"

I of D let out a roaring laugh, its darkness becoming even more prevalent for a second, until it had reached full power. Still laughing, it unleashed that power right at P of S.

Performance let out a shriek as it was hit, disintegrating. The rest of the energy slammed into Tea, almost knocking her to the ground.

**Kissinian: 2820**

**Tea: 70**

Madison blinked in surprise. "Tea's down to her last seventy points!"  
John nodded. "I am certain that it is quite hopeless." He looked at Tea, who was getting back up, still standing tall. "She, however, seems to think otherwise."  
Tiger Lily smiled. "Perhaps… perhaps she has a plan."

Kissinian looked at Tea. "Indeed, you are not ready for the power I offer you. Perhaps this is for the best."  
Tea ignored everything around her as she drew, placing her faith in her deck. She looked down. '_Yes!'_ She looked up at Kissinian. "This duel isn't over yet. I've just drawn the last card I need. First, I play the Magic of the Hero Returning Alive… to revive my Dark Witch." The monster in question appeared. "Next, I sacrifice her so I can summon the Queen of Autumn Leaves in Attack Mode!" The woman in question appeared in a swirl of leaves, a crown of leaves on her pretty head. "I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."

Sakura turned to Eriol, saw the lack of comprehension on his face. '_Good. At least I'm not the only one who doesn't understand.'_ She turned her head, saw Madison almost still with anticipation. "Enjoying yourself, Madison?" she asked.

Madison nodded gleefully. "I can't wait to see how Tea's going to win the match!" she replied.

"Neither can I."

Kissinian drew. "Invader of Darkness has a Special Ability," she said quietly. "When it's on the field, you are not allowed to play any quick play spell cards, so whatever power ups you were hoping to place on your Queen cannot be used." She gestured. "Now Invader, it's time to finish this. Attack her Queen of Autumn Leaves!"

I of D drew in the energy again, preparing for the final strike… and launched it.

Tea quickly waved her hand. "Fortunately, what I had facedown was a Trap! Mirror Force deflects your attack, and sends it right back at your monster!"

The attack deflected off of the invisible barrier, striking I of D. With a bellow, he was destroyed. Just like that, the woman was without any defense

Kissinian nodded. "Well played. However, I can summon a creature that is still more powerful than yours, Miss Gardner."

"Fortunately, you did just what I thought you were going to do, which was attack. Because I now have the winning combination I need to take you out in one attack." Tea drew, smiled. "And here we go." She pulled the card in question out. "I now play Cosmo Queen Prayer!" she said. "By sacrificing my Queen of Autumn Leaves, I can now the all powerful ruler of the stars, the Cosmo Queen!"

Q of AL disappeared in a swirl of leaves… which quickly became a massive blast of celestial energy. The very ground trembled at its fury.

Then, the Cosmo Queen, a very ancient monster since before the days of Atlantis, emerged. She was power incarnate, her every cell vibrating with untapped power.

Kissinian couldn't believe it. Tea had just pulled off the ultimate comeback move. '_She has done it,'_ she thought in triumph. '_Now, my mistress, make your final move… and show us all why you are the equal to the Pharaoh!'_

"Now attack, your Highness," Tea shouted, "with Cosmic Blast Attack!"

From every corner of the cosmos, power began to siphon into CQ's hands. A white sphere quickly began forming. With all of the power in her body coming to the fore, she let it loose in a blast that could have leveled a building.

Kissinian let out a cry of agony as the full power of that blast hit her head on. She slammed into the side of the Seal's border, falling to her knees.

**Kissinian****: 0 **

**Tea: 70**

Silence reigned in the room for several moments, as everyone came to grips with what just happened. They had just seen Tea, who rarely dueled, and who was not known for making strategies of this nature, and was using a deck she didn't really _know_, defeat someone who knew her deck inside and out.

In fact, the only one who wasn't surprised was Kissinian herself. "Well done, my friend!" she stated, grinning widely. "You have won the duel, and passed the test!" The Seal vanished as she stood up, brushing the front of her dress off. "Remind me never to anger you for any reason."

Tea started grinning, shutting her duel disk off, the Cosmo Queen vanishing back to her empire in a distant universe. "I can't believe I pulled it off," she replied, shaking Kissinian's hand. "This is usually Yami's and Joey's department."

"I have no doubt." She looked at the three tablets, which now glowed even more. "And, as your reward, you can now claim the three Azarathian Gods." She stepped back, allowing the young woman to walk towards the three blocks of stone.

And then the whole mountain suddenly bucked as if it had been hit by something of equal size.

----

Sakar grinned as the energy barrier surrounding the mountain began to destabilize. _'Excellent,'_ he thought, starting forward, another energy blast forming. _'Nothing can halt the inevitable. Nothing.'_ He unleashed the attack at the barrier, slamming into it as well.

The shield collapsed as he ricocheted off of it. There was nothing stopping him.

… Save for the massive number of birds that swooped out of nowhere, moving in military formation to slam into him. Apparently, the creatures of Neverland were more than intelligent enough to fight for their homeland.

And, to make matters worse, Shayera was coming for him, aiming to remove something very important of his. Within the mountain, he saw snarls of golden energy. "Shadow Magic!" he exclaimed in delight. "Bakura is locked in battle with a being who can use Shadow Magic!" His glare returned as he stopped Shayera's attack. "And a Guardian. Unfortunately for you, I am stronger!" His fist slammed into the Guardian, slamming her back towards the mountain. His power annihilated the flying beasts just as easily.

With nothing else standing in his way, he shot towards the mountain again.

----

"What happened?!" Tea shouted, steadying herself.

Kissinian looked up, her eyes wide. "The barrier protecting the magical core of Neverland has fallen! Whoever has done so has to be incredibly powerful!"  
Peter pulled his sword out. "Sakar," he stated quietly, his eyes sharpening in a way Tea only really saw on the Pharaoh. "He's bound and determined to get in." He turned around. "John, Tiger Lily, head upstairs, and get Yami now!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the ceiling suddenly collapsed.

Yami followed it, with two of his magicians as company. Ealtos was in hot pursuit, trying to catch one of them.

Diabound, with Bakura on his shoulder, surged through the massive hole, equal demented grins on their faces.

At the same time, Wendy, GL, Vixen, and Shayera slammed through the wall, Phoenix and Sakar in hot pursuit.

Valkyra looked down, saw the whole lot of them struggling to get back up, and returned her attention to the tablet before her. "Almost… there…" she grunted, sweat beading her brow, soaking her clothes through. Even with the magic enhancements the Pharaoh had given her, she was still pushing herself to her limits. Never before had she pushed her powers above and beyond those limitations. And it didn't look like she was making any progress.

Except… she had. She had done a great deal within the last few moments. She had made the Magician aware of his surroundings.

Peter helped Yami up, before turning to the three enemy warriors before him, his sword out. "I won't let you destroy my home, monsters," he snarled, stepping forward.

Sakar started laughing. "Your conviction is very… noble. But my rage makes it pale in comparison." His power began to collect again. "You should have stayed home where you belong." With that, he launched a powerful energy burst at them, aiming to remove them from the equation once and for all.

Yami, in a burst of speed, guided by a feeling he didn't know, was in front of the young man in an instant, unleashing his own power. The energy blasts collided in a collision of such force, everyone who was mortal staggered back in shock.

Sakar's grin fell away, replaced with a shocked expression of his own. _'How… how is he doing this?!'_ he thought. _'How can one mortal possess such strength?!__ And why is he even defending this boy?'_

The Phoenix, hoping to protect her ally, joined the attack, her unlimited power slamming into the Pharaoh's power, and began pushing back. From the sidelines, Bakura watched, smirking.

Yami fell to one knee, keeping his hands in front of him, pushing back for all he was worth. But, even with his strength, it was two all powerful beings against a human with Shadow Magic coursing through his veins. The outcome would be inevitable.

Save that the efforts of Valkyra finally paid off. As the young monster finally fell back in exhaustion, the stone tablet disintegrated… and a dark purple beam shot downward, adding its power to Yami's.

The result; mutual annihilation. A explosion that took off the entirety of the mountain top occurred, vaporizing completely. All at once, everyone present was buffeted by wind and cold. The warm day had become dark, with random lightning bolts slamming the ground. Something out of any movie.

Except in this instance, it was all too real.

Tea looked up after the glare of the attack had retreated, doing a head count. She saw the S of DM, the DM, Peter, Yami, and… the DM…

Tea blinked again, thinking it was an illusion. Looking again, she saw that it wasn't.

There _was_ another Dark Magician, complete with the usual refinements. He wore the same robes as the one she was familiar with, had a similar staff as well. He even had the creepy headpiece that was a Dark Magician trademark.

But when he turned his head, she saw that he had brown hair instead of purple, and had lines running down either side of his face. And there was something else different about him. Something intangible.

Power. It was unadulterated power.

As she made these observations, this new DM, Mahad, turned his attention back to those in front of him. "If you wish to harm the Pharaoh, or his friends, you will have to go through me!" he stated, cold steel going across his voice. His staff crackled with untapped power.

Bakura's eyes widened in shock. "You!" he shouted. "But how?"  
"Because someone had the courage to brave the darkness." Steely eyes glared at the Millennium Ring. "I see you still hold my Item in your grasp, Tomb Robber. I also see that, despite your failures, you still try to destroy the world. A pity."

Phoenix stepped forward. "Personally, I don't know who you are, and I don't care. I'm just going to destroy you, once and for all!" She brought her powers to bear.

Before she could do anything, though, Mahad raised his free hand, pointing it at her. "Begone, woman!" He flicked his wrist.

A powerful psychic surge slammed into the Phoenix, knocking her out of sight within a minute. Her shriek of protest was cut off as she sailed out of sight.

Bakura's glare grew. "You may have removed the mutant from the equation, old enemy," he snarled, "but you'll find that I am not so easily taken out! Diabound, destroy them all!"  
"Hold on!"  
John and Madison looked at Wendy. Had she just said something?  
No, they immediately realized. It hadn't been Wendy.

It was _Tea._

Even Bakura was surprised by the strength in the young woman's voice. It reminded him of someone he had known many centuries ago. "Now why should I?" he asked. "Unless you have some sort of card that can fight my beast, which I know you don't, stay out of my way!"  
Tea grinned, her duel disk up. "I hate to break it to you, Bakura, Sakar, but I do have such beasts. In fact… I can call upon the Azarathian Gods!"

Bakura's face became similar to that of a monkey as shock settled in his system. Was it even possible?

Tea closed her eyes, focusing her concentration on freeing the three monsters in question. "Mighty Gods of Azarath, here me," she whispered. "In the name of Azar and the Pharaoh, I now beseech thee!"  
And, in a small corner of her mind, another voice, so similar to her own, intoned, _"Arise, mighty Gods, and rid this world of the evil that threatens it."_

The glow coming from the three tablets increased dramatically, until it had become a powerful beam of light, shooting towards the heavens. When it dissipated, they were gone.

Then a second beam of light shot downward, engulfing Tea and her duel disk.

Valkyra, staggering down the stairs, gaped in shock.

Mahad, who had just been awakened himself, simply smirked in quiet triumph. She had acquired that which was rightfully hers.

The glow vanished, revealing the young woman… with three new cards in place. It didn't take a rocket scientist to determine what cards they were, either.

Tea brought her dueling arm up, power crackling from all around her. "I now summon Valkyrie the Indomitable, the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, and the Winged Angel Aquarius!"  
Now Kissinian's eyes widened in shock. To be able to learn their names so fast was unheard of. _'She truly is the one chosen for the Gods!'_ she thought.

Bakura, in the meantime, knew that he was in trouble. Diabound, for all of its power, was really only a match for one God, not three. "This can't be happening!"  
Tiger Lily almost dropped down in worship. The sheer power coming from these beasts was almost overwhelming. Now she understood why none came here. This was the place where they lived.

Peter shielded his eyes from the sudden blast of energy that occurred by her invoking their names. The names were names he had never heard before, and yet…

He had the distinct feeling that he had, a very long time ago.

The God was a large woman, about the same size as Obelisk, wearing the armor of one of Odin's warriors. A powerful blade was attached her waist.

The second god was, surprisingly enough, a dragon, but one none of them had ever seen before. Energy literally flowed through him, as neon like light flowed through its armor like skin. Its whole appearance made it seem more like a machine like monster than an actual god.

The third God of Azarath was human sized, with the broadest wing span any of them had ever seen. Dressing in white robes with various symbols on them, he literally radiated power, thereby letting everybody know that he was the most powerful of the Gods.

In that moment, the two powers of darkness were made aware of how much power was being aimed at them.

Yami and Tea looked at each other, nodded. Their battle plan was simple. Now they moved to act. "Azarathian Gods, attack! Destroy Sakar, the Death Dealer!" Tea bellowed.

"Mahad, strike at Bakura!" Yami roared. "Dark Magic Attack!"  
All four monster brought the whole of their powers to bear, launching their attacks. That was power such, that those behind them felt it.

Bakura brought his hand up. "Now, Diabound! Use the power of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Neutron Blast Attack!"

Diabound did so, bringing forth the energy of Seto Kaiba's most powerful beast. A blue energy blast slammed into a dark purple one, and held its own.

Dartz, from Realm 4, decided that it was time to intervene to preserve his ally. "Great Seal of the Orichalcos!" he intoned. "Call forth the three Egyptian Gods! Fist of Fury, Thunder Force Attack, and Blaze Cannon Blast!"

Before the Death Dealer, and to the shock of everyone present, the Seal of Orichaclos appeared in front of Sakar. Obelisk, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and the Winged Dragon of Ra emerged from the Seal, already on the offensive as their own powers came to the fore.

And so, as if determined by Fate itself, the Azarathian Gods and their Egyptian counterparts collided in an attack that shattered the mountaintop itself.

Sakura quickly brought the Shield Card into play, getting everyone under its protection as hurricane gusts slammed into them almost immediately. She then quickly supported Valkyra as she stumbled forward, her eyes never leaving the battle occurring before them.

With a final push from both fronts, the energy blasts suddenly canceled out, forcing all eight monsters back a step. Nothing had changed, besides the fact that they no longer had a roof over them… except for one thing.

Sakar was no longer behind the Seal.

He was above them all, and coming down fast… too fast.

Kissinian's eyes widened. "What is he doing?!"

Wendy charged forward. "He's trying to absorb the mystical energies of Neverland! If he does that, no one will be able to stop him!" She brought her hand up, unleashing a full scale Force blast at him.

Too little, too late.

The Death Dealer slammed into the floor, and kept going, heading for the core.

Bakura started laughing, calling Diabound back. "Well, that went better than expected," he said. "He fell for it."

Peter turned around. The way Bakura had said that wasn't the least bit encouraging. "What do you mean?"  
"Well, it's simple. This place was forged out of two different magic sources. Neither one can be absorbed… without serious side effects." The Tomb Robber called a portal forth. "Neverland will be destroyed… but Sakar will be driven mad in the end!" He stepped through, his laugh echoing throughout the land.

GL turned to Yami. "We need to get out of here! The whole place's gonna go crazy in a few minutes!"  
"We also need to evacuate the island!" John retorted. "I personally will not allow them all to die so we can escape! How long will it take for Sakar to reach the core?"  
Kissinian thought about it for a few seconds. "It will take him about four hours to reach the core, and another to fully absorb its energy! We have that long to get everyone out!"  
"Then it's time to call an old friend!" Shayera was out of there like a light, heading for the Stargate.

**

* * *

Zion **

Alania stood in Stargate Control, watching as the _Valkyrie _entered a Supergate for Bajor. Within the palace, she knew Harry and the others were busy preparing for their confrontation on Bajor. Now all she needed was some knowledge about Shayera, and her day would be complete.

As if to give her this much good fortune, one of the operators looked up. "Milady, we're receiving an incoming wormhole signal from Neverland. It's…" he blinked in surprise. "It's Shayera Hall."

"About bloody time," Alania muttered, as a Stargate activated. "Let's see what she has to say."

About thirty minutes later, Alania was on the line with Zion's Rescue Corp, directing them to send a team to Neverland _immediately_, and to prepare for refugees at the terminal. Otherwise, all hell would break loose.

Trinity entered the Control Room, neatly sidestepping as a harried looking technician ran by. "Sakar has succeeded?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," Alania replied. "Trinity, the entire infrastructure of Neverland will be destroyed in four hours. The Pharaoh and Tea are helping coordinate the evacuation from their end before returning to their realm, but I want you to join corp over there."

Trinity nodded. "I'm on my way."

With that duty discharged, Alania now turned to creating a place for them in Zion. _'I'll supply the pirates with a ship if they want it,'_ she thought. _'If possible, the fairies will get a tree that will be protected from predators. The Natives… there's an abandoned Iroquois village about twenty miles from the city border that Tiger Lily's people can use. As for the rest of them… I'm curious as to whether or not they can live peacefully with the Saber tooth Tiger or T-Rex.' _

Other than that, there wasn't anything she could do.

**

* * *

Neverland **

Yami watched as Shayera and Mahad set the pirates and Natives down, listening as Tiger Lily told them what was happening, then directed them to the Stargate. About thirty feet away, the X-Van was under guard, with Yue giving everyone a suspicious look.

First Mate Smee staggered, reclaiming his equilibrium, before turning to Peter. "What's going on?" he asked. "And why was one my mates clutching his manhood when I got back to camp?"

Vixen held up a gloved hand. "That'd be me. He was trying to feel me up." She sent a glare at the man in question, who quickly looked away. "I got my point across," she added.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Nice to know that you didn't learn from your experiences from me. I believe my threat was… Ever touch me again, and I'll break your neck. Does that sound about right, Noodler?"  
Noodler gulped. "W-Wendy?" he managed to get out.

"No, Frodo Baggins."

Tea grinned, while Sakura turned away to hide her own grin.

"Don't trade words with the idiot, Wendy," Peter requested, turning around. "We really need to get everyone outta here, now!"

Yami turned around, observing the whole thing with a level of amused detachment. Whatever Wendy had done to make herself known here, it was impressive, to say the least. The pirates were afraid of her. "The pirates are the last people we need to worry about?" he asked.

Tiger Lily nodded, wiping her head. "They are the last, and not a moment too soon. Now we need to leave… preferably in the same way we came."  
"Agreed."

----

Sakar slammed through the final layer of rock, and gazed, in rapt joy, at his reward. The mystical core of Neverland. Energy flickered off of it in such waves, that his nostrils flared in irritation.

_'At last!'_ he thought, savoring the inevitable moment of his victory against Fire and Wind. _'With this power, I will truly be unstoppable! Trigon, prepare to lose your throne to a _true_ god!'_

With a mere thought, he charged into the core, ready for the seismic burst of power that would accompany his abrupt entrance. He was prepared for anything… except what happened next.

The pain! It was beyond anything he had ever felt before. It was almost as if there were _two_ power sources here, and they were vying for dominance!

Two power sources… which was why Bakura had agreed so readily to the alliance.

In the last moments of his sane life, Sakar, the Death Dealer, the Rogue Spirit of Yggdrasil, the greatest power of his universe, finally realized how much of a fool that he truly was. Bakura had manipulated him so well, by playing on his need for power, that he hadn't told him about the energy that forged Neverland. They weren't fully compatible with his own, and the price was too high… even for him.

He wondered if Fire and Wind would be able to defeat him, and… for the first time in his life, he prayed for it.

Then he screamed in agony as the energy tore his mind apart.

----

Yami staggered as a powerful shudder went under his feet. "He must have reached the core!" he shouted. "Is that the last of them?"  
GL nodded. "We did it! Everyone is safe!"  
""Except us!" Shayera bellowed. "Everyone, out the same way you came in!" She looked at Yami. "We'll tell Yugi that you're still free!"

"And that we will see him again!" Tea added, opening the driver's door. "Clow warriors, let's go! You coming, Kissinian?"  
Kissinian nodded. "Go! I will follow!" Her gaze shifted to Peter. "Peter, I am sorry. I have failed in the defense of this world."

Peter shook his head. "I failed as well. Sakar was simply too driven to see beyond his own two feet. For now, we need to leave." He took a breath. "Good luck, Protector." He joined Wendy and the others, conversing with them.

Turning around, she nodded to Ealtos, who was waiting next to the van. "Let's go."

Several minutes later, the X-Van was tearing through the jungle, explosions occurring all around them as Neverland destabilized. They hit the beach, making for the portal.

Peter and his small group reached the exit, and turned as one, watching the world that Peter and Tiger Lily had called home. Wendy and John could see tears trailing down their cheeks, and felt a swell of grief go through her. From this day on, none of them would ever be the same again.

And Sakar was the reason for it.

John gently took hold of the Indian Princess's hand, holding tightly. "Come on," he said quietly. "Let's go. There is nothing more that we can do."

Peter nodded, looking at Wendy. "My home for God only knows how long… and I'm watching it die."

Wendy didn't know what to say, didn't know how to comfort him… so she simply said nothing, instead gripping his hand tightly.

After all, what could one say when they're watching their world die, and not being able to stop it?

They flew as fast as they could for their realm… and prayed.

----

The X-Van crashed through the foliage at breakneck speed, trying to reach the portal before either it closed, or Neverland turned into Existence's newest hot spot. Behind them, Kissinian, Mahad, and Ealtos followed, using their powers to destroy any obstructions that came up. The sooner they reached the portal, the sooner they were safe.

"There!" Eriol shouted, pointing out the windshield. "The portal is still there!"

"So is the destruction!" Sakura watched out the window, seeing a blaze of fury approaching. "You better step on it, Tea!"

"Hang on!" Tea shouted, planting her foot on the accelerator, redlining the engine.

The Van surged forward at a dangerous velocity, a path now clear between it and the portal.

The ring of fire was also picking up speed, cutting through creature and plant alike. It bore down upon them with a fury beyond anything they had ever seen. They were almost out of time.

Almost, they could do with though.

Indeed, this time, their luck held true, as they exited from the portal, in the same exact location they had entered several hours before. Nor did they slow down, as Tea, remembering what had been before them, had already slowed down, going around a curve with only a few centimeters to spare. She continued to decelerate, until they were cruising at a decent speed. Once they were far enough away, she came to a complete stop. Everyone piled out of the vehicle as the monsters landed, watching the pass.

A resounding clap of thunder like noise suddenly erupted from their former location, a gout of fire erupting upward. They shielded their eyes from the fury of the blast as it reached the sky… before dissipating.

But in that moment, Yami, the nameless Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, learned just how far the enemy would go to win.

Kissinian, sat down next to the van, staring out into the distance. Ealtos sat down next to her, holding her close. "Both of our forces need to be warned of what happened here," she said quietly. "We have to be ready for Trigon when he launches his final attack."  
Yami nodded, looking at his puzzle. The item was both a bringer of destruction, and a symbol of hope. "We will, Ealtos. Believe me, we will."

No other option was acceptable.

----

GL and Alania looked at each other, the later understanding immediately what happened. No words were needed. Alania swiftly turned around. "Alert Stargate Command that Sakar has annihilated Neverland, and tell them to prepare for his assault _immediately_!" She turned back to the three in front of them. "Unfortunately, we have no time to grieve. You three need to prepare for Realm 9002. Slade has murdered Lieutenant Commander Worf on Quonos. Now he's on Bajor, making a grab for the Orbs."

Shayera nodded, already shifting from the clothes the Natives of Neverland had made her into her Guardian Armor. "Which Gate?" she asked.

**

* * *

Present Time **

"Alania told me later that the Stargate in that Neverland had been destroyed as well," Kes said, finishing up her story, setting a tea cup back on the replicator. "Aside from those they took in, there were no survivors."  
Harry nodded, leaning back in his seat. The second realm to be destroyed in this war, and all because Wheeler's nemesis wanted the means to destroy everything. "At least they were able to get out," he said. "That's all we can be thankful for."

"Sadly, it may not be enough." Hermione sighed in relief. "At least we were able to stop Trigon's forces in their tracks here." Her gaze hardened. "Do you think it's over? Sakar, I mean."  
Kes shook her head, knowing from first hand experience how hard it was to kill a corporeal force of power. "I think… that it is only the beginning."

----

In the blackened husk that was Neverland, a blackened mutilated hand shot out of the ground, grabbing hold of a smoldering rock. Only one part of a blackened, mutilated body.

An insane laugh echoed in the dead landscape.

Sakar had survived… but he had truly become dangerous.

* * *

And here is the last, and longest part, of the crossover event. I return now to Lunar, and pick up there with the Alliance entering first the forest of pain, and Meryod makes its debut in this story. So stay tuned, review, and pray for a miracle to happen. 

These have been an extremely annoying last few weeks. My mother's back in the hospital because of an infection in her tooth, and work's still a pain on Mondays! I need an enema! … On the plus side, Wrestlemania 23 was all that I had hoped for. Deadman, 15-0! Vince shaved bald! Austin stunning almost everything in sight! Cena defending his title for the second Wrestlemania in a row! And all of those lovely Divas! And, of course, Good Ol' Jim Ross and Jerry the King Lawler are now part of the WWE Hall of Fame! Hurrah for all!


	78. Episode Sixty Three: Meryod Fallings

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Episode Sixty Three: Meryod Fallings**

_(This chapter contains a sex scene, and implications of sex scenes. You have been warned.)_

"So this is the Forest of Pain," Jessica mused, looking at it. Despite all of her journeys, she had never been able to go beyond the Stadius Zone. This forest was too much for one person to brave alone.

T.K. turned to her. "It has that kind of name?"

"Not officially, but it should be called that. The monsters here are extremely powerful, very vicious. It's not for the inexperienced traveler."

Nash sighed, before his usual cocky attitude reasserted itself. "Well, you aren't alone! For the lot of us this won't be a problem!"  
Agumon sighed. "And here, I had hoped you were going to change, you pompous windbag."

Hold your tongue, lizard!"

Mars sighed. "Here we go again," she muttered to Pluto.

Thankfully, Tai intervened before a full scale war erupted. "Agumon, Nash, the point of an Alliance is that everyone gets along, regardless of their egos or tempers. So stop it, now!"

The two in question glared at each other for a moment longer, before Nash walked over to Mia. Agumon began talking to Palmon, whose vines were crimping a bit in sympathy.

Nall sighed. "You know, I miss the early days," he said, "when the two who argued were Izzy and Ramus."

Luna smiled a bit at that. "Yes, so Tentomon was good enough to tell those of us who weren't there."

"Those were the days." Matt sighed. "It seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"

Alex nodded, listening with only half an ear. As was customary these days, he kept his opinions to himself, never really talking except about tactics. He still smiled, but they were no longer as warm, never reaching his eyes.

Darien walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He could understand this impulse. "Don't worry, Alex. We'll get her back."

"… I know, I know. It's just that… I miss her." The young Lunarian was silent for a moment. "Every night, I keep thinking about Ghaleon's question. What if I become Dragonmaster, but I have to sacrifice Luna to do it?"

"I'd say he was pulling your strings," Angewomon replied. "He's lied to everyone over the last fifteen years."

"Besides, the time hasn't come for you to make that choice yet. Until that exact moment happens, the future is a distraction a warrior cannot afford, especially when there may be enemies around us."

Everyone turned to Angemon in surprise. Not because he had said that, but because he believed it.

The male Angelic Digimon shrugged. "Angelus trained Ryo to become a Guardian. He told him the same thing."

Greg smiled. "I had that same memory. It's actually good advice."  
"And you're not alone," Gabumon asserted. "Luna is our friend, and we'll do everything in our power to get her out."

Alex looked at them all, touched by their support and willingness to save someone they all cared for. "I had almost forgotten that I'm not alone in this," he said quietly, a small smile emerging on his face. "Thanks for reminding that I'm not."

Jupiter grinned. "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for." She looked around for a moment. "Let's stop for the night. I'll take first watch."

Venus's hand shot up. "I'll help."

The two felines traded looks of astonishment, then at Venus. "Mina… you never take first shift," Artemis stated slowly.

Venus blushed. "So, I have extra incentive to take a shift. It's not a crime."

"_For you, everything's a crime,"_ Ginny noted.

"Oh, hush up. Not everyone has a friend they can see after hours."

Serena rolled her eyes at Ginny's responding giggle. '_This is going to be a looooong night.'_

----

Venus waited several minutes until the pain blossomed to nearly unbearable levels, before injecting the serum into her bloodstream. She breathed a sigh of relief when the pain returned to a mere trickle again. '_Three and weeks,'_ she thought, making a mental note.

As she put the syringe and empty capsule away, using her powers to incinerate the needle tip, Jupiter sat down next to her. "The virus?" she asked quietly.

"It took three weeks for the serum to lose its effect." Wenus sighed, gingerly probing her sides for a moment. "Look's like it also allows the blood to flow from my wounds," she added sadly.

Jupiter hugged her lightly, before turning towards her pack, and pulling out her water bottle and a rag. "De-transform," she ordered.

The Love Senshi turned to her girlfriend. "Lita…"

"Mina, I've already seen you naked. Also, Serena will freak if she sees blood on your uniform. I'm only going to clean the area around your wounds. Now, de-transform."

Venus hesitated for a moment longer, then sighed, closing her eyes. A simple flash of light signified that she had shed her senshi uniform.

Jupiter inwardly gulped. '_Maybe not my greatest idea,'_ she thought. She had forgotten that Mina had no clothes to speak of. They had had to leave Vane almost immediately after the briefing, so she didn't have time to find any clothes for herself.

Mina blushed, her arms already crossed over her bosom, pale skin glowing in the light of the Blue Star. Normally not embarrassed with her body, she also didn't usually have someone staring at her, save for a white cat, who could've cared less.

Jupiter was staring, having only touched Mina before. Mina crossed her legs as well.

The Lightning Senshi shook her head, her senses returning to her. Quickly putting some water on the cloth, she wringed it out. As soon as that was done, she leaned forward slightly, trying to keep her hand steady.

----

Pluto's toe slammed into a piece of rock, prompting her to hop up and down for a moment in pain. "Damn," she muttered.

Darien chuckled. "We haven't met any of the indigenous life here, and you're already hurt."

"Hush, Darien."

Mars grinned. "Pluto, you need to relax. You're way too tense."

"Thank you for your medical input. I'm sure that you'll make a fine doctor."

"Of course. Question, did Senshi swing on both sides of the fence?"

"Well, yes actually. I enjoy the company of both men and women. Why?"

"Just curious. Another question. What do you know about the Guardians?"

"Very little. All I know about them is that they serve a similar role to my own. Except where I defend Time, they defend reality."

Mars whistled. To be able to do that, it would require a great deal of power to do. "Must be difficult to try and relate to them."

"You have no idea." Pluto suddenly brought her staff up. "Up on your left!"

Mars immediately pivoted, her foot coming up to hit a floating monster in its massive eyes. The monster let out a high pitched scream of pain as it whirled around in a circle, hitting a nearby tree.

**Brain Licker: A resident of the unofficially dubbed 'Forest** **of Pain,' the Brain Licker's mouth is located at the top of its head. Its body, dominated by that mouth and its single large eye, is tapered off by a spiked tail, which it uses to good effect. Like many creatures in the forest, it is capable of poisoning its prey.**

Izzy quickly whirled around, an arrow slamming into the BL with ease. "At least my aim hasn't declined," he said.

"Excellent. Can you help me here?" Pluto whirled around, her staff appearing in her hand, collecting energy from space time. Pointing at the new menace, she let it loose. "_Pluto Deadly Scream!"_

**Chronogorgon: A resident of the 'Forest** **of Pain,' the Chronogorgon, like every creature in that area, are unusually resistant to magic. Much like its weaker cousin, the Gorgon, it vomits its stomach's contents out in an attempt to poison its prey, and uses it tentacles to swipe at them.**

The attack slammed into them… and only slowed them down.

Venus struck one with a flying high kick, and watched as Mia launched her Flame Shot spell at it, with slightly better results. "Don't use magic!" she shouted. "It's pretty much useless!"

Mimi nodded, and ducked as a trio of massive wasps flew overhead, almost taking her head off. "Great, we have even more problems, now! Don't let them sting you!"

**Killer Buzz: The Killer Wasp's bigger, nastier cousin, the Killer Buzz employs the same abilities and attacks as its brethren. It strikes with greater speed and power, though, making it almost impossible to track.**

Mars stretched her powers to the limits, trying to pinpoint as many of the critters as she could. Because of that, she was able to avoid having her foot chomped off by a Grog Snake look alike.

**Graggen: A member of the snake family, the Graggen possessed all of the abilities of its brethren, though it is faster and stronger. Its venom is said to be capable of taking out a full grown beastman.**

Mercury lazily backhanded a Killer Buzz, scanning the entire area. "They're all around us!" she shouted in surprise. "This forest is saturated to the brim with monsters!"

Tai quickly ducked under one, but was bashed from behind by another. Quickly rolling, his katana came out, slicing through a Chronogorgon. "We're out of our league in here!" he bellowed. "Make for the exit!" he ordered. "Agumon and Gabumon, digivolve now!"

Agumon nodded. "Got it, Tai!" **AGUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO… GREYMON!**

**GABUMON DIGI-VOLVE TO… GARURUMON!** With the two Champion level Digimon watching their front, the Alliance started running for the exit. Any that got past Greymon and Garurumon were quickly swatted aside by the more physical members.

Down one path, avoiding another, they were greeted by ever increasing numbers of monsters, coming at them with everything they had.

"**NOVA BLAST!"**

"**HOWLING BLASTER!"**

The wall of monsters that had been forming suddenly was destroyed. Killer Buzz corpses fell to the ground, being immediately pounced upon by Chronogorgons. Graggens quickly slithered out of the way of the monstrous beings. And there, right before them, was the exit. They were almost home free.

Rini tripped over a root.

Crying in shock, the little girl hit the ground, slightly stunned. "Mommy!"

Serena turned around, her eye catching her future daughter's helpless state. She saw Brain Lickers come at her, and moved to act.

T.K. beat her to it. "_Hope Sword Blaster!"_ he shouted, a powerful blast erupted from the edge of his blade, slamming into the Brain Lickers before they reached her. As they backed up, Kari quickly swooped in, picking the CT princess up and running. "I've got her, Sailor Moon!" she shouted. "Just run!"

Pluto literally slammed a home run when she whirled, her staff smashing a Killer Buzz into orbit. She kept it up, keeping those beasts as far from her friends as possible.

Finally, the battered Alliance erupted out of the exit, not stopping for one second. They kept running for about thirty seconds, before finally stopping, catching their breath.

"_What the bloody hell was that?!" _Ginny bellowed. "_I was in the middle of a homework assignment with Hermione and Jane when I feel my side splitting open in pain!"_

"Blame Nash!" Greymon retorted. "Mister 'we can handle anything thrown at us!'"

"_Bit of advice, Nash! Don't ever say that again! The next time I see you, I'm going to bloody kick your ass! Don't tell me to be calm, Jane! You're not attached in the mind with someone!"_

"Yes, ma'am," Nash replied, shrinking away.

Jupiter chuckled, helping Venus stay upright. The Senshi of Love had taken hits to both sides, very near the wounds. "Walking through the woods was a bad idea," she said, giving Mina an herb.

Kari set Rini, before stalking over to Nash. Despite their size difference, she was easily the superior power, and it showed in the healthy respect Nash showed her. "Your arrogance could have gotten someone killed today," she hissed, her scepter up in a threatening manner. "Do you want that on your conscience?" Without waiting for a reply, she walked over to Pluto. "You okay?"

Pluto nodded, massaging her foot for a moment. "I could use some coffee, but other than that, I'm fine."

"Good to hear."

Mia looked around. "Can we keep walking? I want to get as far away from here as humanly possible."

Alex nodded. "I think we can do that," he said. "Let's go."

----

They walked almost four miles before they finally stopped. Tempers were short, and all of it was aimed at themselves, for various reasons.

"This was a swell idea," Mimi stated sarcastically. "Go in there, and simply walk through. That _was_ the plan, wasn't it?" Her voice grew louder. "I wonder why we never thought that it would be _brimming to the rim with extremely powerful monsters! Oh, yeah, because a certain Vanish wizard said they wouldn't be a problem!"_

Tai sighed, containing his own fury with difficulty, though he agreed wholeheartedly with Mimi.

Mina looked up as her girlfriend tended to her wounds, wrapped up in her blanket. "Well Nash, congratulations! I'll be awake for the rest of the night! Way to go!"

"I'm sure that he didn't know…" Mia began.

"No, I did know… and that is precisely the problem." Nash sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. I thought that we would be able to handle the forest. The Four Heroes and the warriors of Lunar were able to."

"They had a beastman with them!" Jessica shouted. "The monsters here are afraid of a beastman! My human blood dilutes that!"

"And it's been weeks since we last fought those many targets," Serena added, sighing a moment later. "Nash, from now on, allow Mercury and Izzy to determine the level of danger for an area, okay?"

"Okay."

"Well, now that we've settled that…" Alex plopped down. "We're stopping now."

"Good idea." Joe sat down as well, Gomamon simply plopping onto the ground. "We need to get some more water, and according to Mercury, there's a river nearby."

Mars nodded, getting up. "I'll go. If I'm not back in one hour, shoot Nash."

Palmon nodded, grinning as Matt began to set up their fire ring. "You got it."

Mars quickly knelt down near the river, beginning the tedious process of filling their water bottles for the next leg of their journey. After several moments, she rubbed her shoulder fretfully.

"Shoulder bugging you?"

Rei turned a bit, seeing Pluto nearby. "One of the Chronogorgons managed to nick me with a tentacle before we got out." She winced. "It's already healed, but it's still sore."

Pluto nodded, favoring her injured foot. "I got hit by a Graggen. His teeth went through my boot. It's still sore, too." He sat down, sighing a bit. "You know, my life used to be simple. Stand guard over the Gates of Time, only stepping in only when necessary. I haven't had to fight like this in over a thousand years." She pulled her boot off, massaging the foot slowly.

The Fire Senshi finished filling up the last bottle, before turning around, slowly massaging the limb, chanting an ancient Shinto chant under her breath. She was once again glad for the frictionless material of her gloves. She knew that they felt like silk, but were tougher than most work gloves.

Pluto let out a moan as her foot muscles relaxed. "Not bad," she whispered. "Thank you."

Mars nodded, smiling. "Don't mention it." She got up, bending over to pick up the water bottles. "Well, if you're planning to meditate, I'll leave you to it."

"What about your shoulder?"

"Lita has so helpfully agreed to help me with it. She learned from Sora, if you can believe it."

Pluto chuckled, nodding in understanding, waiting for Mars to leave. Then she concentrated.

Her uniform vanished into the ether, leaving her in the nude. She quickly waded into the river, and began swimming around, cutting through the water like a knife. She did it to help cool her down, and not just from her exertions that day.

But from heat of a different kind.

----

"So this is Meryod," Nall mused, grinning. "This place is amazing, Alex!"  
"So it is," Alex replied. "It's definitely a unique place they built."

The entire city of Meryod had been built above a lake, held up by a series of reinforced wooden poles. Every building was connected via a series of bridges, with thick ropes binding everything together.

Nall tried to take everything at once, in awe of what he was seeing. "They built a city entirely on wooden planks over the water! Amazing!"

Nash grinned. "No, the amazing part is that these hicks managed to nail anything not related to them."

"Maybe they should nail you," Agumon suggested. "You know, in your mouth. It'll prove good for the rest of us."

Kyle sighed. "Let's go find this guy already. I'd like to know what the test is."

Tai turned. "Not all of us. Alex, you and your group go and locate the tester. Digi-Destined, we're going to re-supply, and get new weapons if we need them. Sailor Scouts, patrol around the city. We've already been caught by surprise one too many times."

Alex turned to Nash. "Alright, let's go. And Nash… no talking."  
Nash nodded, sighing. He didn't want to get on Alex's bad side at this moment.

Quickly, Alex's team moved towards the main bridge, as the Digi-Destined made for the Item Shop, wherever it was. The Scouts dispersed, picking any random way.

Jessica looked at the bridge. "So Kyle, how do ya want to do this?" she asked impishly.

Kyle chuckled. "Well, I was thinking that we check the far side first, and work our way back.

"Simple, but intelligent." Alex grinned. "Good thinking."

"And while we're at it-"

"We don't have time for a beer, so don't bother asking!" Jessica snapped.

"I wasn't going to suggest it. I was going to say that we get something to eat, and some beds for the night. I'd _like_ a beer, but I don't think Mimi's gonna learn a hangover charm just for me."

"Oh."

Nall sighed. "You two sure argue a lot. Why?"

Jessica glared at the man. "He's a chauvinistic pig."  
"And I'm bored," Kyle said.

Mia looked at Kyle, saw something in his eyes. "Is that it, really?"

Kyle looked at her, surprised, as they started across one particular section of the bridge. "Well…" He suddenly stopped in place, his voice trailing away as a strange sound suddenly emerged. "What was that? The creak and the crack?"

Jessica suddenly swayed. "I… I think the bridge just… moved," she stammered.

Alex looked down. "It just moved," he confirmed.

In fact, the bridge had just started moving a great deal more. The ominous sounds of a wooden object reaching the end of its rope became more and more pronounced.

Mia took a step back. "I…I don't believe that this was… a good idea," he stammered. "We… should turn back…"

"We don't have time to…" Nash was cut off when the bridge suddenly collapsed. With five yelps of terror, the adventurers fell into the colder water, thoroughly drenching Nall in the process.

Tai looked up in surprise. "What the fuck?" he asked, turning to wards the sound. "Did that bridge just collapse?"

Sora and Joe traded looks. "Yes, Tai," Joe replied.

"I hope no one was on it," Sora added.

"Alex was." Tai continued packing the rest for their supplies.

Mimi shrugged. "Well, I guess he got a bath, then."

----

Alex swam through the water, heading for the nearest pier. As luck would have it, the pier he reached had no one nearby. Hoisting himself out of the water, he wiped the water off his face, glad that it wasn't salt water. '_Why didn't anyone check to make sure that the bridge was capable of holding our weight?'_ he asked himself. '_Oh, yeah._ _We were under the impression that the local population would make sure of that every day!'_

Nall landed next to him, looking a lot like a soggy cloth. "Are you okay, Alex?" he asked, starting to shake.

Alex tilted his head, getting the water out of his eardrums. "Aside from being saturated in water, yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"I'm soaked! Why'd ya have to make such a big splash?"  
"I didn't have a choice with that. Four people will do that, regardless of how high they are. Have you seen any of the others, by the way?"

Nall looked around, walking behind Alex. "Well, I see Nash, and that's a start."

"A bad start," Alex commented dryly, "but a start, nonetheless." He got up. "Well, let's go get him, and find the others."

----

Nash stood up after a moment. "Note to self; Never walk on bridges again," he muttered. "I feel like a drowned rat." He looked at himself. "I look it, too."

Looking around, he saw the various boats floating around, as well as people from various villages wandering around the city, remembering that Meryod was the connection point between the Marius and Stadius Zones.

Suddenly, as if a light bulb had been flipped in his head, he looked around, realizing that someone was missing. '_Where's Mia?'_ he thought, panic going through his system. Checking the water, he saw nothing. It did nothing to alleviate his fear. It just meant she was somewhere else in the city, probably hurt.

"Hey, Nash!"  
The magician turned around, smiling slightly. "Hey, Alex… Nice of you to drop by and pick up the pieces."

Nall grinned. "Well, at least we're to do it for you, whiner."

"I just took a bath, furball. Mia's missing, and…"

"We get the point," Alex interrupted, holding up his hand. "So, Nall, where's our next destination?"

Nall looked around. "Over there!" he exclaimed. "Jess is by that house!"

Nash peered into the water, shooting a hand into it. With a small cry of triumph, he pulled his Inferno Staff out of the water. "Well, let's get her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

----

Jessica kept the sheet wrapped around her, while she let the woman behind finish drying her hair. "There!" she heard her say. "Your robes should be dry soon."  
Jessica nodded, smiling. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Not even ten seconds later, a teenage boy came in, carrying the priestess's clothes. Blushing furiously, he handed them to her, stammered out a _here you go_, and walked out quickly, his mother chuckling to herself as she followed.

Jessica shook her head, grinning as she let the sheet drop. She would have been more than happy to enjoy some carnal pleasures with both of them, but her mission had to take precedence. Besides, it was probably just as well the young man had left. If he had looked like a balloon while she had something covering her, he would have popped if she had been uncovered.

Looking at the mirror, she observed her full figured body for several moments. Full, firm breasts, strong legs, tight abdomen, and tanned skin with no imperfections. And, of course, that special area between her legs. Unlike human and demon females, beastwomen didn't have pubic hair.

'_Oh yeah, it's good to be me,'_ she thought vainly.

Quickly putting her clothes back on, she quickly walked out the door, thanking the family again. Peeking outside the door, she checked to make sure that no one was around. Glad that it was the case, she stepped outside, sighing in relief. The five minutes it had taken her to reach the house, she had been besieged by instant admirers, some who had tried to force their attentions on her. She had no desire to go through that again.

"Hey."

With a yelp, the priestess whirled around, mace raised.

With an equally loud yelp, Nash ducked. "It's just us!" he shouted, hands raised in surrender.

Jessica blinked once, then felt her cheeks go red. "Alex, Nash! I' so freaking glad you found me!"  
Alex quirked an eyebrow at her. "So we've noticed."

"Sorry. But this place is crawling with creeps trying to pick up on me."

Nall chuckled. "Alex, duty calls!" he stated. "I think you should punch all of their lights out!"

"Oh, Nall." Jessica smiled gratefully. "I appreciate the sentiment, but let's just get out of here!"  
Alex nodded. "My sentiments exactly. Except we seem to be missing a Neanderthal and our other magician."

"Speaking of which, where is Kyle?" Nash asked.

"I'll bet you thirty silver that the two timing womanizer's at the pub," Jessica replied.

The flying fur ball landed. "She's probably right."

Alex nodded, agreeing with both of them fully. Kyle was nothing if not a creature of habit. "Hopefully, we'll run into Mia along the way." He paused. "Nash, you said that a Mia appreciation club, right?"

Nash nodded. "I'll find her. You lot go get Kyle!"

The three adventurers started running down the bridge, splitting up at an intersection.

----

"Come on, sweet thang… don'cha wanna be mah gurl?"

When Mia had finally managed to pull herself out of the water, she had found herself in the middle of a pool full of nude, giggling girls. Quickly assuming that it was their swimming area, she stripped out of her clothes, quickly drying them with her powers.

Unfortunately for her, there was a peeping tom who had been watching the pool. It let Mia know that the area wasn't as private as she originally thought. And the robes hid the fact that, while she didn't ooze sexuality like Mimi or Jessica, she was still well endowed.

She had tried to cover herself up, but she had her shift literally ripped from her hands before she could cover herself. Then the man had said that to her.

Righteous indignation had taken over then, and she did the first thing that came to her mind… which was usually the first thing that came to any woman's mind.

She reared back, and slapped the man across the face, sending him reeling back.

He righted himself, rubbing his cheek. "Dang! You luuk delicate, but yuh got one hell of a slap, gurl!"

"And she's got friends, too."

Mia sighed in relief, recognizing the voice immediately. "Thank you, Nash! This slob was trying to pick me up!"

Nash nodded, glaring at the man. "Bit of advice; Get the hell away from my friend, or I'm going to give you a demonstration of how it feels to be in a lightning storm. Got it?" A shocked nod let him know that his message was received. "Excellent. Now get lost!"  
The boy quickly hightailed it, running towards god only knew where. It would be a great many months before he would get the courage to sneak a look at the pool.

Mia giggled. "Thank you, Nash. I wasn't sure how I was going to get him to leave."

Nash grinned, turning around. "It's the least I could…" His voice died off quickly.

Mia frowned. "Nash?"

Nash pointed.

"They're just girls in the water."

The magician struggled to speak. "H-Has anyone told you lately that you're gorgeous?" he finally managed to get out.

Mia smiled. "Yes, actually. Why?"

"I'm saying it, because of the fact that your modesty is compromised… and I can't seem to look away."

Mia observed him for a moment, confused, when a gentle breeze wafted over her body. She had forgotten the little fact that she was in the nude, still.

Blushing brightly, Mia grabbed for her shift, only find it floating in the water again. She quickly grabbed her robes, wrapping them around her. "Okay, Nash, I'm covered," she said. "You can close her mouth."

Nash quickly shut his mouth. "Sorry, Mia. It's just…" His eyes traveled down her legs for a moment, before he firmly planted his gaze on her face.

Mia nodded, blush receding slightly. "Nash, are you part of the Mia Appreciation Club?"

"No." Nash applied every ounce of willpower to keep his gaze on hers. "I would never join one of those clubs. Just like I'd never…"

"…act on your feelings?" Mia smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Nash, I've known for years how you've felt about me for years. I asked Mother not to hurt because of it."

"You _both_ knew?!"

"I'm not as naïve as everyone believes. … Nash, you've been rather subdued as of late. You hide it rather well, but I can tell."

The apprentice sighed. "It's been so long that I've had a problem that I couldn't solve." His gaze became forlorn. "Mia… if I tell you something, can you promise not to tell the others?"

Mia nodded, confused. What could be important, that he didn't want the others to know.

Taking a deep breath, Nash began to tell her everything.

----

Alex looked around, becoming irritated. "Crowded, isn't it?"

"Big time," Jessica replied. "I still can't believe that you sent Nash out to find Mia alone!"

"Gives him something to do that won't trigger his ego."

Nall laughed. "Well, let's find Kyle, and that tester! We need to get those Dragon Wings back pronto!"

Alex sighed. There were times he really wished didn't talk. That way, he wouldn't state the painfully obvious. "They won't just appear because you want it that way." He peered into the crowd. "I have located the Neanderthal. He's presently getting drunk."

"Why am I not surprised?" Jessica grumbled to herself.

"Well, let's go get him!" Nall flew over to the table Kyle was situated. After a moment, Alex and Jessica started pushing their way the crowd.

----

Nash stared at Mia, wide eyed, but for reasons entirely different from what he was expecting. "Mia, are you sure?" he asked.

Mia nodded, readjusting her robes slightly. Neither one of them had moved for about ten minutes. "I'm positive, Nash. You're in a position to change the balance the power in this war. You'll just have to wait for the right moment to take advantage of it." She smiled. "This way, your secret is safe, and you're still helping us."

The former protégé thought it through, weighing in the pro and cons, and grinned. "Mia, you surprise me. All this time, I thought you were shy thing. When did you get so devious?"

The smile grew mischievous. "Mother tells me that I inherited it from my father."

"Hopefully, one day you'll find out what happened to him."

"Maybe." Lemia's daughter shifted again. "Nash, you have been such a loyal friend. I'm glad that you're here with me." She shifted yet again, looking behind her. "There _were_ four women here," she said, surprised. "Four are now missing."

Nash suddenly made several observations around him. "Our voices are slightly deadened."

"Yes…"

"Those women were nude."

"Could you please make you point?"

"They are in the middle of a city, about four feet from the item shop."

Mia finally guessed what he was talking about, and blushed beet red. "Oh… I always thought that they weren't real. Who would have thought a pheromone pool would be in the middle of Meryod?" She let out a tiny gasp. "My robes are rubbing against my breasts in a rather arousing way… they're driving me crazy." Without waiting, she dropped her clothes to the ground.

Nash turned around just as quickly. "Pheromone water has that effect on women," he explained hastily, keeping his mind focused on the facts, and not on what his hormones were thinking. "It lowers their inhibitions."

"Is there a cure?" Mia asked, her sheath moistening. She was eyeing Nash with an expression that she had never once done knowingly.

Nash could feel the heat of her gaze. "Well, I think the female has to… well, have an orgasm."

"Can… I do… it myself?"

"Not sure. Why?"

"Because I really need you to touch me."

Nash started looking around, locating a small shack nearby. He remembered that they were constructed wherever a town was located, so as to give couples privacy. "Grab your stuff, and follow me."

Mia did so, wondering where they were going, and why he was delaying. She needed him, and needed him now. Why was he hesitating?  
Nash looked inside, saw that it was empty, and gestured for Mia to enter. Once she was, he followed, closing and locking the door, before facing her. "Mia…"

Which was as far as he got before Mia literally pounced him, her lips crashing down on him in a fierce kiss. It caught him off guard, but he soon returned the kiss with equal fervor, his hands cupping her buttocks.

After several moments, to which their tongues had declared a stalemate, Nash set her down. She immediately began to pull at his clothes, successfully removing them without a single tear.

Nash quickly pulled her up, taking a nipple into his mouth, laving and suckling on it. Mia nearly fainted from the pleasure, her head dropping back. But it was taking too long, and she was too far gone. Pulling his head away, she looked at him as she rubbed against his body.

Nah returned her gaze, his eyes darkening. "Did you cast the birth control spells on yourself?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes," she gasped. "The second I became thirteen, I asked Mother for the incantation."  
"Good." He lay down on the cushioned bench that was in there. The second she had straddled him, he put his hands on her waist, lowering her down onto him. He stopped when he hit a barrier, keeping a firm grip on her hips. "Are you…?"  
Mia suddenly thrust herself down on him, gasping as a sharp pain made its presence felt. After several seconds, sheer pleasure replaced. Slowly, she started lifting and lowering herself, Nash keeping her steady as the sensations of their pairing flowed through her. She had always wondered what it felt like. Now she knew.

Nash allowed Mia to set the pace, groaning as she began to speed up, her movements becoming more forceful. He could feel himself approaching the brink, and began rocking in sync with her movements.

With one final thrust down on him, with Nash suddenly arching up, burying himself to the hilt, Mia finally let go, her first climax rushing through her like a raging river. She froze up from the pleasure, feeling like she was on the verge of exploding.

Then it was over. Mia slumped against Nash, listening to his heart beating, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath, a hand running up and down her back.

She smiled. She did feel a whole lot better now, on so many levels.

----

Kyle looked up as he heard a series of footsteps approaching him. "Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! What took you so long, anyways?" He looked at them. "Where's Nash?" he added.

Alex grimaced. "We sent him to search for Mia. It'll keep him out of trouble, at any rate."

"Good idea. Probably the first good idea of the day."

"I see you're not including yourself in this."

"You're the leader. I didn't want to question your authority." Kyle gestured them to sit. "Anyways, I found the test giver, and invited him over for a little beer belching."

"Kyle…" Jessica growled.

"Relax, he was already smashed. He took one sip, and went into la la land. Anyways, before that little sip, he told me about the test. We'll need to go to Damon's Spire."

"Damon's Spire… Sounds familiar…"

"Yeah, it's near the Goddess Spa. Anyways, there's s'posed to be kinda jewel in this thing that's worth a _lot_ of dough." Kyle leaned in, carefully avoiding placing his elbow in the sleeping man's face. "If we can get that jewel, and give it to the Guild Chief, he'll have to give us membership."

"Isn't that Spire where the keeper of Lunar's knowledge is supposed to live?" Alex suddenly asked.

Kyle shrugged. "I dunno. Dunno if he's even still alive, but it's worth checking out anyways." He pulled out a notebook. "In order to get in there, we're going to need this. The entrance is protected by a mystical lock. It can only be opened if we have the password." He grinned as he handed the book over to Jessica. "This guy had the password."

Alex started smiling a bit as well. "Good job, Kyle. Now let's get out of here and collect the others."

"Hold on." Jessica looked at Kyle. "You're going to pay the bar tab, right?"

Kyle returned her gaze, one of the calmest he had ever had. "Jess, I was true to my word, okay? _He's _the horse's ass that's drunk. If I pay my tab in the end, he can too. Now let's get outta here!" He didn't want to tell Jessica that he had already done so.  
Nall nodded vigorously. "Yeah, let's go!"

Jessica sighed in defeat. _'Oh, Kyle… what am I going to do with you?'_

----

The rest of the Alliance was waiting patiently for Alex and his group to join them, Izzy and Mimi straightening out their clothes a bit. Tai was rolling his eyes at them, though with a small grin on his face. He had had no idea Mimi was that well defined.

Agumon's grin grew as four of their Lunarian friends arrived. "So," he began, "how was the swim?"

"Hah, hah, very funny." Jessica smoothed her robes out. "Be thankful you guys weren't on the bridge."

"Oh, we are. You can be sure of that," Tentomon replied.

"Where's Nash and Mia?" Rini asked.

"Right here!" Nash and Mia jogged up, Mia coiffing her hair. "Mia has a fan club here, too."

Jessica winced. "Don't I know the feeling?"

Mimi giggled for a bit, being all too used to the boys staring at her, before sobering. "Well, we're all here, now. Now let's get going. You can tell us on the way."

"Excellent. Let's go." Alex sighed a bit. They had the key.

Now it was time to unlock the door.

Episode Sixty Three is now complete. Please review.

In Episode Sixty Four, the Alliance returns to the Forest of Pain, and discover the shock of their lifetime. The petrified statue of Mel deAlkirk has somehow found its way into the forest… or has it? Is there more tot his than meets the eye? Keep reading to find out.

The lemon version of this chapter has been posted of Mediaminer. Org if you want to read it. I've deliberately placed a hint of what Nash is hiding from the others. Also, this used to be two separate chapters when I wrote this. I decided to make them one, so as to give you a bit more of the story.


	79. Episode Sixty Four: Stone Cold Surprise

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two: Deadly Alliance)**

**Episode Sixty Four: The Stone Deception**

Mimi stretched out, letting her arm muscles relax a bit, before laying down on the towel like cloth. "You know, we should do this more often," she said.

Mia giggled. "And give the boys heart attacks?" she asked.

What they were doing was sunbathing, something that they hadn't done before. Now, as this was Lunar, they were in the nude, behind various charms that Mimi and Mia had set up, and being near the river for good measure.

They had just returned to the rest stop near their target, when Tai had suggested that they take a break for the rest of the day, and prepare for their trek through the forest. Jessica had suggested that the girls go and work on their tans. Pluto was the only Senshi to accept her proposal. They went on to collect the Tachekawa twins, Mia, and Angewomon, who was hesitant to join them. She caved in when Pluto let her know that none of them would judge her.

The Time Senshi turned around, allowing the warm sun hit her front. "I wonder what would happen if the boys were to enter our little haven," she mused.

"I believe that it would be an instant meltdown." Lilika smiled as she moved her hair over a shoulder, feeling the heat on her. "I never realized how… liberating it is to be in the nude."

Mia and Jessica traded amused looks. "Lilika girl, I have got to ask this. Did you ever sunbathe _anywhere_?" the Priestess asked.

Lilika looked at her. "I am a half demon. Do you think I would risk it?"

"Have to go with that." Angewomon shifted. "I just feel self conscious."

"For good reason, apparently," Mimi said. When they had seen the various scars on her body, they had all wanted a piece of Myotismon.

As for Lilika, her body merely had a series of multicolored lines going across her body, which explained the travel wear that covered her entirely. But in their eyes, she was as beautiful as any one of them.

Mia smiled slightly. "You're both still very beautiful," she said. "Angemon is lucky to have you, Angewmon. And Lilika, anyone who can't see past your demon skin is a bigot." She turned around. "Just as I am sure that Kyle is lucky to have you in his life, Jessica."

Jessica snorted. "Oh, please. He's…"

"…still run by his hormones. We know." Mimi grinned. "There's nothing wrong with that. He's a hunk of a man, after all."

"That he is," Pluto agreed. "And he's almost completely honest, which you don't get from a man often."

"And you said so yourself," Mia added, "he's cultured. He's a superb diplomat, and commands the loyalty of his troops. I can see why Alex and Tai have been talking with him recently."

Jessica frowned. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"Also, he's keeping something hidden from the world. I think… I think he's afraid of becoming someone bad."

Jessica understood what she meant by that. She had been there that day.

Mia shifted a bit, her attention now turning to more pleasurable feelings. "I'm warm," she purred, a slight smile appearing on her face.

Mimi swallowed a moan, feeling warmth gather as well. "We all are. Good thing I learned privacy and silencing charms months ago. If anybody wants to relieve that tension, do so without fear of reprisal… or an audience of men."

Lilika turned to her sister, eyeing her really. "You have done this before, sister?" she asked.

Mimi grinned. "That's none of your business, sis."

Angewomon got up, donning her uniform. "I'm going to leave. Coming, Pluto?"

Pluto shook her head, eyes closed. "No. I'll stay here for a while longer. Let them know that we're still breathing." Angewomon saluted, stepping outside of the barrier, and heading for the campsite.

Jessica grinned, before letting her hand slip down her body.

----

"And…_heave_!" Alex shouted, lifting up.

Grunting, Izzy, Kyle, Matt, and the young Dragonmaster to be moved the tree they had just chopped down to where Greg and Amy waited, energy axes in their hands. "You know, I have to ask; why are we taking down a tree?" Greg asked.

"_No firewood,"_ Ginny replied cheerfully from her seat in the Gryffindor Common Room, "_and since Lunarians are capable of growing trees at a rapid rate…"_

"We're taking one for our use," Matt finished, grunting. "Where are the others?"

"Well, Mimi took some of the Lunarians and older women over somewhere to sunbathe near the river, with a rather suggestive invitation from Mimi for me to join them," Izzy replied, muscles straining slightly. "Jupiter and Venus are talking about something or other over there. Kari and Rini are ganging up on T.K. in a tickling contest, and Serena and Darien are watching them." He frowned slightly, which had nothing to do with his exertions. "I don't know where Nall or our two felines went off to."

"Probably lunch," Tai replied as he arrived, the Digimon in tow. "Agumon and the other Digimon were just giving me some pointers about foraging for food. We've got a lot of apples and pears here. Has anyone seen Joe or Sora?"  
"He's researching everything he can on Lunarian healing charms and spells. Seeing as how we have no idea when we're going home, he wants to be prepared." Kyle gave a small smirk. "Why do you want to know where Sora is?" he asked slyly.

"I wanna ogle her," was the sarcastic retort. "Why the hell do you think?"

Biyomon covered her wings over her beak, stifling her twitters of amusement.

The four tree movers finally set the tree down, stepping back as the two tree choppers started forward, already swinging their axes down.

Angemon finally landed, pulling off his helmet. "The area's clear. Looks like there isn't an enemy presence in this area yet," he reported, wiping his brow off, before tugging at the top of his uniform, rolling around her waist. "It's also about ninety five degrees today."

"Summer at its peak." Kyle shook his arms, getting the blood flow back into them. "Aren't those axes like them lightswords Kenobi and Skywalker use?"  
"_I was about to ask that,"_ Ginny huffed.

Greg grinned, stopping or a second to clear his eyes. "Well, while they are created from energy, they're still physical representations of the real thing. They follow the same limitations, like what they can cut through."

"_Ah, that explains a lot."_

Matt grinned. "Anyways Izzy, what do you think we should do?"  
The Warrior of Knowledge frowned thoughtfully, thinking for a moment. "Well, I have done extensive research, correlating with the Lemia Ausa and Laike's own experiences, and I have discovered something interesting. Aside from full blooded beastmen, the monsters rarely leave the forest… except for when something that usually doesn't happen near them."

"So they come after surprises," Kyle stated.

"Exactly. Once we find a way to surprise them, and get them to leave their domain, I believe that our Digimon, at their highest possible level, will be more than sufficient to destroy the majority of them. Any that survive the attack should leave us alone."

Tentomon grinned. "Good plan, Izzy. The beard hasn't made you a barbarian yet."

"Now why would it make mea barbarian, Tento?"  
"So you can have your wicked way with Mimi, already."

Izzy looked at him slyly. "Already did."

Kyle laughed. "How was it?" he asked.

Matt hurriedly held up his hand. "I'm going over to Sora. This is a conversation for you bigger guys." He quickly walked away, shuddering.

Gabumon shook his head, and walked in another direction, Biyomon next to him. They wanted to be alone, and listening to their friends talk about a sexual encounter was the worst kind of embarrassment.

Izzy, thankfully, looked at Kyle. "Why don't you tell us about your first time with Jessica?" he asked in returned.

The Nanza commander sighed, sitting down on a rock. "She's the daughter of Hell Mel. Need I say more?"

"The chemistry is there," Alex noted.

"Yeah, but… she's always expecting me to become…"  
"A diplomat, poet, politician, author…" Tai ticked off a few more on his fingers. "You've got more qualifications under your belt than most people have on their walls."  
"But I'm happy where I am."

Angemon grinned. "Come on, guys. Leave him alone. If he wants to become something else, it'll be his decision."

"Well said, Love." Angewomon wrapped her arms around her fellow Angel kissing his cheek. "You deserve a reward."

Angemon grinned. "See you guys later," he said, walking away.

Tai shook his head, grinning. "Izzy, you should take Mimi up on her 'offer,'" he said. "You can have her check the plan out, and see if there are any flaws in it."

Alex got up, grabbing his shirt. "I'll go get Nash. Greg, Amy, have fun."

"Gee, thanks," Greg grumbled.

Amy leaned in after she finished cutting off a section of wood, setting it up to be split in half. "Have I ever mentioned that I find you sexy?" she asked lowly, putting a hint into her question. Greg nodded slightly. "I'll prove it to you tonight, if we get this done soon."

The Seer grinned. He had a reason now.

----

Mimi looked up, seeing her boyfriend approach. "Ladies, it appears that my dear Koushiro is going to enter our invisible sanctuary," she said.

Jessica eyed him, taking in everything. "He is certainly a handsome specimen. Mimi, you should let him give you a good backrub. Great thing can happen."

Pluto grinned. "How about all of us?"  
Lilika smiled for a moment. "Are we certain that my sister will allow that?" she asked. She might want to leave all of us frustrated, after all." She turned her head. "Do you want to share him for today?"  
Mimi hesitated, thinking it over. A slight smile appeared on her face. "Sure. He'll be trained, at least." The thought of him doing wicked things to other women while she watched sent her blood boiling… and it was Lunar, after all. She had just given them permission.

That was how it went.

----

Izzy stopped in front of the river, thinking hard for a second. He had no idea how the women were able to stand the temperatures behind that field, but he guessed that Mia probably learned a few cooling charms to drop the temperature, and Lunarian physiology was apparently superior to other types of humans.

Did he really want to intrude on their privacy?

Nash walked up to him, grinning. "Are thinking about joining them?" he asked.

Izzy nodded. "I think I know what they're planning. It's in my computer, after all."

"And you're still going to go in there?"

"I've learned to understand, accept, and appreciate how things are done here. My only concern is whether or not I'll have the necessary stamina."

Nash let out a bark of laughter. "I'm sure you'll do fine, if that's all you're worried about."

Izzy grinned slightly. "You are aware that Mia is in there, right?"  
"I have learned a few things about Mia in the last few days. For starters, she has a voracious sexual appetite, which one man alone is incapable of quenching. So, I don't have a problem sharing her. Just so long as nothing comes out of it." He clapped Izzy on the shoulder. "Have a pleasant time." He walked away, heading for the camp.

Izzy chuckled under his breath. Lunar was one laidback realm that explored sexual freedom to the fullest. That thought still echoing in his mind, he stepped through the mystical field, disappearing from sight.

----

Tai looked up, scanning the surround. "You know, I don't think Izzy or the girls are going to be joining us for dinner," he said.

"_Gee, ya think?"_ Ginny asked, Matt fully agreeing with her.

Kyle sighed, walking towards the fire. He felt a slight surge of jealousy go through him. '_Geez, look at me,'_ he thought. '_I shouldn't be feeling this way towards one of my friends. Jessica's capable of taking care of herself. Why am I feeling this way?'_

'_Because you still love her, you idiot,'_ a little voice in his head replied. '_You never stopped. How about being honest to yourself for once in your miserable life?'_

Kyle shook his head. He hated his life. He had spoken to a number of women over the years, became very friendly with them. But Jessica caught him in an embrace with one of them, one that the woman had initiated. He had tried to explain, but Jessica had been in one of her more volatile moods, and left that night.

He spent the first few days in a drunken stupor, waking up in a jail cell every time with a hangover that would have done Hell Mel proud. Every time Jessica came, they ended up arguing with each other. A cycle that went on for almost three years… until the Nanza Barrier was attacked by Xenobia.

'_I'm going crazy,'_ he thought, '_if I'm still pining over someone for three years.'_

So why hadn't he been on a date for three years?

----

Izzy panted as his last orgasm finally faded away, surprised by how much stamina he still possessed after almost four hours of sexual stimulation. He felt like he could go on forever.

The other ladies were in an equal sexual daze, Mimi sliding off of him to lie at his side, caressing his chest. "Well?" she asked.

Izzy looked up, saw the others watching him, and grinned. "Incredible," he replied. "Does this happen all the time?"

Mia giggled. "Of course. It usually happens when large numbers of people travel together… like us, for instance."

"And you're not too bad yourself," Jessica added.

Lilika got up, grabbing her clothes. "What say we give these two lovebirds some alone time?"  
Jessica grinned. "But of course." The girls quickly dressed, Pluto transforming back into her Senshi outfit. Mimi banished the shield so the other could leave, before cuddling her boyfriend.

Izzy kissed the top of her forehead. "You know, I have a question; how is it that we have been out in the open, enjoying the pleasure of each other's company, and not have sunburn?"

"I had cast a kind of filter charm," Mimi replied. "It sort of acts like a radiation barrier, filtering ultraviolet rays out of the equation. Also, I learned a cooling charm, and cast it on everybody."

"I'm glad. You know, Sora can't be allowed to know about this."

"She'll find out sooner or later. She's been around us a little too long." The Keeper of Sincerity looked at him speculatively. "I didn't know you liked it up the ass."

Izzy chuckled. "Neither did I. Then again, we have learned a great deal about ourselves since we got here, as well as how much Althena enjoyed life."

"Too true… speaking of enjoying life," Mimi purred, stroking his member as she leaned in to kiss him.

Izzy all too eagerly complied as the sun began to set.

----

Jessica adjusted her hood piece, making sure the clasp was at the center of her chest. Satisfied, she strolled towards the camp.

And almost ran right into Kyle.

The Nanza warrior grinned as she stopped almost half a second before impact, eyes wide. "Wow, Jess, you really need to watch where you're going," he joked. "Otherwise, I might just save you."

"Oh, would you?" Jessica snapped. "I always figured that you'd let me fall on my ass, and laugh."

Kyle bit his tongue, fighting off the retort that he had begun to form. "Geez, I thought you were supposed to be happy after getting laid. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. You just startled me, is all."

"Ah."

Jessica frowned. She had been expecting more from him. "Well, I was heading for the fire, so I could get something to eat. Want to join me?"

"… Okay. I could use the ragging, by the way. Helps keep me on my toes."

Jessica grinned. When he said that, he needed her opinion about a battle plan. For whatever reason, she was glad he wanted to talk to her.

It made her feel wanted.

----

Metalgreymon stomped forward, metal components gleaming dully in the moonlight.

Weregarurumon set himself on Garudamon's shoulder, so as to command maximum distance for his Garuru Kick.

Ikkakumon waddled in position, horn quivering.

Togemon stomped next to Metalgreymon, her every needle vibrating.

Izzy tapped the keys of his computer, Mimi looking over his shoulder, while Mercury scanned the forest, feeding information into his files.

It had been a rather quiet day as they traveled, fine tuning their plan. Everything else was in place, save for one thing… the bait. Izzy had accessed his database, and discovered most of the conventional methods had already been used.

So they decided on a more unconventional method… one that required for one person to walk around with only his dignity intact.

Kyle sighed inwardly. And here he was, arguing with Jessica again. So as not to bore those reading about these events from above, the omnipotent writer won't go into it. Suffice to say, it was about Kyle's choices, and his potential to become something more.

"Look!" he finally exclaimed after nearly six minutes. "I made my choice a long time ago, and unless something happens, they'll remain my choices! Now get off my back for about an hour!"  
Jessica fumed. "There's more to life than drowning yourself in liquor!"

"Yeah, and it's your constant nagging that drives me to drink!"

Tai rubbed his eyes wearily, feeling a headache coming on. "Kyle, Jessica, shut up already," he growled.

"Before we shut you, permanently," Matt added.

Growling, the priestess stomped away, while Kyle balled his fists in frustration. What did he see in her, besides the obvious fact that she was gorgeous? Deep down, he knew that she just him to be happy. But she didn't know everything about him. If she experienced what he had, she would understand his reasons. Besides, he didn't drown his sorrows away. He rarely had more than one drink.

Izzy completed the scan, grateful for the battery Vane had installed in his computer. "Preliminary scan is complete. Nine hundred and eighty eight monsters are situated in the forest. Apparently, they breed like rabbits."  
"My computer confirms Izzy's assessment," Mercury reported dryly, putting the hand held device back into her subspace pocket. "Chronogorgons, Killer Buzzes, and Graggens are just waiting for us to enter."

"Then why are we doing this at night?" Joe asked.

Tai grinned. "Because we want them to come to us. We just haven't decided on who the bait is."

"That'd be you, Tai." Izzy grinned. "We drew straws. You lost."

"Gee, thanks."

Kyle held up his hand. "I'll do it, if you don't want to. The Goddess only knows I do stupid stuff anyways. What do I do?"

Izzy quickly went through what he needed to do, including contingency plans. "If this doesn't work, we'll level the forest," he finished with. "Angemon thinks that Metalgreymon possesses sufficient firepower to achieve the desired effect."

"Why don't we?"

"Because of the fact it'll pollute the skies for about ten miles, and disrupt trade routes throughout the area. We would like to avoid that."

"Oh." Kyle, needing no further information, started forward, handing his sword to Mars as he passed.

Mimi and Lilika traded glances. "You sure there isn't any other way?" Lilika asked.

"Not really. We don't really know if this will work, either. But we don't have a choice."

Mimi smiled. "Well, I guess it can't hurt. If that doesn't work…"

"Well, we'll need a whole lot of water."

----

Kyle made his way to the very edge of the forest, keeping his eyes peeled. In order for this to work, the rest of the Alliance was still about half a mile away, which was the maximum distance that a Digimon's attack was still effective. It also kept them well out of range of the forest, thereby giving them only one target to worry about.

The plan was simple; Kyle would start singing and dancing, which was about the safest thing that they could come up with… as well as the most humiliating. Mercury had promised not to say anything, but if Jessica inquired… well, he'd never hear the end of it.

He stretched for a moment, loosening his muscles a bit, before he began to dance. His voice rang out, loud and clear. He built up speed and voice, until he was singing loud enough to wake the dead. He sang and danced for about six minutes, before he had to stop, eyeing the forest.

Nothing. Not even the shiver of a shrub.

Irritated, the Nanza warrior shook his head, pulling his communicator out. "Guys, looks like someone did this before. They're not moving," he said.

"_Damn it… well, come back,"_ Izzy replied. "_We'll come up with another plan."_

"Hold on… I think I've already got one." With that, Kyle put the communicator away… before unbuckling his belt.

----

"He's stripping," Mercury reported, bewildered. "Why the hell's he doing that?"

Tai frowned in thought, grateful none of the kids were here to listen to this. "Unless he's…" He suddenly chortled. "We should let Jessica watch this. It might help get them back together."  
Izzy shook his head, eyes rolled to the heavens. "Is the act of pleasure, or self pleasure for that matter, the driving force on _Lunar_?!"

Alex grinned. "Pretty much."

"Great. Just great. I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever desperate."

"Which you won't be," Mimi replied, nipping his ear. "Besides, it sounds kind of hot, speculating what he's doing."

"Uh… later. Here they come. Digimon, attack! Kyle, get your ass out of there, now!"

----

Metalgreymon perked up, his built in communication relay receiving Izzy's command. "Boys and girls, let er' rip!" he shouted. "**GIGA BLASTER!**"

"**WOLF CLAW!**"

"**WING BLADE!**"

"**ELECTRO SHOCKER!**"

"**NEEDLE SPRAY!**"

"**HARPOON TORPEDO!**"

----

Kyle came back to the full reality of his situation at Izzy's warning. He quickly grabbed for his clothes as made to get into hiding.

Unfortunately, three Chronogorgons had already vomited, forcing him to scramble away. He quickly got behind a cairn of rocks as his uniform melted. For the first time, he was glad that he managed to pack four more into his pack.

He had just managed to get behind the rocks when the six Digimon attacks slammed into the massive formation of monsters that surged out of the Forest of Pain.

Mercury observed the massive explosion, watching the casualty count grow. "The rest of monsters are retreating," she reported. "I'm also picking up Kyle's life signs and comm signal. Both are strong."

Jessica breathed out in relief.

Izzy checked his computer. "According to the size of the explosion, as well as the number of beasts that were out, I would say that we have successfully wiped out about eighty five percent of the monster population in there. The rest are now in hiding."

"How long?" Matt asked.

"About a month. We can enter tomorrow. The energy buildup there is enough to make even us sick. Only one more person can enter there… keep him company, because he can't come back here."

Pluto got up, grabbing Kyle's pack. "I'll do it," she said. "Digital energy doesn't mean much to me. It's probably even safer this way."

Jessica nodded. "Probably best if you did it, then. See you later."

----

Kyle looked up as he heard Pluto call out, "Kyle, are you here?"

He quickly stood up, the rock formation high enough to hide his waist. "Pluto, I'm never going to do that again," he said immediately.

"You volunteered, remember? And last I recall, the plan didn't call for you to pull your clothes off, and doing _that_ dance. Here's your pack."

The Nanza warrior held his hand out. "Well? Give it here."

The Time Senshi held it out of reach, not making any move to make his life any easier. "You know," she mused, "now I understand why women like to keep things out of men's reach. It's so much fun to know that their dignity is in their hands."

Kyle growled and, forgetting for a second that he was naked, stepped out from behind the rocks.

Pluto's eyes widened. "Oh my."

"Yes, I know that I'm a terrific specimen of a man. Now give me the pack, already."

Pluto quickly did so, blushing. "Well, I was right about one thing. You are a hunk."

"Well… thanks."

"…You know, you can't go back there. The energy from the explosion has to dissipate, or you'll cause the computers to crash."

Kyle grinned. "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

----

The walk through the forest was a great deal calmer, as the surviving monsters were in hiding. The Lunarian members of the Alliance decided to grill Kyle about his emergency strategy. He was reticent in telling them, of course.

"Let's talk entertainment here!" Mimi giggled.

"Let's talk dignity!" Kyle retorted. "I'm keeping the little details to myself, thank you very much!"

"Very well." Lilika flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Perhaps my sister and I will start making up interesting stories about you, then."

Jessica shook her head in amusement. "Geez, Kyle. You can relax. I don't recall anywhere that it was a crime to…"  
"It isn't, but I really don't think I need to broadcast it to the rest of the world."

Alex turned to Tai. "Is Earth really that uptight?" he asked.

Tai sighed. "Let's just say, there are religions on Earth that specify man and woman only. No lesbians, gays, or bisexuals allowed. Personally, in my opinion, judging a person by their sexual preferences is useless."

Kyle shook his head. "I wouldn't be at home there."

Mimi looked around. "After our time here, I don't think any of us are going to feel at home, anymore."

Jessica nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy for the Lunarian contingent of the Digi-Destined. Where Lunar lived life to the fullest, where people had a direct say in what happened in their villages, towns, and cities, Earth didn't seem so great. But they still wanted to go home. '_Probably because there's still a chance that it can change for the better.'_

"In any event," Lilika suddenly said, trying to lighten the mood, "you are as impressive as Tai."

"And here comes the proposition," Tai intoned, grinning evilly.

"No, here's where I say… What the fuck is this?!" Kyle pointed right in front of him, taking in the impossible.

Mia gasped, taking a step back in shock. "Wasn't he…?"

"He was," Nall replied.

There, right in the middle of the path, was the petrified body of Mel deAlkirk.

An impossible sight.

"What… what the…?" Jessica stammered for a moment, shock emanating from her system. "Daddy?! What are you _doing_ out here?"

"Mercury?" T.K. gestured. Mercury grasped the unspoken command, and activated her visor. She started running scans, hoping to shed some light on this puzzling situation.

Izzy notched an arrow into his bow, looking around. "Joe, accompany me. Something's not right here."

Joe nodded, the two Digi-Destined moving away from the main group, circling the area. Mimi and Lilika looked at each other. "Do you think…?" Lilika asked.

Mimi nodded. "Joe'll make you a good husband in the future," she noted. "You two think alike."

As they had their little conversation, Mercury completed her scan. "Rock face is consistent with everything I know on a petrified person."

"Then how the hell did he make it here?" Alex demanded. "There's no way he could have done this on his own."

Luna nodded. "I have to agree with Alex on this one. Petrifaction usually means one cannot move under his own power."

Jessica slowly walked up to the Statue, Kyle right behind her. Like Izzy, he had a bad feeling about this.

Nash stepped forward. "Is it… really Mel?" he asked. "Or is it just a statue?"  
Mercury shrugged. "I don't know. I'll need to run a more detailed scan, which will also determine if there are any imperfections. It'll take several hours to complete."

Alex looked at Jessica, who had stopped short of touching the statue, before nodding. The monsters would stay far from them until their ranks had replenished. "Alright, we'll rest here. Izzy, Joe, take the first shift. I don't want to get caught by surprise."

Jessica looked at the statue, feeling nothing but despair go through her. '_Oh, Daddy,'_ she thought, eyes glistening with tears. Every feeling that she had felt on that fateful day came rushing back to her, more profound and intense than before. More intense than even in her dreams. It was during those times that she wondered about the future.

She wondered if she would ever free her father.

* * *

Here is part one of what has become a two parter. Part Two will delve into the on again, off again relationship between Jessica and Kyle, as well as Jessica's mother's final days in the mortal world. Please read, and review. 

I decided against putting down how Kyle managed to get the monsters to leave the forest. I'll let your come up with your own answers on that. I also decided not to do a lemon around Kyle and Pluto, which I struggled with for a few moments. This will be the final lemon chapter for a while, until I return to this arc of the story. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this chapter.


	80. Sixty Four, Part Two

**Part Two**

Night fell upon the land, covering the sky with a shimmering blanket of stars. The Blue Star, the ever present reminder to the Alliance of home, hung in the center of the blanket. It was the only sources of light, save for a campfire now crackling on the ground.

Jessica stared at the fire as her friends set up for the night, Izzy shooting any stray creatures that came too close to their perimeter. Metalgreymon was next to him, an ominous presence to the forest. She saw Mimi scrub her exposed arms with a cloth, getting the dirt off of them, while Tai set up his tent, the leaders going in to discuss tactics, and their eventual departure. Mercury was running her scan, matching what she had with the files she had of her earlier scan.

Kyle sat down nest to her, his gaze sympathetic. "It could be a fraud, he said. "Those bitches would do anything to hurt us, in any way possible."  
"I know, but..." she sighed. "Kyle, some part of me is hoping that it is him. I mean, maybe he found a way to fight the effects of Xenobia's spell. Maybe he fought his way here, and is simply resting. Maybe..."

"Maybe we should wait until Mercury completes her scan. Then we can speculate on how this statue got here."  
"You're right."

Kyle grinned. "Sheez, Jess, you don't have to look like you had to swallow a canary. Sometimes I can be right." He leaned in, his smile vanishing. "Do you remember the time when you had just turned thirteen, and we heard your father talking to that strange looking guy?"  
Jessica smiled, glad that he remembered that. It meant that he still cared about her.

_Jessica ran down the streets of Meribia, a silly smile on her face. She had just done something that no one would have expected her to do; get a boy with a bucket of water. She couldn't wait to tell the other girls, though she had to get away from the boy chasing her._

_The boy, Kyle, was charging right after her, arms moving like pistons. He was thoroughly drenched, his eyes focusing on Mel's little girl. He was having thoughts that were focusing on one thing and one thing only, getting her back for this. He had been in the middle of joking with his friends when, without warning, Jessica dumped a bucket of water on him. It was just another in a long line of pranks that she had pulled on him, and it was the last one, too._

_Jessica was, simply put, the most aggravating girl he had met, even if she had just turned thirteen._

_As he thought this, Jessica suddenly did a left turn on the street. He followed her, gaining. He had to admit, he was enjoying this. Most women were tired by now, but she was still going strong, and fast._

_Just not as fast as him._

_As if to give credit to that, he managed to put on a burst of speed, closing the remaining distance between them┘ and promptly stumbled over a stone._

_Jessica suddenly felt a massive weight slam into her. With a shriek of surprise, which accompanied his yelp of shock perfectly, the two of them stumbled and fell right into the small pool._

_Sputtering, Jessica managed to sit up, wiping water off her face. "You dip!" she shrieked as soon as she was able. "You could've crushed me!"  
Kyle grinned, not seeing the less humorous side of their situation. He had already been wet, anyways. "Well, I call this poetic justice," he replied. "After all, you're the one who dumped that water on me in the first place."_

_"Don't remind me! I was there!"  
He stood up, helping her to her feet. "Well, I hope this teaches you not to do that to me ever again."_

_"Don't bet on it," she mock grumbled. "How am I going to get back in without my Dad seeing me?"_

_"I'll go with ya. Anybody asks, I was defending you from bullies, and they pushed us into the pond." Kyle grinned. "You see, there's nothing to worry about."_

_Jessica returned his grin. "Thanks, Kyle. You shouldn't have to do this."_

_"Why? You'll do it even if your Dad knew how you really were."_

_On that, she had to concede that point._

_----_

_Getting in, it turned out, was not as difficult as they thought. The guards were nowhere near the main entrance, doing their primary sweep of the grounds. So, dripping, they walked past two of the servants, both who smirked knowingly at them. They knew how Jessica really was._

_Jessica's mother, it seemed, knew as well. She was standing in the hallway, the stiff, reprimanding stature ruined by the devilish smirk in her eyes. "Young lady, do I really have to ask what you were doing?" she asked. "Or will Kyle just tell me that he was defending you from bullies?"_

_Jessica smiled. "Guess that's getting old, huh?"_

_"You have no idea. I swear, if your father knew that you were more like him..." She smiled, obviously pleased._

_Kyle shrugged. "She played a joke on me, and then instant karma kicked in."_

_"It was funny," Jessica retorted._

_"Not from where I was standing."  
"Before you two decide to duke it out, how about changing into some dry clothes? You're making a puddle in the rug."_

_"Oh, sorry Mom. Come on, Kyle." The young lady grabbed his arm, pulling him along like he was the catch of the day. A rather familiar feeling for him. She was always dragging him here and there._

_Fifteen minutes later, once they had dried out, Kyle and Jessica were on their way to the kitchens. Running like that could make anybody hungry, and beastmen needed a great deal of food._

_Kyle suddenly stopped, his eyes going wide. Jessica almost plowed into him. "Hey, what's the-?" she managed to get out, before he clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her. She glared up at him, wanting to say more._

_His gaze, however, was focused down the hall. "Who do you suppose that is?" he asked quietly, removing his hand from her mouth._

_"Don't know. He's not one of Daddy's friends. In fact, I don't even think he's from the __Marius __Zone__." A wicked glint appeared in her eyes. "Come on, let's listen in."_

_Kyle shifted a bit. "Jess, you know your Dad will go crazy if he catches us outside his door. It's probably a private conversation." He sighed when she planted herself behind one of the doors, head peeking around. "But, I could be wrong," he finished, joining her._

_Mel stood up, rubbing his graying beard thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever seen ye before, Matey,"__ he said, one fist slowly clenching on his desk. "Who might ya be, and why are ya here?"_

_The man bowed, his blue colored armor not even clinking. "Master Mel, my name is Joshua Haider. I am a traveling warrior who is searching for a place to live. As I was in Meribia, looking at the various houses for sale, I decided to pay a visit to one of the legendary Four Heroes."_

_That seemed to appease the governor a bit. "Well, I'm glad ya did so. Where are you from?"_

_Haider paused for a second. "I have few memories of my past, but I can tell you that I am from the Stadius Zone. I know my village as destroyed by the Heresy War, and-"_

_"Don't worry about it, Matey. I understand. Me own village was almost destroyed, too."_

_Jessica turned to Kyle. "Now I know I've never seen him before," she whispered. "Have you?"_

_Kyle shook his head. "Still no. His armor looks like it covers his entire body, but the way he bowed means he's got full range of movement. He's probably from Vane, but there aren't any identifying marks on him."_

_"Good point."_

_Haider sat down. "To be honest Master Mel, I'm not here just because of my desire to meet you. I have also stumbled upon what may be a threat against your family. A being from beyond Lunar's borders has come to claim his first victim on your soil. He despises anyone who is not human, or knowingly mixes their essence with non humans. He heard of you and your family, and is now on his way here."_

_Mel sat back, eyes narrowing. "Damn it. This bastard wants to threaten me family, because he's a racist? The people of Lunar are supposed to be beyond that!"_

_The two young people looked at each other. They both knew that Mel deAlkirk's temper was legendary, as he was a beastman. But they also know that any threat against those he cared about made those bouts of anger look like a summer shower. As such, one had to be really confidant that he or she would win._

_With an effort, the Meribia governor calmed down. "Thank you for this information, Mister Haider," he said, his voice like steel. "I'll make sure that every precaution is taken to protect my daughter and wife."_

_"And I shall offer my assistance. I know his way of thinking. I can help you with troop deployment."_

_"Thanks again, Matey. I'd appreciate it."_

_Kyle looked at Jessica, gesturing for her to follow him. Nodding, she quickly followed him back up to the second floor. Neither one of them were feeling very hungry anymore._

Jessica leaned back, remembering that fateful day. It was the start of a week that would change her life forever. She would start her journey to become the woman that she was today.

Kyle lay down, staring upward. "You ever wonder what your life would be like if your mom never died?" he asked.

She nodded, eyes distant. "Every day, Kyle," she replied. "Every day. You?"

"Ditto."

----

Izzy brought his weapon up, catching a Chronogorgon before it could sneak up on Joe. It hit the ground, an arrow protruding from its head. He whirled around, sending an arrow right into another's mouth. It dropped like a sack of bricks.

Joe turned, entirely too used to extremely close situations to be frightened anymore. "Nice shot," he said.

"Thanks." Joe turned to where Lilika was hunched over, his gaze introspective. She was trying to focus her Earth aligned magic to try and learn a new magic spell called Stone Implosion. If she managed to pull it off, the stone she was working on would suddenly become nothing more than a pile of dust. He was wondering if there were any that could heal the land.

"Hey, Joe. I'm trying to talk to you."

Blinking in surprise, the keeper of Reliability looked down. "Sorry, Gomamon," he said in apology. "I was thinking about something."

"Was it Lilika?" Gomamon asked, eyes swimming with mischief.

"Don't... don't even think what I know you're thinking!"

Izzy grinned, looking at Tentomon. "You know, I think he really does like her," he whispered.

Tentomon nodded, his eyes slightly more yellow. "Maybe we should set them up next. It worked so well with you and Mimi."

"Don't even think about it. The last thing Joe needs is for you lot to mess up his life any."

"Just a thought."

"Bad one. Remove it from your mind."

"Like you removed that night on the town."

Izzy glared at him. "The difference between my situation and Joe's is that Mimi and I were already together. Joe is still trying to get past the talking stage with Lilika."

"You raise a fair point, my friend."

Their conversation was interrupted when Mimi's twin sister suddenly let out a roar of frustration. "Why can't I do this?! I was able to master the Earth Shake Spell easily enough! Why can I not evolve beyond that?"

Mimi walked over to her. "How long have you been trying to learn this spell? I might be able to help."

"About three years. Every time, I get the rock to shudder, but nothing beyond that. I don't understand why that is!"

"Probably because you're trying too hard. Try and relax. I find that it helps when I can visualize how it's going to happen, before I attempt any spell. It comes much more easily for me, because I always fantasized about magic and the like. But, from I can tell with Mia and Nash, anyone can do it." Mimi smiled. "Remember; two people casting the same spell will have entirely different effects. One might be able to pulverize only a small rock. The other, an entire mountain. Something I read out of a book."

Lilika nodded. "I just want to do it. I don't care how powerful I can make it."

"Okay." Mimi grinned. "Come on, Sis. Dinner's ready. Maybe you can do better after you get some food in you."

Smiling a bit, Lilika got up.

----

Jessica laughed as Gomamon tried to steal some of Agumon's food, only to be stopped by Palmon, who was holding him back via her vines. "There's still more stew in the pot!" she said. ⌠You don't have to try and steal from him!"  
"I would advise against stealing, anyways," Tai added, while Nall grinned. ⌠He has a tendency of burning whoever's trying to do that."

"Except me." Palmon smiled widely. "Not that I would do anything like that, of course."

"Of course not."

Giggling for a few seconds more, Jessica found herself thinking about the days after Haider arrived, and what happened between that and the final days of her mother's life...

_Jessica walked down the stairs towards the training center, clutching the piece of paper in her hands. She had had to beg to her father to let her come down here, where the armies of Meribia trained. She needed to talk to Kyle about something._

_Entering the vast underground center, she quickly caught sight of her objective. Not difficult, as he was the one surrounded by four larger soldiers, each one battering his defenses relentlessly. He was still standing, of course, showing that he was obviously stronger than even his muscular frame suggested. '_Probably master the Power Up ability,'_ she thought, grinning at the display._

_Her theory was borne out when Kyle suddenly picked one of them up, tossing him into the two behind him, before smashing his fist into the fourth's jaw, knocking him out like a light. They all dropped like sacks of bricks._

_Kyle's instructor shook his head. "Get the smelling salts...again." He walked up to Kyle, who was sucking in precious oxygen. "How many times do I have to tell you?" he asked. "In a sparring match, you're not supposed to knock your partners out!"_

_Kyle shrugged. "One of them said that I couldn't take them out, even with Power Up. Bet an entire week of his time." He grinned. "Now I can learn the Sonic Riser technique that I wanted to."_

_Jessica grinned. He had told her about that ability, which allowed him to take out a group of enemies if they had him surrounded. In her opinion, he didn't need that, but all the same, he wanted to learn it._

_As the instructor shook his head in frustration, Kyle suddenly noticed her standing there, eyes alight with mischief. "Hey there, Jess! What brings you down here?"_

_She smiled. "Daddy wants you to come to dinner tonight," she replied. "He wanted to do it personally, but I wanted to talk to you... in private." _

_"Am I done here for now, Sir?"_

_The instructor sighed. "Yes, Kyle. I want you back down here, ready for more tomorrow."_

_Kyle saluted, before walking over to his friend and occasional thorn in his side. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?" he asked._

_She looked around. "Well, it's about this Haider fellow. I don't think we should trust him."_

_He frowned a bit. It wasn't like her to be paranoid, but the last time she had had a bad feeling, Mel had almost lost her to an assassin. "Have you told your father?"_

_"I did, and he's actually heeding me this time. Haider hasn't returned to the mansion, however, so Daddy decided to change the guards around a bit. He placed them in hiding, thought near critical areas. He'll have Mom in her room, and I'll be there as well, with my favorite mace in hand."_

_"You mean, the one you used when that one guy tried to molest you?"_

_"Yep."_

_"You're truly a sadistic kind of being, Jess."_

_"Get it from my old man. So, what do you say about dinner?"_

_Kyle thought about it for a second, trying to think about what Mel would want to talk to him about. Finally, though, he nodded. "Okay. I don't have anything planned that I can't do tomorrow morning. Just let me get a shower in, and I'll be up in a few."_

_Jessica managed to contain her squeal with difficulty. "I'll let Daddy know!" she said, running to the stairs, and up them. Oh, she was going to enjoy this dinner!  
----_

_"I'm certainly glad that you could join us," Joyce said, her smile wide. "Jessica has been talking about how your literary skills have grown since last month."_

_Kyle returned her smile, feeling at ease with Jessica's mother. She simply radiated that kind of tranquility that could soothe even the stoutest warrior's heart. It apparently had worked on Mel, after all. "Well, I'm always eager to learn something new," he replied, "especially since I never learned anything of any import from my father."_

_"Yeah, the bleedin' dog." Mel finished his jug size glass of ale, before picking up his chicken wing. "Yer instructors tell me that you managed to learn several advanced techniques before the rest of your class, and that ye managed to break several fights up without throwing a single punch."_

_Kyle shrugged. "I'm just remembering what happened to me in the past. A petty squabble between friends, or rivals, isn't worth the time, when there are more important things to focus one's energies on."_

_"You're absolutely right." Jessica put a piece of meat into her mouth, chewing delicately. "To be perfectly honest, I'm always amazed at how you've managed to separate your warrior side from the part of you that wants to make peace with everybody."_

_Joyce nodded. "I must agree with Jessica on this, young man," she said. "You have managed to do something few soldiers can do. It is a rare accomplishment."_

_Kyle nodded, satisfied. "I've always done that. Never could understand how, but there you have it." He leaned forward. "Sir, to be perfectly honest, you didn't invite me just to hear about my development as a warrior and scholar. You want something."_

_Mel let out a good belly laugh, causing three of his subordinates to jump in surprise. "That's why I like, ye, matey!" he bellowed. "Ya don't beat around the bush!" He leaned in. "In about five months time, the commander of the Nanza Outpost will retire. I was thinkin'... that you'd be just the right person ta replace him."_

_"What? Me, taking Cashion's place?"_

_"Well, he's been talkin' about goin' home ta Burg, and I want to put someone I can trust in his place. You, I trust."_

_Kyle looked at Jessica, saw the surprise on her face. "Well, I don't know if I'll be ready for the spot when he retires," he said. "But... sure. I'm always game for a challenge."_

_"Good! I'd really hate to have to screen through a bunch of sissies!"_

_Jessica grinned, almost dropping the little goody-goody two shoes routine. "Congratulations, Kyle!" Impulsively, she leaned in, kissing him on the cheek. "You deserve it!"  
Kyle mumbled a thank you, cheeks a little more pink than he would have liked. '_Since when did I blush because a girl kissed me on the cheek?'_ he asked himself. '_Especially Jess here? It doesn't make sense!'

_Sadly for him, it made more sense than he realized._

_----_

_Jessica was climbing into bed when someone knocked on her door. Wondering who it was, she threw her dressing gown on, and went to answer it._

_Joyce was on the other side, smiling knowingly. "How long have you liked him, dear?" she asked._

_The young woman choked for a moment in surprise, blushing scarlet. "W-what do you mean?" she managed to get out._

_"Kyle, young lady.__ You can fool your father, but not me."_

_"... Since last year, when he showed up in Meribia."_

_"Ah." Joyce entered the bedroom, sitting down on her daughter's bed. "I can't say that I'm surprised. He is quite the handsome individual, and extremely smart, as well."_

_"He's been hurt, though. You know what his father did to him and his little sister."_

_"I know. The Goddess only knows that I know. I have no doubt in my mind that if your father had had his way, he would have killed the man while he had him in his grip."_

_"But that would have been wrong. If Daddy had his way, he would have done a lot of things, like killing people when he was a pirate. He earned his reputation through pillaging, not massacring innocent people. He loved Meribia too much to stain its streets with blood."  
"Too true. Anyways, when are you going to tell him?"  
"... I have no idea if I can. Daddy's going to send me to the __Goddess__Tower__, so I can learn healing magic, like you did, and he's sending him to the Nanza Barrier. We'd rarely see each other."_

_Joyce smiled. "I'll take seeing him rarely over never seeing him any day."_

_"You would," Jessica mused, remembering her mother's explanation about her father's courtship. It had gone on for about six years during the end of the war. The number of times she had seen him didn't even require one hand. "I'll tell him tomorrow, when we're all awake."_

_"Excellent idea."__ The older deAlkirk kissed her daughter's cheek. "You better go to sleep. You'll need your rest for tomorrow's confession."_

_Jessica smiled. "Yes, Mom." She got under the covers as her mother got up, eyes already closing preparation to dream. It wasn't difficult to know what she would dream about, either._

_Nor did she know that it would the last time she would ever see her mother alive._

Jessica brushed a few stray tears from her face, thinking about how naОve she had been back then. The conversations she had had with her mother in those days were those of a star struck girl. She had evolved considerably since those carefree days.

Finishing her dinner, she handed her bowl to Matt, who took it over to the official dish washer for the day, Mina. It had been one of the things they had agreed on, since they were on the road, that one person would be responsible for cleaning up after they had eaten. Jessica had done it yesterday, so she didn't envy the Venus Princess any.

Kyle watched her for a moment, seeing how her smile slowly vanished from her face. He had always liked her better when she smiled. It showed that she wasn't angry, or worried. Since her face hadn't twisted into that level ten glare of hers, he was leaning toward the later.

Abruptly, Jessica got up, heading for her sleeping roll. From the looks of it, she didn't have anything better to do.

Kyle quickly followed her, not wanting her to be by herself. When she was by herself, she had a tendency to become withdrawn, and that made it more difficult to deal with her.

Jupiter looked around. "How much longer, Ames?" she asked.

Mercury looked up. "Another two hours." Her gaze fell upon Jessica. "Greg, could you keep an eye on this?" she asked.

Greg nodded. "Sure. Do you need to take a leak?"

"No. I just need to talk to a friend about something. That's all." She handed the computer to her boyfriend, giving him a quick peck on the lips that spoke of great promise, before heading over to Jessica and Kyle, both who were now talking quietly to each other. From the looks of it, he was giving her emotional support. "Hey there," she said, getting their attention. "Sorry if I'm interrupting something important."

"No, no... don't worry about it." Jessica looked up. "What can I do for you?"

Well... I wanted to see how you were doing. It looks like Kyle had the same idea." She sat down, eyeing the priestess and warrior for a moment. "Whenever I see you two talk about Mel, I see the same worried look enter your eyes."

Kyle nodded, not even bothering to make some excuse. "Mel's pretty much all either of us have left. My sister's back at home, and my parents... I haven't spoken to my father since I was five. My mom vanished, according to popular gossip. Father never said anything."

"And you, Jess?"

Jessica smiled sadly. "Well, my mother always knew that I was a lot like Daddy, and did nothing to dissuade me from it. She always wondered why I acted more like her in his presence." Her smile fled her face. "I never got the chance to tell her why..."

_Jessica was in the middle of a very pleasant dream when the feeling of someone shaking caught her off guard. Moaning, she opened her eyes to see.. "Haider," she croaked._

_Haider looked at her, his eyes bright with worry. "Someone has managed to penetrate the defenses. His compatriots were stopped, but he managed to escape."_

_"My parents...?"_

_"Your father is fine. He managed to catch him before he got far, in fact."_

_She still wasn't fully awake, but she noticed the fact that he hadn't told her about her mother. "What about my Mom?"_

_Haider didn't say anything. It was enough for her to stumble out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown. She was out of her room, making for the downstairs._

_Mel met her halfway, his gaze stricken. "Yer mom, she's..." Without saying another word, he guided her to their room. He let Jessica enter first, then followed._

_There on the bed, in her favorite nightgown, lay Joyce. Her eyes were closed, and her face peaceful... an effect ruined by the blood in her gown, and the knife still in her chest. No one had to say anything. It was perfectly clear._

_Trembling, Jessica walked up to the bed, looking at the body that had once been one of the most important people in her life. "How...?" she asked. "How could this have happened?"  
"That's easy. I failed to take every contingency into account." Haider had appeared at the door. "In my desire to help your family, I inadvertently left them open to attack. An assassin had been sent with the attack force. While the guards dealt with them, he had come in via another corridor, and made his way here. By the time the alarm had been sent out, he had already made it here. Your father woke up, a mere moment after he had..."_

_Mel had turned around, his beard already becoming soaked with his tears. "I... I never knew... I couldna imagined they would do this. Why? Why me wife? Why not me?" In fury, he turned around, punching a wall with all of his strength. "Why not me?!" he bellowed._

_Jessica stared at the face of her mother, memorizing her face. She had been in denial ever since Haider had told her. "You can't be dead," she whispered, so no one could hear her. "Please, you can't be dead."_

_The stress of what had just happened, coupled by the misery that everyone in the room shared, Jessica let out a primal bellow of grief, one that matched her father in intensity and volume, before collapsing at her mother's side, crying._

_From the door, Kyle watched, his own eyes misty from unshed tears. He didn't say anything, just watched the scene, feeling his heart go out to his friend. No one should have to lose their mother like this... ever. Especially one who was as beloved as Joyce._

_He was torn between leaving them to their sorrow, and walking in to offer his condolences, when the decision was taken out of his hands. Jessica stood up, and literally flew to him, attaching herself to him, sobbing. Hesitantly, he hugged her, holding her close, letting her cry. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."_

_Jessica looked up at him. "You did everything you could," she replied. "There wasn't anything else you could do." She put her head back into his chest, keeping him close. "You did more than anyone would have thought possible. And... thank you for staying."_

_Kyle looked at her, then at the bed, where Mel was still crying, holding his wife's body close to him.__ "We find who did this, I'll make sure you and your father have first dibs in beating him to death."_

_Jessica nodded. "I'll take that offer," she whispered savagely. "So, may our enemies beware."_

"We never found out," Kyle replied. "Jessica soon went to the Shrine to study healing magic, while I went to the Nanza Barrier. We both kept our eyes and ears open for two years, before finally giving up."

Amy nodded, understanding dawning. If anything happened to her mother, she would probably do the same thing. "Is this why you're always so withdrawn where your father is concerned?" she asked. "Because you don't want him to worry about you more than he already does?"  
Jessica nodded. "He's all I have left of my family. My grandparents both dies when I was young, and I don't have any siblings."

"I know how that feels..."

The conversation died after that, as they both remembered the family they did have. It was something that Amy did on a number of occasions.

The moment was shattered when Mercury's computer blinked. Becoming the Senshi again in heart and soul, she was there, looking the readings over. "Well, that confirms it. This is a stone statue. I can't get anything else out of it."

"So we can't tell if this is really Mel, or a fake?" Nash asked.

"Sorry."

Jessica walked towards the statue, now even more worried than before. To not know whether or not this was her father was not a good thing.

Izzy sighed, looking around. He needed to do another patrol around the border of the camp. Getting up, he collected Joe along the way, heading for the tree line.

Kyle walked forward until he was next to Jessica, his hand on his katana blade. The bad feeling he had had all day was slowly intensifying.

Jessica was about to reach out and touch the statue when, to the shock of everyone present, the statue spoke. "_Jessica... my dear Jessica..."_

"Daddy?" Jessica took a step forward as everyone stood up in shock. "I'm here, Dad!"  
Tai looked at Darien. "It sounds like him."

"Unfortunately, we know how well the Vile Tribe can act," Darien replied.

The statue was silent for a moment longer, before it spoke again. "_Please... please don't leave me here... It's so dark... so lonely..."_

Lilika suddenly looked around, feeling something pass through her. She turned to her sister, who nodded, letting her know that she felt it. She turned to Jessica.

Kyle, however, was already moving. "Jessica, look out!" With a powerful shove, he forced the priestess to the ground.

Mimi gasped, taking a step back as Tai suddenly became stone... as all of the Alliance became stone, save for the three half breeds.

Izzy suddenly turned around, hearing Mimi's cry of shock. His eyes widened at the sight of what had happened, before they narrowed.

Jessica took a step back, her mind suddenly flashing back to that day in Meribia...

_Mel turned his attention to his only daughter, who was currently holding mace, dripping blood. In that instant, he realized how much she was like him in combat. And it made him fearful. "This is too dangerous, Jessica! Go and get out of here!"_

_"But..."_

_"This is wonderful!" Xenobia crowed, bringing her hand up quickly, energy collecting in her palm. "Now I get to eliminate you all in one swift blow!" She pointed her hand in the direction of Jessica, firing a spell at her._

_Mimi and Matt got in front of her, Mimi ready to create a shield, and Matt getting ready to charge... except for one thing._

_Mel, acting on his fatherly instincts, threw himself at his daughter, shoving her and the two Digi-Destined out of the way. His momentum wasn't sufficient to get him out of the way of the blast, though, and he took it in the side._

_Jessica's head snapped in the direction of her father's scream, hearing the heart rending pain behind it. "Dad!" she screamed, knowing that it would do no good._

_Mel stood up fully, staying in the way of the attack, shielding the three of them from its effects. "Alex..." he gasped, using the last of his strength, "take care... of... my... daughter..."_

_And, before the horrified eyes of the Digi-Destined, Jessica, the Six, and Alex, Hell Mel, the last of the Four Heroes, fell. His flesh turned to stone, his expression forever locked in an expression of insurmountable pain._

Joe turned to Izzy. "Why is it that you're never wrong?" he asked.

"It's a blessing and a curse, sometimes." Izzy brought his bow up. "Mimi, Lilika, are you two okay?"

"We're fine. So is Jessica!" Lilika looked around. "Which is more than I can say for our friends."

Jessica stared at Kyle's petrified form. "What... what have you done to them?!" she whispered. "What did he do to them?!"

Mimi put her hand on Tai, sensing the energy flowing through his body. After a moment, she stepped back. "Great Goddess above, give me the power to break this evil spell!" she intoned.

Jessica brought her hands up, focusing all of her power into them. "Help me, Althena! Give me the power to break this spell!"  
The sheer healing power of the two de-petrifaction spells washed over their respective targets, bathing them in luminance for a moment. When it faded, they saw that they had had no effect.

Izzy had an arrow now aimed at the Statue. "Alright, whatever you are, release our friends, now!"  
"Ah, maybe not the best idea to threaten him, Izzy!" Joe stated quickly.

The Statue didn't move. Nor did anything else.

But a powerful wave of energy suddenly smashed into the two Digi-Destined, knocking them off their feet.

The Tachekawa twins quickly ran over to them. "Guys, can you hear me?" Mimi shouted, slapping her boyfriend's face. "Come on, don't you two go to sleep now!"  
Lilika checked Joe's pulse, found it beating regularly, and breathed again. "They're both alive, sister," she said in relief.

Jessica dropped to her knees, grief choking her. "Not again... not again... First, my father, now my friends... Kyle... I've lost almost everyone I cared about."

Izzy finally caught Mimi's wrist. "I'm okay, Mimi," he croaked. "Where's the Statue?"

Still over there. It hasn't moved."  
That quickly changed when, to the shock of everyone present, the head slowly turned in Jessica's direction. "_Come to me, Jessica," _it said slowly. "J_oin me... join your friends. You will never be alone..."_ It stretched a hand out.

Izzy quickly grabbed his bow and arrow, re-notching. "Joe, you and Lilika get Jessica, and get out of here!" he ordered. "Mimi and I will handle this monstrosity!"  
"Understood, Izzy. And... Jessica, no!!!" Lilika shouted.

Jessica was slowly reaching for the statue's outstretched hand, tears glistening on her face. Lilika's warning didn't even penetrate her consciousness. All she could feel was grief and failure. She didn't want to be alone.

The four warriors started forward, though it was a futile gesture. She was too close to the statue. They would never make it in time.

And the statue that was Kyle began shaking.

Jessica stopped just short of touching the statue's hand, turning her attention towards the impossible. "Kyle?" she whispered, a ray of hope piercing the clouds.

The shaking continued to increase in intensity. Cracks appeared all over the body.

And, with a bellow of fury that would do the legendary beastman proud, Kyle of Nanza broke free of his petrified prison, his blade glinting in the moonlight. "I don't know what you are," he growled, "and I don't care! All I know is that you are not Mel! Mel would never ask his daughter to join him in death!" He stepped up. "I'm gonna send you to the stone heap where you belong, you rocky rat bastard!"  
Izzy grinned. "Prodigious! People, let's do this!"

The stone impersonator pulled his axe off of his back, growling something incomprehensible as it readied itself.

Kyle brought his sword up. "_Power Up!"_ he bellowed, focusing his magic inward. Instantly, a surge of strength went through his body.

Izzy was already moving, firing several arrows at the creature. They merely bounced off its thick form. Undeterred, he brought his sword to bear.

The impersonator quickly blocked the attack, its massive fist slamming into Izzy with enough force to fold him in half. A massively large kick knocked him back several feet.

Mimi leaped up, slamming into the creature's face with both feet. Cracks began appearing on the upper body of the creature. At that moment, the fist that had hit Izzy opened up, lazily backhanding Mimi. She hit the ground, blood running from her mouth. With a look of impassive triumph on its face, the impersonator raised its axe.

"_Sonic Riser!"_ Kyle brought his blade down at four times the speed of sound, causing a concentrated shockwave to emerge, shooting forward. It knocked the axe away, bringing with it the added gift of breaking that arm clean off its body. Kyle charged forward, hoping to take advantage.

The creature, however, lashed out with a kick, catching the stalwart warrior in the knee. With a cry of agony, Kyle dropped to the ground, his equilibrium shattered.

_"Kyle!"_ Jessica was quickly at his side, waiting for him to locate the two pieces of bone, and realigning them as best he could. "Joe, Izzy, I need you two here!" she shouted.

Izzy had his computer out as Joe arrived. "Lilika, keep him busy!" he shouted.

Lilika obliged, a roundhouse kick smashing into the monster's side. She followed that with a torpedo attack, knocking it through a tree.

Izzy scanned the leg, getting a look at the fracture. "Love this stuff," he muttered. "Okay, Joe, you're going to have to cut the leg open." He pulled his knife out. "Can your magic sterilize this?" he asked.

Jessica nodded, touching the blade. With a small burst of power, she purified it. "Okay, do your thing, Joe."

Joe took a deep breath, before making an incision. "Izzy, I want you to keep both sides peeled back for as long as you can," he said. "Jessica, as soon as I place the two piece together, perform the spell, got it?" He returned to what he was doing. "Here we are... okay, now, here we go." Reaching in, overriding his phobia for unknown diseases, he slowly set the bone together.

Izzy kept an eye on his screen. "Okay, there it is. You did it, Joe. Jessica, now if you please."

"_Althena, lend me your power! Heal Litany!"_ Jessica quickly healed the bone, watching the break disappear, until it was as if it had never been there. She waited until Izzy had brought the two flaps of skin together, before healing that as well.

Kyle flexed his leg slowly, feeling nothing that could be connected to his injury. He was on his feet in an instant, looking for the impersonator.

Lilika dropped back as the monster swung at her, panting. She really hated creatures like this. She braced herself as it came stomping towards her.

Joe's whip wrapped around its leg. The boy pulled back with all of his might. Mimi quickly slammed into the monster, disrupting its equilibrium even further. Jessica joined Joe in pulling, her beast strength much more than his. And she was angry, which was more than enough incentive to break something. Working together, the three of them managed to finally topple him.

Kyle leaped up, and came down, blade glowing with power. "Time to finish this sculpture! _Power Slash!"_ he bellowed. His aim was true, cutting the thing in half.

Jessica looked down at it, watching it struggle to rise. "It's trying to get back up!"

Lilika looked at it as well, eyes slowly glowing gold. "No it will not!" she replied. "Let's rock! _Stone Implosion!"_

The statue stopped moving, locking up. Then, to the surprise of those still free, every part of it began to tremble. The trembling began to grow into intensity, becoming shaking, until┘

It imploded in on itself, becoming nothing more than fine dust.

Joe turned to her in surprise. "Looks like you finally did it," he said in understatement.

Lilika nodded, a small smile of disbelief appearing on her face. "I guess I just needed added incentive to do it."

"And it looks like with its destruction, the spell was shattered," Izzy added, grinning.

Agumon quickly whirled around, nothing to show that he had recently been little more than a statue. "Who? What? Where?" he got out, shocked. "Where's the Statue?"  
"Fine dust. He won't be bothering us anymore."

All of them were silent for a moment, as Mimi checked each and every single one of them. It looked like the spell had been activated by Jessica's proximity to the impersonator.

Jessica was trembling with barely suppressed rage. She had been duped, used, and humiliated. "Whoever was responsible for this," she said, her voice so low, the very ground trembled from her fury, "will die slowly, and painfully."

"Curse you!"

Royce appeared before them all, seething. Her gaze settled on Jessica and Kyle, both who had turned immediately. "I made a mistake of underestimating you!" she snarled. "Then again, how was I to know that you could shatter the spell with a simple primal scream?!"

Kyle stepped in front of his friend, fists balled up. "You have gone way too far this time, you bitch! When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish you had never been born!"  
"A tempting offer, barbarian, but I'll pass. But when next we meet, you will be the one who will wish he had never been born." She vanished, just as Mimi launched a lightning attack.

Jessica glared at the spot the demon Seer had occupied, before turning to Kyle. "Why?" she asked.

"It was nothing... really." The man grinned. "Besides, it felt great beating up your Dad!"  
"I'll bet it did!" She smiled softly. "Still, you saved my life. Thank you."

"So you'll get off my back?"

"Not a chance."

"Good. I'd miss that."

"Well, now that that's settled..." Tai grinned. "Good job, Joe. You didn't vomit." He chuckled as Joe's eyes widened. "I was petrified, but not asleep. I saw what you did. Now you know why I call you Good Ol' Reliable Joe."  
Joe relaxed, cracking a grin. "It felt great, being able to do that, but I couldn't have without Jessica's or Izzy's help. Lilika's got a mean right foot, too."

Everyone laughed as they got ready to turn in for the night, unaware that someone was watching them.

Jane sighed, shaking her head in amusement. Things never changed.

And here is the end of the two parter. I now return my attention back to Hogwarts, where the school gears up for Christmas, and Harry gets the Marauder's Map. However, there will also be a situation that will arise within the school, one that will require Padme's skills to solve. So please review.

Well, it certainly has been an interesting chapter to write. I'm literally thinking this up as I go along, so bear with me. Well, good day to you all.


	81. Episode Sixty Five: Hogsmeade plans

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Sixty Five: Christmas Preparations**

"Okay, mates!" Wood shouted, as night began to fall on the school. "That's enough for one day!"

"We'll bloody agree with that!" Fred shouted angrily. "You had us up here the whole day, after all! We'll be lucky if we can walk!"  
Harry, though he didn't admit it, felt the same way. Twelve hours, with only one stop for lunch, was way too much.

There was a reason why he and the rest of the Gryffindor team were on their brooms for such an extended length of time. It was due to the fact that they weren't out of the running for the Quidditch House Cup. Ravenclaw's decisive victory over Hufflepuff had assured them of that. Therefore, on Saturday for the last two weeks, Wood had put his team through their paces. He would have done so all week, had it not been for school and the SGC. Harry and McGonagall had double teamed him on that, telling him to rein it in.

_'We should have told him to limit the number of hours we trained on Saturday,'_ he thought wryly, as his Shooting Star touched down. He really needed to get a new broom as quickly as possible, and something that didn't feel like it would throw him off at the slightest provocation.

Heading over to Madame Hooch, he handed her the broom. "When's the last time the school took a look at these brooms?" he asked.

Hooch blinked in surprise. "About six years ago. They have a life expectancy of fifty years."

"Yeah, well this one felt like it was going to snap in half under my weight. I think you need to check them again, and probably order new ones." With that said, the young warrior started for the castle, anxious to take a shower.

Hermione caught up with him along the way, grinning. "I hear that your team captain is pushing you harder than he should. Anything you want me to do?" she asked.

Harry grimaced. "Yeah, order me some new legs. These one's are out of warranty."

His best friend laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Can't do that, but I can give you some friendly advice. Take a bath. I think you'll find that it does wonders for sore muscles."

"Thank you for the friendly advice. I'll give it a try." Harry looked around. "Where's Ron?"

"In the SGC, looking over one of the weapons. I think he'll make a good Auror in the future."

"If he doesn't blow the installation off the face of the school. Is dinner ready?"  
"Almost." Hermione smiled. "I have a question to ask, and you don't have to give me an answer… How would you like to go to Hogsmeade next weekend?"  
Harry almost, _almost_, jumped for joy, but one thing held him back. "Can't. I don't have parental consent. Mom and Dad have been a tad too busy, and who would believe them?"  
"… You raise a good point. But, don't worry," she patted him on the shoulder, "because you will find a way around this."

The young man grinned as the two of them entered the school, avoiding Filch due to the mud they had just trekked through. Neither one of them wanted the aggravation.

----

Padme finished up her daily report, rubbing the back of her neck fretfully. Negotiations between the Republic and the Ministry of Magic were a pain in the rear, especially with the Minister's Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge. She could not have asked for a more irritating presence.

Threepio walked up to her, a cup in one hand. "Here is you tea, Miss Padme," he said. "I do hope it meets your approval."

Padme took the cup, thanking her friend gratefully, before taking a sip. "This is good. Did the House Elves make this?"  
"Oh, yes. They also gave Artoo an oil bath. Who would have thought they were skilled in taking care of droids as well as cooking?"  
"Cleaning is part of their duties. They apparently read everything about cleaning you two." Padme grinned, leaning back. "I'm going to be in the bath. Make sure no one interrupts me in my bliss, save for Anakin."

Threepio bowed. "I shall certainly do my best."

Still smiling, the Republican Ambassador made her way to her bedroom for her towel and a robe.

_McGonagall to Ambassador Amidala."_

Sighing, Padme stopped, grabbing her communicator from her dresser. "Go ahead, Minerva," she said.

_"Sorry to interrupt, but I would like to talk to you before you do anything. Could you report to my classroom?"_

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Just let me get into something more comfortable than my robes. Amidala out." Shutting the device out, Padme let out a rather loud, heartfelt groan. She just wanted to relax for the rest of the night! Was that too much to ask?

Seven minutes later, Padme was sitting in Minerva McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom, marveling at how much the room matched her personality. As busy as she was at the Ministry, she had never really taken the time to explore the castle. Of course, Dumbledore had assured her that even he, who had lived at the school for much of his life, still didn't know everything in the castle. It made her feel a little better.

McGonagall entered the room, making her way over to the Nubian. "My apologies for the delay. I was just finishing up on grading." She sat down. "The teachers usually go into Hogsmeade during the Holiday season for drinks, and the Minister is going to be there."

Padme held up a hand, stopping her for a moment. "I am done with the politics for this Christmas holiday," she said. "If I have to deal with someone's political agenda during that time frame, I'm going to make them eat my portfolio."

"Relax, Miss Amidala. I wasn't even suggesting that. What I was suggesting is that you unwind, relax, and take a more anthropological view of the situation. View the similarities between our world and yours."

"… … Oh… okay, I think I can do that."

McGonagall smiled, holding out a tin. "Biscuit?" she asked.

----

Wendy finished her knitting, smiling at the finished product before. She had always enjoyed sewing, and was pleased to see that her skills hadn't atrophied during the war. She had just finished a sweater, one she hoped was big enough.

A knock on the door caught her attention, and she looked up, hastily putting the article of clothing under her bed. "Come in," she called out, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

Obi Wan entered the room, smiling slightly. "I just finished a rather strenuous training session with Anakin, and decided to see if Danny has gotten back." He looked around. "Looks like he hasn't. Mind if I wait for him with you?"  
Wendy held back a giggle. The Jedi Knight knew very well that school for Daniel wouldn't end for another ten minutes, but she couldn't very well go and say that to him, now could she? Not good form. "I would like that." She sat down on the bed, while he took one of the chairs, twisting it around so it was facing her. The two of them watched each other quietly for a second.

"Well, it looks like you have been busy," Obi Wan finally mentioned. "Aside from the SGC, I mean."

Wendy smiled. "I've got an interest in cooking and sewing. My stories have become a pastime in this school, and Jane and Peter have been putting on aerial demonstrations for a number of students." Her smile became somewhat puzzled. "I also saw a bunch of kids on broomsticks, playing a sport of some kind. What is it, anyways?"  
"Quidditch. Harry plays it. Apparently, it's a combination of aerial maneuvers, some other Earth games called football and basketball, and a great deal of luck."

"Ah." Obi Wan looked around. "You know, I have never asked this before of you… is it customary for people to exchange presents on Christmas?"

"Well… yes, actually. Why do you ask?"

"Because that is all I have heard coming from a number of students here. They are on the edge of their seats, waiting for this day."

"… That's usually because they get the week off, to spend it with their families," Wendy replied. "That alone would be enough to make them happy."

"Too true."

"… I have a question, Obi Wan. I was wondering… do you even know your family?"  
Obi Wan smiled slightly. "Vaguely," he replied. "I was taken to the Jedi Temple as a baby, as you know. I didn't see my mother until I was about twenty five, and even then, it was a chance meeting. She didn't even recognize me, and I barely recognized her."

Wendy frowned. Every time she asked him a question, it ended with them talking about the Jedi Order. "The Council never kept them informed of your progress? They never let them know that you were well?"  
"Master Yoda might have contacted them once, but by that time, they had two other children." The Jedi Master sighed. "A number of us have no homes, so the task of contacting kin is useless. Besides, the Jedi are my family."

"What about love interests? I know, I know… Jedi are not allowed to love, but have you ever just met a woman, and feel something else besides the Force?"  
_'Now there is a question I would rather not answer… but I can't seem to be anything but honest with her. What hold does she have over me that makes a lifetime of training and discipline… simply vanish?'_ He took a breath, preparing himself. "Well… there have been two times that I can remember clearly. The first time was with this woman on Altair Six. She was a plain beauty, physically wise. Nose a little too flat, but her eyes belied warmth, equality, and trust. Fortunately, for the both of us, she was part of an organization that required its members to swear an oath of celibacy. We completed the mission, and went our separate ways."

Wendy leaned forward, truly curious. "The second time?" she asked.

This time, the Jedi Knight stopped himself from answering. Was it right to even think that? What of the Code? And what was this feeling bubbling inside of him that made him hesitate so?

Almost immediately, he identified it as fear. He was, for the first time since his childhood, afraid. He was afraid of his feelings. That answer was even more disturbing than anything he had faced up to date.

Wendy saw the look of hesitation on his face, and knew that he was fighting with himself. It was painful for her to watch. "You don't have to answer that," she said quietly. "I was only curious of it." She started to get up.  
"No… no, wait." He leaned forward slightly, gently taking hold of her elbow. "It's not that I want to tell you, it's just… are either of us ready to hear that?"  
Oh, god no, she wasn't. Settling back down on the bed, she watched him nervously lean back. "No… I guess we aren't," she replied.

The slightly somber moment was broken when Danny suddenly barreled into the room, attaching himself to his mother. "Hi, Mommy! I've got so much to tell you!" He hugged Obi Wan just as tightly, startling him. "I made a picture in school today."  
"Really?" Wendy looked at him. "And what is the picture of?"  
Grinning, the boy pulled a sheet of art paper out of his book bag. On it, there were a number of stick figures on it. "Well, this is me, and that's Jane," he said, pointing towards the smaller two. "Here's Peter, the little sphere in his hand is Tinkerbell, that's you, and this is Obi Wan. This one is Daddy."

Obi Wan leaned in slightly. "Why am I in this picture?" he asked pleasantly, curious as to the boy's thoughts on it.

"Well, because when you're around, Mommy cries less. She's more happy."

Now, to be honest, Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi had faced off against monsters. He had fought, and beaten, a Sith apprentice. He had the respect of the Order, and the faith of the Republic. In essence, he had everything he could ever want.

And yet, whenever that little boy smiled at him, he felt an emptiness appear inside him. It was something he was not comfortable with.

Wendy's face turned a light red, picking her son up. "That's because he's such a good friend," she explained, covering for him. "They look after each other."

"Why are you so red then, Mommy?"  
"Well… I, ah…"  
"It's normal when grown ups try to explain things to their children," Obi Wan quickly replied. "Their minds are working so fast, they have a hard time thinking correctly. That's the physical representation of it."

"Oh!"

Wendy shot the Jedi a look of gratitude at his quick thinking. "So, from now on, if I go red, you'll know what it means." She kissed her son on the cheek. "Now go get washed up for dinner."

"Okay." Daniel quickly scurried over to the bathroom that had been installed.

As soon as he was out of sight, she turned to Obi Wan. "Thank you," she said.

Obi Wan shrugged lightly. "All part of the Service."

----

Padme exited McGonagall's office, somewhat amazed by the request that the Transfiguration Professor had made. She had never even thought of what may lay beyond the castle walls.

As she was reaching the edge of the stairwell that would take her to her quarters, Cho ran up to her, breathing hard. "Padme," she gasped. "Hagrid… wants to talk to you… about something… important."

The Ambassador sighed, before making an about face. "Alright, what?"

"I don't know… but I think it might have something to do with the school governors."

"Wonderful. I have to play referee." She waved her hand. "Show me where I can find him, then."

Quickly, the third year Ravenclaw led Padme out of the school, now thankful she had had the forethought to wear pants and a coat. The school grounds were damp, the air was cold, and there was the feeling that it would snow at any time.

Hagrid was standing next to Buckbeak, looking so forlorn that it was pathetic. The fact that he was ten feet tall seemed to diminish that, though, especially considering the fact that he was standing next to a creature that had a razor sharp beak, equally sharp talons, and was capable of flying away at any time.

The giant man looked up from his petting, looking at the petite woman coming up. "You the Ambassader?" he asked gloomily.

Padme nodded. "What do you want to see me about?" she asked.

"Well… the govern'r's… are tryin' to decide whether or not I'm ter blame fer Malfoy's injuries," Hagrid replied. "I've bin off my game… the student's hate my classes…"  
"I sympathize, Mister Hagrid, but that doesn't answer my question."

"Sorry… I thought ye'd talk to them… try ter get them to understand that Buckbeak isn' a bad creature."

"… …Well, I'll need to gather information about it. What exactly happened that caused them to investigate you?"

Slowly, and over the course of one hour, Hagrid told her the whole story, about how, on his first day of teaching, he had brought in Buckbeak, a Hippogriff, informing the class on how to approach one. She smiled at the praise that Hagrid had for Harry, and felt a level of sympathy and pity for Malfoy, who had managed to get himself hurt because of his arrogance. _'I have to blame his father for that,'_ she thought, knowing that it was Malfoy's arrogance that had gotten this man in trouble.

Hagrid finally stopped his account, closing his eyes. "I know yer busy with negotiations and all that," he said. "But I really want Buckbeak ter have a chance."

Padme smiled slightly. The loyalty Hagrid showed for anyone he really liked was a testament. "I'll talk to the governors, and we'll see what happens." She got up off the log she had been sitting on. "Harry is right about you. You're a lovable lug."

"Thanks, Ambassader. A great boy, Harry is."

"That he is."

----

Harry and Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room at the same time, chatting amicably about Christmas vacation. Actually, it was more of an argument, which translated into Harry wanting Hermione to go visit her parents, and Hermione wanting to stay there with him.

As such, they were surprised to see Peter, Neville, Claire, and Ron chatting in the main couch area about something. "And what are you lot doing?" Harry asked, grinning.

Ron looked up. "The next Hogsmeade weekend," he replied. "We're trying to decide to what we're going to show these clowns when we get there."

"So Alania sent Dumbledore written permission?"

"And Wendy signed the form," Claire replied. "Jane and Peter have never been to a Wizard village, and we're trying to see who's going to play the part of tour guide on that day."

Hermione blinked. "Guys, that trip's not for another two weeks. I think you've got plenty of time to decide on that."  
Peter shrugged. "I had a question. They decided to answer it… with a six hour long discussion." He tugged down on his shirt a bit, while Tinkerbell jingled in agreement.

The two Trainees shook their heads in unison, sighing. "I see you have managed to get him into civvies, Tink," Hermione noted. "What did you have to do, blackmail him?"  
Tink jingled, laughing.

"I see."

Seamus looked at her. "Blimey, what did the fairy say?"

"She said that it would impress Jane if he wore something other than school robes and those smashing leaf tights of his."  
Ron chuckled.

Claire looked up as Parvati and Lavender entered the Common Room, both of them eyeing Peter for a moment. "It looks like the effect is catching," she said. "Girls, you had better be careful. Jane might go into a jealous rage."

Parvati smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't worry. In fact, Padma's going to help us do a makeover for her."

"Mind if I help? I could use tips and pointers."

"Sure."

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione began grinning. "I'm going to get changed," he declared. "I'll be back after you women have completed your plans for primping a member of the Darling family."

"But primping's what we all do best," Hermione asserted. "Otherwise, we couldn't get our dream boys."

"Dream boys?"

"Well… yes, Harry. What, you think girls get made up for no reason at all?"

"Do you really want us guys to answer that?"

"No!" Four voices shouted at the same time.

Harry nodded. "Excuse me, then." He grinned as soon as he was up the stairs, grateful that he had put an end to that conversation. If it had gone on any further, he would have said something relatively embarrassing. Hermione would have given him one of her lectures… and Peter probably would have had Tinkerbell hang him outside the window.

----

Padme finished talking to Dean, nodding her understanding, before heading over to the teacher's faculties. She needed to talk to Professor Dumbledore about this.

Dumbledore looked up as the Nubian Ambassador entered the break room, her gaze thoughtful. "I'm going to assume that you've been talking to the students about Buckbeak," he said.

"You assumed correctly. The Slytherins say that Buckbeak attacked without provocation. The Gryffindors say that Mister Malfoy insulted him, despite the Professor's warnings to the contrary."

"That sounds about right." Dumbledore sat down. "Draco Malfoy's father instilled a great deal of pureblood arrogance into him, making him think that he's better than everyone else… despite Miss Granger's obvious intelligence, and Harry's popularity." He frowned. "Personally, I think he's jealous of Mister Weasley as well."  
"Because of his family?"

"Exactly."  
Padme nodded, sitting down. "From what Hagrid told me, the Disposal of Dangerous creatures are all in Malfoy's hand. It does make any inquiry difficult to win, if not impossible."  
Dumbledore nodded. "Did anyone tell you about last year?" Padme shook her head. "Well, you will have to ask Harry and Miss Weasley for the full details, but suffice to say, Lucius Malfoy was the one who tried to close this school, by using Tom Riddle's diary to open the Chamber of Secrets. We couldn't link it to him, but I knew, and so did Harry."

The Ambassador shook her head, unable to grasp this. Evil seemed to exist no matter where she went… and for a man to use a little girl to do his dirty work was the worst possible crime. No wonder Harry hated the Deadly Alliance. "Thank you," he said, getting up. "When do the governors meet?"

"Next week," Dumbledore replied. "I'm planning to speak to them on Hagrid's behalf, as I believe you are." She nodded. "Excellent. Two of us will have a better chance of convincing them that Buckbeak was provoked, and that Hagrid cannot be held responsible."

Padme grinned. "You really have a lot of guts to stand up against Lucius Malfoy's influence."

"I may not be in the political arena, but I'm the Chief Warlock of the Wizenmagot. Therefore, I have a great deal of pull."

"Good point. Well… thank you, Dumbledore."

"My pleasure."

----

Jane stepped outside the school, breathing in the cold December air. She used to like the crisp winter air, because it was refreshing. When Germany began its attack on London, that winter air had become choked with smoke, and the smell of charred human flesh. Afterwards, they had all gone to the main child care center, well after Christmas.

This… this air was crisp and clean, with no smoke, no charred flesh. It was as she remembered it from the past.

The Trainee sighed. Thirteen years, and already, she felt old. She had managed to survive by burying her childhood deep inside her, becoming her family's caretaker. She had followed her father's final wishes fully, becoming extremely resourceful. She found things that no one else even noticed. She had even helped the military locate wounded civilians during an excursion to find some warm clothes for her mother, who had been sick at the time. And while Peter had helped her free her faith and trust, that sense of responsibility had remained.

Now, another war was brewing, ready to engulf them all in its acrid stench. She knew that this could very well be the last time in long time they would ever have a sense of peace.

Trudging along the grounds, the young lady had to admit that she was worried. Worried that everything she had been witness to would happen all over again. She had seen parallels when she and her family had been driven from their home realm. She was at the battle of Bajor, fully understanding what a soldier went through. Her appreciation for what her Royal Majesties army did had increased considerably.

Her musings were cut short when Padma finally managed to catch up to her, breathing hard. "You… walk… too fast," she panted, having been running.

Jane shrugged. "Trainee strength coupled with old instincts," she replied gamely. "You had to move fast, or you were more likely to get caught out during a bomb raid."

"Oh. Well… Parvati and the others are wondering… if you would like to join us in Hogsmeade in a couple of weeks."

"Well… I'll check the SGC schedule, but I'm pretty sure I'll be free that weekend. Sure."

"Great. I'll let her know."

"Just one question… what are they doing that requires my attendance?"  
Her fellow Ravenclaw grinned. "We are giving Hermione Granger a complete makeover," she said.

Jane returned the grin. "I am going to enjoy this, then." A thought occurred to her. "Does Hermione know?" she asked.

"Probably not."

"We're going to be in so much trouble when she finds out."  
"Oh, yes."

----

Ginny stared at the Christmas list before her for a second, before hastily putting it in her bag. The last thing she needed was Matt metaphorically looking over her shoulder at it, especially since she had the perfect gift for him. She had sent a letter to her mother, asking for advice on the perfect gift.

Her attention shifted to her bed, where a stand for her saber had been set up. That area next to her bed had become something similar to a shrine for it, including a small herbal plant.

It was amazing how much had changed in two months. Before, she wouldn't have even thought about swords, dragons, or anything remotely like that. But now… she felt like one of those warriors from muggle storybooks, except it was real.

One of her fellow second years walked into the dorm, looking at her for a second. When Ginny smiled at her, she returned it hesitantly, before grabbing her cloak and scarf, heading out the door.

The downside was that Ginny spent more time with the SGC, and not enough with her own year group. None of them knew how to approach her anymore, and she didn't know how to approach them.

Recriminations could wait. Grabbing her cloak and scarf, she left her room, heading downstairs.

----

Anakin strolled down the halls of Hogwarts, his mind locking onto various subjects to think about. He could never really appreciate the reasoning behind Jedi meditation, but he understood why. If not for the meditation, then the Jedi wouldn't be able to access the Force as well as they were able to. It was what made Yoda so powerful, and Obi-Wan so calm.

So why couldn't he use it to contain his own impatience?

He already knew the answer to that; his impatience… and the dreams he had been having. After his mother's death, he had become plagued with visions of the future. Away from the war, he was getting more sleep, and was able to focus better, but only an hour.

As he thought dark thoughts, the door opened, admitting Padme. His gaze shifted to her as she walked over to the window, looking outward. "Is there a problem, my love?" he asked, his own worries curtailed by hers.

Padme smiled slightly, turning to him. "It's just… I'm here, trying to negotiate a treaty between two realms, and I'm being dragged into school politics concerning that… what is it that Hagrid called that creature?"  
"A hippogriff."

"Ah. Well, he wants me to plead to the school governors to save Buckbeak… and keep him out of this Azkaban prison. He was really terrified about going back there."

Anakin nodded. "I'm not surprised. From what I've heard, that place is not a nice place to go to. It makes the prison planets in our universe look like paradises."

"I heard something along those lines. But it's only a prison… a building on an island. What makes it so terrible?"  
"You remember seeing the dementors circling the castle, and guarding the gate entrances to the schools? Well, they are the jailors."

"What?" She looked out in the distance, seeing on dementor gliding across the water of the lake. "Those feeling feeding… _monstrosities_ are in charge of the Azkaban prison?!"  
"I'm afraid so, Padme." He quickly saw the look appearing on her face. It was one of fear, but not herself.

But for someone else.

Hagrid's continued freedom was not the only thing at stake. It was the very core of his being.

----

The two weeks had passed rather quickly, considering how much the student body had to do. The SGC was at half staff as the Christmas holiday approached, the aurors being dispatched to Hogsmeade for the second official school visit. SG missions were suspended until after the Holiday season, especially since SG-1 and SG-2 were still licking their wounds from Bajor. A battle of that magnitude would hurt even the most steadfast warrior.

Harry saw Ron and Hermione off at the gate, Hermione just smirking at him as she dragged Jane with her, Peter grinning like a madman behind them all.

Resigned to the fact that he was going to have to find a way into Hogsmeade on his own, Harry made for the castle. He was also planning to continue his hunt for a new broom.

He was halfway down a third floor corridor when he heard something akin to… "Psst… Harry!" Turnig his head, he caught sight of Fred and George from behind a humpbacked, one eyed witch.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over there. "Alright, what are you two doing? I know for a fact that Hogsmeade isn't here."

"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go," Fred replied, all mysterious like. "Come in here…"  
Harry's curiosity was now piqued, following the twins into the nearest empty classroom. He heard the door close behind him, before both Weasley's were in front of him, grinning. "Okay, where is this bit of festive cheer?"

"It's an early Christmas for you, Harry." George stepped back, allowing Fred to pull something out of cloak with flourish and setting it on the desk. It was a large, square, worn piece of parchment that clearly has seen better days.

Harry frowned. "What is this supposed to be?" he asked.

George grinned, patting it affectionately. "This, Harry, is the secret of our success."

"It's a wrench, giving it to you," Fred continued, picking up after his brother almost immediately, "but we decided last night, your need is greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart. We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

Harry sighed. Sometimes, the twins could be more trouble than they were worth. "What do I need with a bit of old parchment?" he asked.

"A bit of old parchment!" Fred closed his eyes as if mortally struck. "Explain, George."

"Well… when we were in our first year, Harry- young, carefree, and innocent… well more innocent than we are now, we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridors and it upset him for some reason---"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual---"

"---detention---"

"---disembowelment---"

"and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous._"

"Don't tell me…" Harry said, starting to grin.

"Well, what would you have done?" Fred replied, remembering the day with the air of importance about him. "George caused a diversion by dropping another dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open and grabbed… this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, actually. We don't reckon Filch ever found out what it was though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"Did you figure out how to work it?"

"Oh yes." Fred smirked. "This little beauty's taught us more than all of the teachers in this school."

Harry's grin reached full force. "Alright, you have my attention. Now show me, gentlemen."

"Very well, Mate." George pulled his wand out, placing the tip of it on the parchment. _"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,"_ he intoned.

Immediately, thin lines emerged, spreading like a spider's web across the screen from that little spot. The lines began intersecting, taking shape and form, as great, curly green words emerged.

_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers_

_are proud to present_

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

Indeed, as the words stated, it was a map of Hogwarts, and one of great detail. Amazed by what he was seeing, Harry leaned forward, peering at the little spots moving around the parchment. It was like seeing the tactical screen in the SGC track ships. He also began to notice something else.

This map showed a set of passageways that he had never known existed until today. And a number of them lead right into…

"Right into Hogsmeade," Fred proclaimed, giving voice to last thought. "There are seven in all." He began pointing at various areas. "Now, Filch knows about these four, but we're pretty sure that we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved, completely blocked. And we don't reckon that anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance." He pointed to the final one. "But this one here… this one leads right into the cellar of Honey Dukes. We've used it loads of times. And, as you might have noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of law breakers."

"Right… Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it…"

"… or anyone can read it. Just tap it again and say 'Mischief managed!' It'll go blank."

"Understood." Harry mock saluted them. "I'll see you two in Hogsmeade."

"See you." George winked at him, before he and his twin brother walked away, smirking satisfactorily.

Harry observed the map before him, watching the spot that represented Mrs. Norris momentarily pause. If Filch didn't know, he wouldn't have to try and pass by the dementors at all.

But as he stood there, he remembered something Mister Weasley had once said, about never trusting something that could think for itself, if you had no idea where its brain was kept. At the same time, though, he had the distinct feeling that he had seen this before, as if he had helped _develop _it…

Shaking the sensation off, he made his way to the door, knowing what he needed to do.

----

"And so, considering all of the evidence that I have been given, not to mention firsthand accounts from a number of Gryffindor Students, it is safe to assume that Professor Hagrid did give prior warning to Hippogrif behavior, and warned the class at the time to being courteous to them. Mister Malfoy was clearly antagonistic during the class, wanting to cause some damage to Hagrid's reputation." Padme stopped herself from smiling, grateful for all of the diplomatic training she had been put through. It made dealing with stuffy wizards much easier.

One of the governors nodded. "As Albus Dumbledore had stated, Hagrid was in no way responsible for the incident," he replied. "However, according to Mister Malfoy, the creature attacked for no apparent reason."  
She couldn't believe it. They were still focusing n the fact that the creature had attacked, and not the provocation that caused the attack.

"Nevertheless, Lucius Malfoy has issued a complaint concerning it." He shrugged. "I see no harm in bringing this incident to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, and letting them handle this issue."

The Ambassador was appalled by the decision. From what Hagrid had told her, hell itself would freeze over if they handed it over to them. The entire committee was apparently terrified of the Malfoys, and what they were capable of. Unfortunately, she had no real pull in the school. So, bowing, thanking them for their time, she left the room, depressed.

McGonagall caught up with her, seeing the expression on her face. "I take it the meeting didn't go well," she said.

Padme shook her head. "They're taking it to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures," she replied bitterly. "I doubt all of the defense in the world will change Lucius Malfoy's mind, if it means hurting someone close to Dumbledore." She looked at the older woman. "The Minister is ready to head up?"

"He is. He's actually looking forward to this discussion a whole lot, in fact."

"So am I. Hopefully, it'll be a lot more productive than the official meetings." The Ambassador started towards her room. "Let me get changed into something more proper in the cold, and I'll be there in about six minutes."

The worst part of the day was the fact she had never even gotten that bath in.

----

Obi-Wan walked over to Wendy's personal chambers, quickly knocking. At the same time, he sent a prayer into the Force that he knew what he was doing.

His knock was immediately answered, as Wendy appeared, already in winter gear. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Obi-Wan's apparel. "Daniel and I were just about to head off to Hogsmeade. Are you here for that very reason?"  
He nodded. "I was, actually. From the looks of things, you have your day planned already."  
"My plans are adaptable enough. You can come along, if you want. Bring Anakin."

"He's already there." Obi-Wan smiled. "And thank you. I'm sure Daniel will like it."

"Which reminds me… are you ready, Daniel?"  
"Yep!" Daniel called out, trying to set his hat on straight. He had insisted on putting his own winter clothes on, and it looked like he was successful with that. Obi-Wan grinned, and used the Force to straighten the boy's hat, and help him get his gloves on right.

Wendy smiled, picking Daniel up. "Are you ready, Danny?" Her smile grew as he nodded enthusiastically. "Well, let's get going." She smiled at Obi-Wan. "Shall we?"

The Jedi Knight smiled as well, hoping that this is the right decision. His feelings for her were already more than he had anticipated. Meditation was useless in keeping his mind clear to the Force for long. He also discovered that he really liked Daniel and Jane, more than the Code said was really allowed. He didn't want any harm to come to them, despite the fact that Jane was in the thick of the war.

And the Force could give him no answer… more like, it _wouldn't_.

And that worried him more than anything else.

* * *

And here is Episode Sixty Five. Part Two will continue the story, as the teachers and the Minster discuss the Potter's demise, and their traitor (who we all know is innocent). Also, Jane gets a makeover, and a more detailed tour of Hogsmeade, complete with Zonkos, and a Guardian currency exchange place, will be done. So please stay tuned, and review. I starve for your input! 


	82. Episode Sixty Six: Hogsmeade Adventures

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Sixty Six: Hogsmeade Adventures**

Hogsmeade was at the maximum level of noise that any village could reach, as the student body of Hogwarts now wandered its streets, chattering in excited tones about the future. Beyond the dementor's influence, a sense of Christmas joy was blooming outward, enveloping the entire village.

In one particular place, Jane was presently sitting in a chair, hair wet and clinging to her head. "Are you girls sure this will capture Peter's attention?" she asked. "He doesn't strike me as the type of boy to like a girl by just how they look. And I thought Hermione was the one who was getting primped."

Hermione grinned. "He isn't. I think he likes you for you." She shrugged. "On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to look incredible for a hot date… which is what the Patil twins are planning to set you two on today."

"And I lied," Padma added.

The other Ravenclaw groaned. "Why does that not sound good? And why, pray tell, are you helping them?"

"Because I'm not the one getting the makeover." The Gryffindor smacked Parvati on the shoulder. "I leave you to these girl's capable hands, while I head over to Honeydukes and wait for Harry to show up."

Lavender blinked at this statement. "Umm, Hermione, I hate to break it to you… but Harry can't come to Hogsmeade. He doesn't have written permission to do so."

"He's a Potter. He'll view this as a personal challenge."  
Lavender had to reluctantly concede the point. Harry had made it his business to find ways around the rules. "Well… say hello from all of us."

Hermione gave them a wave as she left the wizarding world's version of a salon. Already, she could hear little cries of pain as Jane's eyebrows were plucked, and winced. _'Thank God I've had perfect eyebrows since birth,'_ she thought, clinching her coat tighter to her to ward off the cold. _'Otherwise, I'd be in the chair next to her.'_

----

Wendy walked alongside Obi-Wan, taking in everything around her with a sense of wonder. It was like taking a walk through the past. It was… almost romantic.

Of course, having Daniel with her was great, as where they were looked as if it were right out of a storybook. A small village, hidden from the rest of the world, living in perpetual peace.

Obi-Wan looked around, merely making note of the wooden buildings around him. "I confess to a certain curiosity," he said. "Why is it that the Wizarding World has not made use of concrete and girders?"  
Wendy smiled, keeping a firm grip on Daniel's hand. "They know very little about modern technology," she replied. "Also, they think everything muggle… people like me… is inferior."

"And yet, people like you make up the majority of the human population, and have the ability to reach your planet's moon."  
"Strange, isn't it?"

Smiling slightly, the Jedi Master turned his attention to the street, making sure to avoid running someone over. "The only time I've seen anything made of wood was when Anakin and I had to go undercover in a village of hunter gatherers. Other than that, I usually go to places with extremely massive droid armies."  
"Of course."

"Besides, I never really notice these things."

Wendy looked at him. "You mean, you appreciate these things? I figured a Jedi wouldn't do that."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'm an amateur sculptor myself. Most of the stuff I do is used in charity work. I haven't had much time to do that because of the Clone Wars." A sudden thought came to her. "Are you interested in sculpture?" he asked.

Wendy nodded. "Yes."

"Why are you asking Mommy that?" Daniel asked.

"Because… I think I can take it back up… to make her a Christmas present."  
With those words, Wendy had no idea what to say. He was offering to make her something for Christmas? He always surprised her with something new. "You want to make a sculpture for me?" she finally asked.

Obi-Wan smiled, fighting the urge to blush. "Well, yes."  
"Okay… what are you planning?"

"I'm not telling you. It's a surprise. Truth be told, I don't know what I'm going to do quite yet."

"Why offer then?" Daniel asked.

Obi-Wan chuckled, ruffling the young boy's hair. "Because I wanted to. I like doing things for people, and not just because it's my duty."

"Oh… okay!"

Wendy smiled slightly.

_----_

Anakin looked at Zonko's with a rather suspicious air. "And why would I want to play a practical joke on Obi-Wan?" he asked.

Fred and George looked at each other, than at him, as if he had sprouted another head. "Because it would be fun," the former replied.

"Sorry to disappoint you two, but I've never played a practical joke in my life. Never had the need to."

George gasped. "You've never… pranked?!" Sobbing theatrically, he placed his head on his twin's shoulder, pretending to cry. "Oh, Fred, this man's training has been woefully inadequate. What has the Jedi Order become?"

"A group of people who don't prank others, because it could hurt their feelings," Anakin replied. "And the first people I prank will be you two. Now can we go in and get that kit you wanted? I want to get back to the school before dinner."

The two twins understood easily enough that he wasn't asking for much, and went inside, him following them. He couldn't understand the concept of pulling a joke on someone. Joking _with_ someone, that he could understand, and enjoyed. But _on_ someone?

The inside of Zonko's was every bit as chaotic as the streets were. People were busy trying to finish up their shopping inside, while the work force tried to keep the shelves stocked. It was extremely fast moving, with the same old fashioned structure as everything else in the village. But there was more of a modern feel to it, as it seemed to have an actual cash register.

Anakin grinned. He had to admit, this reminded him of rush hour back on Coruscant. The chaos had a rather controlled feel to it. Speaking of feel…

When the Weasley twins approached him about finding the newest joke stuff, but that they couldn't find it, he had decided to try. After all, Padme was going to the Three Broomsticks with the Professors, and Obi-Wan was with Wendy and Daniel, so why not?

And now he had found it. His hand suddenly went out, picking up a brown case. "Is this it?" he asked.

Fred immediately grabbed it, eyeing it with delight. "The deluxe, one of a kind Zonko's box of jokes," he breathed out, caressing the brown covering like it was a sacred object. "It's supposed to have everything that they had ever created within its confines."

"Exactly how much?"

"About a hundred different items and tools, of course."

Anakin almost asked how that was possible, but quickly remembering that magic was responsible for a number of things in this world. "I'll leave you two to your new… toy," he settled with saying, leaving quickly. If he stayed any longer, he would go crazy from their collective glee.

But their antics had given him an idea concerning a Christmas present for his wife. He recalled that she liked light, gauzy dresses… or was it that he liked them on her? He couldn't remember.

_She likes the color gold, _the Force quickly reminded him. If it had been a living force with a mind of its own, it would be chuckling at his dilemma.

Suddenly, he had it. The answer was clear to him. All he needed was a currency exchange… and a whole lot of luck.

----

Ron looked up as Hermione joined him in Honeydukes. "What took you so long?" he asked. "I was just about ready to make a purchase."

Hermione grinned. "I was just helping the others calm Jane down… or tease her, whichever works. And you were about to make a purchase from the Unusual Tastes Section? Are we trying to poison Harry?"

"I thought he'd like a Blood Lolly."

"Don't even think it. Those things are for vampires, and people with dead tastebuds."  
"How the bloody hell would you know that?"  
Hermione just gave him a look that said it all.

Ron winced. "One of Harry's ancestors?"

"His Great-great Grandmother," Hermione replied, shuddering. "I swear, the woman had a stomach of steel. I can _taste_ it as of I had had it."

"Okay, how about the cockroach clusters?"

"Definitely not."

Hermione whirled around, already happier from hearing that voice. "About time, Harry!" she stated, grinning, while Ron scrambled to keep the jar from falling.

Harry returned the grin. "Sorry for the scare, Ron. I just couldn't resist."

"Oh, you couldn't resist, huh?" Grumbling, the young wizard put the jar back on the shelf. "How did you know he was there?" he asked Hermione.

"About six minutes," she replied. "Which begs the question; how did you get here?"

Harry looked around, before leaning in. "Fred and George gave me an early Christmas present. They had a Map of Hogwarts in their possession… which they obtained from Filch's office."

"With his permission, of course."

"Certainly. Anyways, they gave it to me, and I came up through the Honeydukes tunnel. By the way, how's Jane's makeover going?"

Hermione thought about it for a second. "They've probably started on her hands by now," she replied.

"Forget the makeover for about three seconds!" Ron suddenly interrupted. "They had the map this whole time?! Why didn't they give to me?! I'm their brother!"  
"Because of the fact you're simply too easily riled up," Hermione replied. "But… seriously. Are you going to show this to Professor McGonagall?"

"Not at this moment, no."

"Okay. That's all I needed to know. What about Sirius Black, though?"

Ron cleared his throat, pointing to the notice that was hanging on the inside of the store.

------**BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC-----**

_Customers are reminded that until further notice, dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall._

_Merry Christmas!_

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "If Black wants to get in, he'll do it no matter what."

"Still, it's Christmas, Hermione. He deserves a break."

"And I'm the one who said that I'd see him in Hogsmeade."

Harry was, at that moment immediately struck by how much Hermione had changed in just two months. She had really relaxed around them, and had become more liked around school. "Well, I did it. Now, shall we?" he asked.

----

Peter walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, simply taking in everything around him. He had never had any idea that there were places outside of Neverland filled with adventure and magic. Now he was in the thick of it.

For the most part, though, he was trying to find Jane. He wanted to talk to her about something important… namely, what her likes were. That way, he'd know what kind of present to get her.

Tinkerbell jingled next to him. "_You're worrying too much, Peter._"

"I know, Tink, but… I just want this first present I give to be special."

"_Anything you get for her will be special… in her eyes._"

"Fair point. Still…"  
Rubbing her eyes in exasperation, the fairy was forced to concede that Peter had it bad for Jane, and probably had had it since the first day the two of them had met. "_Well, let's go head over to the… Three Broomsticks… I think it's called, and get something to drink._"

"Good idea, Tink. Maybe I'll get an idea of what to get her."

"_I'm good at those, which you haven't thanked me for yet._"

"I'll do it soon, Tink. I promise." With a plan in place now, it took every ounce of discipline not to start flying. He had no doubt that people would probably freak out if he did that.

----

"Are you girls done yet?" Jane asked, struggling to remain still as the Patil twins continued their work. "I think my butt has become stuck in the chair!"

Parvati looked up as she painstakingly applied fingernail polish to Jane's fingers. "I don't know where you learned your primping skills, but they're woefully inadequate," she replied.

"I learned them in World War II! Besides, I was a little too busy trying to stay alive to worry about how I looked!"  
"Well, that's going to change." Claire picked up a cucumber slice, grinning. "You know the secret about the cucumber slices?"

"No, and I don't care to know, either."

"Spoil sport," Parvati said. "I think we're done here." She quickly pulled the smock off, handing Jane a mirror. "Behold the new you, Jane."

Jane took the proffered mirror, and looked at herself. "Wow… not bad."

The girl's gave each other high fives. "We have done it, ladies," Claire stated. "Now for the clothes."

"… … The clothes?"

The entire group snickered at the panic in Jane's face and voice. It meant that the plot had brought fear and loathing to her heart. They were good.

----

"Whoa, what's that?" Daniel suddenly asked, pointing towards the distance. Curious as to what he was pointing at, Obi-Wan and Wendy followed his finger.

There, standing apart from the rest of the village, lay a single shack. It was obviously run down, shuttered, and not very pretty to look at either.

Obi-Wan frowned as he tried to remember his crash course on Hogsmeade. "I think that's the Shrieking Shack," he said, recalling it with perfect detail. "According to people here, it's rumored to be haunted, even thought it's been silent for years."

Wendy winced. Knowing how the Wizarding World worked, that wasn't very surprising. It was also brought with it a rather powerful sense of deja'-vu. "Well, I hope the spirits within are either just being quiet, or have gone to the great beyond."

"That's my fondest hope too."

Daniel looked at the two of them. "Mommy, you and Obi-Wan are really acting weird," he said. "Why are you both looking at it like that?"

The two of them looked at him, saw the concern of a child looking back at them. "Just a bad memory from several years ago," the Jedi Knight replied, remembering the incident rather well. To tell Daniel would be counterproductive to having a _happy_ Christmas.

Wendy was remembering Jane's time in London, during one specific bombing. While she hadn't been present, her daughter had told her of it, and it was enough to give her nightmares.

Daniel decided that it was something all grownups did whenever they were worried, and let it drop. Instead, he focused on something else that was, in his opinion, more important. "Well, can we get something to eat?" he asked.

Wendy managed to bring a smile to bear, looking at her son. "Well, let's go get some food for that little stomach," she said teasingly. "Jane was the same way when she was younger."

"Well, far be it for us to not feed this boy," Obi-Wan replied, smiling slightly. "The Three Broomsticks isn't too far from here. Let's go over there."

"An excellent idea, Master Kenobi."

Laughing, the three of them made for the establishment, eager for food.

----

Peter looked around, trying to determine where everyone was. Neville had gone in several moments before, as did just about everyone else. But Hermione and Ron were nowhere in sight, and Jane was most likely still a captive of the Patil twins. Tinkerbell was on the verge of just going in, and he was no better.

"There you are, mate!"  
The Trainee turned around, spotting Ron, Hermione… and Harry coming up to him, all of them grinning like mad. "When… how'd you get here?" he asked.

"I'll explain inside the pub," Harry replied, looking around furtively. "And… there's Jane and Claire."

Indeed, the two girls were heading their way, Claire with a smirk of satisfaction, Jane with a look of relief. They stopped in front of them, looking around.

It instantly struck Peter how much of a collection of misfits they were. The wizards were wearing the traditional cloaks that made the Wizarding Winter gear. The muggle contingent were wearing far more conventional gear, including winter caps, gloves, and boots. Those who were from Zion, or who had relatives living in Zion, were presently wearing a lightweight coat that nevertheless kept them warm.

"So," Hermione began, grinning evilly, "how did the makeover go?"

Jane glared at her. "Never again, Granger," she replied. "Never again. Now can we go in? Parvati wanted me to wear one of my new acquisitions here… to show it off to Peter."

It suddenly occurred to all of them that she was wearing a skirt, and a nice one at that. She also had lipstick on. In essence, there was going to a pretty interesting reaction from their flying fairytale friend.

_'If Wendy ever finds out about this little conspiracy, the girls are going to be in so much trouble,'_ Harry mused. "Well, shall we?" he asked, opening the door.

----

Padme and McGonagall looked around, trying to locate their wayward Minister of Magic. "As the head of the English Magic Community, you'd think he would have learned to be punctual," the Deputy Headmistress noted.

"Heads of State are rarely that," Padme replied. "I've spoken to Mas Amedda when I was supposed to speak to Chancellor Palpatine so many times, I've lost count."

"Excellent point. Shall we find… there you are Hagrid."

The Ambassador turned in the direction McGonagall was looking at, and held back a giggle. It was difficult to, due the enormous size difference between Hagrid and Professor Flitwick. Hagrid, of course, was a half giant, standing tall at ten feet, six inches. Flitwick, on the other hand, probably stood tall at about two feet, four inches, and was clearly getting a workout, running to keep up with his fellow Professor's giant strides. And, coming from behind them both, rather out of breath, was the Minster of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.

"Hullo, Professor McGonagall, Miss Amidala," Hagrid said, stopping.

"Minerva, Miss Amidala," Flitwick said, not even out of breath.

The Minister just nodded, red in the face as he took in air. Padme suspected that the two Professors had done that deliberately. She also couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for the pompous windbag, after all of the stonewalling he and his staff had put her through the last six weeks.

McGonagall waved towards the Three Broomsticks, a small smile at the Minster's current state. "Well, I'm sure Madame Rosmerta has already intuited what we want to drink. Let's not disappoint her." She led the small entourage inside.

Anakin went in twenty seconds later.

----

Obi-Wan looked around, thoroughly amazed by the building. It was every bit as homey as the rest of the village. An old styled pub filed to capacity, it had all of the trappings of such a place, including a barrel of ale in the corner.

Wendy smiled as Daniel did the same thing. "It's a great place, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yep!"

Madame Rosmerta, a curvy woman with a pretty face, showed up with their lunch and drinks, smiling. "Here ya lot go," she said, flashing them all a ten gigawatt smile. "Hope you enjoy." She made for the bar again, where a group of rowdy warlocks were busy preparing themselves for a drinking game.

Wendy leaned in slightly. "I think she was flirting with you," she commented casually.

"Really?" Obi-Wan frowned a bit, popping a bit of his steak into his mouth. "I hadn't noticed." He suddenly looked at her. "Jealous, Wendy?"

"Me? Jealous? Honestly, man!"

Daniel, being the young man that he was, was ignoring the conversation, eating his spaghetti with the usual enthusiasm of a child.

He was forced to look up, though, when Obi-Wan suddenly turned around, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What?" he asked, turning around.

Wendy looked up as well. "Well, well. I never thought it possible. I wonder how he did it."

"Honeydukes' cellar," Obi-Wan replied, faintly amused. "I was more on the lines of Jane. I understand the other girl's ganged up on her with hairspray and makeup."  
"Oh, no. I think I know why, too."

As if to bear weight to her assertion, Peter and Jane, with a none-too gentle prodding from Claire, were herded towards a table in the corner. A romantic afternoon for two young people.

"I have to admit, when young women try to play matchmaker, they do it on all burners," Obi-Wan commented, quickly catching his companion by the hand before she could get up. "Let them have this day. They won't get another like it for quite a while."

Wendy looked at him, then at the table where her daughter and friend were sitting down, before relaxing in her seat. "Alright, I'll stay here." Her gaze suddenly widened. "Dear God, did they take her shopping?"  
"… That would be a very logical deduction."

Daniel blinked. "Wow… pretty."

----

Jane looked around, before removing her cloak. "Now try and control your reaction, Peter," she said quickly. "This is not something that I agreed to freely."

Peter nodded, having removed his jacket. "Hey, how bad could it be?" he asked, turning around.

His next set of words died in his throat as he beheld Jane. It was obvious that the girls had left nothing to chance. Her skin had been cleansed with some sort of agent that made it seem to glow. Her hair had been given some wave, and framed her pretty face perfectly. For her attire, the girls had chosen a pretty, multicolored long sleeved dress with little ruffles on the sleeves. It was down to her knees, and it fit _perfectly_. He had to make sure his tongue wasn't hanging out.

Jane smiled. "I take it you like the dress?" she asked, cheeks flaming red.

"Sorry… it's not just the dress. It's the whole package." Peter blushed bright red. "You… you look incredible."

Tinkerbell jingled happily, landing on Jane's shoulder. "_Do they do that dress in my size?_" she asked.

"Sorry, Tink. They don't have that kind of fine motor control."

"_Rats._"

Peter chuckled, setting his coat on the back of his chair. "Still Jane, you look incredible. I can honestly say the Patil twins have accomplished what they wanted to do. You have my complete attention."

Jane smiled, really pleased now. Padma was right, it seemed. She really didn't give those girls enough credit when it came to boys. "Well, I wonder what's good here."

As if by their request, a curvy woman came by, setting glasses of butterbeer down in front of them. "Paid for by Miss Granger three days beforehand," she replied, before heading back to the bar.

Jane and Peter looked at each other for a second, before turning their heads towards the door, where Hermione, Harry, and Ron entered. Hermione quickly spotted them, and waved cheerfully at them.

"We are so going to get her for this," Jane said, eyes glinting slightly.

Peter nodded. "And her little hero, too," he added.

Tink shook her head, before flying away. She didn't want to intrude on such a private moment.

----

Harry sat down next to Hermione while Ron and Claire made for the bar to collect drinks. The two Trainees had the suspicion they had done that to give the two of them some privacy.

"So…" Harry said, then fell silent.

Hermione blushed lightly, paying inordinate attention to the table before them. "So…"  
The two of them started laughing at how stupid they sounded. They had been best friends for over two years, and now they couldn't even speak to each other in anything other than a friendly matter.

Ron and Claire reappeared at the table, each holding two butterbeers. "Merry Christmas!" Ron replied jovially, handing one of them to Harry, while Claire surrendered one to Hermione. The four clinked tankards, and drank deeply.

Harry grinned. "I have to admit, this is the greatest day of my life," he said. "Being here with my friends, not having to worry about the war for a day. I tell you, that is the way life should be."

"Hear, hear," Claire asserted, lifting her tankard. "To friends and peace."

The group of them enjoyed a moment of silence that they knew could be the last… especially when Jane managed to get her hands on Hermione and Claire.

A sudden breeze suddenly ruffled Harry's head. Looking up, what he saw made him almost spill his drink. "Crap!" he hissed.

Ron whirled around, seeing what had gotten his friend's attention. "It's Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid! Quick Harry, hide!"

That was something the young man could do very well, and did so, while Hermione pulled her wand out, pointing it at one of the nearby Christmas trees. "_Mobiliarbus_" she whispered.

The Christmas tree rose off the ground a few inches, drifted sideways, and landed right in front of their table, hiding them from view. "Thank you, Hermione," Harry muttered, getting back up when the teachers sat down.

Rosmerta walked up to them, smiling lightly. "A small gillywater-"

"Mine," McGonagall replied.

"Four pints of mulled mead-"

Hagrid held his hand up. "Ta, Rosmerta."

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"

"Mmm!" Flitwick accepted it, eyes aglow.

"Earl Grey-"

"Here," Padme stated, bowing her head slightly in thanks.

"And you would be the red currant rum, Minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear. Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us…"  
"Well, thank you very much, Minister." She marched away, coming back with another drink. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" she asked.

Fudge looked around, making sure that no one was near enough to hear, unaware of the four eavesdroppers in the table behind them. "What else m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay that you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"If she didn't," Ron muttered quietly to Claire, "then security's better than I thought."

Claire managed to stifle a giggle.

"I did hear a rumor," Rosmerta replied.

McGonagall turned to Hagrid, eyes wide with disbelief. "Did you tell everyone in the pub, Hagrid?"

"Actually, I overheard a snatch of conversation, Minerva. Hagrid's not to blame. A couple of the older students are. Do you think Black's still in the area?"

"I'm sure of it," Fudge replied almost immediately.

"You know that the dementors searched the village twice? Scared all my customers away… It's very bad for business."

"Not the mention the fact that war is on the horizon," Padme added. "Those… things… are going to be a rather big impediment if we have to fight."

"Ambassador, Rosmerta, I don't like them anymore than any of you. Necessary precaution… unfortunate, but there you are… I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore- he won't let them inside the school grounds."

"I should think not," McGonagall retorted sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around? How is the Am"  
"Hear, hear!" Flitwick exclaimed, looking hilarious with his feet dangling a foot off of the ground. However, the height disadvantage- there was probably an inch between his and Yoda's heights- made him appear less dangerous. And, as his enemies knew, that was dangerous in on itself.

"All the same, they are here to protect you all from something worse… We all know what Black's capable of…"

"I'd say Mister Potter and Miss Granger would say that they are far more dangerous," McGonagall replied. "I would tend to agree with them on that. Black probably wouldn't survive the meeting."

Hermione smirked from her hiding spot. That was true.

Rosmerta frowned thoughtfully. "You know, I still have trouble believing it," she said after a moment. "Of all of the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought… I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said that you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta." Fudge sighed. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

Padme looked at him, eyes widening slightly. "What could be worse than murder?" she asked. "What else was there?"

McGonagall sighed, looking around. "I'm afraid that there is a great deal more." She turned to Rosmerta. "You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta? Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally. Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"  
Harry looked at Hermione, who was staring at him in shock. He nodded, letting her know that he knew of his father's friendship, and would tell her and Ron later.

"Precisely. Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course-exceptionally bright, in fact- but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers---"

"I dunno," Hagrid replied, chuckling. "Fred and George Weasley could probably give 'em a run for their money."

"You'd have thought that Black and Potter were brothers!" Flitwick added. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were." Fudge took a sip, as introspective as Padme had ever seen him. "Potter trusted Black beyond all of his other friends. Nothing changed after they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."  
"Oh, I know," Harry muttered. "I know."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Rosmerta asked.

"Voldemort?" Padme asked without thinking. "Sirius Black joined forces with that monster?" She frowned when everyone at the table winced. "He's wanted in the Republic for the death of four Chancellors, and more than a hundred civilians. We really have no need to hide behind other names."

"You're a far better person than us, Miss Amidala," McGonagall said.

"Unfortunately, it's even worse than that," Fudge replied, before leaning in. "Not many know that the Potters knew that You- Know- Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You- Know- Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You- Know- Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore said that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" Rosmerta asked. Padme leaned forward, also curious.

Flitwick cleared his throat, entering the conversation again. "An immensely complex spell, involving the magical concealment of a secret within a single living soul. The information is kept hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find- unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chooses to indulge it. You- Know- Who could search the village where James and Lily were staying and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potter's Secret-Keeper?"

"Naturally," McGonagall replied. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would rather die than tell where they were, that Black was planning on going into hiding himself… and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potter's Secret Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black," Padme replied.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potter's had been keeping You- Know- Who informed of their movements. Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You- Know- Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?" Rosmerta asked.

"He did," Fudge replied. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed…"

"Black betrayed them?"

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You- Know- Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potter's death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gown, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it…"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

Jane and Peter looked up as one, surprised by the outburst. "What the heck is going on over there?" Jane asked. "What's got Hagrid so angry?"

"Something Professor McGonagall doesn't want anyone else to know," Peter replied.

As if he wasn't even aware of what was going on around him, Hagrid plowed on. "I met him! I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead… an' Sirius Black turns up, in that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn't know he bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. An' yeh know what I did? I _comforted the murderin' bastard!"_

"Hagrid, please!" McGonagall pleaded. "Keep you voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? It was You-Knew-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, 'Give Harry ter me, Hagrid. I'm his godfather, I'll look after him---'" A snort erupted from his throat. "But I had my orders from Dumbledore, an' I tol' Black, no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says."  
Hermione's grip on her empty tankard was becoming stronger by the second. Her eyes were starting to smolder with each word Hagrid said.

However, Harry was introspective. His emotions, calm as any could be under the circumstances, washed over her consciousness, taking the edge off of them, making them more manageable, so she could sit still and listen.

"I shoulda known that there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn't he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbeldore knew he'd bin the Potter's Secret-Keeper. Black knew he'd was goin' ter have ter fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.

"But what if I'd given Harry ter him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friend's son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to 'em anymore…"

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Rosmerta said, "But he didn't manage to disappear, now did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"

"Alas, if only we had." Fudge set his empty glass down, while Padme finished drinking her now cold tea. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew--- another of Potter's friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that he Black had been the Potter's Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

Harry suddenly perked up in interest, finishing his drink. Now they were getting to the good part.

"Pettigrew… that little fat boy who was always tagging around them at Hogwarts?" Rosmerta asked.

"Hero-worshipped Potter and Black." McGonagall hastily dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often sharp with him. You can imagine how I- how I regret that now…"

"There now, Minerva." The Minister sounded almost understanding. "Pettirgrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses… Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later… told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'James and Lily, Sirius! How could you?!" And then he drew his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens…"

McGonagall sniffled. "Stupid boy… foolish boy… he was always hopeless at dueling… should've left it to the Ministry…"

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed with wands… I'd've ripped him limb from limb!" Hagrid growled threateningly.

"You don't kow what you're talking about, Hagrid!" Almost immediately, Fudge had seemed to grow a backbone, as he stared the half giant down. "Nobody but trained hit wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I…I'll never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep that it cracked the sewer below. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there, laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him. A few bloodstained robes, and a few… a few fragments…" He stopped, the horrors he had witnessed on that day too much for him to go on with. "Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," he began after a moment. "Black was taken away by twenty member of the MLES, and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

"Is he mad?" Padme asked. "I've been asking students at Hogwarts that very question, and they all seem to think so."

"I wish I could say he was, Ambassador. I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man- cruel… but pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. Most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark, there's no sense to them… but I was shocked by how _normal _Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored- asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the dementors seemed to be having on him--- and his was one of the most heavily guarded in the place. Dementors outside his door day and night."  
Padme filed that away for later reference. The case didn't seem to be as clean cut as the Minister made it.

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" Rosmerta asked.

"Do you think he'll return to Voldemort's side?" Padme added.

"I daresay that is his… eventual plan. But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing, but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again…"  
Hermione had heard enough. Harry's soothing emotions were no longer enough. The glass shattered in her hand, the sound loud in subdued bar. She stood up, and stepped out from behind the tree.

McGonagall caught sight of her, and stood up, shocked beyond measure. "Oh, dear… Miss Granger---"

"Why didn't you tell him?" Hermione all but spat, before storming out of the pub, almost running over Anakin, who had been trying to make his way to the teachers. He barely managed to escape being trampled, before turning, eyeing the table in question in confusion.

Obi-Wan walked over to him, confusion emanating. "What in the name of the Force was that all about?" he asked.

Anakin shrugged. "I have no idea. Why don't we ask them?"

The teachers quickly filed out, McGonagall berating herself for not being more aware of her surroundings. They were going to head back to the castle, and now they were going make sure Hermione didn't tell Harry about this… though that was a fruitless hope.

Harry leaned back in his seat. "Fascinating tale, don't you think?" he asked.

Ron and Claire stared at him in surprise. "We just found out that Black betrayed you, and you think it was _interesting_?!" Claire got out.

Harry smiled. "Let's just say I know something you guys don't." He got up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back to Hogwarts. I need to talk to Hermione before she kills someone."

"Good idea."

* * *

Well, here is Episode Sixty Six, all set for your reading inspection. We'll still be in Harry Potter for another episode, as Hermione and Harry have a little heart to heart, and Peter and Jane's date continues without any other interruptions. Please, please review! I want your opinions. They make me strong!

Well, this is simply a great story to write. Now, a good part of the last few pages of this chapter are directly from the book itself. I do not own Harry Potter, so don't hex me.


	83. Episode Sixty Seven: Truth Revealed

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Sixty Seven: The Truth Revealed.**

Hermione stormed towards the gates of Hogwarts Castle, the dementors in front of it backing away fearfully as she passed. They remembered very well what she was capable of, and gave her a wide berth as such.

Every pore of her being trembled with rage, as if the injustice that occurred had been done upon her family, and not Harry's. Black… Sirius Black was the traitor. He had betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, had been responsible for all of those murders. Of all of the things she had expected to learn that day, that was not it. A perfect day, ruined in just ten minutes.

Going inside was out of the question, due to the number of people still milling about, and going for Dumbledore's throat didn't seem like a wise idea. So, she made for the edge of the lake, to hers, Harry's and Ron's favorite spot. She needed to calm down before she faced the rest of the world again.

----

Anakin sat down, watching the pub as it filled with people eager for lunch. "Sirius Black?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "He's responsible for James and Lily's defeat?"

"Pretty much," Padme replied bitterly. "He had been the one they had relied on in their greatest time of need, and what happened? He turns them over to Voldemort."

Obi-Wan frowned, turning back to the table where Wendy and Daniel still sat. He saw Wendy watching them, concerned. He gave her a little nod, letting him know that she would tell her later what he had learned, before turning back to Anakin. "Remember when you said that you sensed evil with Lucius Malfoy? Well, apparently, he is nothing compared to Black. He went to Azkaban for treason, and Lucius managed to slither his way out of a similar fate."  
Padme sighed. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know if there is any defense that will be able to stop him if he wants to get in. He's already managed to get by the dementors once, according to Miss Chang. He'll probably be able to do so again."

Anakin could understand her concern. He was concerned as well. Here, so far from the Clone Wars, and where Obi-Wan could direct his full attention to his apprentice, he had been battling issues about himself. He knew that he was coming close to walking a fine line towards the Dark Side. "Padme, Master, there is one slight difference than before. We're here. Peter and Jane are here. Harry and Hermione are stronger than before. He'll be ready this time around."

"Again, it may not be enough."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "It will have to be," he said, getting up. "Anakin, return to the castle, and contact Coruscant. I need all of the information we have on Voldemort's attacks against the Republic." His gaze lowered. "I'm going to tell Wendy about this. The Force only knows, her children are at risk."

Anakin grinned. "I'm sure that's it," he said, grinning mischievously. Even though he would never play a joke on his master, friend, and father figure, it didn't mean he couldn't tease him. "I think you _like_ her."

If it was possible, Obi-Wan looked decidedly redder than before. "Enjoy the rest of your day," he muttered, before leaving them.

Chuckling, Anakin stood up, gesturing to the door. "Shall we, Padme?" he asked quietly, his eyes twinkling merrily. "I'll still have time after I put in the call."

Padme, whose was feeling the same, stood up. "Of course, Anakin," she replied just as quietly. "I need to leave orders for Threepio any way." She walked forward, heading out the door, with Anakin close behind, grinning like an idiot now.

Sometimes, seeing each other behind everyone's back could be so fun.

----

Jane set her fork down on plate, trying to remember the last time she had anything that was properly cooked that didn't involve house elves or military rations. Not remembering such a time, she committed this one, and the sheer taste of it, to memory.

Of course, it could have tasted so good because of the company she was with. The girls had been right it seemed, he had appreciated their efforts on her behalf.

Peter leaned forward, watching her for a second. "This has been the best day in a long history of great days for me," he said at long last. "I don't think I've ever been so happy."

"Neither have I." Jane leaned in as well. The question she had been wanting to ask for over a year was bubbling under the surface. "Peter, have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up?" she asked, steeling herself.

"…No, I haven't really. I was having too much fun. … I remember when Tink first brought me to Neverland. I suddenly had everything any child could ever want. An entire life of adventure, with no responsibility, and no commitments. If I died, I died knowing that I had had the greatest adventure of all."

She looked at him, and saw the slight change in his expression as he told her this. "What happened?" she asked.

He looked at her. "I took your mom and her brothers to Neverland," he replied. "She was on the verge of growing up, and had reached that point where she was… trapped between two worlds. I thought she was weird when I took her there. So did the mermaids, for that matter. They tried to drown her, and failed."

"Weird? You thought my mother was weird?"

"Well, yeah."

Jane leaned in even further, her lashes lowering slightly. "And what did you think of me when you first met me, Peter?" she asked.

Unconsciously aware of what he was doing, Peter had also leaned in a little more, so that both of them were closer. "I thought you were intriguing," he replied quietly. "I mean, you were the first girl ever to punch me. You were the exact opposite of me. Where I thought death would be an awfully big adventure, you were determined to survive no matter the cost. You were loyal, and brave… you put Hook in his place, and you weren't afraid to tell me when I was being a jerk." He looked into her eyes. "I truly admired you for it."

Jane smiled lightly. "I admired you too," she said. "I admired you for your courage, your loyalty… you tried to help me, even when I was being rude to you. And you helped me find my faith, and trust… and hope again."

At some point, the two of them had leaned in so far, that their lips were almost touching. Everything else seemed to drop away as they stared at each other, trying to determine which of them would make a move.

"If we stay like this any longer," Peter whispered, "we won't be able to go back."  
Jane's eyes spoke of daring. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she didn't care. She couldn't believe that she was even thinking about it. "What if I don't want to go back?" she asked in reply.

They both moved in at the same time, their lips gently meeting in their first kiss. It was brief, chaste, but filled with feeling.

The butterflies dissipated almost immediately in Peter's stomach. It felt so right, being here with Jane. He didn't understand the feelings he was having, but he didn't care either. He was in this moment, and he didn't want it to end.

All too soon, the kiss ended. The two of them broke apart slightly, staring into each other's eyes for the longest time afterwards. They both knew something had changed at that very moment, something that they could identify entirely. But they had gone from being friends… to something more.

Peter finally grinned. "Do you want to fly?" he asked.

Jane smiled, somewhat dazed. "I think I already did," she replied. "I do believe I've flown straight up to heaven."

"Well, I can't promise heaven, but I can promise a great view of Hogwarts from the sky." He stood up, grinning. "I also don't think I can do that from inside the Three Broomsticks."

She stood up as well, waiting for Peter to start walking past, before slipping her hand into his.

She was delighted when he gripped hers firmly.

----

Harry was out of the corridor in a flash, tightening his coat around his body. He quickly started down the hall for the main entrance.

Dumbledore met him halfway there, his usually merry appearance somewhat subdued. "Enjoy your time at Hogsmeade?" he asked.

"I had a blast," Harry replied. "I take it you heard of Hermione's little explosion in the Three Broomsticks?"

"Minerva has just returned, and shared the story with me. I haven't seen Miss Granger yet… which I think is a blessing."  
The young wizard quickly stepped out into the courtyard, looking around, sensing his counterpart's emotions as if they were his own. He quickly pinpointed the general area they were emanating from, and sighed in relief. She was just where he thought she would be. "I need to talk to her alone, Professor. Is that all right?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I was about to suggest that myself. Harry… I wish you the best of luck in this."

Harry nodded, before stepping outside once again, heading for the edge of the lake.

----

Ron walked down the streets with Claire at his side, watching as everyone else prepared for Christmas, as if nothing had changed in their world.

They knew better of course. They knew things that the rest of them didn't.

Claire looked around, taking in the sights around them. "Do you think they will ever suspect?" she asked. "That there's more going on in Hogwarts than just teaching?"

Ron shrugged. "You're asking the wrong bloke," he said. "I couldn't tell you what they think. I barely know what my own friends are thinking half of the time."

"I'd be worried if you did, Handsome."

Chuckling, the young wizard had to concede that point. What would all the fun be if he knew what his friends were thinking? It'd defeat the whole purpose of making fun of them.

"My father never really celebrated Christmas," Claire suddenly stated. "He got me a present, told me 'Merry Christmas,' and sat down at the table, but that was it. He said it was a useless holiday, especially for exalted beings like Guardians. I thought otherwise, of course, so he humored me."

"You father is bloody bonkers. Christmas has got to be the most important holiday of all. Not just because of presents, but because of family."

"Are you religious?"

"… Not many of my family are. I know Charlie goes to church, but Bill is never really around. My Mum and Dad used to, but they stopped a year before I was born. I don't know why."

Claire nodded, understanding that. "Taking care of your family is a full time job. Sometimes, it's more than that." She looked up. "This place is so beautiful," she said. "No matter where you go, you see an endless display of white. Pure, unpolluted snow."

"I take it that it never snows in Zion," Ron noted.

She shook her head. "It's always a perfect seventy eight degrees there, with rain every two weeks. Alania created the realm herself, so she couldn't add all of the amenities a naturally developing realm would have. Sometimes, she leaves Zion, and frolics around in blizzards, just because she wants snow."

Somehow, that thought wasn't very amusing. "Please tell me she keeps her clothes on."

"No idea. It's not like she tells the whole story to a bunch of kids who had just started at the Academy. It's a tradition that dates back generations before my grandfather's birth."

"Ah." Ron grinned. "My Mum likes you a whole lot," he said after a moment. "You'll probably get a Weasley sweater for Christmas this year."

"Weasley Sweater?" Claire echoed.

"Well, it's like this…"  
"Like what, Weasley?"

Groaning, the two Gryffindors came to a halt, turning around as one. "What do you want, Malfoy?" he growled, his hand twitching.

Draco smirked at the two of them, leered really. "I'm surprised you haven't taken your girlfriend to the Shrieking Shack yet," he replied, eyes glinting malevolently. "She could help you shop for a new home, after all. Your family all lives in… what, one room?"

"Shut it, Malfoy, before I shut it for you."

"Ooh, not very friendly. Crabbe, Goyle, we should show Weasley how to respect his superiors."

Claire looked at Ron. "Respect your superiors?" she echoed, amused.

Ron looked around for a second. "Well, I don't see Harry or Hermione about, so I don't know who you want me to respect, you blond haired git. No offense, Claire."

"Offense accepted," Claire replied, grinning. "You're going to have to buy me a great present for this year. Of course, you could also get Matt to beat them up again."

Draco's mouth opened and closed for a second, clearly shocked by how disrespectful the two of them were being to him. Crabbe and Goyle tried to keep their own expression blank, but that was completely impossible.

Claire's grin grew mischievously. "How about you little babies go running along now?" she asked sweetly. "I'm sure your daddies can help change your diapers." Still grinning, she and Ron walked past them, leaving them standing there, gaping like idiots after them.

Once they were out of range, Ron finally broke down, laughing so hard that he developed a stitch in his side. "That was great, Claire! Change their diapers!" He laughed harder.

Claire was having similar problems. "You weren't too bad yourself, Handsome! Freakishly brilliant comeback, if you ask me!" Her laughter died away, and she looked around. "Come on, I'll race you back to the school!" She turned around, taking off like a light.

"Hey!" Ron shouted, giving chase. "No fair!"

----

Hermione gazed out at the lake, seeing a giant tentacle emerge from the water once in a while to test the air, before disappearing under again. It was a simplistic way of life, but one that Hermione could appreciate fully.

Her mind, which was focused on things that it usually wasn't, picked up the emotional state of Harry relatively easy. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was looking for her, and had found her here. So, she wasn't surprised when he plopped down beside her, joining her in her silent watch for a few moments.

"How can you just sit there?" she finally asked, breaking the tense silence between them. "How can you act as if nothing has changed?"  
Harry smiled slightly. "Because nothing has changed, Hermione," he replied. "I'm here, you're here, and the world hasn't come to an end yet. Getting angry about events out of our control seems a trifle useless, don't you think?"  
Here, so far from prying ears, the young witch could finally let her emotions loose. "He betrayed your parents, Harry!" she shouted. "He was their best friend, their ally, and he betrayed them to Voldemort! You know the policy that the Guardians abide by! We don't condone traitors! Most don't make it after we find them!"  
"But we're not going to find Sirius." Harry's calm grew as Hermione's frustrations mounted. "And if we do, we're not going to do anything to him."

"Not do… Harry, Alania herself wanted to extradite the son of a bitch for his crimes, and you're telling me that if we find him, we're going to give him a pat on the _back_?"

"No, we're going to give him the chance to prove his innocence."

That simple statement, handed out so casually, was enough to stop her in her emotional tracks. Never before, in the entire time that she had known Harry, had he said something like that concerning a person he didn't like. "Prove his innocence?" she repeated stupidly.

"Yes, prove his innocence." He stood up. "I've got to tell you and the others something important. My parents know who is truly responsible for their betrayal… and it was _not_ Sirius Black. Collect only those you trust to keep their mouths shut. This has to be done in absolute secrecy… for now"

This confirmed it. Harry Potter had lost his marbles.

----

Peter and Jane flew down to the school, hands still clasped tightly. They had spent the last half hour flying about slowly, enjoying the unique view they had of Hogsmeade.

Peter smiled as they touched down, turning to his new girlfriend. "Jane… I was wondering… when this war is over, what are you going to do?"  
Jane frowned, thinking about it. She had never been one for extreme long term planning, preferring to think on her feet. "Well, I'm hoping that I'll stay here, I suppose," she finally replied. "But honestly, I don't know. I've never really had to deal with this much before. War, school, a budding relationship… it just feels like my life is spiraling out of control."  
"I know what you mean." He started walking slowly down the path to the castle. "Life just doesn't seem to want to adhere to those rules that we enjoyed so much. Our lives were defined so neatly. I was the boy who never wanted to grow up. You were the one who wanted to do your father proud… which you did, I have to add. But now, nothing's certain… except for the fact that I'm here, with you."

"True. My mother and Daniel are here as well. I'd say I'm all set for anything that comes our way. Just so long as you decide to stay."

"… I think I can arrange that."

Jane started leaning forward. Peter went down. Their lips met again. The moment was theirs.

And their communicators went off as one, destroying it utterly.

The two Trainees broke apart, slightly embarrassed. "Pan here," Peter said.

_"Peter, Jane, meet us on _Prometheus_,"_ Hermione replied after a moment's pause, her voice sounding confused, even over the device. _"Harry has something he wants to tell us."_

"We're on our way, Pan out." Quickly shutting the communicator off, he looked towards the castle, curious. "Wonder what that's all about."

Jane grinned. "What say we find out?" she replied.

----

Ginny bounded into the _Prometheus's _Officer's Dining Hall, her gaze even more confused than Hermione's and Peter's put together. "Well, I've closed the connection between myself and Matt," she said. "Now would someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?"  
Harry turned to the door. "Computer, lock and seal this room, and disengage all recording devices. Authorization, Potter 340-Delta-Gryphon." As soon as the telltale sound of the door activating a magnetic lock was heard, he turned to those assembled.

After Hermione's call to their fellow Trainees, Harry had immediately contacted Ginny, Ron and Claire, Neville, and a young Auror known as Nymphadora Tonks to meet them on the ship as well. Remus was not available, due to illness. Harry and Hermione knew the reason for that, as did Tonks, all three keeping their silence about it.

"You are all here, because of what you have read, and heard about," Harry began immediately. "According to the _Daily Prophet,_ Sirius Black is held accountable for betraying my parents on the Halloween of 1981, and is considered extremely dangerous."

"We know all that already, Harry," Neville said, now confused. "What's your point?"

"It's not true. In fact, I can tell you that I have far more reliable intelligence about the night than even the Minister of Magic himself."

Hermione and Ron traded looks of comprehension. "Your parents," Hermione stated.

The Boy-Who-Lived nodded. "Sirius Black is not the one responsible for the crimes for which is accused. As it turns out, on the eve of the Secret- Keeper ritual, my Godfather managed to convince my father to switch over to Peter Pettigrew, thereby making a clever attempt to trick Voldemort. After all, who would ever suspect Peter of being the Secret- Keeper, when Sirius was clearly the stronger willed of the two? And under normal circumstances, it would have worked."

"But it didn't," Tonks stated. Her hair, which was changing color every several seconds, was presently a deep yellow. "Peter wasn't what we were expecting to be, was he?"  
"You're right, Miss Tonks. In fact, Peter Pettigrew was Voldemort's spy during the Magical War. He may have been personally responsible for six missions going awry, as well as information concerning the Longbottom's movements." He sat down. "Your father was mobilizing the Arabian wizards to do battle against Voldemort's army in Saudi Arabia, while your mother was instructing wizards living within the former Soviet Union. Both times, they barely escaped with their lives."

Neville's face suddenly became expressionless, though his eyes began burning with fire. "Dumbledore had always assumed that there was another spy within the Order, but he couldn't find any proof of it," he said, having read the reports concerning his parents after the DSGC was formed. "So Pettigrew…"

"… was probably responsible for a great many crimes," Claire finished. "Unfortunately, he destroyed himself, knowing that Black would take the fall for his misdeeds. Azkaban must have been a really terrible place for someone was more afraid than any other Gryffindor."

"Not just that." Tonks took a breath. "I've been brushing up on Guardian law. I know for a fact that the Guardian Justice system is very forgiving, unless you betray them. They just don't tell you what they do then."

"Let's put it this way. The Dungeon's they use make Azkaban look like a picnic," Hermione replied. "Those dungeons are reserved for only the most powerful, and heinous of beings. It's where Voldemort would be if we had caught him."

The room became silent as what Hermione had said sank in. Not the part about the jail systems of Zion, but the fact that she had said Voldemort's name without any fear.

Ron looked up. "We should tell the Ministry," he said. "We need to tell Alania…"

"Tell my Mom what?" Peter suddenly asked, standing up. "That we got the wrong person? That the man we really want is dead? She'll think Black got to all of us, and modified our memories to meet his own ends."

"And she would be correct," Harry replied. "We have no evidence. Only my parent's words, which happen to fit the facts we have."

Jane gently urged her new boyfriend down, before turning to Harry. "Assuming you're right, Harry, how are we going to exonerate him, without having to worry about being declared brainwashed?"

Ginny thought long and hard. "Perhaps we should keep our eyes open," she suggested. "It's obvious that Black is preparing himself for another incursion. Maybe he'll try to get a message through to Harry. A Christmas gift from an anonymous sender, for instance."

Neville grinned. "Like a new broomstick," he added.

"Probably a Firebolt," Claire joked, earning a few chuckles from everyone present.

Tonks stood up, straightening her coat a bit. "Well however he's doing it, we'll have to be just as sneaky. We need to find a way to get a message back to him, to let him know that we know the truth, or as much of it as we have been able to figure out."  
"Good idea."

"One other thing..." Harry leaned in, drilling each of them with his stare. "We cannot allow anyone else to know of this. One of them would blab, and we'd have a real crisis on our hands with the media. Everything must be done under the cloak of secrecy. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

Everyone looked to each other, looking for doubt. Finding none, they relaxed. "We understand, mate," Ron said.

----

Sirius checked the Broomstick Shopping Guide, looking over every single broom that was within its pages. He had witnessed Harry's encounter with the dementors, and saw his Nimbus 2000 be destroyed outright by the Whomping Willow. Christmas was coming, so he figured that he might as well help Harry out with his little predicament. All he had to do was buy the broom, using money from his own vault, without giving himself away.

He felt nothing but a sense of pride for Harry. He had only seen one other man perform some of the maneuvers he had done, and that Harry's father, James Potter. He was also amazed when he saw that young girl, the one who had almost found him in the classroom, leap into the skies, catching him as if he was no heavier than a ball, and landing safely on the ground. That, coupled with the power that radiated from her, told him everything he needed to know.

Both Harry and that girl were Trainees.

Since that day, Sirius had kept a close eye on them, even going out of his way to patrol the edge of Hogwarts Castle at night, meeting up with the girl's cat, Crookshanks. He had conveyed his desires after extensive discussion, and he had finally managed to enlist him. Quite the creature, Crookshanks was, to be able to see him for who he really was, and quite clever for his half kneazle hide. The girl couldn't have asked for a more loyal pet.

As he flipped through the pages, his eye caught one broom in particular. "A Firebolt," he muttered thoughtfully, observing the design for a second. "Hmm… lightweight, designed for speed, but fifty times more durable than even the Cleansweep 800… this'll do nicely." He quickly grabbed a quill, piece of parchment, and ink bottle that he had nicked from McGonagall's classroom, and began to write out his letter. Even if McGonagall confiscated it for examination, Harry was going to have the best Christmas present ever.

And he'd be the happiest Godfather ever.

----

The Jedi Knight and Wendy entered the castle, almost completely wiped out from the day's activities. Daniel was almost asleep, cradled in Obi-Wan's arms. The two of them climbed the stairwell to Wendy's room, staying silent the entire time.

Setting the young boy down in his bed, Obi-Wan was once again amazed at how peaceful he seemed. Children were the last true innocence in Existence, as the saying would go. He had the desire to protect this boy from all of the evils of Existence, if that were possible.

Wendy smiled at her sleeping son, before turning to her friend. "All right, what was so important that you had to go talk to the ambassador?" she asked, all business.

For the next ten minutes, Obi-Wan filled her in on the Sirius Black issue, leaving nothing out. As he spoke, she seemed to become thoughtful, her eyes distant. If anything, she seemed to disagree with the Ministry's evidence.

"So Black is now somewhere in Hogsmeade, and he's probably preparing for his next sojourn into the castle," Obi-Wan finished up with. "As such, the dementor's are here to help capture him."  
Wendy nodded. "I wonder if they are really needed," she murmured, gaze distant.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Think about it. A Wizard manages to withstand the dementor's powers, manages to escape, and somehow finds a way to get in and out of the school with ease. He hasn't killed anyone, and didn't bother to stick around when it looked like he would be captured. If he had been unhinged, he would have gone through everyone, including this Ermac character, to get at Mister Potter."

"… You know, you're right. I never even thought of it."

"What about his trial? Who were the witnesses?"  
Obi-Wan frowned. Now that Wendy had pointed out the inconsistencies, he was beginning to have the same doubts. "I don't know… but I'm going to find out."

* * *

Well, here is Episode Sixty Seven, with the introduction of Nymphadora Tonks to the story. She will not be making many appearances until much later, but I couldn't very well put Luna Lovegood into this. Ginny is the only second year in the DSGC, and that's because of her command over the saber of Friendship. Chapter Sixty Eight will go to Redemption. Kes and the _Valkyrie _will attend the Starfleet funeral of Commander Worf, and discover something of great import. Meanwhile, Superman and Yugi are alerted of a possible incursion from the Deadly Alliance as they deal with Cadmus. Please, stay tuned, and review. I'm starting to wilt away to nothing.

Well, here's to the strength of Harry Potter. I read the final book, and watched the latest movie. I now firmly believe that Harry and Hermione are the hero and heroine of the story, and should have been brought together. After all, who has been with him this entire time, when everyone else turned away from him, or were unable to help him?


	84. Episode Sixty Eight: Old Friends

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**YuGiOh: Redemption**

**Episode Sixty Eight: Old Friends**

_Captain's Log Stardate 51645_

_The_ Valkyrie _has returned to Realm 9002 after dropping Mister Potter and his friends off at their magic school, as well as attending the funeral for Belle's friend, the Beast. We are moving at full impulse towards our destination of _Deep Space Nine_, Commander Idaris's former posting. Commander Cartier and myself are taking this time to familiarize ourselves with this new ship… my first command._

Kes entered Main Engineering, her eyes taking in everything with a sense of awe, as was usual these days. She had heard that Engineering was as close to a cathedral as a place of machines could possibly be, but hearing about it was completely different from seeing it. It seemed much larger than that.

Main Engineering was about four decks tall, with personnel working at various stations across the area. The Master Control Board was near the rear, with a three dimensional graphic of the _Valkyrie_ visible above it all. And here, within the center of all of this technology, was the power source that maintained it all; the warp core. It was a dilithium swirl chamber similar to the one of _Voyager_, only larger, and obviously more efficient.

Kes found herself staring at the core in amazement, remembering the respect she had of such power, and what that power could do in the wrong hands. The Kazon had proven that time and time again.

"Enjoying the view, sir?"  
Startled, blue eyes latched onto the amused green eyes of Prue Halliwell, who had managed to sneak up on her. "Commander?"

Prue chuckled. "To answer your first question, this Warp Core was designed with only the strongest materials. So much power flows through it that regular maintenance is required… but it's worth it. With this core, we can power every system on the _Valkyrie_ at once if we have to." Her smirk grew. "As to how I managed to sneak up on you… you aren't the only girl on this ship with psychic powers."

"Good to know I'm not unique on this ship."

"Well, you're the only Occampan onboard, so you've got that going for you."

Chuckling lightly this time around, Kes returned her attention to the warp core. "Every time I see this, I wonder what is happening out there," she said quietly. "How many lives are being struck down because of this. It's… quite disturbing to realize that this technology… this power…"

"Could easily fall into the wrong hands, and bring the destruction we're trying so hard to stop upon us all." The witch nodded, understanding these concerns. "That's always a risk, which is why we have all of these safeties installed. If one fails, another activates almost immediately. In fact, the only way to shut them all down is for you to order it."

"Joy." Kes looked away at long last, focusing upon her Chief Engineer. "So, how did you die?"

Prue leaned against the railing, her gaze distant as she recalled those fateful last days. "I was killed after making a deal with the forces of evil," she replied. "Like the Guardians, witches are supposed to remain hidden from the world. We were caught by a camera crew though, and had to turn back the clock to prevent the event from ever happening. Well, when one of my sisters, her boyfriend, and our Whitelighter were trapped in the Underworld, we were forced to wage war against a demon known as Shax. I was hit… and died right there, right before they showed up." Her eyes clouded over. "It took three months after I was resurrected to get used to it. It's the same thing with everyone. There's a period of adjustment, where they get used to being alive again, before you start hunting for a job in the Protectorate. You can ask Tasha and Jadzia, and they'll tell you the same thing. In fact, it took them even longer than I did."

"I don't doubt it." Kes looked around again. "Well, thank you, Chief. I'll look Engineering over more thoroughly when we get to DS9." Inclining her head, she left the same way she came. There was only one more place she hadn't looked yet… her own quarters.

A turbolift ride, and three intersections led to her new home, and she looked around. It didn't look any different from the other doors, and it would probably be the antithesis of Captain Janeway's… Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. The doors closed behind her.

And she gaped in shock.

The Captain's Quarters on _Voyager_, which she had been to a great many times over her three year tour of duty, had been the largest on the ship, with sufficient room for Janeway to add plants, a desk, and a few personal trinkets from her home on Earth. It was comfortable, and enough. Her quarters, which had been smaller, had been the home to many of her beautiful plants, which she used to brighten the place up considerably.

Here, though… she felt as if she had just entered an apartment on Occampa, which had been modified by a person from Earth's Victorian era. It was designed the same way, with all the tidings of home.

There was a kitchen installed in another room, with a stove, refrigeration unit, and sink, as well as a collection of pots and pans for her to use. Her bedroom had a vanity that reminded her of the dressers in one of Tom's Twentieth Century holoprograms. The bed itself was beautiful. Its frame was constructed from oak and tarnished mahogany, with silk drapes around it to complete the look. She checked the sheets, and felt soft silk beneath her fingertips. She had no doubt that, if she lay down upon it, it would be just perfect for her.

Kes looked around, found the bathroom with its shower and large bathtub, and saw an additional door. Curious as to what it led to, she accessed the controls… and stared, as if it were an illusion.

Several moments later, she was walking through her own personal garden. Flowers, trees, and shrubs dotted the entire area, with soft light shining down on them. The entire place was perfect. Perfect for a nature lover like her.

Kes whirled around, a laugh bubbling out of her throat. She could stay forever in this small Eden, just admiring how much effort Alania had put into making this vessel perfect for the elderly Occampan, even though she was more alive, physically and mentally, than she had felt in years.

_"Bridge to Captain Kes."_

Smiling widely, Kes noted that Bell was speaking perfect English already. "Go ahead, Number One," she replied, keeping the smile from reaching her voice.

_"Sir, we're approaching _Deep Space Nine._ Their docking control's wondering how we're going to dock, seeing as how the _Valkyrie_ is nearly as large as the station."_

"Have the umbilical cord prepped and ready for use. We'll be attaching at an available docking port on the ring. That should answer their question effectively."

_"I'll let them know. I thought you'd also like to know… that the_ Enterprise-E_ and the _Negh'var_ have just entered Bajoran space. They'll be here in about three minutes."_

"Understood, Belle. Kes out." She sighed, gazing at her garden fondly. "I'll be back, my pretties," she said quietly. "For now… I need to get back to the bridge."

With those last words, she made her way out of her quarters.

**

* * *

**

The city of Metropolis was never quiet. As the city of Tomorrow, it was always brimming to the rim with scientific and cultural diversity. Crime and tragedy were never as absolute as they were in Gotham or Jump City. Their resident favorite son made sure of that.

But even Superman had to sleep, and hold down a day job to pay the rent and bills. So, Clark Kent, the Smallville native with a big heart, got settled down in his apartment, enjoying the few moments of peace that came to him. They were becoming few and far in between, even for someone like him. With work, his responsibilities to Metropolis, the League and the inevitable war on the horizon, he was working on all burners. The most time he had to relax was when he sat down for lunch.

Sighing, the Kryptonian shut the television off, which had been repeating the last few events that had occurred over the last three weeks, lying down on his bed, preparing to take a well deserved eight hours of dreaming of Ma's ever good rhubarb pie.

_"Watchtower to Superman."_

Groaning, Clark sat up, grabbing his communicator. "I'm asleep, J'onn," he said irritably. "What is it that couldn't wait until morning?"

_"Sorry, Clark, but we just received Intel that terrorists have managed to get their hands on Cadmus equipment, as well as six nuclear warheads from __Kazakhstan__."_

"So get John's squad to do it. He's the military strategist. Or get Shayera. She can make them disappear with a waggle of her brow."

_"Green Lantern is on a deep space assignment, helping the Thanagarian fleet patrol the outer rim of the solar system,"_ J'onn replied. _"And Shayera is still being debriefed in __Zion__. Also, I thought you would like to know that Lobo is with them."_

That washed away any feelings of exhaustion he had in his system. "I'll be up there in about two minutes," he said. "Have my squadron standing by… and contact Yugi. We're going to want some Duel Monster backup."

_"Understood.__ Watchtower out."_

----

DMG pulled her boots off, massaging her feet slightly. "Whoever developed these boots was a sadist," she grumbled. She had never liked those boots, as they kept hurting her feet every time she walked. That was why she always floated everywhere. But Robin had instituted a no floating policy in Titan Tower, due to the fact her boots could hit someone on the head… and had.

Kaiba now had a bruise on his forehead to complement the slap across his face.

Giggling slightly at the memory, though not loud enough to wake up the two teens in the room, the monster quickly began to pull her magician uniform off. She had always slept in the nude, and was not going to change that for anyone.

_"Robin to all duelists.__ Urgent message from the Watchtower. Prepare to teleport to Watchtower."_

Eternally grateful that she hadn't removed her clothes, DMG quickly straightened them out, slipping back into the boots from hell, as Yugi and Rebecca woke up, both looking rather groggy. "Good evening, you two," she said. "Enjoy your ten minutes of sleep?"

"Yeah," Yugi replied grumpily. "Another ten minutes here and there, and I'll have the required hour. What's going on?"

"No clue, Yugi… but I don't think they'd call us up for a surprise party." Putting her hat on, the young woman, grabbed her wand. "Well, let's get going."

----

J'onn observed the duelist crew as they stepped off of the transporter platform, most of them rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, save for Kaiba. He always had that scowl on his face these days.

Superman grinned as he looked up. "Well kids, guess what? You've been selected for your very first mission."

"Probably because of you, Supes," Tristan yawned out. "This is one of those things that you wish would wait until morning."  
"What happened that's so important that you had to wake us?" Yugi asked, rubbing the last of the sleep out of his eyes. "We can't exactly fight the Deadly Alliance if we're dropping from exhaustion."

"Sorry, but we have a situation that has to be dealt with." The Man of Steel, nodded to J'onn, who brought the video feed on. "In Kazakhstan, a newly formed militant group has managed to get their hands on quite a bit of surplus military armaments. Six nuclear warheads, as well as some of Cadmus's top classified experiments, which we have no idea are. As such, I've requested your squadron to accompany me on this."  
"Great," Kaiba grumbled. "Is there anything else we need to know, before I ask what you need for this mission?"

"Yeah… only mid level monsters. Anything higher than level six could prove disastrous."  
"Say what?!" Joey mirrored a number of them easily. "Why not?"  
Rebecca turned. "The nuclear warheads," she replied. "Because of the fact our monsters aren't holographic anymore when we summon them to this world, they can actually cause a great deal of damage. And if those warheads all go off, then Kazakhstan and every nation in every direction will be at risk of nuclear fall out. The world itself could be threatened by it."

"Oh."

_'At least he catches on quick,'_ Superman thought. "Well, on the plus side, if there is an accident, and one of the warheads goes off without warning, you'll have some pretty powerful backup. J'onn will keep a transporter lock on you guys throughout the mission, so if there is trouble beyond our capability to deal with, he'll be able to beam you out." He grinned. "What could go wrong?"

"Everything," DMG replied immediately.

"I know that." Superman had already known that, but had thought that they wouldn't. He had forgotten that he was dealing with kids who were waging a battle against Dartz and the Orichalcos, not to mention the fury of the Shadow Realm. Anyone willing to go head to head with such powerful adversaries would be ready for anything. Fortunately, he was prepared.

Superman's squad, known as the Power Squad, were composed of those who possessed the capability to take a great deal of punishment. After a bit of juggling, he had managed to acquire the services of Stripe, Red Tornado, Captain Atom, and Maxima, a noblewoman from an alien world like his own. While a general rookie in the League, she had proven herself a capable warrior, and knew when to hold back most of the time. The four of them, coupled with Yugi's team, would be more than enough to deal with a bunch of terrorists, and Lobo, if need be. He would have wanted Belle, as she was even stronger than him, but she hadn't been there when they began their picking, and she had other obligations now.

Yugi frowned, staring at the screens before him. "It'll take some work," he said, but I think we can stop them anyway." He grinned, his Puzzle glinting in the lighting. "Let's get down there, and see if we can't stop this before it starts."

"I like your thinking, kid." Superman turned. "Power Squadron, report to Transporter Bay. We're heading down to the surface. Bring supplies for about a week, and bring your dancing shoes."

He didn't have to add, _Pray that this mission goes off without a hitch._ They would most likely be praying for the same thing.

**

* * *

**

Jadzia stared at the screen as they approached _Deep Space Nine_, her insides trembling at the sight of her old home, with its varying number of cargo ships, starships, and alien vessels that moved around. And there, on docking ring four, lay the _Defiant_. She already knew that it wasn't the one she had served on when it first was commissioned in 2371, due to the NCC emblazoned on the hull, as well as the different registry number, but it was a testament to the prototype that it had been given its name.

The Trill took a deep breath, unable to believe how much things had changed. The Dominion War was over, and Cardassia was in the process of rebuilding with Starfleet's help. Bajor was now a member of the Federation, Benjamin and Kasidy were married and with a son. Bajor itself was reevaluating its religion, and her successor to the Dax symbiont, Ezri Tigan, was on the Command track.

And Worf was dead.

The last thought brought a stab of grief and fury shooting through her. Her life had been acceptable in Zion, only because she knew that her husband would continue to fight, and not give in to the Klingon rage that always bubbled beneath the surface. She could safely live her life out, and see him in _Sto-Vo-Kor_when she died for the final time.

But now… now she had to face her old friends, and try to come to grips with what had transpired. She hadn't been there for him, helping defend him from Dukat.

The anguish was almost enough to end her life again, but she kept it locked behind nearly impenetrable walls, focusing on her duty. "Umbilical Cord is online, and ready to deploy at your command."

Belle nodded from the Captain's chair, her gaze steady. "On my mark," she said, as the turbolift doors opened behind them, admitting Kes on the bridge. The Frenchwoman stood up, moving to her seat as the Occampan sat down in her place. "We're approximately two minutes from the station, Sir. Just waiting for Operations to clear us."

Kes nodded, a simple gesture that Jadzia noted was a little hesitant. It would take a great deal of time for her to get used to the mantle of command, as she didn't go through the Academy. She didn't say anything, instead allowing her to decide.

Fortunately, whatever discomfort she felt for her command didn't enter her voice. "Tasha, signal the station."

"Channel open, Captain," Tasha reported, manipulating her controls perfectly.

"_Deep Space Nine,_ this is the starship _Valkyrie_. Requesting permission to dock."

"_Permission granted, _Valkyrie."

"We'll be docking at Port Three. _"Valkyrie out."_ Kes turned to Boomer. "Lieutenant, bring us within four hundred feet, and deploy the umbilical… on Commander Cartier's command."

Belle flushed slightly. "You heard that, huh?"

"I wasn't on the bridge at the time. I'd say that you were within your rights, Number One."

"Which actually begs the question; Why are you calling me Number One?"

Kes shrugged casually. "It's because you're the First Officer," she replied.

With a slight giggle, Belle focused on the task at hand. "Deploy," she ordered.

From the _Valkyrie's_ underbelly, a thin cord suddenly emerged, slowly making its way towards the port they were landing at. It was little more than a series of rings, each one emerging from the last, and snapping into place. Nothing more, nothing less.

But those sections also formed an airtight seal, allowing oxygen and gravity to pass between two vessels. In short, it was a rarely used, but extremely important piece of any Guardian ship.

In Ops, the crew on duty watched in amazement as the umbilical approached their station, before attaching to the Cardassian designed door with what would have been a decisive snap-hiss. Its exit aperture even conformed to the shape of the hatch, making it easy to connect the two objects.

Boomer set the thrusters on automatic, leaning back in her seat. "Docking procedure complete," she said. "We are tethered."

Kes nodded, standing up and tugging down on her command jacket. "Well then, let's get over there, then." She turned. "Have Doctor Gainsborough and Commander Halliwell meet us at Hatch Three. Commander Cartier, Commander Idaris, and Commander Yar, you're with me. Lieutenant Valerii… you have the bridge."

With her last set of orders given, she made for the lift, those selected right behind her.

----

Kira straightened her uniform jacket out a bit, waiting patiently as the docking ring equalized the pressure between them and the _Valkyrie_, still trying to absorb the fact that, in a few short minutes, an old colleague and friend was going to return to the station she had called home for six years, where she had died… to attend the memorial service of her husband, who had died in a similar matter. It was very surreal.

The outer ring rolled to the side. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself.

The inner ring rolled to the side as equalization was achieved on their end. This was it.

Kes stepped out of the airlock, smiling slightly as she held her hand out. "Captain Kira," she said in greeting. "Permission to come aboard and drive your bartender crazy?"

"Permission granted." Relieved that she was going to make this easy for them both, Kira shook the Occampan's hand. "Welcome to _Deep Space Nine,_ and the Alpha Quadrant, Captain. I wish it were a better welcome, and under better circumstances."

"So do I." Kes gestured. "I believe you remember my First Officer, Belle Cartier."

Belle shook Kira's hand, surprising Kira with the strength of her grip. "Commander," she said, still unable to believe that someone younger than her could hold such a high rank.

"Sir." Clearly, she had some experience in command, with the way she was holding herself.

Kes turned around, gesturing. "And my Science and Chief Operations Officer, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Idaris."

Jadzia stepped forward, her eyes the only thing showing her joy at seeing an old friend. "It's been a long time, Captain," she said.

Kira, on the other hand, had no problem with a public spectacle, as she stepped forward and embraced the other woman. After a second, Jadzia reciprocated, gripping her tightly as tears slid down her cheeks.

The two broke apart after a moment, both of them wiping the remaining tears from their faces, reining in whatever emotions there were for a later date. "Good to see you, Jadzia," Kira added, a small smile gracing her face.

Kes smiled at the reunion of family, before clearing her throat. The two officers jumped a bit, having forgotten that others were present. "My Tactical Officer, Natasha Yar, who I believe served on the _Enterprise-D_. My Chief Engineer, Commander Pure Halliwell, and Aeris Gainsborough, my Chief Medical Officer."

"Pleasure. Welcome to the station."

"A pleasure."

Kira observed the lot of them, noticing the fact that they were all female. "Well Captain," she finally said, "I suppose that most of you would like a tour of our facilities. Jadzia, Commander Yar, the others are at Quark's. They're eager to see you."

Jadzia nodded, turning to Kes. "I'll catch you girls there?" she asked.

Kes nodded. "Go, Jadzia. We'll join you in about an hour." She waited until the Science Officer was well on her way, before saying, "I would also like to know everything you know about Gul Dukat. When we find him, she's probably going to want her head."

"Don't I know the feeling? Well, we'll start with Jadzia's old stomping grounds, and work our way up." She gestured. "Follow me."

----

Miles O'Brien sat down on one of the barstools closest to Morn, sipping his scotch whiskey slowly. It didn't taste right, but he didn't complain. Nothing ever really tasted right when one was in mourning. Even Quark was being quiet.

All over Quark's establishment, which doubled as the Ferengi Embassy, patrons were laughing, eating, and trying their luck at the Dabo Wheel. A group of Bajoran monks were talking quietly among each other, no doubt concerning the attack on the Temple three days ago. Nor could any of them say that they blamed them.

His eyes trailed to the small group sitting at or near the bar. Bashir and Ezri, once a couple, now friends again, were watching the entrance, introspective. Odo, who had returned to the Alpha Quadrant on a Jem'Hadar battle cruiser, was sitting next to Morn, staring out at nothing. Nog and his family, who were sitting at a table nearby, were deep in conversation, Leeta with tears streaming down her eyes as Rom told them a story of one of Worf's more successful missions. He knew that Kasidy and Jake were somewhere on the upper levels. And Garak, the Cardassian tailor who had defied everything he had known to help save his people and the Federation, observed the entire group, his face unreadable.

Sisko was presently outside near the Bajoran Shrine, wanting to meet up with the former Dax first, and prepare her for what was waiting for her.

----

Jadzia looked around the Promenade, taking in all of the sights and smells around her. Everything was as she remembered it, with the exception of the Federation Seal taking center stage, with the Bajoran symbol now to the right. "It doesn't look right," she said.

Yar blinked, looking up. "What? The placement of the symbols?"

"No, the purple dragon hanging upside down on the ceiling. Yes, the placement of the symbols! Call me crazy, but I liked the fact that the UFP was to the right."

"Probably just placement. The last time you were here, Bajor was still independent." The Security Chief shrugged. "It's like me. I can't get used to the fact that there's a new _Enterprise_. I like the D better."

"Good point."

"Well, I've gotten used to it." She frowned. "To be perfectly honest, I haven't seen them in over fourteen years. I'd say we're both in uncharted territory, now."

Jadzia had to concede that. Never before had a Starfleet Officer, who had been killed while on duty and revived, been put in a situation, where she would brought into contact with her past. It was a little frightening, to say the least.

As she turned her attention to the Bajoran Shrine entrance, her eyes caught sight of a bald head, expressive eyes, and a goatee that would do a Klingon proud. It was a face that she had thought she would never see again.

Benjamin Sisko smiled as the two officers approached, his own gaze going up and down his old friend's form. "Well, for a dead woman, you're looking rather well, Jadzia," he said, his deep, obviously masculine voice as familiar and as comforting as she remembered it. "Welcome back."

Jadzia returned the smile, embracing her former commanding officer, noting the fact that he was no longer wearing a Starfleet uniform. "Decided to try retirement?" she asked, after pulling back.

"Yes, actually," Sisko replied. "Kasidy and Jake are already in Quark's bar with the rest of the crew. It was excellent timing that you showed up when you did at the Temple."

"Well, I had some help." She gestured to Yar. "I think you've heard of Commander Tasha Yar."

"A pleasure, Commander. Captain Picard once said that your performance was exemplary, even for a Starfleet Officer."

Yar blushed, extremely pleased with the praise. "Thank you, Sir. I always thought I was just doing my duty."

"Well, he didn't think so."

Jadzia chuckled, glad that the meeting wasn't as horrific as she thought it would be. She looked around… and froze.

She had made direct eye contact with the entrance to the Shrine. The place where she had been struck down.

The place where she died.

Yar looked at her, looked at the Temple, and realized what it was. "Let's get over to the bar, then," she said quickly. "I'd like to meet the rest of your old crew, Jadzia."

"Huh… oh! Right." The other woman quickly put a grin on her face, the muscles feeling forced. "How is the old crew, anyway?"

Sisko had caught the subtle shift in her face, but chose to comment on it later. "Well, it's kind of a long story…"

**

* * *

**

Yugi looked around the second the transporter beam blinked out, leaving them in the middle of a mountain path. Checking his duel disk, he noted that it seemed unaffected and breathed again.

Maxima checked her body over, apparently happy that everything materialized in the proper place. "Well, Kryptonian, we seem to have arrived at our destination," she said, her voice strong and feminine. "Where do we find these dishonorable ones?"  
The second they had formed the alliance with the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the X-Men, all who already knew how to treat the various aliens, Yugi and his group were given a briefing on each one, to bring them up to speed. Maxima, for instance, was of a warrior culture similar to Tamaran. They believed stealth and guile to be a complete waste of time, and issued death sentences on those who would attack innocents without revealing their faces. This upfront, in-your-face cultural imperative made them useless in espionage, or with diplomacy, but in a knockdown slugfest, they were the ones you wanted.

Superman, it seemed, knew that. "The terrorist cell has taken refuge in an old Mesopotamian fortress about three miles from here," he replied quickly. "As you all know, they have a minuscule nuclear arsenal, and judging from the looks things, they'll use them. You also know of the Cadmus equipment they have in their possession."  
"And the fact that the bozo Lobo is there as well," Seto added. "Tell us something we don't know, Superman."

"All right. We recently learned that they may have also acquired a piece of Kaiba technology. The new holographic devices you were developing for consumer use, I believe."

The scowl grew ever darker as real anger set in. If there was one thing Kaiba hated more than a terrorist, it was a terrorist who was using his equipment for a nefarious purpose.

"So, what's the plan, Supes?" Stripe asked, his voice muffled due to the helmet. With the mechanical suit that he wore, he easily towered over everybody else. Armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry… well, advanced by Earth standards, anyway… he was veritable weapon's platform.

"Well, we go in, and find out exactly how much firepower they possess," Superman replied. "If, by some stretch of the imagination, we discover something more than we can handle, we call in for reinforcements. If not, we go in, secure the warheads, and take the terrorists down. Simple mission." He chucked a finger behind him. "That's the reason why Captain Atom is with us. He knows more about nuclear power than anyone."

Atom nodded, his eyes steely as he glared into the horizon. Well, let's get goin', Sir." It'll be a day before we get to the place. Enough time to come up with a plan to contain those weapons without settin' them off."  
"Good." Yugi filed it away for when they set up camp. That way, he could think of a way while he went through his deck, making swaps with the extra cards he carried with him. As a last resort, he put his BEWD into it, before putting in his deck holder.

He had a sickening sensation he would need it in this fight.

----

DMG and Rebecca watched as Yugi started walking, following the League members down the pathway. "I'm curious as to why we beamed down here, and not into the fortress," the young girl asked.

"J'onn thinks that one of the devices they took was a prototype transporter inhibitor," DMG replied. "It's designed specifically to block transporter signals on the surface. So we have to do this the old fashioned way."

"Ah." Rebecca went to talk to Joey, who was almost stalking in Seto's shadow. "I think Kaiba took that last bit about his technology being used a little personally."  
"Wouldn't you, if you were the one who built it?"

"You raise a good point, my friend."

Tristan looked around. "What I don't get," he said, "is why they would want to do something like this. Don't they realize that the League's going to run them right over every single time?"  
Yugi turned around. "They're hoping to get lucky. These guys have got some stuff that might just help them stand against the likes of Superman. That's why we're here."

"To bring an unknown into the equation," Rebecca continued. "You see, most people still believe that these monster sightings are due to malfunctioning holographic equipment. Only we know better. We're hoping the terrorists won't believe in monsters, either."

"It'll be our luck dat dey do," Joey growled suddenly, breaking his moody silence. "Anything dat causes a panic is okay with those kind of people."

Kaiba turned his head. "As much as it pains me to say this, he's right. If they're religious fanatics, as I think they are, they'll see the monsters as signs of victory for them. They'll be preparing for the next phase of their little war."

Yugi smiled wearily, shaking his head. "When you two agree on something, then I know something's wrong." He looked up. "We need a look out. They may have patrols here."

"Agreed. Red Tornado?" Superman asked.

Tornado nodded. "I shall do so, Superman." He jumped ahead, every circuit of his android body propelling him forward until he was at point.

The Man of Steel shrugged at the confused looks the others were giving him. "He was being neglected," he replied.

Maxima shook her head in aggravation. There were some things about this planet, and the beings living on it that she just did not understand.

----

Flash sat down at a work station, rubbing the back of his neck fretfully. Three days of nothing but dealing with petty crimes, caused by what he referred to as the bad guy rejects. How'd he get stuck with those with emotional issues or mortgage payments?

Green Arrow sat down next to him, adjusting his hat slightly. "How's your squadron doing?" he asked.

"Barda's been cleared for active duty, Shining Knight's honing his sword skills, and Booster and Vigilante are busy shooting up the battle simulator. You?"

Arrow shrugged. "Batman's got us working on uncovering the paper trail connecting the Bang Babies to Dartz. We haven't been lucky so far."

"That Dartz guy's like a snake," Supergirl griped. "He's managed to slither his way through almost every single situation that comes his way. And we don't have a whole lot on him, either."

"That would be a problem, wouldn't it? Terra know anything?"

"Just what Slade told her, which isn't much. He's the head of Para-Diaz, a shadow company that has a foothold in every single sector of the business world. If they wanted to, they could control the world without anyone knowing."

"Ain't that the truth?"

Flash nodded, leaning back. He could understand why Kaiba hated the guy so badly, without ever meeting him. Anyone who didn't do their business in the open was no better than the crooks or terrorists that they supplied.

"Terrorists…" he murmured, before sitting up. "Okay, that's something we haven't thought of."

"What?" Arrow asked.

"Para-Diaz has to have some connection with the various terrorist groups out there. I mean, even the Black Market has limits to what they can get their hands on." Flash began buzzing his way through the various police and military updates that they had. "There's always a connection that we miss, no matter how carefully we look."

Now the emerald avenger understood what he meant. "Which means we should go over everything we have on their activities, and find the connection between them."

Supergirl grinned at the two of them. "Well, I'll head over to the archives. The Gordanians will probably get their hands dirty soon enough." With that, she left the two men to their work, and went about hers.

**

* * *

**

Every person in Quark's all turned their heads as Sisko, Jadzia, and Yar entered the establishment, conversation dying away until silence was all that remained.

Jadzia shifted slightly, unnerved by this. "Yes, I'm alive and well," she said. "Didn't Julian say anything at _all_?"

Garak stood up, hiding his surprise behind his usual charm and grace. "Actually, I believe I speak for everyone here when I say; Hearing about your return, and actually seeing you, are two entirely different things."

"I _still_ haven't gotten used to it," Ezri threw in from her spot.

Tasha grinned. "I'd say you're going to be fielding a great deal of question for the next few days. I should hide in the background, and watch."

Jadzia gave her an evil look, before walking forward. "Forgive Tasha," she said. "She recently recovered her sense of humor, and she wants to use it." She quickly accepted a hug from O'Brien. "Good to see you, Chief. It's good to see all of you."

"Definitely." The great Irishman stepped away, allowing Keiko to embrace her as well. "I just wished we found out you were alive under better circumstances."  
"So do I, Chief. So do I."

"Which actually reminds me; Tasha!"  
Yar quickly engulfed him in a bear hug, pounding him on the back. "Great to see you, Miles," she said. "Geez, still a CPO? What Admiral did you piss off?"  
"All of them!" O'Brien replied, eyes twinkling. "Out of everyone I expected to see, you weren't it!"  
"Well, I'm sticking around. Worf was my friend too, you know. Besides, I want to see Captain Picard's face when he walks into here and sees me and you playing darts."

Julian perked up. "You play darts?" he asked in anticipation.

"Only one besides you to kick my arse," O'Brien replied. "Even Guinan wasn't able to."

Jadzia smiled in relief, noting how the two of them seemed to regain their bond. Then again, they served aboard the same starship, and that kind of bond lasted a lifetime. Even Worf professed that, if he was ever reassigned, he would request a transfer back to the _Enterprise_ _'Then again, any vessel carrying the name _Enterprise_ deserves only the best,'_ she thought. She had considered applying for a vacant science position onboard, but had opted for _Deep Space Nine_ instead… and she hadn't regretted it.

As she accepted welcomes and hugs from everyone, as well as a firm handshake from another former _Enterprise_ crewmember, Ro Laren, her eyes finally came to rest on Kira, who had just arrived with the rest of the _Valkyrie_ senior staff, Kes still looking around like a kid in a candy store. Grinning, she walked over to meet them. "Well, how was the tour, Captain?" she asked.

Kes looked at her, that expression of wonder back on her face, as if it had never left. "This is amazing. I've never seen anything like it."

Belle shrugged. "It's a little too gray for my taste," she replied. "Other than that… I like it."

Prue nodded, observing the doorframe for a moment. "I found the schematics I was allowed to see very interesting. I think I could help develop a new reactor system for the station, which would effectively end your need to continuously shutting down and reactivating it, save for a physical inspection."

"That's not all she wanted to do," Kira whispered. "She also wanted to replace your old science station."

"Commander Halliwell!"

"What?"

Kes shook her head. "I'm younger than all of you, and I'm playing the part of den mother. What is wrong with this picture?"

"Bad luck?" Belle suggested.

"You're not helping, Number One."

"Can't be helped."

Jadzia turned to Sisko, who was watching this all with a hint of amusement. "I have twenty years Starfleet experience," she said, "and I'm taking orders from a nine year old Occampan and a Twenty One year old French woman from the seventeenth century. What's wrong with that picture?"  
Sisko laughed softly. "Oh, I don't know. I hear nine year olds make the best commanders."

Kes just glared at them for a moment. "By the way, the _Negh'Var_ and _Enterprise_contingents are on their way. They just docked, soon to be crewman Idaris," she threatened teasingly.

Belle managed to keep her chuckle in, before stepping towards the bar. Jadzia noted that her shoulders were shaking from mirth. "I know you're not trying to laugh, and you suck at it, Sir!" she called out.

Belle turned around, a grin on her face. "Sorry, Jadzia. Just trying to be somber."

Kira and Sisko traded equal looks of amusement at this. Kes definitely had her hands full with this kind of crowd. Of course, she was probably used to having to deal with eccentricity, as she had served on _Voyager_.

All further thought on eccentricities ended when Captain Jean-Luc Picard entered Quark's Bar, followed by his Senior Staff. Behind them was Lieutenant Reginald Barcley, Chancellor Martok, Alexander Roshenko, and Martok's son Drex. All of them looked around, observing the rather sizable crowd that had gathered in it.

In that moment, Kes got her first look of the legendary captain of the Starship _Enterprise_ At first glance, there was nothing interesting about him. He was an elderly human, about seventy years of age. A little on the lean side, and a fringe of white hair around the crown of his head. In essence, someone that most people wouldn't even give a second look towards if they bumped into him.

But here, in such close range, he seemed to emanate strength, as well as a presence that few could. He seemed to be able to command an entire room just by standing there. Was doing a good job of it, too. Everyone quieted down as they became aware of his group standing there.

Yar stepped forward, standing at attention. "Captain," she said, smiling slightly. "It's been a long time."

Picard observed her for a moment, slightly surprised. But, considering the fact that Jadzia was also here, alive and well, he took it all in stride. "It has been a long time, Tasha," he replied warmly. He was obviously restraining himself from a massive display of affection, leaving it for a more private setting.

Counselor Deanna Troi and Doctor Beverly Crusher, on the other hand, had no problem embracing their long thought dead comrade, enjoying this little bit of happiness. Commander William Riker and Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge shook her hand vigorously, identical grins on their faces.

Even Lieutenant Commander Data, whose emotion chip had been destroyed during the Borg incursion, seemed almost delighted to see her. And it was obvious that there was something between the two of them that Kes couldn't begin to make heads or tails of. Nor was it any of her concern.

She decided that her musings could wait, and she was about to make a silent retreat from the bar, when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around… and went perfectly still.

In her observations of Yar and her old friends, she had completely missed Martok stalking up to her as only a Klingon could. He was obviously curious about the woman who clearly defied everything to be there.

And that curiosity was enough have him walk up to her, glaring at her through his one good eye.

Kes returned his scrutiny, well aware that she was being tested. It was in the Klingon nature to try and intimidate a new commander of a vessel, to see if they would fall apart from such power. Martok, as a former ship commander himself, realized that there were few things more intimidating than a Klingon at close range.

Kes, who had had to deal with the Kazon and the Viidians, as well as B'lanna's own volatile mood swings, was not so frightened at his presence. Klingons, at least, had honor. They would never hit a woman, just because they felt like it. So, she met his glare with a glare of his own, daring him to say something.

The Chancellor apparently was satisfied, as he let out a bellow of approval. "Jadzia!" he roared in triumph. "You certainly know where to find captains with a great deal of backbone!" Slapping the Occampan on the shoulder, causing her to stagger slightly, he made his way over to his daughter-in-law, enveloping her in a great bear hug.

Belle walked over to her, drink in hand. "Well, congratulations Kes," she said. "You've just impressed a Klingon leader."  
"I have the sore shoulder to prove it," Kes grumbled, massaging the area in question ruefully. She was ready to make her way towards Yar, as far from the Klingon contingent as she could possibly be, but something stopped her. She turned around.

Picard was staring at her, with an expression she couldn't fully decipher. But, for whatever reason, it made her uncomfortable. She quickly turned away, but something about that gaze kept bugging her. Something that she discovered was almost obvious.

It was almost… disapproval.

**

* * *

**

J'onn kept scanning the terrorist camp, constantly updating his information on it. Terrorist numbers, weapons acquired, and even the defenses of the wall itself. So far, he had located four, and more on the way.

As he continued his scans, a slight beeping caught his attention. Interested, the Martian looked at the screen, trying to locate the source of the alert.

Two minutes later, Batman was behind him, scowling more fiercely than before. "Professor Hamilton's dimension gateway?" he asked.

"Yes, and it's been modified in some manner," J'onn replied, continuing his observations. "Judging by the strength of the portal, I would have to say that… it's been used to open a portal directly to Realm 9002."

"Where?"  
"I have no idea. Bajor, the original Kazon home world, Vulcan. It could even be over Earth. There's no way for us to know."

The Dark Knight stepped back, the implications of what they had learned hitting him hard. His expression was carved from stone, though. "Send word to the _Valkyrie_. I'll alert Superman and Mister Motou immediately about this new development."

It had never been so important to stop a terrorist group as it was now.

Two worlds, their Earth, and a planet in that universe, now hanged in the balance.

Well, here is the first part of Episode Sixty Eight. Please review. I really want to know what you think about this.

* * *

Well, hopefully things are going to change from here on out. I'm planning on signing up for driving lessons, because it's the only way to really survive in this world. My original story is getting along. The store is going down the drain, and I'm still working there. Here's to me being an idiot. 


	85. Sixty Eight, Part Two

**Part Two**

Quark's was rapidly filling up with those who knew and respected Worf, until the bar was jam packed with mourners. And, for once, Quark didn't complain. Despite his own opinions of the man, he had also had a great deal of respect for the man. Not many could shelve their animosity to a Ferengi for their wife.

Jadzia accepted their condolences with tears sparkling in her eyes, thanking those who had been his friends and family for being able to come.

Kes watched from the far corner of the establishment, grateful that those who cared for Worf had come to grieve together. His was a career that would soon be the stuff of legends. The first Klingon in Starfleet, he had become one of their most talked about officers, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and serving with two incredible captains with honor and distinction. He would be remembered as the man whose honor was unquestioned, and whose accomplishments would never be forgotten.

But they had come here to remember the _man_ behind those accomplishments. They were here to remember the good and the bad, his high and low points, and his very being.

Belle sat down next to her, watching the crowd as conversations flowed through the place. "I feel like a party crasher," she said quietly. "I mean, you and I have never met him."

"I'm well aware of that, Belle," Kes replied. "But we're here for Jadzia. That's what a good captain and her first officer do; they're there for members of their crew in their time of grief." She looked around, taking a sip of tea. "Too bad Prue and Aeris went back to the ship."

"Too bad. Who is the Ferengi behind the bar?"

"Quark. He owns the bar, and is the Ferengi Alliance's official Ambassador."  
Belle snorted in disbelief. "Him, an ambassador? Surely they jest."

Kes chucked lightly, remembering _Voyager's_ dealings with two Ferengi. "I second that, but there you have it. I know who he is because Harry regaled us with the story of his first day assigned to _Voyager_. Quark was trying to sell him crystals that he said were very rare, and who had almost succeeded. Tom came to his rescue, telling him that the crystals were rather common, and extremely cheap."

"Harry? … Oh, Ensign Kim."

"Yes." The Occampan leaned back, introspective. "It's hard to believe four years have passed since those days."

"Four years is a long time, even for humans," Belle noted quietly.

"It is indeed." Kes finished her tea, before standing up. "I'm heading back to the _Valkyrie_. I'm going to take care of the paperwork, then continue reading up on my ship." She patted Belle on the shoulder, before heading for the exit, slipping past everyone like a ghost.

Belle leaned back, taking another sip of her juice. She had no interest in any of the alcoholic beverages set up along the bartender's shelves, and she wanted to remain sober.

"Hey there."

Startled, the young woman looked up. Upon seeing who it was, though, she smiled. "Mister Sisko," she returned. "Didn't you father ever tell you it's not right to sneak up on people?"

Jake Sisko returned the smile, shrugging. "He told me a lot in my youth. And, like any other youth, I ignored most of it."

"Okay… so, what brings you to my little table, aside from introducing yourself?"

"Well… I was wondering why you were sitting by yourself."

Belle's smile became mischievous. "Obviously, you didn't see my Captain walking away just now."

Jake shrugged again. "I just turned my head, and saw you sitting there alone. Sorry if I seem presumptuous."

"Don't worry." Another thought occurred to her. "Are you hitting on me, Mister Sisko?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Why? Was I that obvious?" Jake replied, grinning just as mischievously.  
A laugh erupted from her throat, startling her with its hilarity. She hadn't laughed in over two weeks, and was surprised that she was now. What was more, the man before her, probably not much older than her, was obviously not too worried about being caught in the act. "Well, I'll let it slide. You can have a seat, if you still wish to."

"Thanks." The young man slid into a seat across from her, still grinning. "Well, I learned that you're from the Seventeenth Century, and wanted to ask you if that was true. You see, I'm thinking about writing a book about time travel…"

"And you want my opinion on it." Belle giggled. "I don't know what century I was born in, or what realm, for that matter. However, I was raised in Seventeenth Century Earth. France, to be precise. I was the adopted daughter of an inventor, and wanted something other than a poor person's way of life." Her gaze became distant, as she remembered her life in that town, as well as the months spent with Beast. "I got my wish when I went to the castle."

Jake frowned, leaning in. He seemed to catch the shift in her mood. "What is it?" he asked gently.

"… Sorry. It's just… I just recently lost the man I loved to an enemy, as well as gained custody of a young boy. I learned that I am the daughter of two all powerful beings, and have the ability to become all powerful myself. And I learned that my parents were killed by an evil witch, simply because she didn't like them. Not exactly a typical fairy tale."

Now he was getting somewhere. It became apparent that she had lost family in a battle. "I lost my mom during the Battle of Wolf 359," he said. "My Dad was the Executive Officer onboard the _U.S.S Saratoga_, when she joined thirty nine other ships against a single Borg cube."  
Borg… Belle was starting to have a bad sense of déjà vu. "Let me guess, they had assimilated the most powerful captain, acquiring his knowledge of the vessels, as well as his tactical experience."

"Basically. Him, in fact." Jake pointed behind him, at Picard. "I guess you can guess how he felt when his crew saved him."

"If he handled it as well as I did when I was used by the Heartless, then I will say that he handled it very badly," Belle replied. "So, you know what it's like to lose a loved one, then."

"Only too well."

"… Well, I'd say you've come to the right table after all." She raised her glass. "To loved ones taken from us before their time," she said.

Jake reciprocated the gesture. "To loved ones," he said.

**

* * *

**

Red Tornado suddenly shot back into sight of the group, his eyes narrowed. "The terrorist camp is more than two miles this way," he said. "If we continue though, we will hit their defense line in about a quarter of a mile."

Superman and Yugi traded glances, not surprised. "Anything about their defenses we need to worry about?" the Kryptonian asked.

The Android hesitated, before meeting Superman's gaze. "I did a scan of the weapons they possess. They seem to be carrying kryptonite bullets. They also had a crate with them… and it was shaking."

DMG started in surprise. That meant that Superman was at risk, as much as any of them. Kryptonite bullets would hurt him as much as any of them. In fact, the only one who was not at risk was Maxima.

The crate also brought concerns to the table. Whatever it was, it would be enough to harm even Superman and Maxima.

Kaiba glared at Superman's back. "Then we suck it in, and keep going," he said. "We didn't sign on to look good for the camera. We're here stop these people from causing a holocaust somewhere."

"I have to agree there," Tristan stated, flexing his duel arm. "There have to be at least six major cities within striking distance. Besides, if Lobo's there, he can deliver those nukes to any place on the planet."

The only monster among them turned to him, blinking at how intelligent he sounded. He had just noticed something that she hadn't.

Superman, it seemed, had known for quite some time. "I know, considering how strong he is. And that bike of his can get him anywhere he wants to very fast. The question is; how much are they paying him to do this?"

"Doesn't really matter, does it? He's still helpin' dem!" Joey replied. "Dat means we gotta take him out, too."

Yugi nodded, thoughtful. DMG noted that he had been quiet the entire time they had been taking. "Yugi?" she asked quietly. "What do you think?"

Yugi looked up. "We're going to have to risk it," he said. "Kaiba's right. We're not here to look pretty for the camera. We're to do the jobs that no one else can. And right now, we're the only ones who can take out that terrorist cell. They're within ten miles of a settlement of farmers, so the U.S. can't risk an air strike. So we need to do this, and we need to do this now."

Maxima grinned widely. "Ah, and here I thought you had no warrior spirit, Yugi Motou. I am glad that I was wrong. How shall we go about this?"

Rebecca grinned. "I have an idea about that," she replied. "Stripes, you and Dark Magician Girl take to the skies. Your armor can protect you from their weapons for a short period of time, and she can erect a force field around herself. If you can force their attention towards you, the rest of us can approach unchallenged and take them out from the ground."

Stripes nodded. "You got it, Rebecca. Let's get goin', little lady!" With a roar of rockets, the mighty mecha warrior launched into the sky.

DMG shook her head. "Don't call me little lady!" she retorted quietly, following suite.

----

The men guarding the mountain path glanced around nervously, trying to locate a threat that hadn't appeared yet. They knew it was coming, especially considering what they had at their disposal.

They had a feeling that it would be the Justice League coming for them.

But they were ready. Their guns had kryptonite ammo ready for use. All they had to do was peg the Kryptonian infidel once, and he would be easy pickings for their weapons.

One of the guards suddenly looked up, staring into the sky. For a second, he could have sworn he had heard something. Almost like a pair of small rockets going off…

Almost ten minutes later, every single one of them was searching the skies, trying to find out what those sounds were. Aside from the rocket sound, there was now the sound of short, multiple bursts, as well as the usual sound of something zooming through the air. And it was getting closer.

As if to grant them an answer, Stripes' assault, launched the second he had reached maximum range for his weapons, reached them. They couldn't aim and fire at something they couldn't see.

One of the men started shouting for them to open the cage. While two of them did that, he quickly brought his rifle up, using the scope on it to look up.

And, by sheer chance, he saw their attackers. The mecha hero known as Stripes, and a young blond woman wearing some bizarre magician uniform. She was obviously waiting to see what would happen next in this confrontation.

The terrorist didn't even have to think. He simply lined his sight up, and pulled the trigger.

Stripes was preparing for another salvo, when his alert system sounded. "Damn it, they're shooting at us!" he shouted.

DMG brought her wand up, creating a barrier between them and the attack. "One little, itty bitty bullet," she said, as it ricocheted off in a random direction. "Probably a ranging shot. Allow me." She brought her wand up again. "_Dark Burning Attack!_"

The energy blast that emerged from the end of her staff was not as powerful as her male counterpart's, though pretty close. It was a simple sphere, whereas the Dark Magician could focus his into a beam.

But it was effective.

The blast hit the ground in an explosion of dust and rock, the shockwave knocking those closest to it to the ground. The line broke, as everyone started running for cover.

But the cage had been opened by that time.

Superman and the others flew in immediately, knocking terrorists out one by one with their hands. They dared only use a bit of their strength, as even half that would prove dangerous to the seemingly fragile humans. Monsters routed those who had managed to escape the League's notice, bringing them face to face with Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan.

But the cage had been opened at that time.

Red Tornado turned his head slightly, his sensors picking up the sound of heavy breathing, far too heavy to come from a human's lungs. His eyes looked downward, focusing on the opened cage. "Superman, Maxima!" he called out, his audio receptors enhanced so that he was yelling. "It's one of Cadmus's experiments! A beast of some sort!"

Superman whirled around, his eyes going wide as he saw what the rest of them couldn't. "Yugi, Rebecca, behind me!" he shouted, tossing one man aside. He stood tall as the two young duelists got behind him, their disks ready.

The beast that emerged, however, was equal to some of the more grotesque creatures in Duel Monsters or _Secar__ Triad._ It was on four legs, and had all of the characteristics of a dog. But its upper teeth were at least several centimeters longer, its muscles far more formed, and its eyes were blood red. Genetic tampering had also made far more vicious than even the most vicious predator on Earth, by removing the genetic properties that made dogs so lovable.

And it proved that by launching itself at the Kryptonian, mouth open wider than it should have been capable of. He braced himself.

And Maxima slammed into the creature with the force of a charging rhinoceros, slamming it into the side of the mountain. She brought her fist back, driving it forward.

The beast cranked its neck, its mouth closing on the exceptionally tough arm of the warrior. Teeth that could crush rocks only shredded the glove covering it, nothing more. It was enough though, as she was forced to pull back slightly. With the added space to move, it kicked out with its hind legs, forcing her back hard. She hit the ground, clutching her chest.

The beast was on her in an instant, clamping those jaws on her face… and began to squeeze, attempting to crush her head. Its fetid breath made her dizzy, and the pressure on her head was enough to make it ache.

Both served to make her angry.

With a mighty war cry, one that would make a Klingon proud, Maxima gripped the creature's jaws, and pried them off of her. With a simple twist, she threw the beast from her, scrambling to her feet.

The beast leaped nimbly to its feet, drool dropping from its mouth. It stared at her, knowing that its prey was going to be difficult to kill. It paced back and forth, waiting for an opening.

Maxima glared at it. "Come, creature!" she snarled. "Come and embrace death, if you have the courage!"

The creature let out a bark that sounded more like a roar, and charged forward, moving faster than almost anything.

Save for Maxima's fist, which had already been coming up. It connected with the monster's jaw as it leaped at her, knocking it back… and off of the side of the mountain. Its death howl faded as it fell to the ground, more than eighty feet down, with nothing to slow it.

Breathing hard, Maxima lowered her arm, suppressing the feeling of triumph coursing through her veins. She had won against a beast that had no sense of self. It was a hollow victory.

Superman saw her disappointment by the slump of her head. He watched as the others dealt with the remaining terrorists, tying them up, before bringing his hand up to his ear. " J'onn, this Superman. Transport this group to the nearest military base. We're continuing onward." He turned to Maxima. "Let's go," he said. "We've still got a ways to go."

Slowly, Maxima started walking, her head rising again as she focused on the mission once again. She would do her duty, which was all she could do.

**

* * *

**

Jadzia laughed as Riker regaled them with tales of Worf's early days aboard the _Enterprise-D_, all of which she had heard from Worf already. What was funny was that Picard's crew was putting a hilarious spin on stuff her husband probably would have wanted to forget about.

Turning her head, she caught sight of Yar and Troi talking quietly, most likely catching up with each other. Sisko and Picard were busy speaking with Ro, all of them in a somber tone. She had even seen Beverly and Keiko talking quietly to each other, comparing the Worf they knew to the Worf that had been a simple Junior Lieutenant more than fourteen years ago.

Her gaze flickered to another table, and her grin grew when she saw Belle and Jake talking, laughing about something or other. _'Kids,'_ she thought, shaking her head in amusement.

Riker caught the amused look on her face. "Well, Jadzia," he said, bringing her back to the present. "Making sure the First Officer doesn't get into bed with the wrong person?"

Data cocked his head slightly, that ever curious look on him. It was obvious that he still had a great deal to learn about humans. "Sir, I must confess that I am curious. How do you tell if someone is 'bad' for someone else? Is there a distinction between one person and another? Or are there differences in how they comport themselves, and their level of success?"  
Jadzia chortled. "Actually, Commander Riker here is one to talk, considering the fact he almost got himself in trouble with several races. Also, it's more along the lines of gut feelings, experience and a healthy dose of paranoia."

"Hard experience does help," Wesley Crusher added. "How old is she, anyway?"

"Twenty One."

"And a Commander already?"

Jadzia's grin didn't fade any, as she saw no reason to defend Alania's choice. "She's actually very competent, and experienced in diplomacy and military strategy. She could even improve the efficiency of a warp core by about eighty percent."

Nog chuckled. "I can see that happening." His grin faded away. "What about Kes? How did she become Captain?"  
"Now that's a long story, Nog. It starts something like this…"

All of them were so busy listening to her, they failed to see Picard leave, saying something about getting some fresh air to Sisko.

----

Boomer relaxed in the Captain's chair, staring at the three dimensional screen placed before her. Updates on the plasma coils, shields, as well as the astrometric data on 9002. It was fascinating, to say the least.

Finishing up with that, and signing off on it, she sat back. "This chair is comfy," she said to the lieutenant at tactical. "Do you think this chair is comfortable, Rachael?"

Rachael grinned. "I wouldn't know, Boomer," she replied, as the turbolift doors opened. "I've never sat in it."

Kes entered the bridge, grinning at the sight of Boomer almost reclining. "So, Lieutenant, enjoying the center seat?"

Boomer grinned, not the least abashed. "Very, Sir. Would you like it back?"

"Not at the moment. I'll be in my Ready Room, continuing my self education of the ship. Do try and not let command get to your head." Chuckling, the Occampan went straight for her private sanctum, not looking back.

Boomer leaned back, checking out the screen. She ran a diagnostic of the sensor array, checking to see if the slight variance it kept detecting had been identified. With such an advanced sensor grid design, it was only logical that there would be bugs that had to be dealt with.

The lift doors opened again as she neared the end of that sweep. "Commander, I'm…"

Her voice trailed off as she looked up, and she straightened up immediately. "The Captain is in her Ready Room, if you were looking for her, Sir," she immediately said afterwards.

The person in question nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant." Without another word, he went to the door in question, and pressed the chime.

Boomer had the distinct the impression that the meeting wasn't going to being exceedingly friendly.

----

Kes sat down behind her desk, moving her terminal so that it was facing her. "Access engineering files on the _U.S.S._ _Valkyrie_," she ordered. As soon as the information appeared on the screen, she leaned in, her eyes roaming over the text as it appeared. With a little luck, she would know everything there was to know about the ship herself by week's end.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't get half an hour to herself before the door chime sounded, alerting her to someone outside. "Come!" she said, not looking up. She heard the door open and close, before saying. "So, what can I do for…?"

Her gaze shot up as her voice trailed away, as the psychic emanations from the man at her door flooded her mind. She stared at the captain of the _Enterprise_ with something akin to shock flooding her system.

Picard, for his part, merely stood there, assessing her calmly, with an air of formality about him. He didn't say anything, merely waited.

With an effort, Kes brought her surprise under control. Standing up, she returned his gaze steadily. "Captain Picard," she said. "Welcome aboard the _Valkyrie_."

Picard inclined his head. "Captain Kes," he replied. Nothing more, nothing less. And, there it was, that faint sense of disapproval that she had seen before.

Sighing, she deactivated her screen, gesturing. "Have a seat." She turned around, making for the replicator. "Something to drink?"

Picard nodded. "Earl Grey, piping hot."

"Computer, Earl Grey, hot, and one glass of strawberry lime juice."

The two drinks materialized in the small device. Picking them up, she handed the saucer and cup to him, before walking around the desk, sitting down in her seat again. Taking a sip, she eyed him carefully.

They stared at each other for a few moments, like to warrior's preparing for a duel. Both were waiting to see who would make the first move, and in what form the move would take.

Kes decided to make that move. "So, what brings you to the _Valkyrie_?" she asked neutrally, revealing nothing of her emotional mood. Tuvok had trained her well.

Picard smiled pleasantly. "Actually, I was just looking around your ship, hoping for a tour. This place does seem very… interesting." Parry, and return.

Kes had no interest in small talk. While she was skilled in diplomacy, as being trained by Tuvok, Janeway, and every other member of the Senior Staff, and having an emotional Talaxian as a friend required her to be, she had discovered that she had no patience for it in her old Occampan age. "You are lying," she said. "You were watching me as I left Quark's, waited a few minutes before excusing yourself, and made your way to Docking Port Three. Once onboard, you asked the computer to show you where the nearest turbolift was, and came directly to the bridge."

Picard blinked once, which was all that showed that he was surprised by her blunt observation.

She paid it no heed, though. In fact, she was just getting warmed up. "Captain Picard, let's be perfectly honest with each other. I am in no mood for small talk today, and you are here for a very important reason that is _not_ connected to Commander Worf. So, let's put our cards on the table, and see what happens. Ask your questions."

He sat up fully, the surprise ebbing away with each moment. Kes, it seemed, was every bit as impatient as he was when it came to finding out something. "Very well." He quickly seized on the opportunity. "How is it that you look young? From what I remember from Captain Janeway's report, you were nearing the end of your life cycle."

Kes leaned forward. "In short, an ascended being reversed the aging process after I had a run-in with the Kazon. She gave me a second chance at life and, as you already know, I'm making full use of that life."

"Very well. What about your first officer? She's too young to be a full Commander."

"She is from the year 1642. Her mother and father were beings of unimaginable power and knowledge. She has all of that knowledge and experience at her disposal. So, she is actually more than qualified to be my First Officer."

Picard nodded again. "I'll grant you that. Now… why are you a Captain?"

At last, the question she knew he had wanted to ask had come out. "I doubt you would believe me," she said, taking another sip of her drink. "Suffice to say, I was originally hoping for the position of the CMO, given my extensive medical background. However, my… benefactor, if you will… wanted me to take the center seat, believing that I was best suited for it. I accepted, as I wanted to get back into space. And she felt that I was the best suited for the job." Her eyes narrowed. "You obviously don't approve of it."

"… No, I don't." The captain of the _Enterprise_ straightened his back up, as if he was a judge. "The mantle of captain cannot simply be handed to someone. It must be earned, through hard work and experience in command. It is a rank with a great deal of responsibility…"

"Which you feel a nine year old Occampan shouldn't have," Kes added neutrally.

"Which I feel no one should have. Not until they have learned the ins and outs of command from a veteran captain."

She stood up, her eyes showing her irritation. "This is coming from the man who was promoted to Captain of the _Stargazer _at age twenty eight, from a Junior Grade Lieutenant." She didn't even smile as she said this. "I made it my business to read about your exploits, Captain. And need I remind you that I was instructed in every possible matter by the _Voyager_ crew. I also was the leader of a protest against my own _government_. _I_ was responsible for opening my people's eyes. So trust me, I know a little bit about the ins and outs of command."

Picard observed her as she turned towards the window, staring out at the star field, as well as the upper curve of the station. There, he saw his vessel, the _Enterprise-E_, gleaming against the dull gray color of _Deep Space Nine_. He was forever proud of his ship, for all that she had done over the years, and took a second to admire her. He quickly shifted his attention back to the woman before her. "It sounds like you received your captaincy through political maneuvering," he said, remembering the conversations he and Gilaad Ben Zoma had with Admiral McAteer. He had said the same thing about a young Jean-Luc Picard.

His response had been that Starfleet Command seemed to think he was able to do it. J.P. Hanson, a new admiral at the time, had endorsed that decision personally.

But when Kes turned around, the flash of anger directed at him told him that the conversation wouldn't go along those lines.

"So," she said, venom lacing her tone, "you're saying that I got my command due to political maneuverings by my benefactor?" She walked towards him as he stood up, not stopping until they were almost nose to nose. "I was chosen _because_ of that fact I don't have a political standing. Each member of my crew was _handpicked_ by her because they have no political standings. Are there more experienced commanders out there? Hell yes. But they all have ships of their own, or are in the camp of some politician or other from what I'm told. She didn't want that. She wanted the person in command to be willing to tell her to shut up and sit down. And, apparently, that someone was me. So, if you have a problem with that, take it up with her."

The conversation wasn't going as he had hoped. Apparently, she had less patience than he had figured, considering everything. He would have to tread more cautiously when speaking with her.

Kes, for her part, was taking deep breaths, trying to contain the maelstrom of anger that had flared up. It would do no good to blow up in his face. When she spoke again, the venom had been carefully suppressed, and hidden in the darkest corners of her mind. "Captain, your concerns are… probably valid. And, at some point, someone will remove me as commander of this ship." Her eyes pierced his with an intensity he had seen in only one other. "But until that day, I shall perform my duties to the best of my abilities." Abruptly, she disengaged from the confrontation, heading back around her desk and sitting down. "If that is all…?"  
Picard hadn't become a captain by being dense and arrogant. He realized that he had been dismissed. Not wanting to prolong this particular meeting, but knowing that he would have to deal with her at a later date, he exited the ready room. Kes waited until the doors had slid shut, before slamming her fist onto the table in anger.

----

Tasha stood up, bowing to those that she had sat at the table with, before heading out of Quark's. She needed some air. Unlike Jadzia, she had limits to the amount of time she spent in extremely crowded places.

But she wasn't ready to return to the _Valkyrie_, so she decided to wander around the Promenade, taking in all of the sights that were there. Even onboard the _Enterprise_, she had never seen such a colorful display of species before. In Zion, which was a predominately human or half human society, she had almost forgotten. In fact, Kes and Jadzia were the first aliens she had seen in fourteen years.

Now she was back in the cusp of the Federation, and she reveled in it.

Her wanderings soon took her to the upper levels, to one of the large windows. Looking out, she could see the numerous vessel, Starfleet and civilian, fly around the station, heading for docking ports or leaving them, heading for whatever planet they were supposed to go.

She found that she had missed the thrill of a deep space assignment.

From her vantage point, she could see a Bajoran freighter swerve in one particular direction, and leaned in, interested. The direction they had chosen would take them to Denorios Belt. What was there?

Her answer came in the form of a sudden opening, spiraling outward in an explosion of blue energy, seemingly swallowing the ship whole. Afterwards, it collapsed in on itself.

"Wow," she whispered, having never seen a stable wormhole before. Oh, an artificial one, sure. The Stargate was nothing more than that; an artificial wormhole.

"Tasha."

Startled, the young woman turned around to see… "Data!" she got out, shocked. "You startled me!" In the year she had known this man, she had never understood how he could sneak around like a mouse.

Data simply stared at her, though not like a machine would. His amber eyes had always shown expression, depth, and a gentleness that marked him different. "My apologies, Commander. Am I disturbing you?" he asked, his voice softer than she remembered it. The last fourteen years had been good to him. He was more cultured in the ways of humanity, and he obviously moved with more grace than before. His evolution had been uninterrupted, and he was now obviously more than accepted in the Federation.

Smiling, the young woman shook her head. "It's all right, Data. I just never got used to the fact that, for someone who weighs as much as you do, you manage to move around so quietly." She gestured. "And no, you're not disturbing me. I'm just not used to crowds anymore."

Satisfied, the android, stepped up next to her, joining her in her silent vigil of space. No words were needed between two friends, after all. They both knew each other rather well.

Data turned his eyes slightly, observing Yar. Outwardly, there was no change from the woman he had known briefly. Her hair was still cut boyishly short, her body was still toned as a security officer's should be. But, even he, who could no longer feel emotions, could see that she was calmer, more in tune with her life. The fierce loyalty that still shone was tempered with experience. In essence, she was a better person than before.

"So," Yar finally broke the silence, "how have you been, Data?"

Data turned his head fully. "I am functioning within normal parameters. As for how my growth has been, it has been… eventful."

"Oh, really? The rumor mill in Zion says you almost had sex with the Borg Queen."

"All part of my plan to deceive her. She tempted me with the promise of becoming more human than ever before, by giving me flesh and blood."

"So you didn't lock lips with a cybernetic monstrosity with plans to dominate the human race?"

"Actually, I did."

Yar turned to him at his admission, eyes alight with mischief. "Data, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were blushing. But you can't… but I still say you're embarrassed by the whole fiasco."

Data shrugged, an amazingly simple function. "I am… hesitant… to bring up the specifics of the situation."

"Relax. I'm not going to ask. … How was it?"

"… Her lips were dry, cracked, and not the kind a person, biological or technological, should ever kiss."

Yar grinned, shaking her head in amusement. This was one of the things she missed most, and that was joking with Data. The way he tried to handle jokes was endearing, and one of his most human qualities. "Well, I'm glad that you figured that out so soon," she said. "It would've been a pain if you were stuck with her for the rest of your life."

Data nodded. "That would indeed be unfortunate." Though he couldn't smile, and that there was no emotion in his body… there was a definite softening in his eyes and voice. "It is good that you are back, Tasha. I have missed you."

Tasha smiled, free of amusement, both laden with happiness. "I've missed you too, Data. More than you know."

The two started walking down the upper levels, glad to have found each other again. The loss of Worf was terrible, but it also reminded them of the friend's that they still had, and made them treasure them all the more.

----

Boomer looked up as Picard exited the Captain's Ready Room, a little surprised to see him leave so soon. "Is there a problem, Sir?" she asked.

Picard shook his head. "No, Lieutenant, there isn't… at least, I don't think there is." He started for the turbolift, but stopped, looking around again. "It's just like my old ship's bridge," he said, looking at the center seat. "Even the chair looks the same."

She was about to explain why, even offer a tour of the ship, but something on the sensor grid, which had been focused on the Denorios Belt, caught her attention. Looking at it, she shifted into officer mode. "Captain to the Bridge!" she immediately called out. "Yellow Alert! Alert all senior personnel to report back!"

Picard shifted to command mode as well, while Kes entered the bridge. "Report, Tactical."

Rachael checked her console for a moment. "Looks like… an explosion of some sort. It's localized within distance of the Bajoran Wormhole terminus." Her gaze sharpened as something else appeared. "We're receiving a distress call from a Bajoran freighter! It's at the exact point of the explosion!"

"Red Alert. Boomer, once all officers have returned to the ship, disengage from the station, and set a course for that freighter," Kes ordered immediately, ignoring the other captain completely. "Lieutenant, I want a full sensor seep of the sector. I want to know if there are pirates in the area, and what kind of weapons they're using to penetrate a freighter's shields. And I want it by the time Commander Yar takes over for you."

"Aye, Sir." The young woman's finger's danced, increasing power to the sensors, while Picard stepped back, watching.

----

Belle and Jake watched as the wormhole opened and closed once again from the upper levels, due to another ship passing through. "No matter how many times I see it," Jake said after a moment, "I still don't get tired of it."

Belle grinned, eyes alight with awe. "I've never seen anything like it before." Her gaze dropped. "I wish my friends could see it, too."

He shifted his gaze to her, seeing the wistfulness infuse her entire being. "You know, someone on Earth once said, _Life will find a way._ You'll see them again one day. I can promise you that."

"Well, it's not just that. It's-"

_"Valkyrie to Commander Cartier."_

Belle immediately shifted, her hand tapping her comm badge. "Cartier here."

_"Sir, we're receiving a distress call from a Bajoran freighter. They're heavily damaged, and require assistance."_

"Understood." The First Officer shifted gears, giving Jake an apologetic glance. "Cartier to all _Valkyrie _officers. Prepare for emergency transport." Tapping her comm badge twice, she waited.

Several seconds later, Belle, Jadzia, and Yar were taking their places on the bridge, while the _Valkyrie _herself disengaged from the station, its umbilical cord retracting at a far more rapid pace than it had stretched. The mighty vessel swung smoothly on its axis, before launching itself forward at full impulse. Within four minutes, they had reached the damaged freighter.

"Damage report on the freighter," Kes ordered, sitting up straighter as she looked at the mutilated ship. Her heart went out to everyone onboard, but she would grieve later for those who had died.

Jadzia scanned the wreckage. "They have a massive hull breach on their starboard side, engineering section," she reported quickly. "Emergency force field's are in place, but I don't know how long they'll hold. I'm reading minimal life support on all decks."

"I'm reading a great deal of radiation." Yar frowned, confused beyond measure. "It's as if a nuclear weapon was detonated inside."

Belle stood up. "What's the status of their warp core?" she asked.

"Off line. It looks like they were having troubles with their plasma coolant distribution network."

"Lifesigns?"

Jadzia turned around. "I'm picking up twenty lifesigns, all irradiated to some degree. Their original crew complement was forty seven."

Kes nodded, looking at Picard for a second. "Number One, begin an investigation. I want a full radiation team, medical team, and security squad onboard that vessel within the hour. Ascertain what has happened there, and secure the ship."

"Aye, Sir." Belle turned around. "Tasha, you're with me. Doctor Gainsborough, have a full medical team prepped and ready to go. Meet us in Transporter Room Five. Lieutenant Berenson, have your radiation team meet us there as well."

Yar was already ordering a security team to meet them at their destination, while an ensign took her place quickly. A well oiled machine at its finest.

Picard watched at the transformation occurring with the crew. They were now officers of the finest caliber, following orders. Kes gave orders that made sense, that were easy to follow, and were given with authority. He revised his opinion somewhat of her capability as a commander.

Meanwhile, Kes sat back, contemplating the freighter on the screen, and all of the mysteries it held. How could a vessel of this day and age exit a wormhole, then suddenly have a hull breach, and radiation poisoning?

Hopefully, she would have those answers soon enough.


	86. Sixty Eight, Part Three

**Part Three**

Belle tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the all clear from Rachael. The HAZMAT team had beamed over almost ten minutes ago with Aeris and her team. Their part of the job was necessary, but for someone like Belle, who was always on the move, it was as annoying as hell.

Prue turned to her, feeling none of that impatience. Having had to take care of two sisters had a way of removing impatience from one's vocabulary. Fighting demons had reminded her of it, but that was all, considering that demon vanquishing was a trying exercise, and finding the answer was necessary to defeat them. "Belle, relax. They're probably done already."

Belle snorted. "It's not a question of whether or not they're done. It's a question of how much longer are we going to stand here, waiting for them to call."

"That's a good point. Chief?"

The transporter operator checked her systems. "Rachael's sending the confirmation now," she reported. "It's safe for the rest of you to beam over."

"Many thanks," Belle muttered, stepping onto the pad. "All right, people. Everyone familiar with the standard protocols?" A murmur of agreement went through the lot of them. "Good. Then shall we, ladies?" She nodded to the operator. "Energize."

A mere second later, the last boarding party fully rematerialized on the freighter's C-Deck, phasers out. Tasha and her team made for the bridge to secure the ship, while Belle and Prue made for Engineering, where the bulk of the damage was.

"There are some remnant radioactive particles in the ship's atmosphere, though not enough to cause us any harm," Prue muttered, checking her tricorder as they neared their destination. "Hull integrity in these sections is holding at fifty six percent."

"Which means that this was definitely an internal explosion," Belle added, looking around. "The majority of the explosion was absorbed by the force fields in Main Engineering, with just enough left over to do all of this damage."

Prue looked up, having heard the tone that Belle was using, that same sense of wonder, though tempered with a small feeling of disgust. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Have we met before?" she asked. "I mean, before you accepted Alania's offer?"

Belle frowned a bit. "Not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"I just had this funny wave of déjà vu, is all. I'm probably going crazy."

"… Actually, now that I think about it, I just had the same feeling."

"Creepy." Prue looked down. "The Emergency force field inside Main Engineering is fluctuating." Quickly opening her kit, she pulled out a power module. "Shall we?" she asked.

Belle nodded. "We shall." Grabbing the sides of the door, she pried them open.

The Charmed One immediately threw the device, using her telekinetic powers to lead it to the right spot. In that time, she was glad that the Chair downloaded all the knowledge of Existence into her subconscious, allowing her to summon what she needed to know at will.

And right now, she knew exactly which console to place the device on.

With a simple clank, the module connected to the console that controlled all automatic functions, quickly establishing a connection with the force field generator. It added its power to the faltering energy source, boosting the strength of the field.

Prue nodded as the crackling field stabilized, vanishing from visible sight. "Force field is stable," she reported.

"Good." Belle stepped forward, tapping her comm badge. "Cartier to _Valkyrie._ Commander Halliwell and I have reached the engineering section of the freighter. The force field has been stabilized. We're beginning our assessment of the damage." She grimaced. "It's a mess here, Sir."

_"Report back when you have concluded your search,"_ Kes replied. _"In the meantime Commander Halliwell, try and get the freighter's computer up and running again. We need to know what happened."_

"Aye, Sir." Prue looked around, well aware that Picard was probably watching Kes's every move as she terminated the connection. "I'm probably going to have to dump their memory core into our computer system if I can't get it online. Permission to head for the bridge?"

"Not yet. I need you to check the status of the warp core and plasma coolant pods. The last thing we need is a malfunction. I'll check the primary impulse feed."

"The warp core's off line."

"Really?" Belle pointed at it. "It looks pretty active to me."

Prue blinked as she turned her attention to the core. Indeed, where it had been silent before, it was now pulsing with power. "That's not possible," she muttered. "Our sensors told us that the warp core was off line!"  
The First Officer's foot stepped on a piece of loose metal, causing her to stagger. She grabbed it, pushing it out of her way… and saw, by pure chance, lettering on it. She quickly pulled it up, looking at it for a moment. "I think I know why." She showed Prue the piece of metal.

There, emblazoned on the side of the fragment, was the symbol of Kasnia.

"Something tells me we need to talk to Batman about this," Prue commented casually.

"You think?" Belle replied. "Cartier to _Valkyrie_…"

**Realm 4**

In the entirety of his career working with Batman, Robin had never seen his former mentor smile. In fact, he hadn't seen any kind of expression aside from the occasional smirk cross his face when he donned the cape and cowl. He could count the number of times he had seen Batman genuinely angry on one hand.

Suddenly, he needed two hands.

"Queen Audrey informed us that a number of their deactivated nuclear missiles were stolen before our current problems with the Deadly Alliance and Trigon," he said, his voice hard and cold. "To think that there could be a connection between that and the terrorists, right under our noses…"

_"We have been a little busy, Batman,"_ Superman replied testily. _"Let Audrey know that we found her missing weapons, and that they'll be broken shortly."_

"I will." Severing the connection, the Dark Knight leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "I hate war," he growled.

"Join the club," Robin groused. "I hate the fact that, besides battling the enemy, we also have our regular duties to contend with."

The two of them were very much aware of the fact that this was the first time they had been left alone for more than a minute, and they were now trying to be civil with each other. Both were impressed that they had gotten even that far, but they couldn't afford to be prideful, and holding a grudge anymore.

The silence was broken by Flash, who zipped in, waving his hands frantically. "Guys, we've got something that you should see," he said immediately. "File thirteen dash forty."

The Dark Knight quickly brought up the file in question, reading it over. His already stormy expression grew even more so with each passing moment. "So that's it."

"They're trying to get their hands on Doomsday," Flash added. "How they're gonna control him is anyone's guess, but they're definitely trying."

"What about the weapons?" Robin asked. "There has got to be a good reason why they sent a nuclear warhead into Realm 9002."

The speedster shook his head. "I couldn't tell you. It's probably a test to see if they could use that damn thing."

Batman stood up. "Well, they can, and they've somehow managed to fix the bugs on it." He turned around, heading out. "I'm going to find out more about this. Keep you eyes on the teams, and let me know if there are any changes."

Robin sighed, rubbing his eyes through the mask. "Wally, how can you stand being around him?" he asked. "I've lived with him for almost fifteen years, and I can't stand him for longer than three minutes."  
Flash grinned. "Simple. I know he's the best, and I'm the fastest." He patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. He's… just got his own way of doing things. Eventually, his personality will change. Until then…"

Nodding, Robin made his way out of the room, thinking about what Flash had said.

----

Night fell upon the mountains, a blanket of stars emerging from hiding.

Superman and Yugi stared towards the fortress, impossibly dark due to the lack of light. Obviously, the terrorists were taking no chances. By now, they probably knew that the League was coming, and were trying to get ready for them.

"I can see at least thirty men on the wall," Superman stated quietly. "They're armed with automatic weapons, and grenade launchers. I can also see four nuclear warheads, and five boxes." He shook his head. "They're lined with lead. I can't see what's in them."

Yugi nodded. "That alone is enough to worry me." He turned around. "Hopefully, that's only Kaiba's stuff. I'd rather not have to deal with Cadmus right now."

"Agreed."

The two leaders joined the rest of their group, all who were resting, or dealing with various situations that were common for humanoid life. The only one who wasn't doing that was Red Tornado, and that was only because he wasn't biological.

Stripes climbed back into his suit, sealing himself in it again. "So, what's the plan?" he asked. "We're just going to go in and trash them?"

"No, we have to have a bit more stealth than that." DMG plopped herself down, rubbing her neck fretfully. "We've already had one surprise thrown at us in the form of Bruno the mutant dog, so we have no idea what else is out there."

Superman nodded. "Suggestions as to how we proceed then?" he asked.

"Kaiba's got a good idea on how we can."

Seto stepped forward, a smirk on his face. "If they're using technology from my company, then they won't know all of the weaknesses of such devices. For instance, my technology has limits, which means it can only be used in a limited area, like the inside of a fortress. All prototype precautions so nothing happens to the people outside of the area. Also, half of it probably doesn't work right in the first place."

"So we have to force them to use this stuff," Tristan stated. "How?"  
Maxima grinned. "We show them that we possess the same technology. A duel, if you will."

"But not Duel Monsters or _Secar Triad_," Seto added. "We have to fight them using monsters, and we have to do so in such a way, that they have no choice but to use it."

Joey held up his hand. "What if your plan doesn't work?" he asked.

"Then we'll send you in as a sacrificial lamb. How about that, Wheeler?"  
"How's about I knock your block off, rich boy?"  
Rebecca stood up, seeing the irritation levels of Seto rise, and the look of anger in Joey's eyes. "Hold off your war against each other, and focus on the here and now!" she shouted. "We're about thirty minutes from a terrorist camp, and you two are taking potshots at each other! Save it!"

Yugi sighed in relief. Between Seto's arrogance and Joey's temper, he was going to have his hands full with his team. He didn't need them attacking each other at this moment.

"What about dat Inter-dimensional Doorway?" Joey suddenly asked. "If it's operational, den they can send de other nukes to Realm 9002 before we can do anything about it."

That statement, which was rather unusual from Joey Wheeler, caught everyone by surprise. They had been so hell bent on getting to their objective, that they had turned a blind eye to the other possibilities. What if they weren't planning on sending these nukes to places like Washington?

What if they were actually trying to send them to Bajor?

In one moment, Superman and Red Tornado looked at each other. "Mister Wheeler, I believe you may have uncovered the enemy's plan," the android said. "What if this terrorist group was receiving more than just Lobo's help? What if they are aligned with one of the evil alliances out there?"  
"Yeah… but which one?" DMG asked.

**Realm 9002**

"I've finished analyzing the pieces of metal that Commander Cartier sent back," Jadzia reported. "Metallurgical analysis confirms that the outer shell was constructed via the construction methods of the Twentieth Century. Its quantum signature is also a match. It's from Realm 4."

Kes turned towards her Science and Chief Operations Officer. "I've been reading up on the nation of Kasnia," she said. "I understand that they aren't allowed to develop weapons of any kind, outside of what the already have. How the hell can they have nuclear warheads, when they haven't had an active nuclear arsenal in over a decade?"  
"In short, Vandal Savage." The Trill sighed. "Queen Audrey had all of his research traced. He had been funneling millions of dollars into their space program. Aside from the International Space Station, where he secretly installed a rail gun, he also worked on Kasnia's ability to launch satellites and probes all the way to Mars if necessary. It's possible that it was a cover up to work on their Nuclear Weapons Program."

"So terrorists managed to get their hands on six of these bad boys, and use one of them to take down a Bajoran freighter?" Belle asked incredulously. "Why do that? They could open a gateway to Bajor, or even this universe's Earth. Why a simple freighter?"

Kes turned to Prue. "Commander?" she inquired.

Prue sighed. "I won't know until we go through all of the information that we have," she replied. "The computer core's damaged in such a way that I can't repair it. I was only able to extract twenty percent of the files via conventional means. Request permission to return to the freighter with a computer buffer enhancer?"  
"Granted. In the mean time, unless there is a serious threat here that requires immediate attention, I'm allowing Jadzia and Tasha to return to DS9 for the memorial service with Captain Picard."

Belle nodded. "Aye, Sir." She stood up. "The freighter captain is awake. Doctor Gainsborough believes he is ready to answer questions."

Kes smiled slightly. It appeared that she had been given a chance to complete this investigation. The captain had been on the bridge at the time, trying to keep the ship steady as it exited the wormhole. "Belle, return to the bridge for now. Have the captain report to my Ready Room when he's ready. Tasha, before you go, transmit what we have so far to the ships and the station. Dismissed."

One by one, the Senior Staff filed out of the Conference Lounge, making their way to their stations, leaving Kes alone with her thoughts. What the hell was she going to do, if the terrorists that Superman and Yugi were dealing with were in league with something even greater?

----

Jadzia sat down at her console, running several scans of the surrounding space. She was hoping to locate any sort of inter-dimensional weakening. If there was, they would have a way to determine whether or not it was natural or artificial

She did this to keep herself distracted. These last few days had been nothing but a distraction. Being with old friends, while gratifying, was a distraction.

In truth, she was hiding. Hiding from her fury. Hoping against hope that she didn't succumb to her desire for revenge. Her death at the hands of Dukat is still vivid in her mind.

"Jadzia?" It's Tasha, standing right behind her, letting her know that it's time. "We're beaming over to the station now."

Nodding, the young woman relinquished her console to her replacement, before heading for the nearest turbolift. She had just run out of things to distract her.

Yar waited until she had entered, before saying, "Deck Five." As the lift began moving, she turned to her friend. "It's not your fault," she said. "Worf would be the first to tell you to do your duty. He knew the rules were in place for a reason."

Jadzia nodded. "Did anyone contact Stargate Command, and inform James of this?"

"A message was sent. General Hammond's going to let him know as soon as possible."

The two women were silent for much of the ride. It was only when they reached their destination that Jadzia commented, with an honesty that was brutal, even for her, "If I ever see Dukat again, I'll kill him. Starfleet oath be damned."

Yar smiled humorlessly. "If I can, I'll help you," she replied quietly. "In the meantime, while we're onboard the station, maybe you should go into the Shrine. Klingons don't condone weakness in their house members, after all."

"Most house members haven't been killed in a holy shrine, then resurrected. I may have the shortest period of adjustment out of everyone onboard, but that point is still pretty vivid in my mind." Jadzia sighed. "And Worf will never be resurrected. I got lucky. If Julian hadn't tried regenerating my internal organs, I wouldn't be here either."

Tasha nodded as the doors opened. "Well, I do know that he would want you to continue living, and to fulfill the blood oath that you will probably swear. Now come on. The memorial will probably start soon."

The two officers stepped out of the lift, and made for the transporter room, mentally preparing themselves for the service to come.

And for the repercussions that would follow it.

----

Kes looked up as Belle sat down in her seat, looking rather confused. "Prue has returned to the freighter with the equipment," she reported.

"Good." Kes signed off on the duty roster for the day, before turning to her first officer. "You looked confused. Care to explain of your own free will? Or shall I dig into your mind for the truth?"

Belle smiled slightly. "For your information Sir, I had a conversation onboard the freighter with Prue." She checked her console for a moment. "She said something rather strange."

"Oh? What?"

"She was wondering if we had met before. She had the strangest sense of déjà vu when we met for the first time."

Kes frowned slightly. "I had the same feeling. I just didn't pay too much attention to it. You?"

"Not initially, but I had that same feeling after she said that." Belle looked at the daily news from Zion. "Alania's ordered the tenth tactical unit to stand by. Sounds like they're

getting ready to move out for a high profile assignment."

The tenth tactical unit was the Special Ops of the Guardian Starfleet. The best of the best. Only the best and brightest were assigned to that unit, and their record was unchallenged by any other mortal group.

However, whenever they were mobilized, it meant something big was on the horizon. And it wasn't good.

Kes nodded, before sitting up, looking at the view screen. "Well, unless we're called upon to lead an assault team against the Borg, I'm not going to worry about it. Anyway, it's time for lunch. Interested in joining an old woman over sandwiches?"

"Sure." Belle grinned as she stood up. "By the way, you're the cutest elderly woman in the whole Alpha Quadrant."

Laughing, they went for the turbo lift, intent on filling their stomachs.

**Realm 4**

Shayera exited the Stargate, flipping her head over her shoulders. "Ah, nothing like thirty years of back logged paperwork to remind me why I stayed away from Zion," she said sourly. "Even Thanagarians don't have that much!"

"Thanagarians are normally on the war path," Rogue reminded her. "And they don't have any use with keeping up with the paperwork as it is. You know that."

She did, but she didn't want to say anything about it. Instead, she flew up to the command deck, where everyone was busy. "I heard about that terrorist cell. How's it going?"  
"Not good," J'onn replied. "We've received word from the _Valkyrie_ that they have successfully used the S.T.A.R lab's inter dimensional gateway, and damaged a Bajoran freighter. Obviously, Kes isn't too happy about this, considering the memorial service some of her crew is attending."

Shayera sighed. Worf was well respected among the Guardians, due to circumstances that were classified within the Federation, and that Prue's sisters had signed an avadavat so their minds weren't wiped.

Prue wasn't even negotiable. She had to forget everything, as did the other two who participated directly in the events surrounding Maleficent's defeat. To do otherwise would be to destroy their destinies, and that was not an option.

Returning her attention to the here and now, Shayera glared at the tactical viewer. There, nestled within the mountains, was the base that Superman and Yugi had gone to defeat. Hopefully, they'd do so before any more innocent lives were taken.

Rogue joined her, her gaze growing confused. "Ah don't understand," she said, eyes glinting. "If they're so dangerous, why didn't you send more teams? Batman's squad or the X-Men would have loved ta help."

"Because Batman's squad is still in the midst of Cadmus hunting, and the X-Men are all researching with Doctor Fate, trying to find a way to free the Brotherhood from the Orichalcos."

"Oh… okay."

Shayera chuckled, slapping her young student on the back. "Don't worry. Superman and Yugi can handle this. That's why they were assigned to this mission. It's a great way to stretch their legs, and get a feel for this kind of combat. It's probably not a mission that will determine our fates, and no one has to die."

"Uh, Ah think you're livin' in a dream world, Sensei."

"I know. Isn't it great?"

J'onn shook his head in bemusement. For a sixty eight thousand Guardian, she was definitely a strange woman. Pretty spry.

----

Yugi watched the fortress, trying to figure out how he was going to approach them without them shooting him on sight. Mirror Force was out of the question, due to its reflective power. Kaiba was all for just letting them know where they were, but that would be counter productive to what they were trying to do. And finally, they had no idea what other monstrosities the terrorists had at their disposal. Caution was the rule on this day.

Joey joined him on his observation, looking pensive. "Dinking about how to get in range of dose creeps?" he asked casually.

Yugi nodded. "The only thing I can think of that can do the job is the Magical Hats, but that only works against one opponent. There are about sixty on their side of the field."

"Yeah, dat would be a problem." The taller duelist frowned thoughtfully. "I have an idea about dat, though. Use monster's whose only purpose is to defend. Like Big Shield Guardna, or the Stone Soldier. Even the Blue Eyes White Dragon can do da trick."

"Great idea, but it may not be enough."

""Probably not, but I'd say that you compensate with magic and trap cards designed to stop attacks and damage."

The strategy, coupled by the fact that Joey was the one who had come up with it, made Yugi lose his voice temporarily. "That's a great idea, Joey. I don't think the Pharaoh or Kaiba could come up with better."

Joey shrugged, grinning. "Kaiba'd probably destroy the whole lot of dem, and the Pharaoh would challenge their leader to a Shadow Duel."

"Good point. … I miss him, Joey. I miss him and Tea a whole lot."

"… So do I, pal. So do I. But right now, we have some terrorist butts to kick, so let's get our game faces on, and take dem and Lobo down!"

Yugi nodded, his expression acquiring that particularly decisive look it always did when he did battle. He had proven to himself that he could operate independently, without any help from the Pharaoh. Now it was time to show that he could perform at the same caliber as well.

Otherwise, the plan would fall apart, and they would lose.

**Realm 9002**

Martok shifted slightly in his seat as Data finally stepped away from the pew, his head down. For the life of him, he still couldn't understand why humans and other species still felt the need to make winding speeches about a dead man. He knew that they had their ways, ways that were in inherently different from Klingons, but Klingons reserved their praises for the living.

Still, he had had no idea that his brother had had such an impact on their lives, that even the emotionless android could feel a sense of loss.

But the memorial service was at an end now, Data having been the last one to speak. It meant he could get out of his seat. He quickly did so, moving to join Sisko and his family near one of the portholes. They were among the many who were talking about various things humans talked about. Apparently, they felt that talking was the best way to grieve over a fallen comrade.

The Chancellor could see that worked rather well. And, from his own time among them during the war, he knew that most of them were emotionally hardier than the greatest Klingons. If they wanted to talk about Worf's accomplishments, then they could.

However, two people weren't mingling with them as they began to leave in groups. He was standing at the window, staring out into the distance. Next to him, Captain Kira was following his example. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were watching. Even from a distance distance, the _Valkyrie_ could be easily seen, shining in the darkness of space. From the outside, it was a great ship, aesthetically pleasing, and enormously powerful.

From the inside… it was probably just as incredible.

Picard turned his head as Martok joined them, eyes distant. "Chancellor," he said in greeting.

Martok nodded slightly. "Captain, you seem distant, and I don't think it's because of Worf dying." He looked out to the distant vessel. "It's the _Valkyrie's_ captain, isn't it?"

Kira chuckled. "Yes. Captain Picard is wondering who was out of their mind to put a doctor in charge of a starship."

Martok chuckled as only a Klingon could. Human beings were sometimes more concerned about who had the experience, but not the skill. "Captain, I can tell you that it was probably a Guardian who was out of their mind. Their oldest one, in fact." He stepped up to the window. "It is said that she can look beyond a person's soul, and see their true potential. She is right most of the time, and so revered that few question her wishes. To that end, she surrounds herself with people who would argue with her if they thought she was wrong."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes Captain. The First Guardian does this to remind everyone that she is only human, despite all of her gifts and experience. She can make mistakes."

Picard frowned. "Chancellor, you make it sound like she is waiting to be proven wrong by those who she should consider inferior."

Martok's grin widened a bit more. "Captain, she believes _mortals_ are superior to Guardians, because we can advance within our short lifespans. To her, Guardians are merely the top of the evolutionary ladder physiologically. In terms of sheer will and determination, we are their betters. That is why mortals are in command of ships, and not immortals." He looked at the _Valkyrie._ "Kes is young by our standards, but by her people's standards, she should be dead. Her life has been filled with both joy and sorrow. Captain Janeway helped her in so many ways, and opened what you humans call Pandora's Box. None survive when that happens, but that Occampan did. She possesses a warrior's spirit, and a diplomat's tact. And I think that she is perfect for commanding that ship. After all," he shrugged at this, "she had some of the best teachers at her disposal."

Kira grinned. "Jadzia and Tasha are willing to follow her. In fact, they were among those who asked for her to assume that seat."

Well, if Tasha and Jadzia, two people who had never even met Kes were willing to try that… "So far, she hasn't given me any reason to question this First Guardian's reasoning." Picard turned back to the window. "She has proven remarkably competent in that seat so far. Only time will tell if she's qualified."

"I say she will," Kira said, smiling. "I can feel it in my soul. …The Prophets will it."  
"Again, let's hope so."

----

Prue finished the connection between the freighter and the memory module, grinning in satisfaction. Normally a three person job, her telekinetic abilities meant she could do it all by herself, especially since she had been constantly refining them for five years. She was able to lift almost six tons now.

Since her death on Realm 2743, the eldest Halliwell hadn't been in contact with anyone from there. First, she was in an adjustment and rehabilitation center for eight long months. Eight months was longer than anyone usually spent there, but she had massive concerns on her plate. Namely, her sisters. Thank God Alania had taken her under her wing, and kept her apprised on them, otherwise she would have gone crazy.

She quickly punched in the correct sequence that would transfer all of the computer information from one receptacle to another, rubbing her neck. "Initiate transfer," she ordered.

_"Transfer initiated,"_ the computer droned, the same female, though intelligence deprived voice that made up most computers in any fleet. Quite unlike the _Valkyrie_, which had emotion subroutines put into it, as well as AI. Still, it did its job perfectly.

As it began to download every file it could, Prue finally leaned back, closing her eyes. If everything went according to plan, she would soon be downloading all the information into the main computer of the ship, repairing the damaged files and boosting the ones that only suffered a little shake. And she would sit down, and enjoy a glass of wine.

But, as her experiences as a Charmed One had taught her, life had a funny way of screwing with someone.

_"Transfer complete,"_ the computer droned, startling her out of her reverie. She immediately disconnected the interface, before activating the automatic transporter. As it vanished from the freighter, she made her way out of the computer core room, her tricorder out.

As part of her duties as a Starfleet Officer, whenever they came into contact with a damaged vessel, she was to make a detailed scan of its interior. While the primary sensor ship of the _Valkyrie_ had located the major signs of damage, tricorder's were required to locate any micro-fractures inside the vessel. That way, they could send a full report to the company that the freighter was licensed to, and whether or not it could be repaired. People usually appreciated it.

As she reached the cargo area, her tricorder bleeped for a second. Nothing more, nothing less. It was simply registering a small unknown, something that wasn't part of the freighter's mass and cargo manifest.

Prue turned around, looking at the two doors. Resetting her tricorder, she scanned the cargo area again. Getting the same result, she tapped her comm badge again. "Halliwell to _Valkyrie_," she said.

_"_Valkyrie_ here," _Rachael's voice replied.

"I'm picking up an anomalous reading in the freighter's cargo bay. It's not a warhead fragment, and it's definitely not supposed to be here. Requesting permission to enter."

_"I'll let you know. The captain's meeting with the Bajoran captain right now."_

"Understood. Halliwell out." Tapping her comm badge to shut it off, Prue let out a sigh. "I hope I get an answer soon," she said quietly. Otherwise, I'm going to go crazy."

About thirty second's later, Rachael had called back, letting her know that the Captain had given her blessing, and to move with extreme caution. Glad of that, the young witch started forward, her tricorder focusing on the anomaly. According to it, it was on the other side of the space.

She soon found herself in front of a bulkhead. Confused, she adjusted the small device again, and scanned the bulkhead. _'Bingo!'_ she thought as she detected a massive hollow cavern. _'Something's in the bulkhead itself!'_ Putting her tricorder in her belt, she focused her powers on the duranium hull.

It pulled off like it was toilet paper, revealing several additional cargo bins marked HAZARDOUS. She quickly scanned them, matching them signatures with what was on the _Valkyrie's_ database. _'Dominion weapons and sensor grids,'_ she thought, surprised. _'Photon Torpedoes. There are even hull fragments in this bin.'_ If she didn't know any better, she had the distinct feeling that she had come across an illegal weapons transport, or a salvage operation. Either way, it was worth mentioning.

Putting her tricorder away again, Prue tapped her comm badge. "Prue to _Valkyrie._" She waited a few seconds, before trying again. "Commander Halliwell to _Valkyrie_. Respond, please."

Nothing.

She immediately realized that she was in serious trouble, especially since there was a dampening field in the area. What was more, it wasn't part of the freighter's equipment list. She quickly stood up, making for the door…

… and proceeded to get clobbered, as Lobo's massive fist smashed into the side of her head, knocking her out before she even hit the floor.

----

Kes had just put hers and Belle's empty plates onto the replicator to be recycled, when the door to her Ready Room chimed. "Come," she said, heading back for her desk.

The Bajoran captain entered the room, looking around. "Captain, you asked to see me?"

Kes nodded, gesturing towards the open seat, while Belle turned around, gaze inscrutable. "Yes, please have a seat." She waited until the captain sat down, before leaning forward. "We scanned your ship, and we discovered that your ship was damaged due to an internal explosion. Upon further investigation, we found fragments of a nuclear warhead in your Engineering section. I need to know if you were able to determine where it had come from."

The captain frowned for a moment. "We had reached our destination, picked up supplies and new cargo, and were returning to the wormhole, when our sensors picked up a damaged Jem'Hadar battle cruiser. We ended up performing a salvage operation in the hope that we could upgrade our own defenses. We found it wasn't compatible, so we stored what we could in a hidden compartment of the cargo bay. It's standard on most freighters when they're carrying hazardous materials."

Belle nodded. "Prue did say she picked up an anomalous reading. Maybe that's what she was talking about."

Kes nodded. "So you came through the wormhole."

"Yes. Our warp plasma network was showing strange fluctuations though, and we didn't want to harm the Celestial Temple or the Prophets in any way, so we shut it down, capped the exhaust, and cruised in on impulse. When we reached the other side, we would immediately head for the station.

"Then, just as plotted the course, the alert sounded. Something had managed to get through our shields, and had appeared in Main Engineering. I immediately ordered emergency force fields at full strength, and requested my Chief Engineer to determine if it was a weapon some sort. … He never had the chance to find out. The next thing I knew, I was in your sickbay." He shrugged. "Sorry I can't be of anymore help."

Kes sat back. "Thank you, Captain. You have been more than helpful." She stood up, shaking the captain's hand. "I'm sorry about what happened to your ship and crew. It looks like you were dragged into a situation that you shouldn't have been brought into."

Belle kept silent until he had left, before looking at her. "It looks like those terrorists did this for a reason," she said. "The freighter was the target."

"And if we check the fighter, I have no doubt in my mind we'll find radioactive traces on the hull." The Occampan got out of her seat, looking out the window. "A battle cruiser is damaged by an unknown force. A Bajoran Freighter finds it, performs a salvage operation, and is then similarly damaged. Why do I get the feeling that this is not a coincidence?" A horrible thought dawned on her. "What if they fixed the glitches in the inter-dimensional Gateway, and can open it in specific locations now?"

The two women, suddenly spurred by a totally understandable feeling of fear for Prue, bolted out of the Ready Room. "Rachael, contact Prue!" Belle ordered. "She may be in danger!"

Rachael opened hailing frequencies, shook her head. "I can't get her comm signal."

That confirmed it. "Commander, get over there, and get her out!" Kes ordered. "Lieutenant, contact the station! Tell them what's happening, and to be prepared for a possible attack!"

Belle immediately made for the door, her mind now hoping that Prue wasn't hurt in any way. Otherwise, there was going to be hell to pay.

----

Lobo watched as the humans quickly took the weapons that the witch had helped discover for them, grinning so happily. With all of this stuff, these little humans could literally make millions… or cause the death of millions. Either thing was good in his opinion.

One of the men stepped up to him. "The last of the weapons have been taken," he said. "What shall we do with the woman?"

Lobo shrugged, his black gloves crackling as he clenched his fists. "It don't matta, man! Leave a nuke here and blow this piece of crap up if you wanna. There won't be enough left of her to put in a matchbox!" He grinned, rubbing his gloved hands together. "The Mean Man's gonna enjoy putting Blue Boy in a hurt locka, but only if he can take the heat! Now get outta here, dude. I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. I'm just gonna wait for my ride to pick me up."

The man bowed, before stepping through the glowing opening. Several moments later, a nuclear warhead emerged from it, its clock already ticking, before the doorway closed.

Prue stirred slightly, moaning a bit before becoming still again. If she had been conscious, she would have been trying to get up. Unfortunately, the blow she took had been a bit more debilitating than a normal person. In fact, she should be commended for her presence of mind to create a partial shield over her body for protection. It had absorbed much of Lobo's attack perfectly, keeping him from flattening her skull into a pancake.

But, if she didn't wake up soon, or if someone didn't show up within that same timeframe, then her being reborn wouldn't matter, as her body would be incinerated by the immediate effect of a nuclear warhead detonating in close range.

It wouldn't be a pretty picture


	87. Sixty Eight, Part Four

**Part Four**

Belle materialized onboard the freighter, her eyes immediately scouting the area around her. Seeing nothing, she quickly started for the cargo bay entrance, which she wasn't very far from.

And there, in that cargo bay, like he hadn't any care in the world, was the largest, grayest man she had ever seen before in her life. Her eyes slid down to the ground, caught Prue's unconscious form near him, then the nuclear warhead right next to her, and narrowed dangerously.

The man, on the other hand, was surprised to see her there. "Hey! How'd you get here without me knowin' about it?!" he shouted, starting forward, his fist coming up to cave her pretty little face in

Belle ducked under his right jab, coming up with a swift uppercut that caught him off guard. He flew backwards, hitting the bulkhead with enough force to dent the duranium.

Belle smirked. "This is what we call underestimating your foe," she said, stepping inside. "Now then, you're going to shut that warhead off, and surrender. 'Cause if you don't, Superman isn't going to get a shot at you, as I'll rip you limb from limb right here, right now."

Lobo grinned, red eyes lighting up at the implied threat. "Hey, you're my kind of woman!" He pushed himself up, cracking his knuckles gleefully. "The Mean Man's waiting for his ride, so I've got some time to kill! Let's dance, girly!" With that, he charged forward, his fist whistling forward again. He missed again, but lashed out again, catching Belle in the face with a backhand. Grinning, he watched as she flew through the air, landing at the far end of the room.

His grin faded as the young Trainee sprung forward almost immediately, covering the distance effortlessly. Her feet planted themselves into his chest, landing, her hands reached out, grabbing the lapels of his jacket before he had flown back too far, and smashing her skull into his. She regretted that almost immediately, as a throbbing headache began its irritating tempo, but it seemed to have the same effect on him. Shaking hers off, she smashed him with a right hook.

Lobo shook his head as he staggered back, feeling his jaw throb from her fist. "Geez, you sure know how to show a guy a great time!" He rolled his shoulder for a second. "Lemme do the same!"  
Belle crouched as he started forward again, unable to believe that he was going to try this again. Was he just waiting to get his ass kicked? Or was he really waiting for his ride? She brought her hand up, catching the fist as it came at her. A jolt of pain went through her arm, but it was a mere discomfort, not the prelude to a fracture. She swiftly stopped his other hand, with the same result. In a head on fight, they were equally matched.

But Lobo suddenly brought her forward, head butting her. Unlike her, he wasn't afraid to put some more force behind it. His fist buried itself into her sternum, folding her up like an accordion. Grinning in triumph, he took a step back, ready to crush her skull in.

Unfortunately, for him anyways, Prue chose that exact moment to regain consciousness. And she wasn't exactly happy about having a raging headache.

Since the moment she had been resurrected, Prue's powers had once again begun to grow, but in leaps and bounds. Free from her destiny as a Charmed One, and surrounded by telekinetic masters, in a world of magic no less, she had begun honing her abilities, mastering new skills. Within five years, she had surpassed her grandmother in terms of power and refinement.

Between her headache, the fact that her ears picked up an electronic ticking, and Lobo standing right above her, she was more than ready to kick his ass.

Lobo was suddenly airborne, and thoroughly surprised about it. The witch had stood up, using her eyes as the focusing point, and lifted him right off the ground. She then proceeded to bash him off of walls, through cargo bins, and up to the ceiling.

Belle was up immediately, her arm tensing. "Bring him this way!" she shouted. Prue obliged, sending him rocketing back towards the Trainee.

As he reached her, Belle lashed out with a clothesline, stopping his forward progress rather abruptly with enough force to snap a steel bar in half. He hit the ground hard.

Prue was already at the warhead, checking the device over. "We have two minutes before this thing goes off to disarm it!"

"Then by all means, Prue! Disarm it!" Belle quickly reached down, grabbing the alien by his jacket, lifting him up. "Why are you helping a group of human terrorists?" she asked dangerously, fire collecting in her hand. "Who are you working for?"

Lobo struggled for a moment. "Someone who's got a whole lot of money to burn," he replied, his ears picking up a slight beeping from his jacket. "This is just a job I took on! Those humans are just the benefactors, while I get the check!"

"Who, damn you!"

He replied this time, not with words or his fists, but a neural stunner slapped directly into Belle's abdomen. The young woman let go, scrambling for the device before it could send its disabling charge into her system.

At that precise moment, series of rings burst through the ceiling of the cargo bay, settling in around Lobo. He disappeared in a burst of light, the rings following him up just as quickly. An emergency force field snapped on over the hole immediately

Prue looked at the warhead, pulling the casing off surrounding the detonator. Looking down, she saw the usual set of wires. And, she faced the same dilemma. Which wire should she cut? Which one would result in the bomb going off, and which one would shut it off?

Belle pried the device off, throwing it away from her. "How are you doing?" she asked quickly.

"Give me a moment." She reached out with her powers, feeling each wire, each electrical impulse. She had to know what was going where before she tried anything.

Belle watched the clock tick down. Only thirty seconds remained. "Prue?" she asked worriedly. "If you don't stop it now, we'll be having a fight in front of Saint Peter."

Prue didn't hear her, so focused she was on her task. She brought her hand up, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Ten…

Nine…

Eight…

Seven…

Six…

Five…

Four…

'_Got it!'_ Quick as a flash, Prue used her newfound knowledge to pull a blue wire out, severing its connection.

Three…

The clock stopped ticking at three.

The two women let out a gasp of relief, sliding to the ground. It had been close, but close had always been a close companion of theirs. What was more important, they had saved the ship from destruction, and weren't killed.

"Is your life always this exciting?" Belle finally asked. "Because mine sure is."

"We'll compare stories," Prue replied, "and scathing remarks concerning our foes when we get back to the ship."

"I'll like that."

----

Kes sat up straighter as Rachael let out a rather impressive expletive. "What is it?" she asked, somewhat surprised by the language.

Rachael looked at her. "The cargo bay has some sort of dampening barrier in it," she said. "I'd say whoever was onboard, wanted to stall us long enough to get what they came for."

Kes nodded, fear coiling around her heart. Belle and Prue were onboard, and without backup. What the hell was she thinking, sending them over?

Another expletive caught her attention, and she turned back to Rachael. "Something else, Lieutenant? Because you've improved my vocabulary with two new words."

"Yes, Sir. I'm detecting a vessel de-cloaking just above the freighter… it's an Ori warship."

Yet another bit of good news for her to hear. Though she didn't know anything about the Ori, she could assume that they were hostile towards anyone they didn't know.

"But get this; the cloaking technology is _Romulan_."

That got Kes's attention. "What?" She stood up, moving towards the view screen.

There, still in the process of de-cloaking, was the very source of Rachael's unprofessional behavior. It was a massive vessel, with the strangest curvature she had ever seen. There didn't appear to be any engines, and its power source was glowing brightly enough to be seen by the naked eye. It settled itself into a defensive posture, its nose pointing towards the _Valkyrie_.

"Weapon's status," Kes immediately ordered. Information concerning a hostile vessel was always best used to determine a course of action.

"Their primary weapon is off line. Shield's are down, and their engines are on standby." The young woman's hands flew across the console. "Captain, I'm picking up ring activity from the ship."

That, Kes could see. A series of rings suddenly emerged from the underbelly of the warship, punching through the freighter's hull like it was paper. It vanished from view. Then, a beam of bright light shot up into the ship. The rings flew back in as well.

The ship moved off, with no change in its weapons status. However, its intent was all too easy to figure out.

"Tractor beam!"

The _Valkyrie_ moved to intercept the vessel, her tractor emitters powering up. It shot out through space, aiming to halt the Ori…

… and missed by a fraction of a second. The Ori Ship had already opened a hyperspace window, and had shot forward into it, vanishing in the blink of a second.

Kes growled deeply in her throat, unable to believe it. They had been bested by whoever had been on that ship, and they didn't even know who it was!

Rachael looked up. "Sir, I have Commander Cartier and Commander Halliwell back on the ship. Judging for the looks on their faces, it was definitely Lobo."

"Yet another thing to talk to Superman about," Kes grumbled. "Boomer, take us back to Deep Space Nine. Inform all commanders that we'll convene immediately. We need to discuss our options."

"Aye, Sir."

In the meantime, Kes was going to sit down, and think dark thoughts about gray skinned aliens wearing leather jackets.

**Realm 4**

Superman could hear the sudden change in the mood of the terrorist cell. There were sounds of jubilance, cries of victory, and several prayers sent out. In short order, everything he was hoping _not_ to hear.

Yugi turned to him, his eyes wide. While he couldn't hear to the clarity that the Kryptonian's own ears possessed, he could still hear them. "I take it that's not a good sign," he said in understatement.

"You guessed it, Yugi. We're going to have to move in quickly if we're going to stop them."

"Good idea." The young duelist stood up, then paused. "What if they're prepared for us?"  
"Then this will be one of the hardest battles ever fought." Superman stretched out slightly. "I'm hoping it's not."

The two squad leaders returned to the camp, where the others were waiting expectantly. They were not disappointed.

Superman shook his head. "We move out immediately. Let's do this and go home."

"I'll go with that." Seto grumbled, straightening his jacket out. "This is a lot longer than I expected to be here."

"You're welcome to leave, Kaiba," Tristan replied.

Tornado shook his head. "Our plan is set?"

"It's set. Let's get this done."

Yugi activated his Duel Disk. "Okay, we need to unleash level four monsters at a distance of three hundred feet," he said. "While our monsters are busy dealing with the terrorists, Superman's team will go in, and grab the warheads. With a little luck, we should get them all before they discover our deception."

"And if Lobo is there, Superman deals with him," Joey added. "Otherwise, pick a target, and take him down."

Maxima nodded. It was bold, but simple. A simple strike to distract them, with a surprise attack from behind.

Stripes climbed into his suit, sealing himself inside. "Well, let's do this, then," he said. "I don't want to leave Star up there alone."  
"Yeah, kids with staves will do the strangest things." Tristan chuckled at that. "See? We're used to this sort of thing."

Yugi nodded. He and Superman had a good plan. The real test was if their teams would obey their orders. He knew Joey, Tristan, and Rebecca would, but he wasn't so sure about Seto. As the leader of a multibillion dollar company, he was used to giving the orders, not taking them. But he looked like he would stomach it for now.

Only somewhat comforting, considering the history between them all. But, like so many other chapters in their life, not worth mentioning.

"Well, for the Grace of God, go we," he muttered, starting down the path.

----

Serenity sat at the television set, trying to keep her mind on the show she was watching. It wasn't easy, considering the fact that her brother and his friends were out there, doing something potentially dangerous. But she was going to try and be happy for a few moments.

Mokuba joined her on the couch, knowing what was going through her mind. "They'll be fine, Serenity," he said, his eyes sympathetic. "I mean, my brother and Yugi are with them. The can do anything."

Serenity shook her head. "Mokuba, you don't really know. This isn't a duel between two opponents, or even a Shadow Duel. This is real life Black Ops stuff. Stuff that we're not even supposed to know about, let alone actually doing it. Those are people with guns, and they're not afraid to use them."

The young Kaiba nodded. "I know. Kaiba Corp used to do that. The fact that we were supplying to terrorist cells was the reason Seto ended the weapons program… aside from him learning about our stepfather's connections with Luthor."

"… What?"

"It's the reason why he started working with Wayne Enterprises. Their CEO has a No Gun's policy."

Serenity sat up. "You said that Kaiba Corp and Lex Corp… were partners?" she asked, her mind spinning with horror. "Oh God…"

"What?"

The young woman quickly walked over to Raven. "I think I know how the security of Star Labs was compromised," she said quickly.

Raven looked at her, at a loss… before she quickly caught on. "Oh no… they're ready for them…"

Action was as fast as thought, as Raven had reached for her communicator. "Titan Tower to Watchtower! We need you to break into Lex Corp's primary computer system. Find out where all of the information for Star Lab's equipment and kryptonite supply load is, and find out how much is missing!"

"_Excuse me?"_ Flash asked. "_You want us to commit an illegal act?"_

"Just do it!!!! It's a matter of life and death! Superman's and Yugi's teams are probably walking into something they're not prepared for!"

The silence on the other line was enough to tell both girls that he was on it. "Now all we can do now is wait… and pray," Raven said, looking worried.

"Joey…" Serenity whispered.

----

There was stillness in the air. One that told everyone that this was a day of reckoning.

The men on the wall were nervous, as they had a right to be. They had lost contact with their listening outpost, and one of their newfound prizes hadn't returned. It meant only one of two things. One; they were felled by Special Forces.

Two; they were felled by the Justice League. Neither option boded well for them.

At least they now had the Jem'Hadar weaponry. Everyone who could be armed with the disruptors was, and a few of the torpedoes had been set on the modified rockets. In short, they were ready for launch.

Now came the hard part… the waiting.

One of the guards suddenly shouted, pointing into the distance. Everyone else turned to look as well.

There, almost twenty feet from the wall, was a man wearing some bizarre sort of armor, looking something like a barbarian warrior. But that alone didn't get their attention.

Rather, it was the somewhat scary looking skull creature next to it, lightning coursing between its massive claws. And there, right behind both of them, was a stout boy, looking at them with a look of intrigue on him.

The defense wall knew what to do. Their secrecy was compromised, and they moved to remove the threat. They leveled their weapons at him.

The boy, for his part, seemed un-phased by this threat. Instead, he held up his arm, where a Duel Disk was attached. "I think you're going to have problems today," he called up. "I didn't come alone." He slipped another card into place.

Immediately, twelve magician hats appeared, encasing both him and his monsters. Now they wouldn't be able to locate him so easily. Their sights no longer worked. Even blind luck would be useless. They miss, the monsters attacked.

Within his hiding place, Yugi placed another card in an empty slot. It was time to see what they were going to do.

What they were going to do, it seemed, was open fire all at once, aiming at four different hats. Bullets shed through four hats, each one disappearing… revealing nothing in its wake.

Their luck, it seemed, was not good on this day.

The remaining hats all jerked for a moment, as if they were holding more than they should. The men stared at them with a hint of fear.

Their fear was justified, as Summoned Skull suddenly burst out of one of the hats, his attack launching already. It slammed into the uppermost portion of the wall, breaking it like it was paper. Strangely enough, it wasn't aimed at a spot with any life, and the damage that occurred only caused a brief burst of wind. Enough to stagger them, but not enough to hurt.

But it was enough.

Superman and his squadron suddenly came out of the skies, Yugi's team right behind them. They flew right into the center of the camp, aiming for the rockets.

Yugi swiftly called out CoD, and flew upward, fireballs aiming at the defense perimeter. The perimeter retaliated with a hail of bullets, therefore unable to help on the interior battle.

Those inside, on the other hand, were more than capable of dealing with them.

The Jem'Hadar disruptor was designed with a unique kind of particle. This particle could cause neural and physical damage if they hit. The blast also damaged the surrounding tissue, causing it to decay. Given enough time, and not treated immediately, the person could even die from such a shot.

While Superman and Maxima were nearly impervious to such a weapon, and Stripe's suit could withstand quite a bit of damage, everyone else… couldn't.

Energy shots flew through the air, slamming into Superman's and Maxima's thick skin. They winced with each successful hit, but continued on their way, slamming into anything that wasn't nailed down. They tossed people aside as they got close to them, taking care not to hurt them too badly.

The others were almost to the launchers, when the sound of snarling and feet hitting the ground caught their attention. They all stopped on their trek, and waited.

Emerging from the shadows, they came, monstrosities created through genetic tampering. They claws and teeth glistening in the sun, they charged forward, aiming to rip their prey apart.

Seto jumped off of his monster, putting two more onto his disk. "I call forth Kaiser Sea Horse, and Vorse Raider! Now take care of those freak shows! XYZ Dragon Cannon, fry them!" He turned away, ducking under a disruptor blast. "Wheeler, you and your pal can do something, you know!"  
Tristan grinned. "Don't worry, Kaiba. Super Robo Yaru, you're up! Guardian of the Fortress, Fireball Strike!"

"Red Eyes, watch my back! I'm goin for da truck!" Joey quickly ran for the vehicle, while REBD let out a roar of challenge.

His challenge was answered by another roar. The ground began to tremble. Suddenly, a massive snake emerged from the ground. Unlike most snakes though, this one had wings, arms, and a head more like a hawk. It let out a roar like a lion, and charged forward, meeting the dragon head on.

DMG watched the interaction, launching an attack at a missile launcher before it could turn around to be used against her teammates. She was successful, destroying it utterly. Before she could find another target though, she caught sight of Red Tornado hitting the ground, his body shuddering slightly. Almost immediately, she realized why.

One of the enemies had managed to get off a lucky shot, catching the android in his blind spot. As she watched, he moved in to finish the job.

She couldn't let that happen. Quick as a flash, she shot down, slamming into him with enough force to take him to the ground. They wrestled, both of them going after the disruptor.

The man fought hard, so hard that she almost lost the battle. But she wouldn't be denied her victory. With a cry of defiance, she finally knocked the gun out of his hand. She didn't hear where it landed, but she didn't care either.

Her opponent suddenly used his superior size to flip them around, his hands latching onto her throat. "Die, demon spawn!" he hissed, squeezing hard.

DMG gasped, clawing at his arms, trying to dislodge his grip, but he was too strong, and he had the superior leverage. Dark spots were beginning to appear in her vision, and she felt her strength start to leave her.

Suddenly, another mass slammed into him, dislodging his grip on her. Gasping for breath, she scrambled away, trying to see who her savior was.

Tristan had been directing his monsters towards various targets, keeping them off of Rebecca's and Seto's backs, when he saw Dark Magician Girl slam into a terrorist, defending Tornado. He had seen her lose her staff along the way, and had moved to help her. When he saw her being choked to death, that need to help intensified to desperation.

So he slammed into the man, bodily forcing him away from her, landing three powerful blows on him, kicking him in his side as well. The cretin went down without resistance.

A defiant cry caught his attention. He turned around, saw the disruptor in the hand of one man, and tried to get out of the way.

Three shots slammed into his would be killer's chest before he could fire off a shot. He stood there for a moment, frozen, before crumpling to the ground.

DMG dropped the disruptor in her hand, her eyes focusing on Tristan for a moment longer. He nodded, letting her know that he was all right. She returned his nod.

Joey finally climbed into the truck, kicking the driver out of his seat, before starting it up. He drove forward, aiming for the first abomination. Keeping his head down, he dodged around those too slow to get out of the way, and Superman, who would have ended his journey sooner than expected.

The monster looked up at the fuel truck that was approaching, its diluted eyes widening in surprise. Robo Yaru and VR quickly got out of the way, not wanting to be removed from the fight so soon.

The truck slammed into the beast hard, forcing it back. Joey jumped out, rolling across the ground, before running. They both continued on their merry way, before slamming into the far wall, crushing it between two different forces.

About twenty seconds later, it shoved the remains of the truck aside, and charged forward, its jowls snapping.

Vorse Raider brought his axe up, and let it fly through the air. It was a single, desperate thing to do.

It was also effective, slamming into the monster's skull, slicing through bone and brain. The monster staggered onward for a few steps more, before dropping, dead before it hit the ground.

The second monster, on the other hand, was more difficult to contain. It and REBD were locked in an aerial display of power. Teeth and talons grabbed for muscle and bone as they tried to destroy one another.

Superman felled the last terrorist there was out there, and looked around, trying to locate the weapons.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a powerful green cloud emerged from the ground, enveloping the Man of Steel. He dropped to one knee, feeling his senses leave him slowly.

Maxima turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of the mighty Kryptonian on the ground, unable to even crawl out of the cloud. "Kryptonite in a powder state!" she shouted. "They were prepared for him!"

"And it's being pumped from an underground facility!" Tornado added. "If we do not stop it at the source, he will surely die!"  
Yugi nodded. "Alright, let's get…!"

The ground starting to shake is always a good way to stop all conversation. All thought is suspended as people try to decide if they are having an earthquake, or something far more sinister was occurring. In this case, as Yugi and company were about to discover, it was something that fell into the later category.

The fortress that this particular terrorist cell had found was in fact a Cold War missile silo complex. When the military evacuated during the fall of the Soviet Union, they had stripped everything of import from it, leaving only an empty shell. The cell's engineers were able to restore two of the launch silos, and with Lobo's help, modified them to accept the extremely advanced photon torpedoes.

Right now, two torpedoes were launching from the base, heading for only God knew where.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, and the Fang of Kriddius!" Seto shouted quickly, calling for two of his most powerful creatures. "Stop those missiles by any means necessary!" He quickly leaped onto Blue Eye's back as they took off, heading after the torpedoes.

Maxima leaped up, then slammed into the ground, burrowing under the base. She hit the second floor, and began smashing her way through walls, looking for the kryptonite tanks. She was going to shut them off Superman could finish his duty.

Meanwhile, DMG flew into the dust cloud, grabbing Superman by his cape. With some heavy grunting, and her own momentum to aid her, she managed to drag him beyond the cloud's border. "You okay?" she asked.

Superman coughed, standing up again. "I'm feeling better, actually. Thanks." He quickly took off as the cloud increased. "Stripes, where's Maxima?" he asked.

"She went in to destroy the valves to the tank," Stripes replied. "Kaiba's gone after the torpedoes, and we're still several torpedoes and four Cadmus containers short."

"Find them! Yugi, get your team inside, and be careful! There may be a few stragglers inside, waiting to pick you guys off!" Until the cloud dispersed, he was useless to them.

So he turned around, and shot off after Seto, sending a call to the Watchtower.

----

"We have the missiles on the screen," J'onn reported. "It looks like they had heading for unilateral targets. The first one will impact in Washington DC. The second one will… hit the United Nations building in New York City in approximately... ten minutes." He barely managed to restrain himself from bellowing in anger. Hadn't New York suffered enough already?

Shayera nodded, pressing the communication button. "Stars, if Kaiba and Superman do not reach those missiles within eight minutes, you are under orders to use whatever force is necessary to stop the one bound for Washington from reaching its objective. Storm, you will have to deal with the one heading for New York."

"_You got it, Shayera."_

"_Understood. I'll be waiting."_

----

BEWD roared through the air, its mighty wings beating to increase its speed. Ahead of it, propelled by the rocket it had been attached to, was the torpedo. Only a margin of minutes stood between a successful mission, and watching as half of the Big Apple was wiped off the map.

Kaiba held on for dear life, remembering now why he liked planes. They had roofs, a contained atmosphere so he didn't feel lightheaded, and seatbelts. Shaking it off, he kept his gaze focused on the goal, the photon torpedo. He judged the distance, angle of attack, and knew that he could do it within six minutes. He just needed to get a little closer.

Slowly, the mighty dragon drew closer to the weapon, minute by minute passing by. Four minutes… five minutes… six minutes.

"White Lightning Attack!" Seto bellowed as his dragon moved into range, eyes closing as consciousness began to flee.

Immediately, Blue Eyes lashed out with a full powered blast that, for a brief second, shone brighter than the sun. It blazed through the air, hitting its target perfectly.

The Jem'Hadar torpedo detonated with less than two minutes to spare. Washington was safe.

The resultant shockwave passed over Blue Eyes, shoving it back. Its mighty frame, however, was more than enough to prevent its destruction. What was more, that same frame managed to protect its rider from being knocked off, and beginning a free fall from eight thousand feet.

Seto focused on keeping his hands latched onto the back plating of his dragon, while the dragon began to float downward towards Earth. Taking in great breaths of air as they passed five thousand feet, he made a note to include developing a saddle for dragons in his next business plan. That was not a comfortable ride.

----

Superman screamed through the air, seeing his objective in sight, as well as the target itself. He had probably less than two minutes to deflect the torpedo into the atmosphere, or destroy it entirely. Fortunately, he was making good time.

Passing the torpedo, he quickly presented himself as the target, hands out. His heat vision lashed out, hitting the torpedo dead center. He brought it up to full intensity.

The torpedo kept on coming, shrugging off the attack like it was nothing.

The Kryptonian quickly moved to his second plan. Elevating himself slightly, he waited the last few seconds, and reached out, grabbing the warhead as it passed by.

If anyone decided to look up at that particular moment, they would have seen something that could only be described as weird. A white sphere of sorts coming right at them at an incredible speed, with a man holding on for dear life. It was the kind of thing you usually went to tell your shrink about.

Except that they realized that this ball of light was not the result of a delusional state, that it was really there, and it was about to hit them.

And the man was busy pulling up as hard as he could, altering the trajectory as much as humanly possible.

The torpedo was soon at a horizontal angle, shooting above New York City's busy streets, as Superman quickly pulled up again, forcing it to go up, steering the weapon so it didn't destroy any buildings.

Soon, it was over the city, where he could finally let it go. And let it go, he did, backing up quickly.

Stars immediately lashed out with all of the power in her staff. A single beam of pure energy flew through the air, destroying the threat before it could turn around, and head back to the city.

People looked up, wondering what was going on as the shockwave hit the tops of the buildings, though only rattling the windows. They all shrugged, and went about their business.

Superman sighed, giving the young adult thumbs up. "Now to get back to the base," he said to himself, shooting off like a rocket.

----

Maxima quickly crushed the last valve surrounding the tank of kryptonite gas, brushing her hands off in satisfaction. Their last problem solved, and with no more resistance from the fortress defenders. The day was theirs.

Quickly flying back up the tunnel she had created, she found the others rounding up the still living criminals, tying them up, and having them beamed to the Watchtower. From there, they would be transferred to a high security prison to await trial in a federal court.

Rebecca looked up as Maxima landed. "No more green clouds?" she asked.

"No more… 'green clouds,'" Maxima replied. "The tank that it rests in is made of lead. The Kryptonian will have no trouble destroying it."

"Good."

Joey scowled. "Unfortunately, we have a problem. Dere was supposed to be five torpedoes. Two launched, bringing it down to three. Where's da rest of dem?"

"Good question," Superman replied, landing. "Kaiba's on his way back, so we'll have some aerial support." He quickly scanned the entire facility with his X-Ray vision, his expression becoming worried. "I've found a transmitter at the lower levels, a makeshift armory, some computers that are military issue… There isn't any sign of the remaining experiments, the Inter-dimensional gateway, or the last three torpedoes." He looked up. "This is not good."

"So where the hell are they?" Yugi asked finally. "They had to have come here first. Who has the other three?"

That was a question that the Man of Steel couldn't answer. And he had the feeling that he didn't want to know the answer.

**Realm 9002**

Kes observed every captain and security chief in the room, her gaze pensive. "We have a much larger problem than we originally assumed," she said. "As you all know, the _Valkyrie_ responded to a distress call from a Bajoran freighter approximately three hours ago. Under questioning, the captain informed me they passed by an abandoned Jem'Hadar battle cruiser, and began a salvage operation. They were able to remove their surviving weapons, as well as any equipment they could, before setting a locater beacon up and heading for the wormhole. A Dominion squadron located the ship, and did some scans of its hull. The results are conclusive. It was caused by an internal explosion… a nuclear explosion."

Picard nodded, looking over the information. "The debris they found on the ship was the same that your crew found onboard the freighter."

"Unfortunately. The only way this could be possible was if the warheads were sent through a doorway. In this case, an inter-dimensional doorway. In Realm 4, such a device was stolen from a laboratory in Metropolis."

"What about the second warhead?" Kira asked. "Your Chief Engineer was able to disarm it, but how could terrorists know enough about us to accurately predict a ship's actually position?"

"That's simple, they couldn't." Kes gestured. "Commander Yar?"

Tasha brought Ori ship onto the screen. "The Ori Warship is equipped with sensors and shields superior to Federation technology," she began. "That, as well as their own Stargate and cloaking device, would allow them to remain invisible to even Guardian sensors for a short period of time. They would have been able to maintain surveillance on the freighter, and send the information back to the terrorists."

The terrorists were given an alien biker maniac called Lobo to help with the heist. As payment, Lobo received three of the torpedoes as a payment, while the terrorists were given some of Cadmus's experiments to use as weapons, should the Justice League show up. Fortunately, that didn't work very well. The torpedoes were destroyed, two experiments were killed, and the other one recaptured."

"So that leaves three torpedoes unaccounted for," Ro mused. "Any ideas as to why such a technologically advanced force would require torpedoes?"  
Kes shook her head. "The Ori have one massive weapon. It's a single energy weapon located at the front of their vessel. If it hits, it destroys or severely damages its target. Their shields can withstand almost anything thrown at them. In short, they are capable of winning. What's more, it would take massive modifications to install launchers. They don't have the capability."

"It would still prove to be a massive advantage if they could make the modifications," Kira mused thoughtfully. "We'll have to put the entire sector on alert, and order all vessels within range to converge here."

"In the meantime, I'll have the specifications of an inter-dimensional dampening field made available for the station and the rest of Starfleet. It'll make it more difficult for them to pull something like this again." Kes sighed, leaning back. "Commander Idaris does have a theory as to why this was done,' she added. "Someone, somewhere… is preparing to attack."

No one tried to challenge her assessment. It was the same thing they had all decided on as well. No other option was acceptable in their minds.

Picard finally stood up. "Until we have a reason to suspect otherwise, we can assume that whoever planned this attack is hostile towards the Federation, if not more. Hopefully, we'll be ready when they come." He nodded towards Kes. "Thankfully, the captain of the _Valkyrie_ acted quickly, and was able to save the survivors of the freighter. Unfortunately, we were unable to do anything to stop them from escaping."

Kes knew he was being generous, though the _Enterprise_ and the _Defiant _still docked. The _Valkyrie_ had been the only vessel in the vicinity. This was her fault, and her fault alone.

Kira stood up. "Is there anything else?" No one said anything. "Then this meeting is adjourned. Dismissed."

Kes turned around, walking over to the window as everyone else made for the exit. Her gaze focused on nothing outside of the window, as she replayed over the events that had occurred over the last half hour. There were questions that she had, questions that she had no answers for. For starters, where did these Ori get their hands on a Romulan cloaking device? And why was it they were there in the first place? What reason could they have for taking those torpedoes?

Until they discovered the reason for that, they were going to have to take every single precaution they could think of… and hope for the best.

----

The Ori vessel exited hyperspace, its mighty engines moving it towards the fleet that awaited it. With a single touch of its maneuvering thrusters, it moved into position.

The fleet, however, wasn't Ori in origin. It was Kazon.

Onboard the Ori vessel, the captain of the ship handed Lobo a data slip. "This contains your whole payment," she explained. "You can access it once you have returned to your realm. Also, you will find the specifications for a kryptonite cannon stored on here. More than we offered you, but I think you will find it useful."

Lobo grinned as he took the slip. "Hey, Lobo likes what Lobo hears. Pleasure doing business with ya, babe!" With a simple salute, he got on his space bike, and roared out of the docking bay, heading off into deep space, where a Supergate awaited him.

The woman grinned, patting herself on the back as she made her way back to the bridge. If everything went according to plan, then the Kazon would become unstoppable. Even the Borg would be no match for them.

After all, who could stop allies of the Heartless?

Well, this ends this story. While it didn't focus as much on the memorial service as I had wanted to, or on Jadzia, how she deals with his death will be a large part of the series. Now we shift back to Silver Star and the Alliance. The storm of the decade is coming upon Lunar, and it will force them to an abandoned traveler's inn. I hope you will enjoy this. Please leave your reviews on this.


	88. Episode Sixty Nine

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Episode Sixty Nine: The Great Storm**

Xenobia pondered the name that had been given to her. It was a name she had never thought she would see. "Is this information sound?" she asked quietly.

Taben nodded, eyes alight. "She is the perfect candidate to try out my darkness extractor," he replied. "If it works, we will have acquired the ability to take dark energy from any human's soul, and use it to create new, merciless warriors that would serve only the Vile Tribe."

"What about the Alliance? They are very protective of each other, after all. If we go in, we could face a full scale war on our hands."

"If we accomplish this, we will have the means to destroy the Alliance once and for all."

Ghaleon leaned in, his red eyes gleaming through the helmet. "We are listening, Taben. Tell us your plan."

----

"Kari," Rini asked, getting water out of her eyes, "why don't we have umbrellas anymore?"

Kari blinked. "Because they were either destroyed or trampled by one moron or another. Now, we just suck it up."

"Be thankful it isn't a lightning storm," T.K. added, grateful for his hat, as it most of the water from hitting his eyes. "We're the highest structures out here."

The young princess conceded that point, though she would have preferred being dry as well. It would have been a boon on her mood.

The rain had begun a mere hour after they had left the forest, drenching them within the first thirty seconds. Unfortunately, war waited for no one, so they pressed onward, hoping it would stop quickly.

That hope was now gone after three days.

The three kids were grateful that everyone had decided to put their armor into Nall's subspace pocket, as it would have slowed them all down. The rain also made cooking rather difficult, so their diet consisted primarily of trail mix and dried foods. Setting the tents up were also out of the question, as they were being buffeted by powerful winds. Biyomon had already been blown off course, so she was forced to walk along them, shivering.

Thankfully, Mimi had continued researching her magical powers, and had learned of a charm that cushioned them somewhat, making sure they didn't contract pneumonia. But they were cold, wet, dirty, and let's not forget tired. They hadn't slept well for several nights, just sitting down and closing their eyes for a few moments.

"Mercury, please tell me that there's an abandoned hut somewhere around here," T.K. requested wearily.

Mercury shook her head. Sorry. Nothing for the next ten miles, unless you want to sleep in a mud hole."

"You mean we haven't been, Ames?" Serena asked.

Artemis poked his head out of Venus's sack. "Let's just stop for now," he said, "and try and get some sleep."

"Good plan." Agumon shook his head, water flying every which way. "We're all going wrinkly. Might as well make sure we can't see it."

"You mean like now?" Jupiter plopped down next to her girlfriend, putting an arm around her. "It's almost night time conditions around here."

Pluto nodded. "It's probably night," she said. "I'll take first watch. Everyone, try and relax. If we're affected by this, then so is the enemy. They'll probably hide in their bunkers… if they're using bunkers."

"They'd still be drier than us." Alex set his bag down, grateful for the charms that kept it from getting soaked. "Alright, everyone get something to eat. Mercury, set your computer for passive scanning." He sat down heavily, causing a small splash to occur. Not surprising, considering he was sitting in a puddle. … Though wading pool would have been a more appropriate description. The Omnipotent One apologizes in his storytelling and sarcastic wit when describing their pain.

Kari sat down, gesturing for Rini to turn around. "Here's an idea. You lean on me, and I lean on you. That way, the two of us won't have to sleep with our faces in the mud, like last night."

Rini nodded, smiling slightly. "Good idea." She quickly turned around, leaning against the other girl. "Too bad it isn't going to stop raining."

"Well, according to Mercury, it's going to go on for a few more days. By the time it ends, we're going to wish we were never born."

"… Good point," Rini giggled.

----

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day," Joe chanted gloomily.

T.K. turned to look at him. "You're late. I figured that you would be doing that chant when this first started."

"I had hoped then that it would be only an hour shower."

"We're sorry to disappoint you, Joe." Gomamon loved water as much as the next aquatic creature, but even he had his limits. "Anybody have any ideas to keep our sanity concerning this?"

"We'll talk when we can think again," Alex replied, his shield over his head. It was heavy, but he had been using Vigor a great deal. Unfortunately, it was still painful on his arm. Kyle had given up two days ago when the rain reached its peak.

"Big time. Lilika, what's that?"

Lilika looked down. "I think it's a rock, Gomamon," she replied.

"Thanks."

"_You know, it's gotta suck to be you guys,"_ Ginny commented, ensconced as she was near the Gryffindor Common fireplace, "_especially if you're wearing glasses."_

"No help from the peanut gallery, please," Serena moaned. "I'm wearing a Senshi suit, and the only thing it's doing is outlining me."

At that particular moment, the Alliance was somewhat jealous of Ginny. Even though she was in the middle of winter, she at least had blankets, sweaters, and fireplaces to look forward to.

Sora sidled up to Pluto, looking around. "Did you see Tai last night?" she asked. "I wanted to ask him something before I went into a wet slumberland."

Pluto nodded. "I did. He was looking for some privacy, and didn't get it."

"Okay… look, I'm not going to get on your case about this. I'm starting to accept a few things about this realm. I just want to know…"

"If I have any feelings for him besides lust?" Grinning slightly, the Time Senshi shook her head. "You have nothing to worry about. He has feelings for someone else, anyways."

Satisfied, the Keeper of Love didn't inquire any further.

Rini listened to the conversations that flowed around her, grateful for this. The rain wasn't bringing back some fond memories for her.

Kari walked up next to her, gaze knowing. "It was raining when Crystal Tokyo was attacked, wasn't it?" she asked.

Rini nodded. "I had picked up the Silver Crystal, and was going to use it to turn myself into a real lady like Mommy… not realizing at the time Mommy used to be her." She chucked a finger at Serena, who was oblivious. "The Crystal started to react. I thought it was mad at me for touching it, and accidentally sent it into my soul. I later learned that it was going through the process of creating a powerful shield around the planet… to protect it from Nemesis."

"But it wouldn't have been enough, would it?" T.K. asked.

The young princess shook her head. "The Dark Crystal had already absorbed enough power to break through the defenses. In end, I guess I did the right thing." She sighed. "And then there was Wicked Lady…"

The two kids knew about her, Small Lady's evil doppelganger. A fusion of Dark Crystal and Silver Crystal energy, she possessed the strength of both. She had been partially responsible for the death of Sapphire, Prince Diamond's younger brother, and had almost annihilated Earth in the process.

Even though Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask had been able to free her from that dark power, she still carried emotional scars from the confrontations she had had with the Scouts.

Before T.K. could ask a question about the future, Rini looked around, her eyes now trying to pierce through the water curtain. "There's a small patch of woods over there," she said, pointing in one direction.

Mercury quickly began scanning the place in question. "There are a number of monsters there, none who have been catalogued by the Lunarian people. Nice try, though."

"Rats."

"However, there is a structure about thirty miles from here. We should reach it within the hour."

"Yeah!" Agumon whooped. "What're we waiting for?"  
Serena laughed. "Let's hope it isn't a statue, or something else equally useless to us. I don't think Luna can take another moment of being crammed in Kyle's bag."

"You're telling me, Serena," Luna grumbled from her hiding place.

----

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The structure was in fact an inn, and one of the largest they had ever seen. Of course, on Lunar, most inns were one or two stories tall. This one was at least five.

Of course, they didn't care. It had a roof, which was all they required at the moment.

"Thank the Goddess!" Greg hastily shrugged his clothes off, handing them to Mimi. "At least we can get dry, now!" He started looking for his bag.

Mimi grinned. "And some warm food," she added. "Also Greg, if you're going to parade around naked, go to Amy."

Amy grinned, wrapped in a blanket they had found in the linen closet. "I can see him just fine," she said.

Greg blushed, quickly wrapping a sheet around his waist. "Where's my bag?"

Mimi chuckled. "Mia and Nash are checking each one to make sure our second set of clothes is still dry. You're stuck like for now, Greg." Leaving the room, she started for their makeshift drying area. The kids were already dealt with. Now it was the Lunarian's turn.

----

J'onro thumbed his communicator. "They are at the old lodge," he said, impervious to the rain sheeting down upon him.

"_Proceed as directed," _Phacia ordered. "_You do not move against Small Lady until she is alone. No killing, is that clear?"_

"Clear. J'onro out."

**

* * *

Realm 3**

Ginny smiled, grateful that Matt was out of the rain at long last. The slight sensation of feeling wet was not something she wanted to feel, and she didn't like it when Matt suffered.

But presently, she had shut their link down, due to the fact he was standing in a room with several naked men, getting dressed. She didn't need to see that much male flesh yet.

Hermione bounded down the stairs, tying her hair back. "Comfy?" she asked.

"Don't want to move… so relaxed," Ginny murmured. "Please don't ask me to move."

The Trainees chuckled, sitting down in a chair. "I wouldn't dream of it." She looked around. "Has Jane shown up?"  
"No… though how she's going to do that is beyond me. Sir I-am-enjoying-driving-these-kids-insane- Cadogen would never allow a Ravenclaw into Gryffindor Tower."

"What Ravenclaw are we talking about?" Jane asked, popping through the window.

Hermione grinned. "Jane can fly, so I told her where to find the window. The rest was easy."

"Keeping you and Peter from sneaking into each other's dormitories is going to be very difficult," Ginny commented.

Jane grinned. "It'll be a great adventure, at least. So, how're your friends on Lunar doing?"

"They are exceedingly wet. They just found an empty, but sturdy building with which to wait out the storm." The young witch noted the confusion on the two Trainee's faces. "Lunar is presently going through the monsoon season."

"Oh…" Jane suddenly turned around, grinning. "Hey, Peter!"

Peter grinned as his girlfriend wrapped him up in a hug, planting a big kiss on him. "If this is the welcome I can expect every time I see, I must do this more often," he said, with Tinkerbell jingling right next to him.

Harry grinned as he plopped down in the chair next to Hermione, smiling slightly. "Christmas is only two days away," he mentioned. "Is your gift for Matt all set?"

Ginny nodded, her eyes alight. "I really do hope that he likes it. My mother had held onto it for the longest time, and sent it to me. Said that he'd like it a whole lot."

Jane and Peter sat down on the couch next to her, their grins equally large. "Your Mum is a bloody telepath," Jane stated, cuddling up to Peter. "She seems to know when she's right, and knows just what you need."

"Yeah, except when to give us some space," Ron added, sitting down. "Where's Claire?"

"In the SGC, sending Christmas greetings to her father." Hermione leaned back, her eyes darkening slightly. "Fat chance that'll do. Have you heard from your parents yet, Harry?"

Harry turned his gaze over to her slightly. "Where my parents are at, it's closer to Easter."

Now that she thought about it, it was mid spring on Realm 2. She really needed to brush up on her time dilation reading.

The portrait door opened, with Cadogen shouting something or other on the other side before closing. A second later, Claire entered the Common Room, looking down.

"It didn't go so well?" Harry asked.

Claire shook her head. "My father couldn't answer the call, so his secretary took it for him," she said, derision clear in her voice. "He knew it was from her daughter, but he couldn't take one minute to say hello, or hear my Christmas greeting." She slumped down next to Ron, leaning her head back. "I'm wondering if I should hate the bastard, or feel sorry for him."

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione. "And you say I'm bad?" he asked.

"We're revising our statement about you and your emotional range even as we speak," Hermione replied sadly. Ron could be dense, and not very perceptive of other people's feelings, but he at least listened to you. He made time for his friends and family, even if it was only a moment. Claire's father was apparently not a very good person, if he was willing to brush off his only daughter for his job.

Ginny could see the wheels turning in Hermione's head, and knew what she was thinking. If there was anyone who could understand what was going through Claire's mind, though for entirely different reasons, it was Hermione Granger. She knew what it was like to search for approval from others, and never get it. Though in her case, it was from her peers. Claire was trying to get the approval of her father, and she was having no such luck.

Harry chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't worry about it. Ron's Mom will probably bring more than enough Christmas cheer for all of us."

Claire returned the chuckle, albeit a bit weakly. "I can hardly wait."

**

* * *

Lunar**

T.K. and Angemon were busy going through a series of exercises, designed to loosen their muscles up. It was part of a training regiment that Angelus and Takeru had used for the better half of three thousand years. At least, that's what they read.

Kari and Rini watched as they went through the movements, giggling slightly.

"First crush?" Kari asked.

"First crush," Rini replied. "Makes you wonder what it'll be like when we're grownups."

"I try not to think about it." The Keeper of Light turned to look out the window. "I wish the rain would stop already."

"Yeah, me too. But hey, at least we won't turn into soggy prunes."

Kari laughed. "I'll go with that." She jumped up. "Wanna play tag?"  
Rini jumped up as well. "Sure, and you're it!" She quickly ran out of the room, Kari right behind her.

----

J'onro materialized into the building's basement, letting his eyes scan the surround. Satisfied that he was alone, and that no one had seen him, he melted into the shadows, waiting. He would wait until he was certain everyone was in a room, before proceeding. If only his mission were to capture Sincerity… but alas, he would have to be patient.

As he pondered what delights would await him, he heard the door open. '_Perhaps I won't have to wait for the brat,'_ he thought, tensing slightly.

But it was Mimi Tachekawa, carrying a bunch of wet clothes. She herself was only wearing a wet shift, which was plastered to her body.

The Uruk-Hai controlled his breathing, feeling his body react to the irresistible sight before him.

Mimi placed the pile of clothing on the table in front of her, then tugged at her shift, trying to remove it.

A sound in the back caught her attention, and she turned around, looking around for a possible intruder. She saw a bucket lying on its side, and assumed a rodent had knocked it over. Satisfied, she finished removing her shift, laying it in front of her. Heating her hand up, she started running it over the garment, steam rising from it.

The Uruk-Hai was sweating underneath his mask, watching Mimi as she leaned in slightly, exposing her curls for a brief moment. He saw the sides of her breasts sway as she moved, and clamped down on his instinct to groan.

Mimi finished drying her shift off, and set it aside to cool. Picking up the next article, she began to repeat the process over and over again.

J'onro's breath was almost non existent as he watched this naked beauty move, watching as she finally finished her task, standing up, and stretching, her bosom jiggling most enticingly. Every ounce of his vast discipline was applied to making sure he didn't growl.

Mimi pulled her shift on, gathering the other's clothes. They were definitely going to be happy with her when she came up.

J'onro waited until the door had closed, before breathing in relief. Then he turned his attention to his most immediate problem.

----

Serena tugged down on her sweater, grateful for the speed of which Lunarian cloth dried, especially when aided by someone with fire capability. Otherwise, she would have been standing in front of the others longer than she would have wanted.

Mina, who had been the only besides Pluto without any garb, chuckled. "Please, Meatball Head," she stated. "You don't have anything there that we don't."

"Yes, Mina, but unlike you, I'm going to get dressed as quickly as possible," Serena retorted good naturedly. "A knee jerk response to the school yard dash I did every day back home."

Mina had to concede that, as Serena had made getting dressed in under ten minutes an art form.

Rei adjusted her shirt slightly, before laying down on her bed. "Well, I don't know about you girls, but I'm going to pull the Sailor Senshi snooze," she stated. "Wake me only if you feel really brave."

"Okay. Jupiter, wake her in about thirty minutes."

Lita turned to glare at Serena. "You think I've got a death wish?"  
"No, but you're the only one who stands a chance of surviving Pyro's anger with all of your body part's attached." Serena shrugged. "Personally, I want to live to see my future."

"Right."

Rei chuckled. "I'm sure that's all. Night, girls." About seven minutes later, they could hear the gentle, delicate snore that was her trademark when she was asleep.

"How can someone whose so loud when she's mad, be so delicate when she's unconscious?" Luna asked.

"Beats us," Mina replied, making for the door. "Coming Lita?"

Lita got a rather silly grin on her face. "Yes, Dear," she replied sweetly, heading out the door.

Serena shook her head as she laid down, resting her eyes for a moment. "Luna, do you think that there's a chance that I can get to know Rini… I mean, really know her?" she asked.

Luna looked up at the Moon Princess, surprise beyond measure. She had never expected Serena to have such a question in her heart. "Well, I would say that, if you and Rini really wanted to, then… yes, I think you could."

"… I do want to… but, I also want to be her mother, not just a teenage version of someone she knows."

"… You have to remember Serena that, in the thirtieth century, you are a fair, benevolent, and graceful ruler. I'm sure that Rini understands you better now."

Serena sighed. "That's not all. I just don't feel like a mother. I feel more like a big sister to her."

Luna smirked. "Better a big sister than nothing at all, in my opinion," she said. "Your own mother was more of your confidant than anything. The two of you would joke until the early morning when there was nothing waiting for you in the palace."

"Must be a family trait." The Moon Princess smiled. "Well, I hope that I can be a good mother someday. I don't think I could stand having my own kid as my little sister for the rest of my life."

"I pray for that, too."

----

"Do you really think that I can be a good father?" Darien asked, putting his coat on.

Kyle snorted. "You, not be a good father? Please." Adjusting his head band, he strapped his sword satchel on. "Darien, I don't know a damn thing about your future, but I do know that you're one hell of a good person. If how you stand alongside the Sailor Scouts is of any indication, I'd say you'd show the same commitment to Rini… and have, I must add."

"That's not all. I just… I feel like I have to try and make sure that the future I saw comes to pass. Otherwise, how else do we get our happy ending?"

"Even if it doesn't come to pass, you still got your kid. That's gotta count for something."

Darien grunted. "Only for as long as she is here, Kyle," he replied. "She's going to have to return to her time at some point."

"… Well, take the time to be her father here. After all, it'll be a thousand years before you get another chance like this."

"Thanks for the reminder." But Darien was curious. Whenever Kyle talked about fathers, he always had the sad look in his eyes. What was it he was hiding? What had happened in his life that made him so wistful of a nine year old girl?

Eventually, they'd find out, he decided. And he planned to take Kyle's advice on the whole father thing.

Hopefully, he'd be there for his daughter, when his own parents couldn't be for him.

----

"Rini… oh, Rini" Kari called out sweetly. "Where are you…?"  
Rini giggled from her hiding spot from behind a set of barrels. Kari knew exactly where she was. She just enjoyed the dramatics. The only question she had was; why was she drawing this out?

"_Boo_!"

The little girl screamed, jumping several feet in the air. "T.K. Takashi!" she gasped.

T.K. fell back, laughing. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist it!" he managed to get out. From the other side, Kari was giggling at the scene before her.

Rini smiled wickedly. "Then you and Kari can wait while I go hide! And no peeking!" She quickly ran out of the room, giggling. She had the perfect place to hide.

**

* * *

Realm 3**

"This is it," Ron stated, looking at the screen. "The Great Storm of Lunar."

Harry watched the massive storm front as it moved across the land, engulfing the entire Stadius Zone with its fury. "My Mom always thought that the storm followed a predetermined path across the Silver Star, but she could never prove it," he said quietly. "Look at the rotation. It's moving a great deal slower than a hurricane, but the pattern is eerily similar."

Wendy nodded, watching the circling vortex. "And your friends are in the middle of it, Harry?"

"Yes, Mrs. Barrington, they are. Hermione, could you bring their current position up on the screen?"

Hermione did so, pointing at the red dot on the screen. "Presently, they're in a seasonal hotel of some kind. It's located about twenty miles from the Forest of Pain."

"Really?" Harry frowned. "Why does that not sound like a good thing?" He turned. "Cho, dig up everything that we know about Lunar, and find out if there was anything that happened near that location."

"It'll take about thirty minutes, Harry." The Ravenclaw's fingers danced along her console, accessing the Guardian database.

Harry turned around, looking at Claire. "Get Peter and Jane," he ordered. "I think we have a problem."

----

Peter smiled as Jane snuggled up to him, eyes drooping. This was a hint of old memories, never having to do anything worthwhile, waiting for his next great adventure to begin.

Jane sighed, perfectly content to lay there. "This is nice," she whispered, "just sitting here, enjoying each other's company, without any interruptions from anything."

"I know. Never thought I'd enjoy just sitting here, watching the fire with a Lost Girl in my arms." Peter toyed with a piece of hair. "So, anything you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Not really. I just want to enjoy the peace and quiet before the Gryffindor's get back."

Which was immediately ruined when Claire strolled into the room, her gaze somber. "Sorry to ruin your moment of peace, but we have a problem. Harry wants you two in the SGC now."

The two Trainees looked at each other, at a loss. What had happened while they were sitting there, doing nothing?

**

* * *

Lunar**

"I've managed to trace the shape of the storm, and I've noticed something interesting." Izzy turned his screen around, showing Tai the information. "It's similar in design to a hurricane, only larger and nowhere near as powerful. The second thing… it's dumping way too much water."

Tai looked at him, at the screen, then out the window. "It's sheet rain, Izzy. An almost solid wall of water falling from the sky," he replied.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" The Keeper of Knowledge shut his computer off. "Tai, the water level has risen about four percent over the last three days. That should not be possible so quickly."

"Yes, but judging from the size of the storm front, it's a cumulative rising in the Inland Sea. Probably very normal around here."

"… I'm wondering if that's all it is."

"You suspect otherwise."

Izzy shrugged. "I just think something is wrong here, and has probably been wrong for a long time. I just don't know what."

Tai nodded, understanding. "Well, if it's going to flood, then we're going to have to move up. This building has about six floors to it. We'll move all of our stuff up to the top, and set up camp until it blows over." He grinned. "The good news is that Gabumon found a whole store of preserved food supplies on the fourth floor, so we should live to fight another day."

"Well… okay. I'll let you know if I find something that confirms my suspicions." The red head grinned. "Besides, if I'm wrong, then that'll just be one more to support the claim that I'm not infallible."

Tai chuckled as he left the room Izzy had commandeered, and made for his room. It had been another long day, and he wanted to get some sleep before he keeled over.

----

J'onro prowled the hallways, watching the children run about. He hadn't even been on this mission for three hours, and he was already annoyed. He had been waiting patiently for the little runt to separate from the other two, but so far, she hadn't done so. '_Patience,'_ he consoled himself. '_She will soon do so.'_

His patience was soon rewarded when the one he sought broke away, heading into a deserted room. '_At long last!'_ He swiftly started after her, using every ounce of his training not to get caught. This mission was that important.

**

* * *

Realm 3**

"There is confirmation," Hermione stated, sitting down. "There's a forest about three miles from the Alliance's position. Latest Guardian Intel states that some breed of demon lives there, though they can't be certain if it's Grand Demons, a Vile Tribe encampment, or not of that realm."

McGonagall nodded. "Peter, you're going to Lunar with the rest of your team. Let's hope that this one is more successful than the last one."

"No paranoid kings, and no dark places. Got it." Peter looked at Jane, and saw the determination in her gaze. Her fears weren't going to stop her from doing this mission. "I just hope the situation isn't as dire as we think it is."

"We all do." Anakin sighed, rubbing his biological arm fretfully. "Personally, I'd say that it's a colony of sorts. Let's go prove that, and get out of there quickly."

McGonagall stood up, putting her hat back on. "The Amphibian has been stocked, and is ready for you," she said. "There are enough supplies to last you a Lunarian month. Now, good luck to you and your team, Mister Pan."

Peter stood up, heading for the door. It was time to prepare for battle.

----

Wendy walked into the docking bay, looking for her daughter. She wanted to say good bye, and to give her a little good luck charm for this battle.

Jane was busy cataloguing their supplies when she heard her mother approach. "I'll be back in a moment," she said to the dock master, before turning to her. "Yes, Mother?"

Wendy gestured Jane to come over to her. "Jane, I think you should tell Peter," she said immediately.

Jane blinked, a little surprised. "Mother, I really don't think that this is the best time to do that."

"Jane, he is eventually going to figure out what happened to you. If you truly care for him, you will tell him the truth soon!" The older woman sighed. "He deserves to know the reason why you resisted the notion of Neverland existing for so long, and it's not just because of the war."

Jane looked at her for a moment longer in surprise, before her gaze hardened. "Mother, we're heading out on what will most likely be a dangerous mission. Telling your boyfriend about something like that is not conductive to building confidence in a relationship. I will tell him… eventually. Just not now."

Wendy could see the strength in her daughter's eyes, and knew that she couldn't be dissuaded from a course of action once she had decided upon it. No one, even her, could change that. So, all she said was, "Well, good luck Jane. And come back safe."

Jane grinned. "I plan to. Don't worry so much, Mother."

"… I have to, Jane. I'm your mother."

That same grin was on Jane's face when the Amphibian took off, heading for space.

**

* * *

Lunar**

Mia sighed as the last of her orgasm faded, and she slumped onto Nash's chest, a smile flitting across her face.

Nash ran a hand over her back, enjoying the feel of soft skin. "So much better than the last time," he said gently.

"On both accounts." Mia looked at him. "Nash, do you have any regrets?"

His hand slid to her face, brushing a few stray hairs from her face. "Just that I can't tell the others what we're planning. That way…"

"Shh… it's not worth thinking about." She kissed him gently. "I know Luna would make the same decision, if it would ultimately help her friends in the end."

"I know… it's just… I don't like pretending to them."

"I know, Nash. I know." Mia's gaze lightened. "However, I see that I haven't driven the depressing thoughts from your mind. I'm just going to try harder."

Nash smiled. "Very well… if you insist." He began to kiss her passionately. Mia rubbed herself against him as he came back to life quickly. '_It's good to be a Lunarian_,' he thought, grateful for the stamina and speed with which he and Mia recovered at.

And a shriek suddenly sounded off out in the hall, which made him grateful that they could also switch gears as if they were automations.

Mia looked towards the door. "That was Rini!" she gasped.

----

J'onro held onto the squirming girl within an iron grip, cursing her teeth in his hand. It kept her quiet, at least.

Unfortunately, her one shriek was loud enough to wake the ancient spirits. And the Alliance wasn't deaf. Their hearing was only too good.

As if to add weight to his thoughts as he backed down the hallway, he heard footsteps approaching his position. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, quickly followed by the rest of the Sailor Scouts, came into view, ready for war.

"Serena, Darien!" Rini cried out, getting her mouth free.

"Rini!" Serena brought her Moon Scepter up. "Let her go, J'onro! Now!"

J'onro didn't even bother to reply. Instead, he simply teleported away, forever grateful that this wasn't Vane. There, they had anti teleportation spells that prevented easy escape.

"Damn it! Mars, can you sense them?" Darien demanded.

Mars closed her eyes, reaching outward. "Easily," she replied. "It looks like they teleported to that forest we passed three miles back. None of the monsters are attacking them, so two people arriving or leaving won't attract their attention." She looked at Serena. "I don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that you're going after them."

"Damn straight! They have our kid!" Serena sent her scepter back into the ether. "If we're not back in three days, weather permitting, leave without us."

"But guys…"

"That's an order, Rei! You are not to follow us for any reason! Understand?"

Mars nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

Serena smiled, clapping Rei on the shoulder. "You're in charge until we get back. Be strong, regardless of what happens." She and Darien made for the exit.

"Darien!" another voice suddenly sounded off.

Darien turned, seeing Alex standing at stairwell. "Yes?"

Alex tossed him his sword, his gaze understanding. "You'll need this. It'll be more useful than that cane you carry around."

Darien nodded. "Thanks, Alex. I'll try to bring it back to you in one piece." He turned. "Let's go."

Serena nodded. "Let's.

* * *

Well, here is part one. Part Two will bring them to the forest, and, if I can work it into the story properly, the two groups will unite there. If not, well… there will be a battle. And someone will be hurt badly in the process. Please review. I require many reviews.

Hey, everybody. It's been a while, but I've been trying to do three different stories at the same time, and I've discovered that it's not easy to do that. So I am going to lean back a bit, and relax before I kill myself.


	89. Sixty Nine, Part Two

**Part Two**

Xenobia watched as Taben and his assistants finished their calibrations, impatient as always. "How much longer?" she growled, wiping water off of her face.

"About three hours," Taben replied. "It is a delicate process, but once we have finished them, we will be able to extract every ounce of dark energy that remains within the little girl's body."

"Good. Hurry up then. I'd like to get out of the rain soon." The Queen looked around. "Which reminds me; where is J'onro? He should have been back by now."

"I am here, your Majesty," J'onro replied, shimmering into view, Rini in his clutches, still fighting. "She is spirited."

"Her gift from her mother." Xenobia's gaze racked the little girl for a second.

Rini glared at her. "What are you looking at?" she snarled.

"Very spirited. She shall do nicely." She pointed at the machine behind her, leaning in slightly. "Magnificent, isn't it? In about five minutes, we will be placing you within that device. It is a device that will remove all of the remaining dark energy in your system." She grinned evilly. "I'm told the process will be painful on little girls."

Rini gulped, but recovered quickly. "The others will come looking for me."

J'onro grinned as well. "We are counting on it, Small Lady. In fact, your mother and father will be coming… to watch you die… before they die as well."

----

The rain seemed to increase as Serena and Darien walked towards the forest, already drenched again, and shivering because of it. Neither of them was really aware of their discomfort, as their focus was primarily on rescuing their daughter.

They both now had a good idea what Alex felt like when he watched Luna be taken… helpless.

"I sure hope she's okay," Serena finally said.

Darien smiled. "I hope so, too. But I know she's fighting them right now. Future father's intuition and all that."

"Well, I'm still worried… as worried as I was when Rini was taken by the Doom Phantom. Future mother's prerogative." The Moon Princess shined the Silver Crystal forward like a flashlight. "Well, there's the forest," she said.

Darien brought his hand to the sword that Alex had given him, eyeing the forest in front of him. "Well, are you ready to enter the snake's den?"

All fear burned out of Serena. "For Rini, I'm ready to brave Hell itself. Now, let's go and get her."

With those words, and the future daughter's life at stake, the two warriors entered the dark forbidding forest, unaware of events that were occurring in space.

----

A powerful green light emerged into normal space almost thirty thousand miles from Lunar's orbit, showing subspace for the briefest microsecond, allowing one vessel to emerge, before vanishing. The vessel moved forward, its hull gleaming with the same color as _Prometheus_.

The Guardian Amphibian vessel was just that; an all terrain vessel that could sail through space as easily as it could move underwater. Nowhere near as powerful as the capital vessels, its armaments designed merely for defense, it could go places no other vessel could go.

Peter looked out the porthole as they approached the beginning of Lunar's gravitational pull, amazed beyond measure. Seeing the storm from orbit was entirely different than seeing it via video feed. Up close and personal, they could literally see the flickering of lightning over the hemisphere.

Jane joined him in his observation, her gaze more concerned than awed. "It's amazing that they managed to colonize that entire area, despite the danger," she said.

Peter shook his head. "For most of their lives, they have nothing to worry about. It's just that the sheer amount of mystical energy used over the course of that decade and a half simply causes the weather pattern to become disrupted. I heard that they suffer through a heat wave for a good two weeks before the storm."

"Saving up for a grand finish?"

"Basically, that's it."

Anakin joined them, grinning. "On the other hand, save for the occasional super storm that can wipe out all life in the Stadius Zone, it's a pretty good tourist attraction," he said. "Good climate, diverse cultures living in peace alongside one another, and incredible structures that defy all known laws of physics. If they ever decided to open their Stargate to travelers, they could probably improve their already thriving economy."

"Now there's a good idea." Now that he wasn't worried, he recalled that Anakin and Claire had been to Lunar before, helping the Alliance find a cure for some sort of genetic virus. A successful one, at that. "In the meantime, I think Claire should brief us as to what we can expect once we enter that storm."

Claire nodded as the two pilots made the necessary adjustments to begin their descent. "Winds will not be enough to knock us off course," she began, latching her weapon belt tightly around her waist, "but they will rock us as we go through them. We can expect lightning strikes in the upper cloud formations every three seconds, and the rain will be so thick that visibility will be limited to line of sight. Most of us are already used to that, of course, but it's better to know what you're about to face."

Tink jingled in agreement. Out of all of them, she liked to know what she was getting into before doing something about it.

"You'd agree with anyone who believes in fairies," Peter grumbled good-naturedly. Jane agreed with him completely.

Anakin sighed, looking at Claire. "Sometimes, I wish that I could understand what she was saying," he muttered.

"Better that we don't," Claire returned with. "It might be problematic if we aren't supposed to hear it."

On that, the Jedi had to agree with her.

Their moment of quiet contemplation was jarred as the Amphibian jumped under them. "We're entering the atmosphere," Padma reported from her seat. "Better hold on to something until we reach the lower areas."

Peter quickly sat down, as did everyone else, strapping themselves in. "Alright, let's remember our objective," he said. "We need to locate these demons, and determine whether or not they're a threat to the Alliance. If they are, we find a way to contain them until Matt and his friends move on. If not, we evacuate them so the water doesn't drown them in the end." He looked at them. "Any questions?"

No one had any questions. The mission was straightforward enough. Barring any unforeseen complications, they would complete it, and be back before Christmas.

Of course, nothing ever went off without a hitch. There were far too many variables to take into account.

"Well, here we go," Peter muttered, as the Amphibian dropped below the cloud line, rain and wind immediately battering it.

----

Zarad watched as the vessel entered the atmosphere, not recognizing its design. It seemed to possess a more functional shape than the graceful slopes of the Guardian's powerful starships. It looked even older than the _Crusher_, which was surprising.

But there was no mistaking its purpose. It was an All Terrain Vehicle of some kind, and it was here to help the Alliance. Who was on it?

"Perhapssssss it isssss from Hogwartssssss," R'Carra suggested, her eyes becoming slits at the prospect. "Maybe it issss Damont."

"We would only be so lucky," Klagh muttered sullenly.

The commander eyed the screen for a moment longer. "Tactical, plot the course of that vessel, and prepare fighters to go after it. They must not know about what we are doing."

"Aye, Sir," Tactical replied, training the vast sensor grid on the Guardian vessel.

Zarad settled into his seat, gaze thoughtful. Now all he could do… was watch.

----

The forest was darker than the area around it, as its trees were bunched together to create a canopy. Within the forest, they could hear nothing. No sounds of monsters fighting, no birds chirping.

In essence, a forest that no one in their right minds would enter.

But that was the forest that Sailor Moon knew that she and Tuxedo Mask must enter. For Rini was somewhere in that darkness, a captive to the Vile Tribe. She brought her scepter out, looking at her boyfriend.

Darien nodded, unsheathing the blade he now possessed, his trusty cane in his other hand. "I'm ready," he said. "What about you?"

Serena nodded. "Once inside, we'll have to move quickly. Otherwise, we'll lose her to them." She started forward, the crystal cutting through the gloom within.

The two of them entered the forest, their eyes darting every way. Here, the rain wasn't so bad, and the wind was nowhere near as ferocious. The trees did an effective job of blocking most of it.

Serena's crystal slowly pulsated, drawing only a sliver of the energy that it was capable of. It was trying to home in on Rini's unique energy signature. When it did that, they would simply have to walk straight.

"Any luck?" Darien asked after a moment, thankful for his hat. Its brim kept his eyes clear.

Serena had no such advantage, as she blinked furiously, wiping her face every few seconds. "Not yet. Of course, if they anticipated that, then we'd be in a whole lot of trouble. We could walk around in circles, hoping to find her, and never even come close."

That was a pretty big problem. So far, the Deadly Alliance had been on an almost supernatural strike, winning major victory after major victory. They had only won small victories against opponents that were alone, or with small armies helping it.

Darien pondered over their strategy, and decided that they had no option choice but to continue onward. Even if they were unable to locate her using the Silver Crystal, eventually, they would find her.

He refused to accept any other option.

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

If there was one thing Harry hated more than Dementors, it was waiting for Peter to report in.

Presently, the Gryffindor Common Room was filled with SGC members, all who were waiting for contact from the brave young warrior from Neverland. The silence stretched into forever, as they mulled over the different scenarios that were going through their minds.

"The _Vigilant's_ still probably in orbit of Lunar," Neville commented. "If the Amphibian made it there, they could blow her out of the sky."

"They won't," Ron replied, though his feelings on the matter. "If that Reman woman is onboard, she's going to want Claire in an one on one fight. They won't destroy the ship until they learn if she's there with them."

"Hmm… good point, Ron."

Harry frowned out the window, watching the snow as it fell to the ground. He was also worried for their safety, and that the Sunak were still there, waiting to attack at the slightest hint of trouble. There was also the forest. If what they had found out is true, then they were going to be in more trouble than they thought.

Hermione stepped up next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right, Harry?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine. Ginny isn't." He pointed at the table. There, staring at some far off point in the wall, was the youngest Weasley. She was probably deep in conversation with Matt, as she usually was these days, and trying to keep it as quiet as possible.

Hermione walked over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Ginny," she said quietly.

Ginny looked up, her eyes focusing on Hermione's. "Matt was just bringing me up to speed on the condition of Tai and the others," she explained. "So far, they're okay. No enemy troops or anything."

"That's good." Hermione smiled slightly. "At least there aren't any problems."

"Yeah, good…"

"_Ginny!"_

The young Gryffindor quickly latched onto Matt's urgent call. "_What happened, Matt?"_ she immediately asked.

"_Switch me to loud speaker!" _He waited until she had done so, before saying, "_Rini's been captured by J'onro!"_

Everyone was out of their seats in an instant, their gazes ranging from confused to shocked. "You're sure?" Harry asked. "When did this happen?"  
"_Just a few minutes ago! Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are going after her. She was taken to the nearby forest!"_

Harry cursed. That meant the mission Peter was on was going to be several times more difficult. "Lucky for you, SG-2 is on Lunar right now," he said. "Peter is there for another reason, but that can easily be changed. We'll try to get a message to him!"

"_Thanks pal,"_ Matt replied. "_I'll let everyone else know that they're getting backup!"_

Ginny looked at Harry as the connection was closed. "What are we going to do about it?" she asked.

Harry turned around, eyeing every single person in the room. "We're going to Lunar," he replied. "Have _Prometheus _prepped for launch. We're leaving in three hours. Let McGonagall know what's happened."

Everyone moved as one, heading for the exit. Time was now of the essence. If the Deadly Alliance discovered something about Rini that worked to their advantage, they would exploit it, regardless of the consequences.

And they would make sure that no one interfered.

**

* * *

Lunar**

"_We cannot acquire the target. All sensors are going haywire."_

"_Hidre Three, are you getting anything?"_

"_Negative, Hidre Leader. The mystical energy of the storm is interfering with our tracking equipment. The Guardian vessel is too far down for us to track."_

"_Blast it all! All fighters, report back to the _Vigilant_. We will have to wait for the storm to end before we try to find them."_

----

"This way," Serena said, pointing in one direction.

Darien sighed. "Serena, I don't think we're going to find anything that way, either."

"We have to check every single path, Darien. I'm not giving up on Rini. And this is the only one with every possible advantage for them."

Darien reluctantly conceded the point. Her conviction had not wavered in the slightest since they had gotten here. If anything, it had grown. In her tunnel like vision, she simply refused to accept defeat.

Darien wasn't going to either, but they had been systematically eliminating possible routes for the last hour, trying to decide which way would work best for the enemy. According to Mercury, three of the routes gave way to a small clearing. It was the only logical area they would go if they were preparing a trap for them.

But there was more to that than he was letting himself think. In truth, he had a terrible feeling about this place. It was rank with evil. A dark evil that made the Vile Tribe seem pale in comparison. But, for some strange reason, it wasn't interested in them… yet.

The Silver Crystal suddenly lit up like a beacon, flashing rapidly. It quickly wrenched itself in one particular direction, almost ripping Serena's front off in the process. It seemed to be homing in on an immense power source.

Darien frowned, surprised beyond measure. "I'd say it found Rini at long last," he said.

"Big time. Looks like we go down this path." Serena started forward, her scepter raised. Darien quickly followed, his attention even sharper than before.

----

Peter slipped his dagger into place as the Amphibian finally landed with a slight squish. "I'd say that the ground has already been turned to mud," he said, without any irony in his voice.

Anakin nodded, his mind stretching out. "It looks like the ground has been fully saturated. If it rains any longer, there will be a flood."

"We know, Anakin." Claire clipped her lightsaber onto her belt. "And that's probably what will happen, whether we're here or not."

"I know that."

Peter chuckled a bit, putting the rain gear on. "Well, let's hope there isn't a full scale battle then. Jane and I will fly ahead. Follow as quickly as you can on the ground." He turned to the cockpit. "Open the door, Parvati," he ordered.

The Gryffindor Patil quickly did so, allowing a burst of wind to come, almost knocking Claire down. "Winds are going to make flying difficult!" she shouted over the din. "Be careful up there!"  
Peter nodded, before taking off, his girlfriend right behind him. Anakin and Claire jumped out, and started into the forest, keeping their senses open.

----

Izzy sat back, shirt and cape draped over the chair, rubbing his shoulder fretfully as he watched the latest scan of the surround. He was slowly developing a map on the area around their refuge, but the mystical energy permeating the storm front made it difficult.

Mimi walked in, tying her hair back. "How's it going, dear?" she asked.

"Slowly, and frustratingly." Izzy sighed. "My shoulder's also been acting up again, which is annoying." His impact with the tree back in the Forest of Pain had been enough to almost dislocate his shoulder. They had discovered that cold air had a way of causing a phantom ache from the battle to occur.

Mimi placed her hands on his shoulder, slowly massaging it. "I don't think any of us are going to make it out of this war without at least one lingering pain, or a mark of battle." She was referring to Tai's healed upper body scar, and Venus's ever present open wounds. So far, most of them had managed to avoid such damage, but it was only a matter of time.

Izzy groaned in appreciation as her gentle hands worked the pain from his mind. "Did I ever mention that you have amazing hands?" he asked.

"I believe so, after… what, your third trip to heaven on our first night?"

"That was for an entirely different reason, but yes."

Mimi shook her head. "Well, I'm glad for that." Her smile faded. "I hope Serena and Darien are all right out there," she said.

"You and everyone else, which includes me." Izzy sat up. "Unfortunately, their safety in that forest may be the least of our worries. What I have seen so far with these scans is not prodigious in any sense of the word."

The Keeper of Sincerity looked at the screen, her eyes narrowing. "We did go downhill for a few days," she said. "How's that a problem?"

"… I don't know Mimi, but I just have a bad feeling that this place may not be the safest place to be at this time."

----

"This way," Serena stated, pointing in one direction. "That should lead directly to Rini."

"Best news I've heard all day." Darien looked around. "I wonder why the monsters in this forest aren't attacking us."

"Don't know, don't care. They aren't delaying us from getting to her." She started walking again, with him not far behind. They had very little time left.

The last stretch of trail was undisturbed for them. There were no twists or turns for them to go through, and they were exceedingly grateful for that. It meant their quarry was close.

Serena suddenly stopped, her ears picking up something. "Do you hear that?" she asked quietly. "That sound of power emerging?"

Darien heard it as well, and was curious. "It sounds like… a machine of some kind," he replied. "It sounds like a car engine."

"Three guesses as to who they're going to use it on."

The two of them didn't even hesitate. They charged forward, readying themselves for the confrontation.

----

Peter and Jane were somehow able to hold their course as they flew over the forest, in spite of the wind blowing all around them. The power they possessed was more than enough to circumvent nature's will of the wind. The sheet rain and overbearing darkness, on the other hand, was something they just had to deal with.

Jane sighed, grateful for the light in her hands, and the comforting presence of her boyfriend right next to her. If only there was just a little more light around her, she'd be happy. "I'm getting nothing," she said, keeping herself on her duties.

Peter nodded, not surprise. "Well, we'll have to go in," he replied. "At least the rest of the team's following on foot."

"Yeah. Too bad we can't talk to them." The young woman was referring to the fact that their communicators weren't working in the storm. "Makes me wish we had a more advanced model."

"Me too."

Jane sighed. "Well, while we're looking around… how about we talk?"  
"Good idea. … So, why is it that you are afraid of the dark?"

"… I was hoping you would wait until later to ask. I don't know where to begin to tell you."

Peter smiled humorlessly. "The beginning would be a good place to start."

The truth was, it was as good a place as any to begin. The problem was that she didn't know what words to use that could easily explain it. It had been so long since it happened, and the memory was still strong in her heart. "Well…" she began.

Her gaze focused on the forest for a second, and she saw something that was definitely out of place. "What in the world is that?"

Peter frowned at the sudden switch in topic, but realized that it was justified. They had just flown over the only clearing in the entire forest. There, right in the center, was probably the most bizarre device either of them had ever seen. There was a smoke tower that had begun billowing black smoke into the air, and exposed circuits sparking along its exterior.

But what got their attention was the little girl inside of it, pounding her fists against the glass. A small girl of barely nine, with the pinkest hair they had ever seen, looking rather furious.

Jane remembered talking to Ginny about such a child. Who else could it be, but the child of the future, Rini Endyimon? And, if what she had heard about her was true, then there was only one reason they had her.

The thought of an innocent little girl being subject to such pain brought a bubbling force of fury coursing through both Trainees' bodies. There wasn't any hesitation in their stances as they altered their flight… and making for the machine.

----

"Let me out of here!" Rini shouted, pounding the glass that was her prison.

Xenobia smirked as she watched the little brat try to get out. "No, but look at it this way. You'll finally be free of the darkness that still plagues your soul. Whether you survive or not is not of paramount concern to me." She nodded to Taben. "Prepare for transference!"

"As you wish." The evil inventor began the initiation process, pressing a series of controls that would begin their extraction. The machine began to hum as its energizers began to work. The ground began to tremble underneath their feet.

The machine itself was a nothing more than just that; a dark energy extractor. It was designed to collect the darkness out of anything, leaving behind the purity within an object. But due to the sheer amount of power required to run it, the object inside never survived the process.

Rini powered up, and fired a full scale blast at the glass. To her eternal disappointment, the glass absorbed the shot. Undeterred, she tried again.

Xenobia grinned as she watched the child's struggles grow more frantic with each passing moment. "Soon," she whispered. "We will possess the power needed to create the ultimate soldier. Nothing will be able to stop us now."

"Don't bet on it, you demonic bitch!"  
Xenobia whirled around, her eyes landing their guests of honor. Though she had been expecting this, and had been waiting for them to show, she still had a bit of trouble deflecting the shot that Sailor Moon sent her way. She glared at the two warriors. "Come to say your good byes already?" she asked. "We haven't even begun to hurt her."

Mask returned her glare. "We're here for her, Xenobia! Let her go!"

"… No, I don't think so. You see, you can't get her out of there. The process has already begun, and by the end of it, she will be nothing more than a corpse. And so will you two, for that matter! J'onro, kill them!"  
J'onro brought his bow up, an arrow already notched. With a mere pull back, he sent it flying towards Sailor Moon.

Serena readied herself to leap out of the way, but knew that all she would do was change its target from her chest to her waist. And if it hit the ground, it would most likely electrify the ground with a lethal amount of energy.

Except Tuxedo Mask had pulled out two roses, and sent them right at the arrow. They hit perfectly, knocking it off its intended target, thus giving his beloved time to evade. The arrow slammed into a tree, sparks shooting off from the tip.

J'onro nodded. "Nicely done, human," he said, not really impressed. "Perfect form. Your aim was impeccable. Perhaps you wish to try doing that to something significantly larger than an arrow, though." He snapped his fingers once.

More than fifty demons appeared upon that command, seemingly appearing out of thin air. All of them were armed to the teeth, and were presently staring at the two Alliance members with a look not dissimilar to a pack of wolves looking upon a feast.

Serena altered her stance accordingly, watching this small army as they shifted, waiting for the order to strike.

"Make them suffer before they die," Xenobia ordered, turning her back to them. Eager to comply, the demon soldiers started forward. Serena and Darien readied themselves.

And several shots sounded off, echoing throughout the forest.

The lead soldier stopped, staring at nothing for a few seconds, before hitting the ground. A pool of blood began to join the puddle on the ground, turning it even darker than the sky.

J'onro's eyes widened in surprise as this occurred. The visibility was poor, so there was no way of knowing where the shots were fired from. However, he had a suspicion that they would reveal themselves in time.

This turned out to be almost immediate, as two young warriors landed right next to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, glaring at the demons. It didn't take a genius to know who they were, either.

Xenobia stepped forward, eyeing Alania's son and Wendy's daughter for the first time in her life. "Welcome to Lunar, Peter Pan," she said with deceptive joy. "How do you like our fair planet?"  
"With you trying to take it over, it leaves something to be desired!" Peter shot back. "Let that kid go, and we might let you leave with your tail between your legs!"

Darien frowned. He remembered Matt telling him something about Hogwarts having a Peter Pan as part of both the student body and the DSGC. Judging from the attire he and the young girl were both wearing, they were both from the school.

And they were both pissed.

Xenobia chuckled, amused by the threat. "I don't think so, Pan. What I can give you… is an early funeral." She snapped her fingers. "Kill them all."

Jane's eye narrowed as she looked at the soldiers. Seeing that little girl in there, helpless, was bringing her own inner pain into greater focus… and making her angry. She brought her hands up, readying herself.

As one, the demon ranks charged, weapons of various designs appearing in their hands. Malicious smirks emerged on their faces, as they envisioned the destruction they were about to create appeared in their minds.

Jane leaped up, planting her feet into the two lead demon's chests. Such was the force of her blows, that they flew back more than twenty feet, hitting the ground hard.

Peter quickly punched one in the chest, his trusty dagger coming up to stab another in the leg. Leaping up, he quickly thrust upward, embedding the blade into his chin.

Darien threw roses with unerring accuracy, taking each one he hit out of the game permanently. His training in Karate gave him skill and aim, and he had the experience to back up such training. When he ran out those, he switched to close range combat.

Sailor Moon didn't even bother, and brought her scepter to bear. "_Moon Scepter Activation!" _she bellowed, pumping every ounce of her strength into the attack. The resultant blast that emerged was more than enough to obliterate about sixty percent of the attacking force. Satisfied, she charged towards the machine.

Jane knocked two heads together, and received a kick from a third one. She hit the ground, gasping for breath. Grinning, the soldier brought his axe up.

A lightsaber came out of nowhere, slicing through the axe. A second slash passed over Jane's vision, searing the top half of the demon's head clear off. "About time, Anakin!" she got out, getting to one knee.

Anakin grinned as he landed, eyes alight with anticipation. "Sorry. We took a wrong turn." He started forward, until he had reached Darien. "It's been a while, Darien!" he said, stabbing a soldier through the chest.

"Just glad you could join us, Anakin!" Darien grunted, blocking quickly. "How about you put your combat experience to good use, and help us get Rini back!"  
"No problem!"

Xenobia intercepted Serena before she had reached her objective, kicking her back. "So you and your friends defeated my troops. Big deal. J'onro?"

J'onro started forward, his eyes glowing. "Now you must deal with me," he growled, his sword out, "and you will not survive."

Claire joined Sailor Moon, eyeing the demon before them both. "He's an Uruk-Hai," she reminded her gently.

"I know; Unbeatable. Well, I don't give a damn. They have my kid, and I want her back now!" Serena brought her scepter to bear on J'onro. "_Moon Scepter Activation!"_

J'onro casually deflected the full powered blast. "My apologies, but you are only here to watch her demise. You are not allowed to interfere." He grinned. "Besides, you are too late."

The energy build up of the machine had reached maximum intensity. Then, with a roar that drowned out the fight, it came to life.

Rini screamed as the worst pain she had ever felt before in her life rushed through her small body.

"_Rini!_" Serena charged forward, leaping over J'onro before he could do anything, before continuing on her way.

J'onro knew that he couldn't go after her, but knew that he wouldn't have to. So, he focused on those in front of him. He quickly leaped up, hitting Peter and Jane in their faces as they flew in, before whirling, catching Anakin in his robotic arm, almost breaking it off. He blocked Darien, before leaping up. "Let me see, my first execution shall be… the English brat," he said. "_Uruk-Hai Lightning!"_

Jane looked up as he shouted that, her gaze widening. "Oh no, you don't! I love living too much!" She quickly brought her hands up, a shield forming instinctively. It was enough to block the attack, and deflect it right back at him. He took the blast in the chest, absorbing it.

Serena knocked a soldier out of the way as Claire kicked another in the groin, ending both of their sufferings with two well placed swipes with her lightsaber. They would kill everyone who got in her way, but she was getting Rini out of there, one way or another.

Two demons slammed into the young Damont, taking her down. She lost her lightsaber in the confusion, and had no time to locate it, as they attacked her at once. Rolling out of the way, she quickly kicked the sword out of one of their hands, grabbing it in midair. She quickly ran him through, blocking the other one when he tried to strike at her blind spot.

Xenobia simply backhanded Sailor Moon as she approached, not even moving one inch. "Sorry Moon Princess, but you are just here to watch, not interfere." She quickly kicked her opponent in the chest. Her fist followed suite several times, cracking ribs despite the Silver Crystal's protection. She then struck higher, hitting Serena's head, then her back, knocking her down.

Serena gasped as she started to rise, feeling her abused chest cry out. Coughing, she was shocked to see blood erupt from her mouth. '_How can someone possess enough physical strength to override a Senshi's power?!'_ she asked herself, knowing that she had been hurt, and hurt badly.

As she struggled to get back up, she could hear, as if through a haze, Xenobia say, "So, you are still willing to fight, eh? Well, I guess I will have to break something else of yours then." She turned her head, catching sight of Xenobia coming right at her, her fist cocked and ready.

Acting quickly, though the movement caused her pain, Serena quickly scissored her legs, sweeping Xenobia off of her feet. Getting back to her feet, she started towards the machine, ignoring the pain flaring throughout her body.

Rini shrieked, feeling as if her body was being torn apart, molecule by molecule, being reassembled, then torn apart again. The pain was so excruciating, she lost consciousness, only to come back when a new lancet of pain rushed through her body.

Xenobia tripped Serena two feet from her objective, and straddled her, locking her in a camel clutch. "Watch as we destroy your future, Sailor Moon," she whispered into her prey's ear as she applied pressure. "Watch as Small Lady here perishes, and know that you are powerless to do anything about it."

Serena choked, blood bubbling from her lips as she watched Rini scream in agony. '_Rini…'_ she thought, before her vision went dark.

Darien turned around, saw his beloved go limp, and roared in rage, slamming into J'onro with desperate strength. The adrenaline pumping, he lifted the Uruk-Hai, suplexing him, before charging the machine.

Xenobia bent back even further, putting further strain on Serena's body. She was going to break every bone in her body, before giving this pathetic being the mercy of death.

Serena's cracked ribs finally broke under the strain. The pain in her back was increasing dramatically. If she had been aware, she would have been trying to scream.

And then she got a reprieve.

Jane slammed into the demon queen, forcing her off of the Moon Princess. She smashed her fist into Xenobia's face, slamming her into a tree nearby, before turning around, turning Sailor Moon gently onto her back.

Anakin and Peter struck hard, forcing J'onro back with each step. However, they had come no closer to breaching his defenses, which were ironclad. They were also tiring. Their respective power sources gave them extensive power, but they simply didn't have the staying power of more experienced warriors yet.

J'onro was almost as fresh as he was at the beginning of the battle, and he now had all of the information that he needed. His opponents were strong, yes, but they relied too much on that power. Peter Pan was still inexperienced as a Trainee, and Anakin was too full of hunger for battle. He could end this with one last move.

Darien reached the machine, and leaped onto it, bringing the sword up. He brought it down against the glass prison encasing his daughter, putting all of the strength in his body behind it.

The glass cracked. He swung again, cracking it even further. He raised it again, and swung one more time.

The glass shattered, power now leaking out of the break like water from a ruptured pipe.

The Earth Prince reached in quickly, wincing as electricity crackled around him, and pulled his child out. He leaped down, cradling her gently. "Hold on, Rini. We're going to get you out of here."

Taben reached into the side of the machine, pulling out a small cylinder. "We have it! The extraction was completely successful!" he shouted, placing it in a pack. "But we must go now! The extractor is about to explode!"

"J'onro!" Xenobia bellowed, getting up. "Leave them be!"

J'onro quickly disengaged, leaping away from them. "We have what we came for, so you can keep the child! Until the next time we meet!" With those parting words, he, Xenobia, Taben, and the surviving warriors teleported.

Claire looked up at the machine, saw the energy build up increasing. "Shit! It's going to explode!" she shouted.

Jane looked up as well, before turning around. "Peter, Anakin, Claire, and Tink! Could you give me a hand lifting this thing?" She charged right for the machine, digging her fingers into the crevice at the bottom, while Tinkerbell flew overhead, spraying pixie dust all over it.

Peter was soon on the other side of the machine, straining with every ounce of power in his body. The dust had lightened it considerably, but it was still heavy as hell. Anakin and Claire focused the Force, calling upon all the power they could muster.

The machine began to shake as it approached overload, the foundation starting to crack under the strain. If what they were trying to do failed incredibly, then they wouldn't have to worry about being killed in battle.

With four cries of defiance against that unsavory fate, SG-2 pushed beyond their limitations, and threw the machine sky high. It soared to the heavens, where it would finally have its final resting place.

"Everybody, get down!" Jane shouted, diving to where Sailor Moon laid, covering her body quickly. Everyone else followed her example as they dropped, covering their heads, and praying.

The Dark Energy Extractor, one of Taben's finest machines ever, finally gave up the ghost, with a massive explosion that encompassed the forest. The Amphibian, still parked at the edge of the tree line, shook at the fury, as the Patil twins struggled to keep the shields from failing.

And then the world was silent… as silent as death.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

And here is Part Two of Episode Sixty Nine. This will now go to Stargate, when Harry and _Prometheus _will enter the battle, and the fight to save Sailor Moon will take place. Please review… everyone. 


	90. Episode Seventy

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy: Mysteries of the Past**

The explosion was massive in its scale, shaking the forest with its might. It uprooted several trees, and engulfed the skies with fury. Debris from the decimated machine rained down upon the small group in the clearing. For a moment, the rain itself stopped.

Anakin was able to deflect every piece before it could hit them. Jane and Peter erected a force field over them; Jane remaining crouched over Sailor Moon's battered form. The shockwave slammed into them, forcing them into the rain and mud. For several long moments, they stayed that way, praying that the worst was over.

Slowly, the strength of the blast dissipated. The rain picked up its furious tempo once again.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Jane finally got off of the Moon Princess, grateful for her tough hide. Otherwise, she would ache even more than she did at that moment.

Peter got up, shaking himself off. From under him, Tinkerbell fluttered up, wiping mud off of her diminutive form. "_Well, that was fun,"_ she jingled sarcastically.

"Be thankful that was all that happened," Peter replied, helping Tuxedo Mask up. "Are you all right, Sir?"

Darien nodded, still holding Rini's unconscious body close. "A little shaken, but I'm fine. What about Sailor Moon?"

Jane was already checking the Moon Princess over, her face paling with each passing moment. Though she didn't have a medical tricorder with her, she could literally feel the damage through the skin. "Every one of her ribs are broken," she began, voice trembling. "There has been an enormous strain put on her back. I… I think a lung has been perforated. Her shoulder blades and her pelvic bone are cracked, and there's some bruising to her throat." She looked up. "She's dying slowly, painfully, and there is nothing I can do here without the proper tools to help me."

Anakin looked around, the Force giving him warning. "We're not out of the woods yet. The water levels are rising way too fast. In about forty minutes, this entire area is going to start flooding." He turned to Darien. "The machine's destruction only caused a slight delay in the process, and not enough to ensure that we'll get out of here before it starts flooding."

"We're going to have to risk it. Ma'am, could you carry Serena to… wherever the nearest shelter is?"

Jane nodded. "We brought an amphibious vehicle with us, so we could get here safely. It's only an hour's walk from here."

"It's better than nothing." Peter pulled his coat off and handed it to Darien, who proceeded to wrap it around Rini.

Jane did the same, only more gently, to Serena, before picking her up. "Well, let's get going," she said. "Anakin, lead the way."

The small group started out of the forest, the life of the strongest of the Sailor Soldiers now at stake.

----

Parvati and Padma sat in the cockpit of the Amphibian, both of them watching the screens carefully. While all they remained within the warmth and comfort of the Amphibian, they also had the most difficult assignment; to keep an eye on the barometric temperature, as well as other changes in the area.

Right now, they were seeing things that they didn't like.

"It looks like the storm is increasing in intensity," Padma said in concern, running through the scanning procedure again.

"It is," Parvati replied, hearing the sound of the wind increasing in strength. "I'd say it's reaching the midway point, where it's strongest. The ground isn't absorbing the water, because there's too much." Her gaze fell to the comm relay. "And we can't exactly contact them with all of this interference above us."  
"Yes, I know."

The two twins looked at each other for a second, knowing that all they could do was wait… and pray.

It wasn't one of their happier thoughts.

----

"The basement to this place is starting to flood rapidly," Palmon reported, pulling her roots back. "I'd say the ground's completely saturated."

"This isn't good." Artemis leaped onto the windowsill. "Mercury, any sign of them?"

Mercury shook her head. "No, and there's so much mystical energy in the air, I can't get an accurate read on them." She sighed, sitting down. "They're on their own."

Tai nodded, turning to Mars and Alex. "We need to focus on our own problems," he decided. "The basement windows need to be shut, so we don't get any unwanted company while we're stuck here."

Alex nodded. "Good idea. But who do we send down there? Gomamon doesn't have any hands to speak of, and I don't think sending Mercury down there is a good idea at this time."

Tai grinned. "I got just the woman."

----

Mimi went down the stairs, anticipating what she was going to feel. Still, the sensation of cold water flowing over her feet was more than enough to almost make her jump into the air. She was only on the sixth bottom step, too. Bracing herself, she went down further. Tai was going to owe her for this, big time.

The water was knee high as she sloshed her way over to the windows. She quickly latched them, making sure they held. Looking around, she saw another set of stairs. She went over there, and saw a cellar door. '_Looks like it latches from the inside,'_ she thought, grateful for that as she looked for a lock of some sort. There were two bolt locks, one at the bottom part, and one at the top. She quickly slid the bolts into each one, before making her way back to the stairs.

Her foot made contact with an imperfection on the floor as she was approaching her goal, causing her to stumble. With a small cry out, the keeper of Sincerity fell to the ground, barely managing to catch herself with her hands before she hit face first. Quickly scrambling to her feet, she wiped water off, grimacing. "Great," she muttered, looking down on herself. Her shift was now plastered to her body, almost see through. Steeling herself, she continued on her way.

Tai grinned as Mimi emerged, completely wet and annoyed. "Did we have an accident?" he asked innocently.

Mimi glared at him. "Don't make me throw you down there, Tai," she growled, her demonic side showing through for a split second. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go warm up."  
"Tell Izzy not to frighten anyone!" Alex added from his spot as the young woman started up the stairs. "If the plateau continues to flood, we're going to have to move up to higher ground."

"We're already moving up." Agumon bounded down the stairs. "In fact, we're moving all of our supplies up to the fourth and fifth floors."

Mimi stopped, turning around. "Everything?" she asked.

"Your clothes are presently sharing a room with Lilika and Izzy. Just have your sister show you where."

"Thank you." She sighed as she continued on. "I hope I don't run into Kyle along the way," she muttered to herself. "I'll never make it to my room then."

In some aspect of her mind, that probably wouldn't be so bad, save that she wanted Izzy first.

----

"How far are we to the Amphibian?" Jane asked.

Anakin looked around. "I'd say about another thirty feet, if not less." He looked at Serena. "Will she make it?" he asked.

"Probably, but that's only because of this crystal. It's feeding her a constant stream of energy, trying to keep the damage from spreading. Her bodily functions have slowed to a crawl."

Peter grinned. "When's the last time a crystal had the ability to do that?"

Claire shook her head. "The Silver Crystal is the most powerful transformation tool in her universe. Given enough time, Sailor Moon will be able to unleash its full power. She'd become a match for Sailor Galaxia herself."

"We don't doubt it." Peter looked around again. "Who is Sailor Galaxia, anyway?"

"… Sailor Galaxia is the single most powerful Sailor Soldier to have ever lived. She reached her full potential at a young age, and kept growing stronger as such. She was decorated by Alania herself on eight occasions, but never let it get to her head. She was on the verge of becoming a respected member of the immortal magic guild… until the Senshi War began."

Darien nodded, having read on the subject in his past life. "According to legend, Sailor Galaxia did battle against a force known only as Chaos, the harbinger of destruction in our universe. This final battle took place over five thousand years ago. Now, according to what I learned, she utilized the full force of her powers to defeat it. No one knew how it happened."

"It's time to remove the veil of ignorance then." Claire took a deep breath. "Galaxia sealed Chaos within her own body, using her own vast power to contain it. Within a body, its effectiveness would be limited to line of sight attacks, so it would have to physically go to a planet to take it out. She had a set of golden bracelets constructed that would enslave it, keeping Chaos from escaping her. Unfortunately, that same power that could lock him away was also a curse. Chaos tore at her star seed… her soul, if you will, trying to corrupt her. She was forced to release that very seed into the galaxy, to find someone who could help her disperse Chao's power and malice throughout the universe. Without it, she became a dark version of herself, becoming the Golden Queen."

"But the real Galaxia is still free, at least," Rini replied groggily, lifting her head. "Probably pain free, too."

Darien grinned, shifting his hold so that he was hugging her. "You're okay, at least. That's all that matters."

"Unfortunately Rini, she's not free at all. Sailor Galaxia's star seed was closely monitored by the Guardians. It would have reached Earth within three years at its present speed. A Goa'uld vessel intercepted it though, and handed it to Chaos. The Light of Hope is now in the hands of the Deadly Alliance."

Rini's aches vanished, just like that. Her body throbbed with power. Power that was no longer contained by the darkness that had been within her. She had met Galaxia when the Golden Senshi came to live on Earth, and she had become something of an aunt. To hear that someone had destroyed even _that_ bit of her future was very annoying. "Great. So, how do we free her?"

"I don't know."

Anakin suddenly looked around, the Force warning him of a possible threat. "That's also something we can worry about later," he said. "I'm sensing something approaching… a great many something's."

"Enemy soldiers?"

"I can't tell. It's like I'm sensing two different powers at work here."

Darien nodded, not really surprised. "I thought there was something strange about the monsters in this forest. They didn't attack any of the intruders, which mean's they are clearly intelligent. They didn't view us as a threat to them."

"You didn't attack them… but now that we're here, they probably think that you are now." Claire shook her head. "I don't know if this makes the situation better or worse."

Rini shrugged. "Probably worse, but when's that different from any other day? We'll deal with it as it comes at us."

"Good idea, kid," Jane grunted, adjusting her hold on Serena's body. "How about we deal with this specific problem? Namely, getting your Moon Princess the help she needs, without these things attacking us?"

"_Probably not going to happen, Jane,"_ Tinkerbell replied.

----

The creatures followed at the distance, observing these intruders. They were like the ones who came in earlier, but their scent was different. It was… almost pure. The only darkness that could be sensed was from the one with the artificial limb, and that was kept under a tenuous kind of control.

The lead creature silently motioned for its brethren to stay out of sight. They had to be careful. If they were like the ones who put them in this forest in the first place, then they were not to be trifled with.

They had been detected! The one with the artificial limb must possess some sort of telepathy to be able to pick them up. They are looking around, trying to see into the darkness, but they won't be able to find them.

_Are they a threat?_ One of them wondered.

_I do not believe so, but all the same, we shall watch them. One of them is injured, but her unconscious thoughts go to the pink hair._ The leader's red eyes narrowed. _They are not demonic. They are all human._

_What do we do?_

_Nothing._ _We watch them. If they head for the breeding place, then we will have to deal with them. Until that time, we watch._

The others agreed, and the debate was dropped.

----

Padma emerged from the bathroom, adjusting her jacket a bit. "We should thank the Guardians for their wisdom in putting toilets into all of their ships," she said.

Parvati shook her head in amusement as she checked the scanners. "Well, the ground is completely saturated. In about half an hour's time, we should see the first signs of the flooding." Her eyes latched onto one screen in particular. "SG-2 is emerging from the forest!" she stated in excitement.

Her twin slid into her seat, looking at the screen. Sure enough, Peter emerged from the forest, followed by his team, and several others.

Padma quickly opened the hatch, bracing herself against the blast of wind that swept inside. "Get in!" she shouted.

Everyone quickly piled in, Claire keeping her lightsaber up as the door closed again, sealing seamlessly again. When that was done, she deactivated her weapon, relaxing.

Jane quickly turned, taking care to not jostle her burden. "Get the bio bed online!" she ordered. "We need to figure out how we can save Sailor Moon before her and her crystal run out of power!"  
Padma quickly accessed the controls, bringing out the bed in question. Jane lowered Serena's body onto it, bringing the scanner over her. Immediately, her stats appeared on the monitor above her, giving them a better picture of what they were dealing with.

The damage was everything Jane feared it would be. In fact, it was amazing that there wasn't more. Sailor Moon's body was simply that battered.

Rini closed her eyes, holding her tears back. "Why?" she asked. "Why did Xenobia do this to her?"  
Darien sighed. "Because she doesn't care," he replied. "She has no interest in anyone's feelings. Only what they can do for her."

Jane nodded, stripping her coat off. "I'm going to have to play doctor then, if this girl has any chance of survival. Padma, are you good at healing charms?"

Padma nodded. "Madame Pomfrey has been teaching me how to knit bones during our free time."

"Well, congratulations. You have just volunteered to be a surgeon. Get a sterilization field and full medic kit over here, ASAP. Computer, activate a quarantine field around the bio bed, and prep for sterilization of all instruments. Set for surgical operation, and prepare pulmonary and respiratory life support."  
Rini got back as a medical force field snapped into existence around the bed and surrounding area, separating her from the body of her mother. For the first time in her life, she no idea what was going to happen.

She didn't even know if Serena was going to survive.

----

In her all too short life, Padma Patil had seen a great many things. She had seen demons and monsters. She had heard of Harry's struggles against You-Know-Who and the Chamber of Secrets, and watched as the bond between him and his two best friends become unbreakable, forming a team that no one could defeat. She had been chosen to be one of many in the preparation of a war that would be unlike any before it.

And now, she was going to take part in an operation where the outcome was in absolute doubt.

The prognosis had become even bleaker. Due to the broken ribs, there was internal bleeding across both lungs. Jane's guess about one of them being perforated was confirmed as well.

The two of them would have changed into sterilized surgical garments, except the Amphibian wasn't equipped with a full surgical section. The bio bed itself was only good for limited use before it needed to be replaced, and it didn't come equipped to handle injuries this extensive.

Rini was still standing there, watching as they moved about. There wasn't anywhere she could go, really. She watched as the two of them removed the locket from Sailor Moon's bow, so that she de-transformed. They quickly pulled her clothes off as well, revealing her body, which was bruised from chest to waist.

Jane grimaced at the sight of what Xenobia had done. "Bloody hell," she whispered. "We're dealing with a sadist." She slowly brought a laser scalpel up. "Well, let's get this started."

Rini watched, observing their slow work, trying to maintain the hope that her future mother would pull through this. She was one of the hardiest people she had ever known, with an ability to survive that was absolutely phenomenal. She wouldn't quit. Not now.

Not ever.

----

Everything around her was a bright light as she opened her eyes. There was nothing else to see.

Serena slowly looked around, trying to figure out where she was. She didn't know if she was dead. She was still breathing, her heart was still beating. She could still feel the skin on her arms, the softness of her hair. She looked down and saw the flowing white gown of Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom, a persona that she became on occasion when the situation called for it.

But that didn't explain where she was, or why she was here. What was going on?

"Well, I'd say that you're the only one who can answer that, Moon Princess."

Serena's head whipped around, startled by the familiarity of that voice. Her bewilderment grew when she found herself staring into the eyes of…

… Serena Tsukino, wearing her Juuban Middle School uniform, staring back at her with that pure innocence that seemed to draw everyone to her.

Serenity blinked once as she stared at herself, surprised beyond measure. "What kind of trick is this?" she demanded.

Serena shook her head, hair shimmering. "No trick, Princess," she replied. "I'm no expert… but I think we're in the void. You know, places where spirits wait to cross over."

"So you're the Angel of Death, is that it?"

"No… I'm you, actually. The Twentieth Century you, anyway."

Serenity's surprise grew. "Alright, how is this possible?"

"Well, you tell me. You're the one who's got all the answers."

"… What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, we were in the Goddess Tower."

The Moon Princess suddenly put some of the pieces together. It explained a bit of why she had been acting differently. "Something must have happened there to cause our souls to… merge together," she said slowly. "It explains a lot, especially as to why I haven't been as afraid or as clumsy lately. We… we literally became one, instead of me coming out and taking over."

"Yeah, what you said," Serena replied.

"So, this means I'm… we're dying, and someone's trying to save us. Why is that?"

Serena looked around. "Well, I'm no genius…"

"It hasn't stopped you before."

"… but I'd say we've been hurt so bad that the Silver Crystal can't spare any power to heal us, just keep us alive. They'll probably have to go in and mend the damage."

"Who?"

"Don't know. Who came to help us?"  
"… SG-2," Serenity murmured. "Two of them are Trainees. They came with a Jedi, a girl with Jedi training, and a fairy. With that much power, they have to have some understanding about fixing the human body."

"I always did like fairies."

The Moon Princess was now wondering how in the hell Serena had managed to survive the last two years with that kind of happy go lucky attitude. '_Maybe this merging was inevitable,'_ she thought. '_It probably just wasn't supposed to be this soon.'_

She wondered how their life would have been like, had they not come to Lunar.

----

Jane finally sewed the last cut she had made, breathing out for what felt like the first time. Though they couldn't do anything for the lung, they had something that could. "Okay… Rini, the Crystal."

Rini quickly placed the crystal on top of Serena's body, focusing her mind on the process of healing her mother completely. She had come up with a plan to save her future mother from death, which involved fixing as mush as possible, so the Silver Crystal could heal her without problems. "_Moon Healing… Activation!_" she intoned, harnessing the Silver Crystal's powerful energy.

A massive pink glow emanated over Sailor Moon's body, causing every remaining injury to disappear. Her breathing became easier as the lung became whole again. Her skin sealed itself, becoming smooth and a healthy pink again.

Its task done, the pinkish glow dissipated, leaving the crystal on top of the Moon Princess, waiting for its next command.

Jane blinked. "Bloody hell," she got out.

Rini grinned. "You look like you've never seen anything like this before."

"We haven't." Padma whistled a bit as she poked Serena's rib, and not even getting a twitch. "That's pretty impressive work." Her amazement gave way to confusion. "Shouldn't she be waking up, now?" she asked.

Rini nodded, looking at her mother's still form. In the space of a second, she realized what was going on. "Dad!" she called out. "I think we have a problem! Momma's not waking up!"

----

Tonks fidgeted in the captain's chair, watching as _Prometheus_ approached Lunar under cloak. She didn't know why she had been selected for this assignment, aside from the fact she had elected to stay at the school as opposed to going home for the holidays.

However, that also meant that they were operating at less than full capacity, which was probably the main reason why.

"We're entering orbit of Lunar," the Helm officer reported. "Cloaking device is stable. The _Vigilant_ hasn't detected us."

"Thank you." Tonks got up, walking towards the screen. "Bloody hell," she whispered. "They weren't kidding."

Lunar did indeed look like it was having the storm of the century. The largest section of it was completely covered in a hurricane shaped front, which held a relatively stable position over their Stadius Zone. Definitely looked like something that everyone should be inside avoiding.

"Sensors are unable to penetrate the cloud boundary," Tactical reported, looking decidedly grumpy about it. "The concentration of magic in the air is blocking the grid."

"Keep trying. The second we find SG-2, I want them out of there." She didn't add that, if they didn't find them, then they were going to have to explain to Wendy why her little girl wasn't coming home.

----

Serenity kept her eyes closed, meditating. She was trying to see if she could work her way back to consciousness through the meditation techniques.

"I don't think that's going to work."

Sighing, the Moon Princess looked at her other self, rising as she did so. She had no idea how irritating her reincarnation until this very moment, and that was unsettling. "I won't know if I don't try, now will I?" she replied, becoming rather annoyed. "Are you always this annoying with Rei?"

"She says so, but that's because she's not a cheery kind of person," Serena replied, frowning thoughtfully.

"She's also arrogant, egotistical, and thinks of herself as the best thing since sliced bread. Her way of dealing with things is an in-your-face-approach that makes grown men squirm when they stare her in the eye." Serenity stood up again, pinning Serena with a firm gaze. "She's not perfect, and she knows it. And while we're on the subject, you're flaky, don't apply yourself to your schoolwork, and sometimes have a tendency to drive Mom and Dad up a wall. You're clumsy, obsessed with video games, cling to Darien like he's going to vanish, and in many respects, treat Rini terribly."

Serena smiled. "She can be just as bad."

"That's no excuse. She's a child. Children aren't supposed to talk to their mothers that way." Serenity waved her hand. "And I know for a fact that you didn't know until you went to Crystal Tokyo. Still… you were family. Family shouldn't treat each other like that."

The young girl watched the older part of her soul finally settle down. She wasn't hurt by what she said, or how she said it. It was true, in a way. "Umm, so there is a point to this?"

"Yes, actually. Despite those flaws, you all need each other. You each have skills that mesh with the others perfectly. You just have to show them a little more respect. And you could be a little quieter around me, if you don't mind."

"Oh… okay."

"Thank you." Serenity sat back down, closing her eyes again. She once again began focusing her energies into waking up. "You're right, this isn't working," she said after a moment. "I can't hear anything."

"That's usually what happens when you're unconscious."

"Gee, that's not what I meant. I meant that I don't hear _anything_, save for you. I think…"

Just like that, a horrifying thought occurred to her, and she looked up. The pieces certainly fit the puzzle. She remembered reading a book once on the Moon concerning this phenomenon. She just thought that it was impossible.

Serena looked at her in concern. "What?" she asked. "What is it?"

Serenity turned to her, her eyes carrying secret knowledge. "We're in Reincarnation Limbo."

**Hogwarts**

"I still can't believe that Professor McGonagall wouldn't let us go!" Hermione grumbled as they walked out of the second floor corridor. "Why did she let us?"

"It didn't make good sense," Ron replied, silently congratulating himself for actually listening to the entire conversation. "The two most powerful teams, off world at the same time, when we're not fully staffed? That's akin to signing a death certificate for Hogwarts."

Harry grinned. "Look at it this way. Tonks is a pretty capable field commander, and _Prometheus_ has a new warp core. I'd say the _Vigilant_ doesn't stand a chance. Also, McGonagall promised to keep us apprised of the situation as it evolves, so we're not out of the loop."

"No, just out of the action." Ginny sighed. "Thank God the Lunarian storm hasn't blunted my connection with Matt."

Ron turned to her. "How is Matt doing, anyway?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected. Everyone is trying to keep busy, but it's just to keep them from worrying about Sailor Moon, Rini, or Darien."

Wendy nodded, her own thoughts on Jane and Peter. "I know what they mean. From what you've told me, they've become a family."

"A very weird family," Ron stressed. "I didn't forget to mention that, have I?"

"… No, I don't believe you did. Speaking of which… where's Obi-Wan?"

Harry frowned. "Probably in his chambers, meditating," he replied. "It's usually what a Jedi does when they're worried. They seek guidance from the Force, as well as reassurance that their Padawan is still alive…"

Everyone turned to Harry as his voice died off. "What is it?" Ginny asked, seeing the sudden shift in his vocal patterns.

Harry looked up. "I think I found a way to figure out how they're faring," he said.----

----

Obi-Wan sat, lotus style, deep in meditation. The Force flowed through him, giving him solace and peace from his problems and worries. But it gave him no answers as to his query.

But there was definitely something there. A powerful presence cut through the curtain of the Dark Side like a spear of light. It felt similar to Sailor Moon, but was considerably older, and seemed a combination of a Sailor Soldier and a Trainee. He just didn't know where it was coming from.

The sound of someone knocking on his door alerted him to a visitor, and he emerged from his trance. "Come in," he said.

Wendy quickly did so, her smile warming his heart. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, Obi-Wan."

"No, it's quite all right. I was just about to come out of it. I discovered something interesting." The Jedi Master stood up, stretching his legs a bit to regain some circulation. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Wendy sat down, her gaze pensive. "Well, Harry was wondering if you could help us on matter concerning SG-2. We want to see if they're still well."

"And you're wondering if the Force can penetrate through the storm that brews on Lunar." Obi-Wan sighed. "I have been trying to do just that. So far, I haven't been able to."

"Oh."

"However, I think I may have a way to do just that. The only reason I can't do it is, simply put, I'm not strong enough. Even Anakin or Yoda wouldn't be strong enough."

Wendy put it together. "In other words, we need someone even stronger to punch through."

"Exactly."

"… I'll ask Minerva to put a call through to General Hammond. Maybe he can help."

Obi-Wan nodded as he made over to the window, brushing the snow off of it. "Don't worry, Wendy," he said comfortingly. "I'm sure Jane is all right. She's a survivor, just like Anakin."

Wendy smiled again, knowing that he was trying to cheer her up. "I know she is," she replied. "I just can't help thinking… that I won't see her again. We should have never sent them there during this time."

On that, the Jedi found himself agreeing with her, even though he knew that it was the right thing to do. He just hoped that it wouldn't come back to hurt Wendy. She wouldn't be able to handle the loss of another member of the family.

And he didn't think he could stand the loss of his Padawan.

----

McGonagall couldn't be certain when she had ever seen a military installation reach a high level of tension with only a handful of people in it. After all, it wasn't every day that an extremely powerful being came here.

Harry and Hermione stood next to her, looking at the Stargates as the dimensional one flared to life. "I hope this works," Harry said.

"Don't worry, Potter. You're not alone in that wish. Open the iris."

The technician on duty quickly pressed the pad in question, and sat back as the protective field over the gate roll back. "Your parents send their greetings, and wish you a Merry Christmas," he said.

Harry grinned. He really had to stop underestimating his parents.

His grin grew as Wendy Moira Angela Darling, Qui Gon Jinn, and an unknown woman exited the event horizon, walking down the ramp. He quickly went down the stairwell, Hermione, Wendy and Obi-Wan right behind him.

Darling grinned as she caught sight of them entering the Gate Room. "Hullo, Mates!" she called out. "We hear that you need a powerful Force user, and my calendar was simply empty this month, so I volunteered."

Hermione chuckled as she accepted a warm hug from the woman, forever grateful that she was an understanding soul. "We're just glad you could come," she said.

Obi-Wan bowed to his former mentor. "It's good to see you, Qui Gon," he said. "I take it her training is still going smoothly."

"As smoothly as can be expected," Qui Gon replied, eyes twinkling. "She isn't the kind of person who does things in a predetermined schedule."

Darling chuckled. "It works for me."

Wendy smiled. "That's always a good thing." She turned her attention to the third arrival, looking her over. She was about her height, wearing a simple yellowish white dress. Her feet were bare, and she seemed unaffected by the cold metal of the ramp. Her hair was unique, the color of gold where it came out of her scalp, but became flame red when it reached halfway down her back. But her most unique feature were her eyes. A crimson color that was obviously natural, they sparkled with intelligence… and insecurity. The woman was shy.

Her curiosity piqued, the matriarch of the Darling family turned to her alternate self. "Who is your friend?" she asked. "She obviously doesn't know what to do now that she's here."  
Strangely, Darling and Qui Gon exchanged a secretive look with each other, as if bracing themselves for a confrontation. "Well… Harry, Hermione, please don't fly off of the handle," Darling said. "She is here at Princess Kakyuu's request."

"Who is she?" Harry asked, now worried.

"This… is Galia Hall… also known as Sailor Galaxia."

Here is Episode Seventy, with a twist that I just thought up a few days ago. The second part will live up to this title, as they somehow find a way to make contact with Sailor Moon, while SG-2 tried to get to the hotel where the Alliance is presently, and the Alliance hunkers down for the flood that is coming. Please review.

Okay, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but this story arc will hit all three parts tot his story, and possibly the CP:A story as well. I won't know until I get to that point in Armageddon. Also, this will be the last chapter for a while, as I take the rest of December off from writing. Instead, I will be looking over my original work, correcting everything I can.


	91. Seventy, Part Two

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Part Two**

"Reincarnation Limbo?" Serena was understandably lost on the phrase, seeing as how she had never heard the two words being used as one before. "What is that?"

Serenity sighed, remembering that Earth in the Twentieth Century hadn't reached that level of spiritual understanding yet. "It's a point of time between a person's separate lives," she replied, hoping to enlighten her more naïve self. "When a person dies, they spend a miniscule point of time in this place, waiting to return to repeat the cycle of life once again. There are some distant rumors about those who do stay here when their lives end, to work out some serious emotional issues they have. They stay so that they can ready themselves for what is to come, so they can avoid the mistakes they made in their past life. When they are released back into the life flow, they tend to be better prepared for life's difficulties."

"Oh. …I didn't really understand that, but it sounds weird." The young girl looked around. "So, we're stuck between the past and our future."

"I don't think so. I think this is entirely an accident, caused by the fact we're sharing a body, and are essentially the same person. I'd say we're here to figure out why we had to come here in the first place." Serenity sat back down, if one could sit down in this place. "If that's even possible."

"Hey, it better. I'm going back to my… _our_ life, thank you very much."

The Moon Princess had to agree with that. Being stuck in limbo with someone who was chipper almost all of the time was not something she wanted to experience.

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

"What the _hell_ is she doing here?!" Harry demanded, eyes flashing dangerously. Beside him, Hermione was preparing to launch herself forward.

Darling held up her hand. "Chaos is no longer inside her," she explained. "We were able to extract that… _thing_… from her body, and released the star seeds she had taken in the process. She's on our side."

Slowly, Harry calmed down, accepting the young woman's assurances. He took another look at the Golden Senshi, who had retreated slightly from the confrontation. Now that he thought about it, Chaos wouldn't help the forces of Trigon the Terrible if she could avoid it. "Well, Galaxia… welcome to Hogwarts."

Hermione turned to Qui-Gon, confusion evident in her expression. "Galia Hall?" she asked. "Is she by any chance…?"

"Related to Shayera Hall? Yes." Qui-Gon smiled slightly. "In fact, Miss Hall came herself to save her daughter, despite her orders from Alania to the contrary. Surprisingly, Galia here is quite knowledgeable about the Guardians, and what they are capable of."

Galia blushed, her red gold strands falling over her face for a second before she composed herself. "I am a Trainee, like you Mister Potter," she said softly. "But the Timelord informed me that I was also a Sailor Senshi, and had me trained as such." Her blush grew. "My heritage is that of Sparta."

Hermione smiled, turning to Harry. "I think we can help you with your shyness. We'll just put you in the same room as Dumbledore," she said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "You'll have a number of eccentricities by the time you leave."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "All right, I'd say we're all now thoroughly relaxed. So let's get to work." He focused his attention on Qui-Gon's apprentice. "The reason we asked for you here is because we need your help. SG-2 is presently on Lunar, undergoing an important mission. However, we have a bit of a problem."  
"The celestial body is presently going through some sort of super storm," Wendy continued. "It seems to wreck most kinds of sensors and telepathy. Obi-Wan already made an attempt to locate Anakin, but he's simply not powerful enough."

Darling nodded, understanding dawning. "So you need me to locate them with my powers," she said.

"Exactly."

"I thought you were going to give me something hard to do." She grinned, showing off her teeth for a second. "Well then, let's get cracking then."

**

* * *

Lunar, In Orbit**

Tonks glared at the screen, as the storm continued to rage across the Stadius Zone. "Any ideas as to how we can get them out of there?" she asked.

Kingsley shook his head. "Everything checks out. The storm itself simply blocks every kind of sensory equipment we have. The only way we could even hope to get them out of there, was if we take _Prometheus_ down there, and search with line of sight.

The young auror sighed, sitting down in her chair again. "What about Engineering?"  
The man in question leaned forward. "We've finished developing a new wave device, which will create a pocket of mystical free energy. If we can utilize it, we would be able to scan without resistance." His expression drooped. "The problem is… it only works around the ship itself. So, if we were to take _Prometheus_ down, we would be no better off than before."

Tonks's sigh became a groan of frustration. "Does anyone have an idea that has a chance of working?" No one answered. "Well then, find one. We'll reconvene in eight hours. Dismissed."

And, as she watched everyone get up, and leave the Conference Room, her mind settled on one important fact. "Great," she grumbled. "If we don't get Peter's team out of there, Wendy's going to have my head."

----

Peter frowned as Jane finished scanning Serena's body, before saying, "So there is no psychological or physiological reason for her not to be awake."

"None, Peter." Jane sighed, stepping away from the bio bed. "The Crystal has healed every aspect of her, with no side effects whatsoever. Whatever happened, it's concerning her soul."

"Well, unless someone has a problem, what say we go and find it," Rini stated. "I want my Mom back, and I want her back now!"

Anakin frowned, not really surprised by her adamant statement. The problem was that no one knew how to do that. It was a level of understanding that not even the Jedi had. What could they do to help in this instance?

Claire looked up. "There's only hope for her then," she said. "We need to get her back to the Alliance. Sailor Mars might be able to help with her powers."

Darien nodded, sitting down. He had been watching as Jane performed every known type of medical test, before finally stepping back. The idea was definitely sound. Mars was capable of entering people's minds, reading their intent. Perhaps she could use those same abilities to find Serena's mind.

Parvati nodded. "Well, if you decide to do this, remember that we are presently without any real way to scan ahead of us. We could easily run into the place they're staying to wait this out."

"We don't have a choice. If we're to get her back, we're going to need to get her to her friends." Peter stood up. "Anakin, see if you can do anything for her. In the meantime, bring the engines on line, and get us to that building, girls."

"You got it, Peter." The Patil twins quickly brought the Amphibians engines to life, and started across the extremely saturated land, hoping that they didn't get caught in some sort of mud drift."

Rini held onto her future mother's hand as Anakin bent over her, reaching out with the Force. "Please come back, Serena," she begged. "Please come back to us."

----

Izzy's computer finished its scan, and pinged to let its owner know that all the information had been gathered.

Izzy rolled out of bed, padding over to the computer. He checked the findings over, finding his suspicions to be confirmed. "Blast it," he growled. "Why can't you be wrong for once, Koushiro?"

"Izzy?"  
The young man turned around to see Mimi watching him, as naked as he was, and as unashamed of it. He had the urge to go back to bed and claim her, but this was significantly more important. "I found out the reason why we're flooding," he said, grabbing his pants. "I need to talk to the leaders now."

Mimi nodded, sitting up. "I'll go get the others. They're going to want to hear this."

About ten minutes later, everyone was situated in the impromptu conference room, located on the fifth floor. All of them were curious, and knew that their curiosity was going to be satisfied.

Izzy sighed as he stood up. "This place was built like this for a reason," he said. "The entire Stadius Zone is, for lack of a better term, a saturated sponge. There is a massive cavern about ten miles or so underneath the ground, and that is almost completely filled with water. Because that water is contained within a mineral that doesn't erode for whatever reason, it serves as something akin to support strut."

"It's there to make sure that the land doesn't cave in," Mercury guessed.

"Exactly. "However, like all rock, it's not a perfect defense. There are cracks at key points of the cavern. At first, I though they were the result of the pressure of all that water against, but now I think they were put there deliberately."

Luna perked up at that statement. "A pressure valve system," she murmured. "That way, the water doesn't become a threat to the safety of the planet."  
Izzy nodded. "Now, the storm we're experiencing now is dumping huge amounts of water, more than it should be able to, across the Stadius Zone, which has very few hills. The Inland Sea is being buffeted by extremely powerful winds, which means that we're going to flood, and flood badly."

"That explains the lack of travelers."

"Big time. They weren't going to be caught outside, so they would probably head to the nearest village to wait it out."  
Kyle nodded. "When the storm hits every fifteen years, the mages living in each village set up a kind of shield barrier. The field is strong enough to protect the village, easy to cast, and doesn't require a lot of magic to maintain it. All they need is three mystic statues placed around the place, and then they cast the spell. Once it's up, it uses the Goddess Statue as its power supply, and since it takes the statue more power to completely heal a person than it does to power a purely defensive shield…"

"It can hold out as long as the flood is present," Artemis finished with.

"Exactly. Nanza usually is evacuated, and smaller such shields placed over all of the buildings. Even the monsters find a way to hide."

"_This is Noah's Ark_ _all over again,"_ Ginny lamented.

"Have to agree with you on that one," Gabumon grumbled. "More like Spiral Mountain in our cases."

"In any event," Izzy continued on, "this place was probably constructed for any travelers who are unable to get to a village in time. It's tall enough that you can easily stay above the flood waters with a degree of comfort."

T.K. nodded, turning to the others. "Well, it looks like we're in for a very long stay here. Let's draw up a schedule for patrol and everything else. Sora, does this place have any kind of restroom?"

Sora nodded. "There's one for the boys and one for the girls, complete with baths and flushing toilets."  
"Thank the Goddess for small favors," Jessica stated.

"Here, here," Angemon asserted.

"What about Sailor Moon, Darien, and Rini?" Mimi asked. "They're still out there, and we haven't been able to raise them. And there was that explosion back within the forest."

That was the number one thing on all of their minds, and the one thing they had been trying not to think about. In fact, they had all been distracting themselves, so as not to worry too much.

"We'll have to have faith that Harry's friends found them in time," Mars stated. "Other than that, there's nothing we can do for them."

"_We don't even know if any of them are alive. However… I think we may have a way to find out."_

As one, everyone turned to Matt, who found himself the recipient of Ginny's newfound attention. "Care to elaborate, Gin?" he asked carefully.

Ginny, it seemed, took a moment to collect herself. "_We sent out a message to Stargate Command, and they sent us Wendy Darling and her mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn. Wendy's powers over the Force is limitless, so we figured that she would be able to punch through the storm and locate them."_ She frowned. "_We also got a woman called Galia Hall. I think she's a Sailor Senshi. Pluto, do you know anyone by the name of Sailor Galaxia?"_

Judging from the look surprise on her face, everyone correctly assumed that she did indeed know the woman. "What is she doing at Hogwarts?" she asked carefully.

"_Helping._ _Seems that she was a Trainee of the Guardians, and the daughter of one of their more prominent members. Her first field assignment was the Senshi Wars."_

"And now she's free."

"_Yeah, and as shy as they come._ _I've never seen anyone blush so much in my life when someone talks to them."_

Tai grinned. "We'll put her in a room with Mimi and Mina. They'll have her going to wild parties in no time. But getting back to our immediate concern. How long until she can try?"

"_She's trying right now."_

"Could you let Matt know as soon as possible?"

"_No problem."_

**

* * *

Hogwarts**

Galia shifted somewhat as she watched Darling prepare herself through a focused Force meditation. "Is this even safe?" she asked Wendy quietly.

The matriarch of the Darling family shrugged. "As someone without any magical or Force related skills, I can't honestly give you an answer," she replied.

The Senshi/Trainee accepted that answer, seeing some of the younger Auror's eye her for a second. Blushing slightly at this attention, she focused on the information before her, remembering some of what she was reading from her studies at Zion Academy. Most of it had been entered after she had been captured. She did this so she didn't humiliate herself further.

Darling's eyes slid open, looking at Harry and Hermione. "I'm ready."

Harry and Hermione were there in an instant, observing her for a second. "Control Room, this is Potter," Harry stated. "Dial Lunar's address, and be quick about it."

"_Aye, Sir,"_ an unfamiliar voice said. About twenty seconds later, that voice came up again. "_Wormhole is active."_

"Thank you." Harry turned to Darling. "Go ahead."

Slowly, Darling reached out with the Force, feeling its very flow as her mind streamed through the alien device, making its way to where she wanted it to go. Effortlessly, she rode that flow, using the Stargate as a starting point.

And then she felt it. She felt the many souls that inhabited that world. She could feel the storm itself as it battered the largest landmass of that world. She could feel _Prometheus_ and its skeleton crew of twenty, keeping their warship as close to the planet as possible without dropping down into that maelstrom.

And there, she could feel the people she was supposed to feel. They all seemed to be alright, if a little wet. She also felt the presences of several people. Mischievously, she _flicked _Jane over the head, making her stumble a bit, before checking on the strangers.

What she saw in one of them however, was enough to worry her.

Pulling back, she reemerged into the real world, catching everyone there staring at her. "Peter and the others are fine," she said. "There were three strangers with them. They're all human… but like you, Galia."

"Sailor Senshi," Galia murmured.

"Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Rini." Harry caught the expression on Darling's face. "What else?"  
Darling stood up, pacing. "I'm not completely sure. When I sensed one of them, I got the feeling that she was alive, and yet… on the verge of rebirth. She's in a coma, but she's trying to wake up. Her soul is split in two; past and present."

Hermione and Harry traded looks of confusion. That was different, and not in a good way.

"In fact, she felt like Neo-Queen Serenity."

_That_ confirmed it. "Serena's… in limbo?" Hermione asked.

Galia suddenly stood up, her eyes going wide. "It's more than that." She went over to the bookshelf, grabbing a text. "I think I know what you're talking about, Wendy." She turned around, leafing through it with a speed that rivaled Hermione's own. "Whenever a Starseed is to be reborn in another form, it usually goes through a sort of frozen state known as Reincarnation Limbo. It's a region of higher conscious thought that a soul exists in for a miniscule moment in time before being reborn, or sent to their afterlife. There have been numerous reports of some unstable souls staying there for a longer time to sort through their misdeeds or 'baggage', if you will so that they would be better prepared for their next life."

Wendy looked up, sensing that there was more to that statement. "But…?" she inquired, gently prodding the Golden Senshi.

Galia sighed. "There have been rumors," she admitted, "of some Senshi who were on the verge of dying, going to this place early as a last resort of survival. There they stay, even when their mortal bodies are healed, until they are guided back to their bodies. For them to become free, they have to go through their past life, and find their way back." Her gaze shifted. "As for two souls… the Silver Imperium Crystal is exceedingly powerful, much like my Sapphire Crystal. It is entirely possible that Queen Serenity, when sending her daughter and friends to the future, had made it so that Serena would eventually merge with Princess Serena's essence as she grew stronger."

"But, for some reason, they merged into one being too early," Harry mused. "Now they've separated, and both are stuck in limbo."

"Exactly."

Hermione nodded. "Well, there's only one way to help them both. We have to go into her mind, and guide her through whatever past life she went through already." She frowned. "In order to do that, we're going to need a powerful telepath. Someone who knows how to enter a person's mind with ease."

Wendy smirked. "I think we know such a person," she said in understatement.

**

* * *

Realm 4, Watchtower**

Raven shook her head slightly in disbelief. "I don't know the first thing about entering a mind that is separated by two souls," she said. "What does Hermione think I am? Superwitch?"

Superman shrugged. "I think she's guessing you can help save this girl's life," he replied. "After all, you're the only one she knows with actual telepathic abilities."

"But this…" The half demon turned away from the screen, where the message still flashed. "Reincarnation limbo is something I'm not familiar with. I'm not even aware of how every one else knows what it is." She sighed, thinking it over. "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to need a whole lot of help. Basically every powerful telepath on our side to prepare me for this."

The Man of Steel nodded in understanding. It was difficult for someone to do something if they had no info whatsoever on how to do it. And, judging from how Harry Potter phrased it, this Sailor Moon's mental defenses were exceptionally strong. One telepath wouldn't be enough to break through. "I have J'onn sent to you as soon as possible." He was tempted to contact the _Valkyrie_, but they weren't in their universe at that particular moment.

"Thank you."

**

* * *

Lunar**

Padma was eternally grateful that she and her sister had gone through the Chair ordeal with everyone else. Though the pain to their heads as they adjusted was irritating as hell, the knowledge they had acquired had easily outweighed it. They knew how to drive the Amphibian with ease.

At least, the ease of driving a device that weighed about ten tons. Like every vehicle, you needed experience driving it through the elements, and that was beyond the chairs abilities.

Peter looked through the front window, straining to see the structure. "I'm really wishing that the front lights could punch through this," he said, worried.

Padma nodded in agreement. "I will go with that." Her gaze looked sat the sensor grid, as if willing it to give her some better information. "Too bad we can only see what is in front of us on two different fronts," she said. "I would like to know when to-"

She was cut off when the Amphibian suddenly stopped for no reason at all. She went forward, hitting the control panel with enough force to rob her body of air. Quickly performing a diagnostic, she saw that everything was working perfectly. Confused, she looked up.

What she saw next was enough to forget how to breathe for a second.

A woman was standing in front of them, her blue hair matted to her head. It was obvious that she was exuding a great deal of power to stop the Amphibian, as it was still running at full power. She also had a good idea that, if she was out here doing that, then…

"I think we're here," Parvati stated, watching as the young woman waved her hand at them cheerfully.

Peter grinned. "I think you're right, Parvati."

----

Mercury quickly laid Serena's body down on the bed that had been set up for her, wiping the hair off of her face. "She was like this since the fight?" she asked.

"Exactly." Jane tossed the towel away, grateful for Guardian military wear being impervious to rain. "We don't have any idea why, either."

Nodding, the Senshi turned around. "Rei, see if you can enter her mind," she said quickly, before returning her attention to Jane. "If she's still in there, Mars's power will be able to find her," she explained. "She is exceptionally in tune with the Moon Princess, as is required to protect her."  
Rei knelt down, putting her hands on either side of her friend's face, reaching out. She felt the spiritual energy within easily enough, and searched for its source.

Jane looked over at Rini, who was watching the entire thing, cradling the Silver Crystal in her small hands. She looked so lost that, for a moment, she was reminded of herself just a year ago. "Everything will be alright, Rini," she said soothingly.

Rini looked at her. "Ginny tells us that you went through World War II," she replied. "Did you really think it was going to be alright then?"

"… No." She could still remember that particular night, which was the source of many of her worst nightmares. Many a night had past when her mother had to come into her room, and held her, showing her trust and love when the outside world wasn't nearly as caring. "But eventually, it did get better."

"I bet you weren't used to create your enemy's ultimate weapon, though."

"No, it was… a bit more heinous than that. It was something that happened to me."

"Oh."

The Trainee breathed an internal sigh of relief as Rini chose not to pursue her line of questioning. Instead, she got up, making her way out of the room.

Darien watched her go, feeling a swell of concern for her emerge. Something obviously had happened that made her cynical towards life. He could sympathize, and so could every Sailor Senshi. In fact, if it hadn't been for Serena's open heart and friendship, none of them would have met up, and would have most likely grown up bitter with the world around them.

He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a flash of gold flying by, and knew that Jane had the same kind of open friendship in Peter Pan and his fairy. He could only hope that she accepted it.

----

Serenity and Serena both looked up as one as, with a slight waver in the area around them, a small portal opened.

"What is that?!" Serena asked, backing up slightly.

Serenity shrugged. "No clue. Maybe a way out?"

"Or a trap."

"Fair point. You know… we do think a like."

"We are the same person."

"Another fair point." The two Serena's observed the opening for a moment, ready for anything.

So, to their everlasting surprise, Sailor Mars dropped in between them, landing gracefully. "Rei?!" they both said at the same time.

Mars stood up fully, taking one in, then the other, before sighing. "Great, just great," she grumbled. "Princess Serenity, _and_ the Meatball Head."

Serena glared at her. "Don't _call_ me that!" she shrieked in traditional fashion.

Serenity stepped forward, not wanting to hear this little tiff between them, however amusing it would have been to watch. "Cut the crap, both of you! This is neither the time nor the place!" When they both turned to her, she relaxed. "Rei, I take you came in to find… us, for lack of a better turn?"  
"Basically. How are both of you here?"

"Long story short, we've split into our two individual essences. Our body was hurt so badly, that this was necessary for survival. And, how did you manage to survive all these years with her?"

"I'm standing right here, Serenity!"

Rei smirked. "She knows." She was beginning to like Serenity.

Her smirk vanished quickly as she went about reporting to the two of them. "Well, Rini managed to fix all of the damage caused with the Crystal, but you weren't waking up. So, I came in to see if you were here." She looked around. "Reincarnation Limbo?"

Serenity nodded. "You guessed it, Pyro. Any suggestions as to how we get out of here, besides the obvious one of being reborn?"

"… Well, something probably happened in your time that you carried with you into the future. The only way to do that is to go through those memories, and locate the source of that occurrence."

Serena looked at the two of them, at a loss. "Uh, how are we going to do that?" she asked.

Serenity rolled her eyes. "With a great deal of patience, Serena, and a bit of help from our friends out there." She turned around. "We're also going to need a stronger telepathic force, and a family member to help out."

Mars nodded. "Rini hasn't left your side since you were brought back to the inn. Also, Ginny has a friend who can help out. Will that be enough?"

"I hope so. Go back, and tell her the situation. And Rei… good luck."

The Fire Senshi grinned, clapping Serenity on the shoulder. "No problem, Princess." She turned around. "Try to stay out of trouble, Serena. I really don't want to bail you out yet."

"Hey! I always stay out of trouble!" Serena shouted as Mars jumped up, and out of the hole. "Why does she always do that?"

Serenity shrugged gamely, a small smile on her face. "Because it's funny," she replied.

----

Pluto sighed as Mars finished telling them what she had learned. It was exactly what she thought she was going to hear, but not what she wanted. "Reincarnation Limbo. Why am I not surprised?"

Peter looked around, at a loss. But, he had the feeling that it was something that he would never understand even if they explained it. "So, they need Rini's help," he said.

"Basically."

Rini nodded, agreeing immediately. If their positions had been reversed, Serena would have done the same for her. "All right, what do I do?"

Mars grinned at that. Those two were two of a kind. That was for sure. "Well, I'll take you in when I go back in, and we'll see what happens. If it's as I think it is, then you'll get your first look at the Silver Millennium."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then we're screwed."

That didn't bring a great deal of confidence to the young girl, but what else could she do? Her mother was in danger, and she was the only one who could do anything about it. So, shelving her fear of the unknown, she asked, "When do we go?"

"When I get some nourishment, and a few hours sleep." Rei made for the door. "Drilling into someone's soul is pretty tiring."

"Okay."

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

Shayera, Robin and Raven exited the Stargate, every psychic they were able to bring with them following after them, their eyes taking in the whole gate room around them. They all silently agreed on one thing; it was a very large room.

Harry and Hermione walked up to them as the Gate shut down, shaking their hands firmly. "Thanks for coming under such short notice," he said. "We have a bit of a situation, as you well know."

Raven held her hand out. "No problem. I just hope we can help out." She turned around. "Charles Xavier, J'onn J'onzz, and you remember Jean Grey and Shayera."

"Miss Grey. All of you." Harry shook the young mutant's hand. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

Jean nodded. "It's great to finally see this place. I just wish it was under better circumstances."  
The Trainees looked at each other for a second, before Hermione clapped her hands together. "Well, our resident Seer has set up everything we're going to need for this little endeavor in the psychic room," she stated after a moment. "We're just waiting for one more person to show up."

"Who?" Actually, Shayera had a very good idea as to who it was. After all, the only way to help someone stuck in reincarnation limbo was with the help of a family member.

As if to give her thought weight, the Stargate activated once again. Ten seconds later, after the Control Room gave the all clear, Sere stepped into Hogwarts for the first time.

Harry grinned as he observed her. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Serenity," he said in greeting.

Sere returned the grin as she shook his hand. "It's good to be here, Harry," she replied. "With my daughter's life at stake, there was no other option that I would accept." Her gaze landed on Shayera, a look of delight emerging on her face. "And hark, unless I am very much mistaken, the mighty Shayera Hall is here among us as well!"  
Shayera chuckled as she and the Moon Queen embraced. "Nice to see you too, Serenity," she said, clapping the Moon Queen on the back. "We'll catch up later. Right now, I believe we have a certain Moon Princess to save from reincarnation. Shall we?"

The four Chosen Ones watched the two elders exit the gate room, confused. "They know each other?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I guess they do."

* * *

In both spots, preparations were completed for the biggest psychic save in history.

Ginny got the information to the Alliance of Sere's involvement with this operation through Matt, while they hunkered down for the inevitable flood. Mars in turn prepared Rini for a very strenuous ordeal.

As one, the telepaths, either through the psychic link between Mother and Daughter of the past, or Mother and Daughter of the future, and funneled through Raven's own powers tentatively breached the lowered mental defenses of Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom. The moment of disorientation that was felt was understandable for those who had never been into a mind a complex as a Senshi's. But they adjusted quickly enough.

Except the disorientation was quickly replaced with that of another kind.

Serenity and Serena both fell to the ground hard, trying to regain their footing under shifting floors. For a second, both were extremely confused. What had just happened?

Another hard jolt occurred, throwing the Moon Princess down a small flight of stairs, while Serena stayed put by grabbing hold of the guard rail above her, anchoring herself to it.  
"Serena!"

"Hey, Meatball Head!"

Serena turned her head in one direction, her eyes bugging out wide. "Queen Serenity? Rini?" she managed to get out.

Rini held onto the guard rail as she made her way over to them, pink hair bright against the din of Red Alert. "I don't have any idea what's going on girls, but it's freaky!"

All around them, people in uniforms ran every which way, trying to get to their stations, or out of the way of others. Reports were being hurtled at lightning speed, and orders were blurring together, until they were almost incomprehensible.

Serenity finally managed to get herself up, having found herself near the center of the bridge. She tried to get up, only to fall down again.

"Report!"

The one word, spoken with such power, was enough to make Serenity look up for a second… and feel herself freeze in shock.

For standing above her, seemingly impervious to the shaking around, was none other than Sailor Galaxia herself.

Well, here is Part Two of Chapter Seventy. It didn't go as far as I would have liked to into the past memory, but now I can actually start this


	92. Seventy, Part Three

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy, Part Three**

Jane stared at the two beds where Serena and Rini were lying, watching Mars as she stood up. "How long will she be like that?" she asked.

"A couple of hours," Mars replied. "I've focused Rini's incredible powers into funneling through Serena's defenses. If it worked, which I think it did, then she'll see exactly what her mother is seeing."

Jane grinned in relief, glad for Rei's confidence in the matter. Rini was definitely a courageous girl, and one with some serious skeletons in her closet. Maybe this would help her as much as it would Serena.

Mars frowned after a moment. "However, I got the strangest sensation when I was in there. I felt a powerful psychic presence trying to enter as well, and… I could have sworn I felt Serenity's energy as well."

"Serenity?"

"Queen Serenity. Meatball Head's mother from the Moon Kingdom."

"Ah." Jane could see how that could be confusing. "Maybe Ginny has some news concerning that."

"Yeah… look, go get some sleep. You look like death warmed over."

"I feel like him too," Jane grumbled. "I'll be crashing on your bed. Night." She went out the door, heading for the room Mars was sharing with Serena and those talking felines. She knew exactly where it was, because Izzy had pointed it out for her. _You don't want to walk in on the couples or anyone else in a compromising position, if you're just looking for someplace to sleep,_ he has said. Jane took that to heart, Harry having told her about Lunarian physiology.

Entering the room, she immediately plopped down on the closest bed, not even bothering to pull her boots off.

In fact, she was asleep before she had hit the pillow.

----

Tonks nodded as _Prometheus _made its second orbit around Lunar, trying not to jump out of her seat. She had had nothing to do except look at the screen, taking in the massive storm as it continued to batter the Stadius Zone. Her crew had nothing better to do but run diagnostics of the warp core, the transwarp coil, and the sensor array. They wanted to run a scan on the cloaking device, but they would have had to deactivate it first.

Kingsley looked up. "I've got something," he said. "I think the _Vigilant _is on the move."

The younger Auror stood up, walking to the screen. On it, she could see the energy distortion that marked the Sunak cruiser's current location. As she watched, it began to move away from Lunar, heading out towards open space. "What the hell…?" she muttered. "Track their heading, and keep them in your sight for as long as possible."

"Aye, Sir." The Auror's hands danced across his console, training their sensors on the retreating ship.

Tonks turned back to her seat, sitting down again. "Well, now things are starting to get interesting," she muttered.

She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

"Are you certain this is safe?" Pomfrey asked, checking Sere's vitals quickly.

Raven nodded. "As sure as anyone can be, given the circumstances," she replied as she stepped back. "As long as the Stargate remains active, the link will hold. If it doesn't, then there is a forty two percent chance that her mind will be trapped in limbo. But, since Shayera's powering the gate herself, that won't be an issue."

Satisfied, the school nurse went back into her office. The second she was out of sight, Raven turned to Jean. "Keep an eye on the Moon Queen, will ya?" she asked. "I want to talk to Harry and Hermione about something."

Jean nodded. "Yeah, sure." She sat down, her own limited telepathic abilities more than enough to do that.

Raven strolled out of the Hospital Wing, making her way down the corridor. She knew very little about Hogwarts School, but her memory was sharp from the walk, so she knew where the greeting room was.

Dumbledore was observing some of the Christmas decorations, when he felt her presence behind him. "Ah, you must be Miss Raven," he said, not turning around. "I suspected that you might leave for some fresh air at some point."

Raven blushed at this. "Harry was right. You don't miss a trick."

"I try to." The aging Headmaster turned around, eyes twinkling. "When one has lived for as long as I have, one tends to get an edge over everyone else." His eyes observed her shrewdly. "I am glad that you're not like Tom," he said after a few moments.

"Tom… oh, Voldemort." It amazed her how, when she spoke that name out loud during her first meeting with Harry, how Ron and others had flinched at the name. Voldemort was terrifying, yes, but he was still only human. Humans didn't frighten her as much as the evil that helped sire her.

Dumbledore, it seemed, knew what she was thinking about. "Neither Voldemort or Trigon can corrupt you, Raven," he said after a moment. "The only one who can that… is you."

Nodding, Raven bowed. "I won't."

"Harry is in the Great Hall. Just go to the top of those stairs. The doors are right in front of it."

"Thank you, Professor." Raven continued on her way, marveling at the depth of perception Dumbledore had. According to Harry, he could've become Minister of Magic, but had chosen not to. '_A man who wanted power, but also had the presence of mind to know that he would become as big of a threat as Voldemort if he ever took it.'_ Such a man, who knew what would happen, and chose to step back from it, was rarely seen.

Flying up the stair case, she entered the Great Hall.

The Golden Trio was sitting at the far edge of the Gryffindor Table, talking with Galia quietly. The Senshi, she noted, seemed somewhat more relaxed without people eyeing her, and was laughing at something Ron had said.

Raven walked over to them, grinning. "Galaxia laughs!" she exclaimed dramatically, pretending to swoon. "We are all doomed!"

Galia blushed beet red, looking at the table. "Uh…"

"Relax, I think it's great." The half demon plopped down next to her. "Sere is stable. If everything goes according to plan, she'll wake up at the end of the quest, none the worse for wear."

Harry nodded. "Good. _Prometheus_ sent word to us that the _Vigilant _broke orbit about ten minutes ago, heading for the Supergate. I'm taking that to mean that the planet's going to be surrounded soon enough."

That didn't bode well with the Titan one bit. If the Sunak were as deadly as they said, then Hogwarts own personal warship was going to have her hands full trying to counter them.

She looked up at the main table, before looking around. "Where's Wendy and Obi-Wan?" she asked. "I figured that they would be here."

Hermione shook her head. "They're in the SGC, waiting for word about Anakin and Jane. They didn't want to worry Daniel, so he's with Padme."

"The truth is, we've got a whole lot of reason to worry," Ron added. "There hasn't been any contact with them since they got there, and we can't get any confirmation from them at all because of that storm." He sighed. "I just hope they're alright."

Raven nodded, sharing their concerns. Jane and Peter were her friends as well. If anything happened to them…

But there was nothing that they could do, and just thinking about it was depressing, especially during the Christmas season, so Raven decided to take a stab at conversation. "So Galia, what was it that Ron said to you that was so funny?" she asked innocently.

Galia went bright red this time.

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

Serena made her way over to her other half, quickly bringing her to a standing position, and helping her out of the command area. "Who is that?" she asked.

Serenity looked at her mother, who was surprised as well, and to Rini, who nodded. "Sailor Galaxia," she replied, watching the Golden Senshi as she barked out orders, sitting back down in her seat. "I'm surprised by this. From what I can remember, Galaxia vanished after defeating Chaos more than four thousand years before I was born."

Sere looked around, thinking hard. "I think this is an earlier reincarnation of yours, before the Moon Kingdom," she said. "I believe you were another member of the Serenity line… Sailor Alpha Serenity to be precise. She was assigned to the same ship as Galaxia during the final days of the Senshi War. She went on to found the Moon Kingdom, and forged the Silver Millennium."

"But what is Galaxia doing here?" she asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that she went off to fight Chaos alone."

Rini frowned a bit, keeping a tight grip on the rail. "Galaxia said that she had been assigned to a ship, and sent out to find Chaos. I think she was supposed to be one of the few survivors of that mission."

Mother and Daughter looked at each other, then at their ancestor for a long moment. "Well, the only way to figure out, is if we see the whole thing from the beginning," Sere stated. "So Serena, if you would be so kind as to do that."

Serenity nodded, and closed her eyes, willing them to the time they were looking for…

-

_Age of Luminas, Dimensional Date 1560123.8._ _Captain's Personal Log, U.S.S. Dynas, Shayera Hall commanding._

_After three years, I have completed my first assignment as the Captain of a Guardian Starship, cataloguing gaseous planetary anomalies in Realm 2's Beta Quadrant. Now we are heading for planet Kinmoku, where Princess Kakyuu and her Sailor Soldiers, the Starlights, await our report._

_This is the first time a Senshi-Guardian exchange has ever been performed, as the treaty between our respective powers was signed a mere five years ago. However, what made it easy was the fact that Sailor Alpha Serenity, a distinguished member of Kakyuu's court, had offered to come onboard to observe the crew's ability to work together. She has been polite, courteous… warm, even. She has been a delight to have onboard._

_Of course, not as much as my own child, Galia._ _Newly graduated from Zion_ _Academy, this marked her first assignment. She is the only Trainee to hold the coveted powers of Sailor Galaxia, protector of the Milky Way Galaxy itself. If she survives the war against darkness, perhaps one day she will join the pantheon of Guardians._

_But even if she doesn't, I'm forever proud of my little girl… though I wish she was a bit more upfront with the rest of the crew, and her fellow Senshi._

_-_

Sailor Alpha Serenity walked down the corridors of the Guardian vessel _Dynas_, nodding to crew members as she passed by. It always amazed her by how open and friendly they all were, and that their mannerisms had been picked up by the Senshi. It would make defending their worlds all that much easier, as the people would trust them.

On the scale of appearances, Serenity wasn't that much different from any other Senshi. She had the beautiful curves of a Senshi Prime, her long blond hair tied off in a rather unique style that had been passed down to her by her mother. Her body, shapely without an ounce of fat on it, wasn't any more of an eye opener than the any other Senshi.

And a number of the male crew had done a lot of looking over the last three years, but they were too professional to act on their hormones.

It was the intangible that made her different from all of the rest.

There was a presence to her, one that made good seem to flock to her, and evil cringe at her feet. Her uniform, a unique design that had never been employed before, also allowed her angelic wings free reign. A simple crescent moon stood on her forehead, where others would have worn a tiara or headband.

But her broach was the most important part, for it was the source of some of her renown, and all of her legendary power. For she possessed one of the two most powerful Senshi transformers in Existence, one that predated the universe itself; the Silver Imperium Crystal. Its powers were so vast, it could purify an entire world of evil, and light up the galaxy if need be.

But more importantly, it was a testament of her immortal spirit. As the crystal was that of love and justice, so was she.

As she walked down the corridor, pondering on what she would say to the Princess upon their return, the turbolift next to her opened with a distinctive hiss, allowing its one occupant to disembark. "Sailor Serenity," she said in greeting, a tad shy.

Serenity turned to smile warmly at her new companion. "Ah, Sailor Galaxia," she returned. "I was just about to contact you."

At first glance, there was nothing that set the newest Senshi apart from the rest. Her hair was a unique blend of dark gold and red flames. Her body, only slightly curvier than Serenity's, was also a hint more muscular, showing her Spartan heritage. In terms of clothing, she wore a simple yellow dress, and no shoes adorned her perfectly sculpted feet.

But in her possession was the only transformer that equaled Serenity's own; the Sapphire Crystal. A relic of her mother's, and part of the Spartan monarchy.

For Sailor Galaxia, aka Galia Hall, was also the daughter of Guardian Shayera Hall, one of the most legendary warriors under Alania's command. To serve under her was to serve under a titan.

Galia blushed slightly, fiddling nervously with her broach. "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No, I was actually wondering if you wanted to join your fellow Senshi in a _Secar Triad _tournament this evening. They heard that you were a professional at the game."

"…I'm not that good, and I'm not sure if I could fit in with the group. I am also more of a lacrosse player."

Unlike Serenity, who had been alive for almost seven hundred years, Galaxia had only been alive for twenty five, and the _Dynas_ was her first assignment. Her intelligence was on par to that of fellow graduate Ami, and she had been recommended for that alone, but in terms of her social skills, she was sorely lacking. The Alpha Senshi had never seen a shyer person than Galia, and had taken it upon herself to try and help her. After all, not everyone could be like her or Kakyuu.

The Alpha Senshi chuckled as she thought of this, clapping her fellow Senshi's shoulder in a comradely matter. "To be perfectly honest, I am not that good at the game, either," she whispered, as if sharing a great secret with her. "But I play it because it is a great way to learn about your fellow Senshi. If you are ever to become a great warrior, you will need to also become a great person."

"I know… I just don't know if I can as great of a warrior as my mother," Galia replied, smiling slightly all the same. "I just look like an incompetent fool next to her."

"She is also sixty three thousand years older than you. She's had time to become that good."

"… Too true."

Serenity laughed outright. "Galia, my friend… I think it is time for you and your mother to have a chat. Come. I am on my way to the bridge right now, before I head for the game. That way, she can give you some pointers."

Galia looked uncertain, but nodded anyway. "Alright," she said, before turning around, reentering the lift. "Bridge."

-

"I had no idea you sucked at a card game," Serena noted.

"That makes two of us, Serena," Rini replied.

Serenity and Sere sighed as one. "Guys, _Secar Triad_ is a game that I didn't take too seriously," the Moon Princess replied. "I mean, let's face it. I was trained as a soldier of the Moon Kingdom, which was one of the few places where the card game was never really played in. Mom here wasn't any better at it, and Luna and Artemis were just crazy."

"That's defending them, Serena," Sere noted dryly.

The two blonds grinned wickedly for a second, before Serenity continued. "Also, from what I recall, Alpha Serenity was the greatest diplomat Kinmoku had ever had. Then, one day… she just handed in her resignation, changed her Senshi name to Sailor Moon, and came to the Earth Solar System."

Rini nodded. "When Aunt Galaxia came to Crystal Tokyo, she regaled me with tales of how Great-Great-Great Grandma Serenity was considered to be the most noble of all Senshi. But, if what this memory is showing us is true, then Sailor Galaxia…  
"Is from Earth," Sere finished with. "From the Greek City-States in fact."

"From Sparta, the land of soldiers," Serenity finished. "Which means our ancestors were from Kinmoku, while the Senshi of the Galaxy is from the same breed that as Darien."

Rini sighed. "We just get all the luck, huh Moon Momma?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess we do."

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

Wendy sighed as she sat back in the almost vacant mess hall, her eyes staring at some point on the far wall. A piece of crumb cake was right in front of her, untouched as she was lost in her thoughts.

Obi-Wan looked at her, staying silent as she thought. He didn't fully understand the full power of a bond between parents and children, but he knew enough to know that false hope would be worse than useless. She knew more about the world than anyone had a right to know, and knew that life could simply take her daughter away.

Wendy's gaze finally focused on him, gentle and laden with emotion. "I'm sorry" she said. "I guess I'm just not good company right now."

"Understandable. Besides, I'm not here because I wanted to talk. "Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "I'm worried, just like you."

"Yes, but you have the Force to look to for guidance. All I have is this piece of cake, which I haven't even touched yet."

"The Force doesn't always have the answer." His customary smile appeared on his face. "Wendy, just because we seek to be one with the Force, doesn't mean we stop being human. We still have our feelings, and we do get close to our apprentices."

Wendy returned his smile, remembering what he had told her about Anakin's own life. "I guess I almost forgot about the trouble you've had."

"Don't we all?"

Their moment of bonding ended when Peter entered, his gaze worried. "We've got a problem," he said. "We're receiving another communication from _Prometheus_."

The two of them were up in a flash, heading for the exit.

----

"_We still haven't been able to locate SG-2," _Tonks finished up with. "_I get the feeling something that we don't want to happen will if we can't find them soon."_

McGonagall nodded at that. "How much longer will the storm last?" she asked carefully.

"_By our estimates, it'll go on for a rather long time. Probably about another seven hours."_

Harry turned to McGonagall. "Professor, I think that we need to be ready for whatever the Sunak throw at us. My team can be there quickly."

"And then what, Potter? You would out of contact with us as well. We would have no way to know if you were alright."

Wendy leaned forward. "Miss Tonks, would it be possible for you to launch a sensor probe into the storm front? It might improve your scanning capability."

"_Unfortunately, it won't be enough. We've already tried that idea, and all we did was lose a probe to the elements."_

"What about using _Prometheus's _deflector dish?" Robin asked quickly. "It has to have the capability to tune out mystical emanations."

Harry shook his head. "They didn't start having that function until the _Sovereign _class of vessel was constructed in the Federation. It's only fifty years old."

The Boy Wonder deflated, sinking into his chair. He had been so sure…

Darling looked up. "I think Grayson's onto something."

Everyone turned to her. "Come again?" Hermione asked.

The powerful Jedi stood up, walking to the screen. "Well, the deflector dish is the only thing powerful enough to penetrate extreme magical turbulence. Could a warship's be modified to emit the sensor scan that we need to locate SG-2?"

Galia nodded, her mind already churning as she went through the possibilities. "It would take a bit of work on the systems, and the sensor grid would have to be aligned to allow for added reading, but… yes, it is possible."

McGonagall stood up as well. "Galaxia, Miss Granger, will you two work with the Chief Engineer on completing the modifications? In the meantime Tonks, I want you to maintain cloak for as long as possible. We don't want to be caught off guard."

"_Yes, Professor."_

"Aye, Sir." Hermione turned to the Golden Senshi. "We're going to need the blueprints for the _Prometheus _around here somewhere," she said.

Galia smiled. "Well, if I know the builders, I would that they're in the archives, on a piece of parchment. It was built just before they started to save everything to computer."

"Well then, shall we?"

"We shall."

**

* * *

Lunar, _Prometheus_**

_Ship Log; Age of Lemias July 17__th_

Prometheus _remains in orbit of Lunar as we begin making upgrades to our deflector relays and our sensor grid. Hopefully, with the suggestions Miss Granger and Miss Hall have made, we will soon be able to locate our missing team._

"Progress report," Tonks requested, entering Deflector Control.

Kingsley looked up as the younger Auror approached. "We have finished the modifications to the sensor array," he replied easily. "We are still waiting for the deflector enhancers to show up, but everything checks out."

"Good." The young woman looked at the control panel for the dish itself. "How much longer?"

"When those enhancers get here, about ten minutes to install them."

As he said that, the doors opened, admitting two technicians, an anti-grav unit holding the enhancers. "Sorry," one of them said. "We were trying to find them when…"

"Put it in your report. Just bring those things over here!" Kingsley interrupted. "We need to put them on now!"  
Tonks quickly got out of the way as they hustled by, before heading back towards the bridge. This was not her area of expertise. She would only get in the way.

**

* * *

Memory of the past**

Alpha Serenity and Galaxia stepped out of the lift onto the bridge, taking in the sleek curves and numerous console set against the wall. They had always been in awe at how the Guardians could always make something look artistic, but also look comfortable. Of course, that was only their multi purpose craft. Their warships were just that; warships. Everything was more functional looking, and more cramped.

The woman in the center seat looked as though she belonged there. Flowing orange red hair curled down her back, her back straight and proud. She was a warrior's warrior, one that all others aspired to be.

But when she turned around, there was a definitive youthfulness to her face. No matter how old she was, the soul of a far younger woman lived within.

Serenity bowed. "Lady Hall," she said in greeting.

Shayera grinned, emerald eyes sparkling with delight. "I keep asking you not to call me that," she replied. "Galia, I wasn't expecting you here."

Galia shrugged. "She dragged me along. I was powerless to stop her."

"Hmm, fair point. So, what can I do for you?"

Serenity grinned. "Well, I wanted to get you to talk to your daughter about loosening up a bit. If she is ever to become a legendary Sailor Soldier, she will need good people skills."

"She's hesitant about joining the _Secar Triad_ game?"

"Yes."

Giving a hearty laugh, the Sailor Soldier got up. "Well then, if the legendary Sailor Alpha Serenity wants me to have a talk with my own daughter, who am I to not do that?" She walked over to Galia, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You should play, and show off your superior card skills."

"I'm not that good, Mother."

"Bull. You were the Zion Academy champion throughout your tenure there."

Serenity almost gasped. "She was _champion_?" she got out.

Shayera nodded with pride. "One of the best duelists ever in their league."

"I don't broadcast it because I haven't played in two years," Galia added. "It was a hobby I pursued during my time off."

"Pursued? More like obsessed about it." The Guardian looked towards the Senshi. "The only being who could surpass my little girl in terms of duel capability was the Pharaoh of Egypt in Realm 4. That man could create strategies that made most people's look like children moves."

Serenity smirked. "Well then, I'd say we have a natural in our midst here. What do you say, Galaxia? Are you willing to dust off your deck?"

Galia pondered the question for a few moments, before smiling. "Okay," she replied. "I guess I can do that."

"Great!" The older Senshi hugged her briefly, prompting her customary blush to erupt full throttle on her face. "It starts in about twenty minutes, so you'd better--?"

"Lady Hall!"

Shayera immediately turned around, her stance becoming more formal at the urgency of the Science Officer's voice. "Report, Lieutenant."

The Science Officer, a recent Starfleet Academy graduate, looked up from his console, his eyes wide. "I've detected a powerful energy surge in Sector 378 Delta Gamma! Possible warp core explosion! Distance; five light years!"

The Guardian was back in her seat immediately, issuing orders. "Helm, set a course for the power surge, Warp Four. Communications, signal Red Alert."

The communication officer quickly did just that, pressing several controls. "Red Alert. All hands to battle stations! Repeat, all hands to battle stations!"

Serenity immediately moved to the side as power was immediately shifted to the proper systems. Galia also moved towards her station, which was, not surprisingly, Tactical. She took the duty officer's place.

Sere turned to Serenity as other officers entered the bridge. "What's going on?" she asked.

Serenity moved into the position she was supposed to, looking at her mother. "By the time the peace accords between the Guardians and the Senshi took place, Princess Kakyuu and the others had been locked in battle with a force known as Chaos. The explosion was a _Seria_ class warship's warp core as it detonated. It had been engaged in battle with a fragment of the Chaos entity, and destroying their main source of power was the only way they could defeat it."

"I'm not familiar with that battle."

"A skirmish really. It wasn't even worth mentioning."

"I guess it was a victory," Rini said.

"You'll see for yourself soon enough."

-

The wait wasn't too long, as the _Dynas_ dropped out of warp, making for the damaged vessel. The view screen could show them every detail of what they were seeing.

"Life signs?" Shayera requested.

The Science Officer checked quickly. "I'm detecting about twenty two life signs onboard," he reported after a moment. "The ship's complement was over three hundred seventy nine."

"Galia?"

The Golden Senshi ran the sensor readings through her own board, her face a mask of concentration. "It was definitely a warp core detonation," she reported. "Judging from the looks of it though, I'd say the ship did it as a last resort. Pretty successful too. I'm detecting inert nega particles scattered over a distance of nine hundred feet."

Shayera nodded, turning to Serenity. "Looks like the Senshi Wars are becoming a little more problematic for us all," she said. "Communications, hail the ship."

Communications tried to do that, shook her head. "No response, Captain."

"Serenity, begin an investigation. I want concrete proof that this was Chaos and not Metellus flexing her muscles at the Guardians. The last thing I want to do is issue a declaration of war against the ultimate evil without evidence to support it."

Serenity nodded. "Understood, My Lady." She made for the turbolift. "Sailor Galaxia, you're with me. Have a security detail and Sailor Proxima meet us in Transporter Room Two."

"Aye, Sir." Galia pulled her communicator off of her belt, barking orders into it.

Sere, Serena, and Rini entered the turbolift as well. "What happened next?" the Juuban student asked.

"We beamed aboard the vessel, and quickly discovered that all the evidence we needed was right in front of us."

**

* * *

Lunar**

Anakin emerged from meditation about three hours after he had entered it, still a little tired. He had been aiming for four hours, but his mind had been filled with worry for Sailor Moon, and disrupted his concentration at long last.

Standing up, the Jedi left the small science lab of the Amphibian, making for the cockpit. Through the window, he saw the rain pounding down on it, and knew that it would be quite a long time before it stopped. Shaking his head, he exited the vessel, which now hovered at the third floor window, and went in.

Biyomon was in the room, keeping an eye on the outside. "How was your meditation, Anakin?" she asked.

Anakin smiled. "It was… restive, to say the least," he replied. "Have you seen Peter?"

"I think he's talking with Matt about something or other."

Which Anakin took to meant that he was reporting in, and the only way any of them could do that was through the Keeper of Friendship. Knowing that Peter tried not to rely on anyone, even his closest friends, this would prove to get on his last nerves. He vowed to stray out of his way for a few hours, so he could calm down. They had a few things to discuss later anyway.

Walking out into the hallway, he pressed himself against the wall as Tinkerbell shot past him, an irate Tentomon hot on her heels. "Come back here you freaking pixie, so I can show how to _really_ jerk about like an idiot!" he buzzed angrily, electricity zapping between his wings. There was no way that anyone could misinterpret his intentions.

Anakin sighed. He had the distinct feeling that he was going to need Izzy for this round of peace mediation.

----

In the end, Jane had only managed to get three hours of sleep. Her mind was simply too preoccupied with the Moon Princess and her family to even think about getting the required five hours she wanted.

Besides, whether she slept or not did nothing to change how it looked like outside; Darker than the darkest night. The sun couldn't even penetrate that massive cloud.

Getting out of bed, the English girl stretched, using her iron will to focus herself. Thanks to Peter's efforts in Neverland, she no longer had nightmares every night, but the memory still haunted her. And as her mother used to say, "_You were born responsible. Being a child did nothing to change you. You had always taken responsibility for your own actions. You even tried to take on too much, and that was why you no longer believed."_

For a long time, Jane had forgotten what it meant to have faith. But, more importantly, she had forgotten what it was like to have _hope_. Peter had given her both back. She owed everything to him.

As she exited the room, she noted Anakin and Izzy talking quietly to each other, looking around furtively. Guessing that it had something to do with Tinkerbell, she shook her head. Now she really needed to talk to that little fairy. She had caused her quite a bit of grief too, but had almost died because of it. This time, whoever she angered had a better chance of taking her out _without_ those five magic words.

Deciding to inquire bout the problem, she walked up to the two men. "Anakin, Mister Izumi," she said in greeting, quite aware that she could understand the Japanese-raised Lunarian perfectly and vice versa.

"Barrington-San," Izzy replied in greeting.

"Jane. What can we do for you?"

"Well, you two can tell me where I can find the pixie dust ball of doom, because I know for a fact that she's the catalyst for this discussion."

Anakin looked around. "Well, I'd say that she's up on the fifth floor, hiding in Tai's room." He paused. "I also don't think you want to go up there, though."

"And why not?"

"Because Sailor Pluto went up a couple of minutes ago."

It didn't take a genius to realize what that meant. "Oh." Her cheeks burned slightly as she read between the lines. "Well, thank you. I'll wait until later then." There was no way she wanted _that _much of an education about human physiology just yet.

With nothing else to do, she started for the impromptu mess hall.

----

Lilika methodically ate her breakfast as the storm roared against the outer walls, observing her sister as she finished off her food. "How is it that you can eat more than I, and yet look so graceful while doing it?" she asked.

Mimi shrugged. "No idea. Ask Mom, and she'll say it's because I'm growing."

"Or the fact that she uses more power than the rest of us," Joe added, Palmon nodding in agreement. "Or could it be the fact that she's…?"  
"Joe, she already knows that!" Palmon finally stated. "For crying out loud, we're on Lunar!"  
"And you're all very loud," Claire added, sitting down with a plate of food. "Really, do you lot have to carry on a conversation at the level of noise?"

Mimi shrugged. "At least we're just yelling. Imagine what would happen if we decided to beat each up."

"Ginny would have your hides nailed to the Gryffindor Dorm?"

"That's one theory, sure."

Lilika looked around. "Where is Tai?"

"With Pluto."

"Ah."

Claire shook her head, biting into a piece of apple. "So, what do you think?" she asked. "Do you think we'll be able to do anything about our current problem?"

Mimi shrugged. "I don't know, but if the last day or so is of any indication, we're in for a very long haul."

"Which means the five of us are gonna miss Christmas."

"That's probably true."

Palmon looked around. "Okay, can someone tell me what Christmas is?" she asked.

"I've never heard of it before."

Lilika frowned. "Nor have I," she said. "Is it a holiday, like the Goddess Festival?"

Mimi grinned. "That's exactly what it is, Sis, and one of Earth's most important ones. It's the last one of our year, and that makes it extra special."

"It's also the only time besides your birthday where you get presents," Claire added, "and where your entire family gets together to celebrate."

"Oh, okay." The explanation seemed to satisfy the two of them, and they sat back, finishing their meals.

Claire smiled, leaning back in her seat. These people were a strange group for sure. But they were also the best group of friends one could ever hope for.

----

In Realm 13000's Delta Quadrant, the _Vigilant_ dropped its cloak as the Supergate came to life.

More than fifty ships emerged from the event horizon, all formidable warships, and all commanded by the General's most trusted officers.

Zarad observed the fleet as it emerged, smiling. Soon, very soon, there would be nothing to stand in the way of their vengeance. The Death Dealer would die, with the weapon Ladydevimon promised them.

And, in the case of Claire Damont, a public execution, if R'carra didn't kill her in battle.

* * *

ell, here is Part Three of what is turning into a mini episode in its own right. Part Four will continue Serena's observations of her past life, as well as SG-2's leaving Lunar for a short period of time for Christmas. Stay tuned, and please review. Everyone who is reading this story, please leave a review. I would like to know if you like the chapter, or not.

Well, this month has turned out great. For starters, the place I was employed at is closing at the end of month. We also have had an artic chill go through the area, which forced those of us without cars to stay inside. It sucks, really.


	93. Seventy, Part Four

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy, Part Four**

**Memory of the Past**

The stench of death was prevalent in the decks. A crew that had fought to their last, and took their attacker with them.

That was the general impression Serenity got as the transporter beam fully materialized her and her team onboard the damaged Senshi ship, her scepter already out. She saw the security team pull their pistols out, and approved.

Galaxia, looking every inch the warrior she was, looked around. "The blast patterns are definitely consistent with Chao's unique breed of infiltration," she reported.

"Thank you, Galaxia." Serenity's own eyes shifted ever so slightly to the right. "Lieutenant Famke, you and Sailor Proxima check out Engineering. I want to know if their warp core was ejected due to a malfunction, or if it was deliberate. The rest of you are to search this ship from bow to stern. See if you can find any survivors among the wreckage."

"Aye, Sir." The security teams started down the corridor in numerous directions, the Senshi following suit.

Serena leaped over debris easily as she and the others followed Serenity down the hall. "Geez, this Chaos really doesn't like people," she said, shuddering.

"Yeah well, get used to this, Serena," Serenity replied. "This was only the beginning of the whole shebang. This vessel had an important dignitary from the planet Sunak, who was on his way back to his home planet. If he died while under the Senshi's care, it would have set the accords between them and us back at least seventy years. War would have become a hell of a lot more likely."

Rini shrugged as she hopped over a body. The sight of it, mangled beyond recognition, didn't even provoke a feeling of nausea. Grateful for that, she simply made sure to avoid walking right into Galaxia. "I've heard about that," she said. "The Sunak in the world I remember elected to stay away from Earth, due to Sailor Moon's presence there. They felt that the humans would be able to stop Sakar, due to the Silver Crystal and the fact that Yggdrasil was funneling all of its resources into the planet."

Sere grinned. "Ah, Sakar. A true pain in my butt, and one person I was glad to have interfered with."  
"I'm glad you did too, Mother. It saved us a whole lot of trouble." Serenity suddenly turned to the right. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

Rini was about to ask what she meant by that, when Galaxia turned her head slightly, listening. "I do," she replied. "It sounds like… a systematic thumping. Short bursts, coupled with long bursts… in a seemingly random pattern."

"What is that?"

"I think someone is aware of our being here, and is attempting Morse Code."

"Morse Code?"  
Galaxia shrugged. "It's an ancient form of Earth and Guardian messaging," she explained. "People would use a hard surface to tap out messages, using either change's in the time between strikes, or varying lengths of electronic sounds. Until the commercial use of telephones and computers, it was the only way to send messages across long distances."

"Ah." Serenity filed the information away for later. Instead, she stepped back, letting the Golden Senshi attempt to understand the message.

After about thirty minutes, Galaxia stepped back, raising her hand. Instantly, her magnificent sword appeared in it. With a few well placed swipes, she sliced the bulkhead apart, revealing its interior.

Rini recoiled as an alien staggered out of the hole that had been made. From her studies in the future, she recognized it as a Sunakian. Gray skinned, with shockingly white hair, it reminded her of an old black and white television character. But its eyes were the most significant, as they were both deep cobalt blue, and seemed to glow in the darkened corridor.

The Golden Senshi helped the man stand up fully, quickly ascertaining that there were no serious injuries to his person. "Are you well, Mister Ambassador?" she asked.

The Sunakian nodded briefly. "I'm fine. I cannot say the same for my staff," he replied. "My aide used his abilities to force me into the bulkhead… just before the entire area…"

"Was bathed in darkness."

"Yes."

Serenity scowled. "Chaos," she growled. "Metellus prefers a more destructive approach when dealing with her enemies."

"Isn't that the truth?" Sere grumbled, knowing that Galaxia and the Sunak couldn't hear her.

Galaxia looked around. "We need to find out why this ship was attacked," she said, pulling out her communicator. "Galaxia to _Dynas._ We have sufficient proof that Chaos was responsible for the attack. Have found the Sunakian ambassador, and am requesting immediate transport."

"_Acknowledged, Galaxia,"_ Shayera replied. "_Stand by."_

Serena looked at Serenity as the Sunak ambassador vanished in a swirl of lights. "What happened next?" she asked.

Serenity looked around, tapping Galaxia on the shoulder, and pointing in the direction of the bridge. "A usual Guardian protocol; ascertain ship status. It turned out to be salvageable, but only barely. During this time, the ship is searched from bow to stern, so as to make sure that no one is hiding in sensor resistant areas."

"Very simple."

"It's also very annoying when one has to go through every single aspect of the room," Rini replied. "So, are we going to see the next important part of this memory?"

Serenity grinned. "Yeah, Rini. We are."

**

* * *

Lunar, Inn**

"First floor is flooding," Agumon reported. "Looks like Izzy's right about the underground reservoir saturating the ground."  
Mars nodded. "Well, we already knew that this was going to happen. Let's be thankful that we're here." She turned around as Jane entered the room. "The Amphibian's hovering at the third floor, if you're wondering."

"I wasn't. Padma told me when she came inside," Jane replied, sitting down at one of the tables. "I was just tired of staying in the dark, and decided to come where there was light."

"Always a good idea."

The Digimon stretched his arms a bit. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and talk to Gabumon about something. See ya."

"Yeah, bye." Rei waved to him, before sitting down. "So, what's wrong with you?" she asked.

The Trainee blinked, looking at her for a second. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean, you've avoided any room that hasn't had any lights on, you keep to yourself except where Peter is concerned, and Tentomon looks like he wants to electrocute you."

"Actually, I asked him about that. Tinkerbell was hiding in my pocket at the time."

"Oh… well then."

"And frankly, it's really none of your business, Miss Hino."

Rei grinned. "Did Ginny tell you anything about me?"

Jane returned her grin mirthlessly. "No. Please, by all means tell me about yourself."

"I have a habit of getting answers out of people when I want them. No exceptions. I am exceptionally stubborn."

"Too bad. So am I." The young girl got up. "Look, Miss Hino… why I do not like the dark is my business, and when I want to tell someone about it, I will." Her gaze bore into the Fire Senshi. "I don't know you. I don't know you well enough to trust you. The only reason I'm here is because Anakin and Claire do know you, and do trust you. Simple as that. Is there anything else?"

Rei shook her head, a little put off. "No, I don't think so."

"Good." Without so much as a good bye, Jane stormed out of the room, almost knocking Anakin off of his vertical base.

The Jedi Padawan shook his head. "What is it with the female Trainee's trying to run me over before I enter a room?" he grumbled in exasperation.

Rei chuckled. "Is she always like that?" she asked.

"Not really." Anakin sat down. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… I want to help her, but she doesn't seem to want it. Something's bugging her."

"… … Well, Jane is something of an independent being. It took Peter a long time to get Jane to trust him, and even now, she tends to keep her feelings wrapped up. Even her mother has a hard time getting her to open up."

"What happened?"

"A war. World War II, I believe Earth history calls it."

Rei's eyes widened considerably as this new tidbit of information sank in. If Jane had been in the thick of the Battle of Britain, then the fact that she was still alive was nothing short of incredible. "By the spirits… who knows what she's been through?" She was starting to get a good idea, though. War had a tendency to bring out the worse in people. Her respect for the young girl grew. She doubted she could've survived that kind of carnage.

Anakin smiled. "Rei, Jane is simply who she is. She shows little weakness, but the weaknesses she does have… she simply refuses to let them rule her. Eventually, she will have to talk about it, but she is someone who has to be ready for it." He stood up. "Think about it for a few moments, before you make a decision." With that last bit of advice, he left.

Rei stayed where she was for a few seconds more, thinking about it for a second. Then she stood up, leaving the room as well. She needed to talk to Lita about something.

----

Tonks frowned as the minutes ticked away, knowing that they had only a limited amount of time before they had to leave. She hoped to be able to leave with Peter and his team, but that looked to be impossible.

One of the technicians went over to her, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Sir," he said. "It looks like whatever we do, will fry the deflector dish, and it won't help us locate them any faster."

The Auror barely managed to stop herself from breaking her hand on the duranium structure. "We're still missing something here," she said. "What is it that could cause this kind of burn out?"

"No idea."

It was a rhetorical question, because she wasn't expecting an answer. Here they were, in a ship more advanced than anything on Earth, with the ability to hide themselves from enemy sensors, and they were running into a problem they shouldn't have. The cloaking device wasn't a problem, because they still had the power necessary to complete the task, so what was it?  
Suddenly, it came to her. There _was_ a problem. One that no one would have taken into account. "Run the simulation again, but this time… run it as if _Prometheus_ was uncloaked."

The technician looked confused by the unexpected order, but gamely said, "Sure thing." He went through the program, giving it its marching orders, and watched the scene as it unfolded.

He looked up two minutes later, surprised. "It worked. By god, it worked."

Tonks nodded. It was a risky gamble, but it was also the only thing that had shown any promise at all. "Okay, we've got something, but it's going to have to be pulled off as quickly as possible. Are the calculations ready?"

"And all sensors have been realigned. We'll be ready in about two hours."

The level of optimism was enough for Tonks, and she left Deflector Control. She had two hours to kill, so she was going to get something to eat. No sense of saving someone on an empty stomach.

----

Beryl observed the mystical lines that made up all of Lunar's power, focusing primarily on the small knot of foreign magic. There, she knew, was the Alliance itself, struggling valiantly to keep Sailor Moon alive. A small smirk adorned her face as she witnessed the Moon Princess's struggle to return from beyond.

Her smirk faded as she took note of the other powers. She could sense Queen Serenity's energy mixing with her daughter's, as well as that future pipsqueak of Serena's. And, in her experience, there was only one explanation for it.

They were helping her through a past life.

Despite everything to the contrary, Queen Beryl had never truly taken on Sailor Moon in battle. As the only being in Existence able to challenge Alania in terms of power and knowledge, she had made use of Shadow Clones to do her dirty work, while she analyzed and adapted to her enemy's power. Her respect for the Moon Princess grew when she suddenly achieved an incredible energy leap forward, directly linking to the Silver Crystal to transform. The prism was supposed to be the only thing Sailor Moon could utilize, due to her status as the Moon Princess.

But then again, it wasn't surprising, considering that Princess Serena was directly reincarnated from Sailor Alpha Serenity herself, the first Queen of the Moon Kingdom.

Ghaleon entered her chambers, his red eyes glinting. "I take it you're watching the Moon Princess fight for her life," he said.

Beryl nodded, eyes focusing on him as she continued watching. "Her past and future family is hindering her descent somewhat," she replied. "Perhaps it's time we up our game a little."

"What do you mean?"

"I say we send someone in to… finish the job, as it were. A telepath, in fact."

The Magic Emperor grinned through his mask. "I think I have just the person."

"So do I."

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

Shayera finished the glass of water in her hand, keeping her other hand pressed against the active Stargate as she fed it power. It was a trying practice, staying in place for indeterminable lengths of time, not to mention thirsty.

As if in answer to her troubles, Ginny entered the Gate Room, another glass of water in her hand. "I figured you could use this," she said. "Our Trainee's almost exhausted the water supply when we got back from 8599."

Shayera accepted the glass gratefully, sipping it slowly. "That usually happens after massive amounts of energy are used. Even Guardians are affected by it, though not as much." She winced. "However, trying to move your hand afterwards is a pain."

"I can imagine." Ginny frowned for a moment. "So, you're a Spartan?"  
Shayera nodded. "Descended from King Leonidas himself, on Realm 4. The crystal my daughter uses was one of the few items our bloodline had command of for hundreds of years. She was just the first one to use it as her henshin."

"Henshin… oh, her transformation tool."

"Exactly."

The young witch started to walk away, before stopping, turning back to the Guardian. "Shayera, why is it that Galia had to suffer?" she asked.

Shayera sighed. No matter how many times she asked herself that question, she never found a suitable answer. "I wish I knew," she replied quietly. "She had to do something that no one else could have done… because that was what destiny needed her for."

"Destiny… of course." Ginny made her way out of the Gate Room, feeling her opinion of Timelord Akalon drop a bit towards frigid. Even though she knew that it was his duty, and probably the most important duty a person could have, her moral fiber still balked at the idea of forcing someone to do something they didn't want to do.

"Ginny!" Shayera called out before she had managed to take half a step out into the corridor. "Don't hate the Timelord. We Guardians could be just as guilty in our duties as well."

Those words gave pause, and she found herself considering them. "Okay, I won't," she promised, before continuing on.

The door shut after her, leaving Shayera alone in her thoughts again… and her own doubts.

**

* * *

Zion**

"Fifty ships emerged from the Supergate in Realm 13000," a technician informed Locc, handing him the data pad. "None of them are capable of anything above warp speed, so the Alliance has some time on their hands."

"Not as much as we're hoping," Locc replied. "New Atlantis doesn't have the fleet or resources necessary to challenge that force. We'll have to request other ships to arrive as quickly as possible, and amass an army to combat their attack force."

"Maybe not, Sir. You see. We've noticed a change in the Praetor's strategy, almost forty seconds after the fifty ships left. If I were to take a guess, I'd say that Bre-tac and Zephyer were successful in their attempts to dissuade the Sunak invasion fleet."

"Then again, they may not have. Never assume, Ensign." Locc observed the information for a second more. "Contact the _Bermas, _the _Kirk_, and the _Liliana_. Afterwards, send word to _Deep Space Nine_. I want to talk to Captain Kira."

"Aye, Sir."

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

"We found energy particles that are identifiable as Chaos," Serenity reported to Shayera, her back straight. "We are analyzing the computer to find out if they took any readings of her energy strike."

Shayera nodded, obviously understanding the seriousness of such a finding. Chaos had been known for striking at ships and planets without warning, leaving only dust and debris in its wake. The Nega particles it left were more than enough to identify it presence, but so far they had no idea how the power was formed. As such, even Guardian vessels were still vulnerable to it, as no counter could be developed. "What about survivors?"

"We did find one survivor. The Senshi were escorting a representative from Sunak back home. They are a pre warp civilization only a year from their first warp flight."

"And, as standard procedure, Kakyuu wanted to negotiate the development of Sailor Star Seeds among their purest and most rational women," Shayera finished.

"Exactly. However, Chaos did access the computer during the attack… tore the bridge module right off the vessel… turned the cargo bay inside out. I think she was looking for something."

"… This could signify a new threat to this sector. Alert Kinmoku of this new development. I'll contact Alania, and request instructions."

Serenity nodded, bowing. "Of course, Sir." She turned around and exited the Ready Room.

Rini, Serena, and Sere followed close behind. "So, what's going to happen?" Serena asked.

Serenity looked around. "Princess Kakyuu wanted the _Dynas_ to take the Sunak Ambassador the rest of the way to his home planet. Shayera wanted to locate the main body of Chaos. In the end, Alania ordered her to take him back home, before going after the cosmic bastard."

"He made it back, I guess."

"He did indeed."

Rini nodded. "So how's this connected to your past on the Moon Kingdom?" she asked.

"We're going to find out soon enough. Remember Rini, I'm reliving events from a past life long before the war with the Negaverse. I'm only recalling these memories a mere second before we see it."

Sere smiled slightly, rubbing her daughter's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry, Serenity. We're making headway, at least."

Serenity nodded, continuing on to the turbolift. "Will it be enough, though?" she asked.

**

* * *

Lunar, Inn**

Claire walked into Serena's room, watching as Mercury performed a medical scan on the Moon Princess and her daughter. "How're they?"

Amy smiled, shutting off the small device. "Stable. I'm picking up theta wave patterns from both of them. I'd say Rei's plan is working."

"Mars could always pull off the impossible in the spiritual realm. Which reminds me, it's almost time for her to reaffirm the connection."

"Well, the last time I saw her, she was heading for the mess hall. I think she wanted a status report."

The young warrior nodded, looking out the door. "I think she and Jane are going to have a strained friendship," she said.

"Why do you say that? I mean, besides both of them being incredibly stubborn and self sufficient."

"Exactly."

Grinning, the Mercury Senshi got up, patting the young girl on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Claire," she said. "Jane's about as stubborn as Serena. If Rei could eventually break down enough to declare Serena sister, then she can do it again with Jane."

Claire nodded. "I know… I'm just worried of how much damage will incur before that happens," she admitted.

On that, Amy had no comforting bits of information for her. However, she knew what was going through the other's mind.

She knew because she once went through the same thing herself.

----

Padma finished going over the information, blinking in shock. "How is it that this computer can hold so much?" she asked.

Izzy shrugged. "We spent over two years, digital wise, in the Digital World," he replied modestly. "Gennai augmented my computer several times through new programming. The last time he did it, he practically rebuilt it, giving it advanced circuitry that makes everything on Earth look slow by comparison."

The Ravenclaw was surprised by this, and a little humbled. As a half muggle, she was well aware of how to operate technology. The knowledge she had gained from the Chair had brought her up to speed about Guardian equipment. But this boy spent two years in a world that was literally nothing _but_ a computer world. Lived there, and grew stronger because of it. Maybe that was all the Wizarding World's pureblood population needed; being stuck in a world where high technology was supreme, and magic was the minority.

Izzy grinned. "Looked, I have to go on patrol. Can I leave you alone with my computer? You're not going to try and steal it?" he asked.

Padma held her hand. "I solemnly swear that I will not try and take your computer, Mister Izumi. Besides, I need to get back to the Amphibian and take some readings." She bowed to him. "Thank you for your time."

"My pleasure."

**

* * *

Realm 4, Hogwarts**

A closet door slowly opened, a pair of reddish eyes peeking out of it for a second.

Galia quickly stepped out into the corridor, breathing out in relief. '_That is the last time I decide to look around this castle without some help,'_ she thought. She had the feeling that when the school filled up with students again, they were going to form a Galaxia fan club. Some of the girls would probably even start dressing like her, lack of shoes included.

"Problem?"

The Golden Senshi jumped about ten feet in the air, a tiny _eep_ emerging from her mouth. "Miss Raven!" she exclaimed as she turned around, putting her hand over her heart. "You scared me there!"

Raven smirked a bit. "Me, frighten you? C'mon!" She straightened her cloak slightly. "Any way, I figured that you'd like some company that _wasn't _trying to get your autograph, or take you out on a date."

"Thank you."

"So, why were you hiding? There are barely two dozen people here."

"I'm hiding from Ginny. The last thing I need is for her to be a middle woman for Pluto. Also, I kind of got lost."

The Titan shook her head in amusement. "Well, come on. The SGC is that way." She led her fellow Trainee up the stair well, waited for a staircase to connect the two places, before taking her to the second floor corridor. Without any reprieve, they entered through the doors that had been installed.

And there, in the first room, was Ginny Weasley, grinning unapologetically. "Why, hello Galaxia," she said in greeting, as if she had been expecting her. "Would you care to join me, Matt, and Pluto?"

'_Great Athena,' _Galia thought in resignation. '_Is there no escape?'_

**

* * *

Memory of the past, _Dynas_ Stellar Cartography**

"Here," Galaxia said, pointing towards the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. "This is where Chaos and the lights of all Senshi are said to have originated. Kinmoku and a hundred civilizations aside call it the Galaxy Cauldron."

Shayera frowned, while their three unseen observers all blinked in surprise. "I understand that it is a crucial part in the reincarnation stage," she murmured. "I didn't realize that it was also where all life in this galaxy began."

"It isn't, Mother. As it turns out, even the Cauldron had to be formed from somewhere. And, I think I may have found it." The Golden Senshi brought up a closer view. "There is a small mass near the event horizon. I'd say that in a couple billion years, it will finally be sucked in completely. In fact, I'm surprised it survived this long."

Serenity also looked at the chart, contemplative. "There have been rumors," she said quietly, "that the cauldron is an artificial singularity of some kind, instead of the black hole that scientists theorized. This planetary body may be what is keeping it stable, allowing the creation of life itself."

Rini grinned. "Who'd thought that the galaxy formed naturally, because of an artificial construct?" she asked.

Serena shrugged. "It's all stuff I don't understand."

Sere smirked at the two of them. "This discovery changed everything the Senshi knew about the Cauldron. New studies were formed on the subject. The Moon Kingdom worked closely with Kinmoku on studying that mass. We learned that it was indeed responsible for keeping the flow of life going."

Galaxia brought up another chart. "Here is the line of ships that have been destroyed over the last few months. If you see the positions of each ship, in conjuncture with the time they were attacked…"

Both women took a closer look at the screen, paying attention to the details. "Territory," Shayera murmured.

"Chaos has set up a perimeter around the Cauldron," Serenity added. "That… thing must have discovered the planetoid by accident, and figured out its purpose."

"How long will it take us to get there at maximum warp?"

"About two weeks, Sir," Galaxia replied. "However, we may be able to get there faster with the new engine apparatus that was installed. We would be able to get there in under four days."

"Transwarp drive has only been utilized in short bursts," Shayera stated immediately. "It was never designed for any period of time longer than an hour."

"I think I may have a way to improve upon that."

Serenity nodded. "As do I," she replied. "I have been working with the Engineering crew, and I think we may have developed a new, more improved system with which to increase the time in a conduit. We could increase our speed so that we can reach there in a day, too."

"Have you tested this?"

"Simulations prove that it can be done within this time frame. We may have to shut down systems that we don't need on the journey to increase the power to the SIF, but it can be done."

Sere watched as Shayera turned around, thinking hard. "Alright," she said. "We'll try… but tomorrow. I want this ship prepared for any problems that occur on the way. Understood."

"Of course."

"Like a Senshi would do anything else," Rini muttered.

"Hush, you," Sere admonished her in mock sternness.

Serenity turned to Serena, grinning. "You see, this is what happens when the Moon bloodline are all in the same place. Be thankful that you only have to worry about dealing with one of them at a time."

"Hey!"

Sere chuckled. "So, where to next?"

"My quarters. At that time, I needed to make a call home… in case something happened to me."

**

* * *

Lunar, _Prometheus_**

"Everything is set, Tonks," Kingsley said.

"Deflector Dish, optimized," another reported.

"Engineering reports ready."

"All decks set."

Tonks nodded, settling herself in her seat. Everything they had done now hinged upon this one maneuver. If they succeeded, then they would be able to bring Peter and his team home. If not, then the Sunak would probably take their ship apart piece by piece. "Alright then," she said, mentally steeling herself, "de-cloak the ship. Scan the planet surface, then set a course for SG-2's position."

And, like a well oiled machine, they carried out her orders.

With a mere flicker of space, _Prometheus_ appeared in Lunar's orbit, just above their magnetic north pole. Almost three seconds later, the ship began scanning the planet surface, looking for its missing team.

"I found them!" Tactical stated in triumph.

"Setting course! Contact in ten minutes!" Helm reported.

The mighty warship flew down into the atmosphere, making for the inn.

----

Tinkerbell slowly emerged from Tai's room, her glow slightly brighter than before. She had had no idea that people could do that for so long, and so loudly. Now she did. She was never going to bug Peter or Jane about whatever they do when they grew up.

"Got you!"  
The little fairy suddenly found herself caught in a Jedi Force grip before she could even formulate her next destination. And since there was only one person that she knew possessed that here, she didn't even try to struggle.

Anakin brought Peter's partner in crime closer, shaking his head sadly. "Tinkerbell, you should know better than to torment creatures with electrical power," he said. "Now, I want you to come with me. Izzy has found Tentomon, and you are going to apologize to him. Understand?"

Tinkerbell sighed, nodding. No sense answering verbally.

----

Jane stared out the window, watching the rain continue its torrential downpour. Not for the first time, she was glad that she was inside, and not out there, without any light.

Like a bad dream, the events of her past continued to torment her. Everything that had happened that night was permanently ingrained in her mind. It was something she didn't want think about.

"Hey, there."

Jane turned around, saw Sailor Mars standing there. "Can I help you, Miss Hino?" she asked.

Mars stepped into the room. "Actually, I wanted to know if you would like to talk about something. Anything."

"Actually, I was just thinking about my life. It's a frightfully lonely act. So please come in."

The two young warriors looked at each other, sizing each other up. It was almost as if they were preparing themselves for battle.

"Look," Mars said after a moment, "I want to apologize for my attitude earlier. It's just… I don't like to keep things bottled up. It usually ends up badly for me in the end, especially where my friends are concerned."

Jane looked at her for a moment, as if seeing her for the first time. "I guess your parents must be proud of you in that regard," she replied after the moment, willing to be polite with her.

"Actually, they don't know. You see, I'm training to be a Shinto Priestess. It's a dream that my Grandfather urges me to do."

"A very noble goal."

"Yeah, well… my parents didn't particularly care for that. They believed that Grandpa's religion was a bunch of hocus pocus, and they were both very successful in their area's of business. So, when I decided that I wanted to a Priestess, they disowned me. I haven't seen them since."

Now the other girl was shocked. Her own parents would never have dreamed of hindering her in any way. To hear that Mars's were like that was quite the eye opener. "Then I guess I must apologize, too," she said. "It's just… during the war, I was always running out and getting supplies and other items we needed, so that we could survive the bombings. I had taken my father's words to me to heart, because I knew there was chance I would never see him again." She smiled. "I became pretty self sufficient in that regard. In fact, it took Tink almost dying before I could begin to trust others."

Mars sat down, at last seeing why this English girl was so stubborn. She had had to be to survive in London. Her respect for her grew. "I'm sorry about your father. He sounded like a really nice man."

"Thank you."

"So, now that we've both apologized, you want to grab some lunch? I hear the trail mix is good at this time."

Jane grinned. "I would like to."

However, whatever plans they made were never going to be brought to fruition. No sooner had the young Revenclaw stood up, when Claire entered, her eyes wide. "_Prometheus_ is about five minutes out!"

----

"Stress on hull is within acceptable tolerances!" Helm reported. "Course steady!"  
"Bloody good for that!" Tonks replied. The shaking was constant, and very irritating. Not for the first time, she was glad that this was a starship and not a muggle submarine. She probably would have cracked her head on the ceiling already. As it was, the chairs had no restraints of any kind on them, so she had resorted to gripping the arm rests for dear life.

"Three minutes!" Kingsley reported. "Transporter Room is standing by!"

"Polarize the hull plating, and boost the SIF! Did the message get through?"  
"They'll be ready when we get there! Also, they report one comatose patient!"

The good news just kept coming today. SG-2 was probably talking about Sailor Moon in that regard. No doubt they were going to have to evac her too, along with Sailor Mars and the child Rini.

"We're there!" Helm brought the ship to a complete stop. "Getting ready to drop shields!"

----

"When we manage to get Serena back to Hogwarts, we'll be able focus more on her there," Peter told Darien quickly. "Mars knows what's going on, so we're going to take her with us."

"Just to be on the safe side," Jane asserted. "It also means that you'll have to make due without them for a while."

"I understand. Just bring them back if you can," Darien replied. "What about Sailor Mercury? She is the Scout's resident physician."

Peter looked to Jane. Jane shrugged, letting him decide. "She comes too, then."

Claire looked at her chronometer. "They're overhead," she reported. "They're lowering shields."

Peter brought his communicator up. "_Prometheus_, do you copy?"

"_Barely, Mister Pan."_ Even over the comm link, frazzled still by the massive storm brewing around them, Tonks's voice conveyed a great deal of relief. "_However, sensors are working at full capability, as are the transporters. But, I thought I'd warn the Alliance_ _about something. Fifty Sunak vessels are in attack formation near the Supergate. So far, they haven't done anything, but they could still move out at any time."_

Darien's eyes narrowed at the news. It was the _last_ thing he or the others needed at the time. "Thank you, Ma'am. I'll let the rest of the Alliance know."

Jupiter quickly entered the room, taking in the two princesses on their beds. "The Patil twins have the Amphibian ready for take off," she said. "With a little luck, you'll be able to sneak by that fleet." She shrugged at their confused looks. "I overheard your conversation."

Peter shook his head, before shaking Darien's hand. "Well, I guess it'll be a while before we see you again. I guess all that you can do is batten down the hatches until the storm passes."

Darien nodded. "Thank you for helping us back in that forest. If you hadn't shown up, we probably would have never saved Rini, and we'd be dead as a result."

"It was nothing. You would have done the same." The son of Alania stepped back, bringing his communicator up again. "Sailor Mercury, are you ready?"

"_I have everything I'll need, yes."_

"Thank you. _Prometheus,_ nine to beam up."

Darien turned around, just in time to watch as his beloved and future daughter's bodies vanished in a swirl of light. He didn't even have to turn around to know that Peter and Jane had also transported. "Good luck, Serena, Rini," he whispered. "Please, whoever watches over us all, watch over them."

"You know, we're high up enough, they might have heard you," Jupiter stated.

**

* * *

Hogwarts**

"_Prometheus _picked up SG-2 and Sailors Moon, Mercury, and Mars," Ginny reported to everyone, breathing out. "If they can get past the Sunak fleet, they should be here within the next four hours."

Wendy sat down, relief coursing through her. "Thank God," she whispered.

"I second that." McGonagall stood up. "Hopefully, with our resources, we'll be able to help Sailor Moon more."

"Which actually brings me to my report," Jean said, standing up. "I was doing a normal check of Serenity's mental state, when I noticed something odd. It was almost as if… an energy surge of some kind was trying to get through her defenses somehow."

"It shouldn't be a problem," Galia said. "Senshi's mental defenses are pretty high to prevent tampering from any outside sources."

"Except when I tried to find out what it was… I almost got blasted halfway across the wing. But that wasn't the most disturbing part."

Darling looked up, her gaze suddenly becoming a lot cooler. "Let me guess," she said. "Its energy signature matched your own telepathic abilities, only amplified."

Shayera also caught on, her glare becoming hard of steel. "Phoenix."

"Who?" Galia was forced to ask.

Harry turned to her. "Galia, Phoenix is an alternate version of the Jean Grey you see before you. Except where this Jean is presently hovering between Class Three and Class Four mutant, the other Jean is the incredibly rare Class Five. Limitless power, limitless potential."

"In order to protect me and others from it, Professor Xavier erected extremely powerful mental blocks on my sub-conscious, holding the additional powers at bay, while allowing me the chance to develop my conscious strength," Jean continued. "However, from the report that the _Valkyrie_ sent us, those powers have taken on a personality of their own… and it calls itself Phoenix."

Galia blinked, a little unnerved. "Mother, please tell me that there is a way to defeat her."

Shayera shrugged. "Galia, the only way we could stop her in our encounter was with the Pharaoh's help. He had managed to get his hands on an extremely powerful Dark Magician card, and used it to try and stop Bakura."

Harry shrugged. "We'll have to take her on her fighting field then, if she manages to get through. But, it looks like she's not having any luck, right?"

"That's right, Mister Potter."

"All the same, we should contact the _Valkyrie,_" Raven said. "Kes's powers are far superior to mine at this moment. She might be able to help."

McGonagall turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, could you send the message to wherever the _Valkyrie _is?"

Hermione stood up, nodding. "I will."

"Good. Well… let's hope that we can settle this soon. Otherwise, we're going to have to explain to the other Scouts why we couldn't save their Moon Princess."

**

* * *

Negaverse, Dark** **Kingdom** **High Command**

"You are still unable to get through?" Beryl asked.

"No. Queen Serenity's defenses are high, and are difficult to map. Princess Serena's are even stronger, and augmented by two wills instead of one. The little one has had several kinds of defenses artificially erected, so they will fall eventually. However, I don't think I want to be on the wrong side of her powers if she ever finds out."

The Queen nodded, not really angry. She had learned from her mistakes concerning her first two incursions into Realm 2, and the first one was not to underestimate the Sailor Scouts. If she were to continue her attacks, she would need to show patience with her followers and allies.

"My Queen."

Beryl turned around, looking at Zoicite through the mist. "If you're going to beg to be assigned to the front, I don't want to hear it."

Zoicite shook her head. "No, I was merely inquiring as to what the Phoenix needs. I have an idea about how to break through the child's defenses."

"Really? What is that?"

"The Dark Crystal, of course."

The two women turned to her, surprised beyond measure. They had never heard such an ordinary thought occur to either of them. "Explain," Phoenix requested.

"It's simple. Xenobia rejected the use of the Dark Crystal of the kid earlier, due to the fact that the darkness within her was far more advanced than anything we have. But now that the darkness is gone from her, she's just another princess."

"… That crystal may be enough for me to slip through the defense's small holes, by refining my powers to a thin beam."

"Bring the crystal here, Zoicite!" Beryl ordered in jubilation. "It's time to put Sailor Moon out of her misery… once and for all!"

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

"_Well, that certainly explains a few things," _Kakyuu said, her customary gentle smile gone from her face. "_Do you really think that Chaos would launch such a full scale attack, despite everything that's happened?"_

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Sire," Serenity replied, holding back a sigh. "Chaos has blatantly attacked a Senshi ship, carrying a dignitary from a friendly world. As a result, we are honor bound to try and stop it."

"_Yes, that is true… but still, I find myself worried about you and your safety, Serenity. Is all well onboard the _Dynas_?"_

"Yes, it is. The crew is well trained, and disciplined. I can safely safe that if we ever do this again, it could work."

"_Very well."_ It seemed that Kakyuu was happy about everything she had heard so far. But there was still a sadness about her. "_Unfortunately, I have some news for you… from your father."_

The Alpha Senshi suddenly stiffened. She knew where this was heading, but she simply couldn't believe it. "Is she…?"

"_She died about three days ago. Her injuries were simply too great."_

Serenity sat back in her seat, her pain clear on her face as she remembered the exact circumstances concerning that fateful day. The day that she took up her mother's mantel.

Her mother, the original Alpha Serenity, had been on a routine patrol through the capital city of Kinmoku with the Princess, when an assassin suddenly emerged from the crowd, sword drawn. The Starlights had quickly pulled Kakyuu back while Serenity met the creature head on.

Unfortunately, luck had not been on their side that day. Just when it seemed that the Senshi would deal the final blow, the assassin had managed to get past her defenses, catching her through the stomach. Before Serenity could recover enough, it had struck again, this time through her chest, knocking the broach clean off. As she fell, with its last burst of power, the damn thing blasted her into a building.

"_My dearest apologies, Serenity,"_ Kakyuu continued, knowing what bad memories had been brought up from that. "_I just wish that we could have saved her."_

"The blade had been tipped with poison," Serenity replied. "The fact she held on for three years is a testament of her spirit. Besides, she knew I was on assignment. She was Senshi, as I am. She understood."

"_That she did. It doesn't make it any easier, though."_

"No… no it does not. I wish had been there, all the same."

"_So do I. Well… good luck, my friend. Please return home safely."_

"Will do, Kakyuu. Serenity out." Shutting her transmitter off, she turned around. "I didn't have the time to grieve," she said. "Her death, with me not there, would haunt me the rest of this life."

Sere nodded, remembering what her mother had told her. "I had always wondered why the bloodline protected their people so fiercely, and why they grieved when a complete stranger died. Now I know."

"Yeah…" Rini looked up. "Hey… did Galaxia really go in alone, or was there someone else with her?"  
Serenity nodded. "There was someone else with her… but she wasn't able to participate in the battle for long. Chaos saw to that."

"Who was she?"

"… I don't know, yet. But I get the feeling we're going to find out."

* * *

And here is Part Four. Part Five will have _Prometheus _trying to get past the Sunak fleet, and hopefully the end of this story arc concerning Serena's past. Please read and review.

Well, this is turning out to be the longest chapter I have ever conceived so far. I guess I wanted to try something entirely different from what I was doing so far. Please, tell me how I'm doing with it.


	94. Seventy, Part Five

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy, Part Five**

**Memory of the Past**

Cloaked once more, _Prometheus _flew at warp making her way to the Supergate.

They were going at warp because that way, they would have the time needed to develop a strategy.

"Their fleet is stationed here," Peter said, looking at the tactical map, "making an approach under cloak worse than useless. Their shields are up, and weapons are primed. Now, if it was just one ship, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

"Fifty ships are a bit on the overkill range," Kingsley noted. "So, what do we do? We wouldn't be able to survive a full scale assault for long, and with that many ships out there, one of them would pick up the radiation surge from our cloaking device."

That there was the conundrum they faced. They couldn't fight, and they couldn't sneak past them. If they tried to escape, then they would simply be chased down. And they couldn't just stay away. That gate was the only way home.

Tonks looked up, feeling frustration eat away at her Auror training. "Look, we just need a clue. Pull something out of your hats, if you can. If not, find out if Hogwarts has any suggestions. I mean, we have four Trainees, a girl who will be a Trainee at some point, and some of the sharpest minds within its walls. One of them has got to have and idea or _something._"

Everyone knew that they only had so much time. Sailor Moon was important to Harry Potter and his friends, which meant they would do everything they could to save her. And in order for them to do that, they had to get her back to Hogwarts, where a completely magical environment awaited her.

Padma looked up for a moment. "I think we need to re analyze the data," she said, a Ravenclaw at her finest. "That way, we may find the clue we're seeking."

Peter nodded. "Get started on that, while the rest of us keep thinking." He turned to Claire. "Could you and Anakin tell our guests about our progress? I don't think any of them have been out of the Infirmary."

Anakin nodded, standing up. "You got it." He felt helpless in tactical situations like this, where they were outmanned and outgunned. _Prometheus _had less than a skeleton crew onboard, which for a warship was pretty good. However, when facing off against a fleet of fully armed vessels, one wanted their vessel fully staffed for the confrontation. And his natural inclination was to simply strike quickly, and take the enemy head on. Sneaking around wasn't a forte he was really comfortable with.

Tonks stood up. "We might as well continue this discussion over lunch. Everyone, to the Mess Hall."

Peter or Jane weren't about to argue the point. One always did work better when their stomach wasn't empty, and food could only help them in the end. They might even solve their problem over lunch.

That was their hope, anyway.

----

Jane turned to Mercury, who was busy checking Sailor Moon's vitals with her computer. "How is it that your computer can scan, download, and hold do so much information?" she asked.

Amy closed the device, smiling slightly. "It's advanced Moon Kingdom technology," she replied, "coupled with Mercury mystical properties. It was capable of scanning technology and enemy soldiers when I first go it, as well as putting together maps in heavily corrupted areas. The rest I added on as my knowledge of the device grew. Each program I designed became incorporated into its hard drive, and I also increased its memory space by almost seventy two percent. Not as much as Izzy's was upgraded, but pretty good."

Jane nodded, impressed beyond measure. The Moon Kingdom certainly knew how to build portable computers. She still thought those computers in the DSGC were impressive, and she hadn't been into Realm 4's London to see what they had. "It sounds fantastic."

"It's is… though it does have its drawbacks. For starters, the computer can only be updated with information I feed it. It can't access the World Wide Web, which means I have to have a computer to work with. Finally, the computer is old, despite its technological superiority. Sooner or later, it's going to exhaust itself, and shut down."

"… Which means it requires constant maintenance."

Amy nodded sheepishly. "Luna mentioned that to me after my first mission using it. She helps out whenever she can, but there is very little a cat can do besides hold a screwdriver or give instructions on what to do."

That confession was enough to make Jane smile. "Maybe the DSGC can help with that," she suggested. "We learned that the computers are equipped with a maintenance device. It can perform small time repairs on its own systems without any input from us. Maybe it'll be compatible with your computer's systems as well."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Now on to more important things; how is she?"

"Stable. However, I've detected what appears to be some sort of a psychic probe of some kind. It looks like some kind of outside source was trying to get into Sailor Moon's mind."

Jane's attention sharpened upon hearing that. "That's not good."

"No, it isn't. I just wish I knew what kind of telepathy it was, so I could have Rei create another line of defense for her and Rini."

The two girls looked at both girls, knowing that there was nothing they could do against a mental invasion. Their only hope was if their defenses held long enough for their journey to be completed.

Jane suddenly turned to look at the Mercury Senshi, her gaze almost as intense of as Matt's. "Maybe someone knows," she said, a funny suspicion forming.

Amy nodded, having the same thought. "The probe is probably coming from a Deadly Alliance source, which means…"

"Beryl knows about Serena's condition, and wants to force it along."

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

"So what happens now?" Rini asked.

"How should I know?" Serena retorted. It's not my journey… at least, I don't think it is."

Serenity shook her head. "Relax. It simply took a bit of time to prepare the ship for its journey. The Guardians didn't really utilize transwarp drive frequently. Of course, they were also the force that developed it first, so they could work the bugs out of the device. The _Dynas _was among the first classes to use it as a travel medium."

Sere whistled at that. "Wow. I'm getting a history lesson here. Why is it that I never knew of this?"

The Moon Princess turned to her mother, a sadness overcoming her. "The problem is that after Chaos, I didn't want to put my family in another situation that would get them killed," she replied. "Just like I don't want my friends putting their lives on the line… just because I'm the Moon Princess, Mother. It has to even out somewhere."

Serena and Rini both looked at each other, both of them understanding. Serena was very much the same way. She didn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves just for her. And Rini… Rini was pretty much born to be a Sailor Senshi. She had the right instincts, and the fighting will of one, unlike her mother. To be protected was akin to the ultimate insult for her once. Of course, she was also a spoiled rich brat as well.

Sere smiled, her eyes glistening. "Obviously, you're remembering more. So, why are we here? Why not just skip us ahead to the battle with Chaos."

"… I don't know," Serenity replied. "I'm eager to find out what happened, but at the same time… I feel a part of myself resisting the notion." Her body suddenly turned around. "Ah, Galaxia."

The others also turned around to see the Golden Senshi standing at the doorway of her meditation chamber, her eyes downcast. "Is it all right if I come in?" she asked.

"It most certainly is," Serenity replied. "I trust your mother has told you to relax?"  
"She has. Crazy woman."

The two women giggled a bit at this. Shayera was clearly not the average Spartan woman, if she was showing softness. But then again, Shayera was also trained by Angelus, the second oldest Guardian in Existence, and the most revered diplomat in history. That kind of person could have an impact on anyone, even warriors.

The young warrior finally sat down, her eyes shifting to look around her for a moment. "I always thought that people were the same, no matter where you go," she said after a moment. "Then I step into a room like this, and I discover just how little I know."

Serenity could understand. Galia's room was a typical Guardian room, with very few mementos. It was luxurious, but with only the usual refinements one finds in any living establishment. Each piece was used to enhance the others, making the room seem like it was perfect.

Serenity's room, on the other hand, was completely decorated. There were medals of her various acts of bravery mounted on the wall. She had only the finest of furniture in her room, including silk sheets that felt good on her body when she went to sleep, and a chair made of imported wood from the Farius system. In essence, the best life had to offer her.

And, it was completely typical of the Sailor Senshi not to be aware of such things.

Galia looked around again, before returning her attention back to Serenity. "My mother has set course for the Cauldron at maximum warp," she said after a moment. "It'll take some time to get the Transwarp Coil calibrated for a longer burst, so she's going to try and cut it down the distance much as possible."

"A good idea. The less distance, the less strain on the coil." Her blue eyes flashed a bit mischievously. "Is that why you are here?" she asked. "To give me a status update?"

Galia blushed, her own red eyes looking away. "No, it's just… what I mean… I just don't know how to open up a conversation with you… or anyone else for that matter."

"… … Really now?"

"Well… it's just… I haven't quite figured out why the Timelord wanted me trained as a Senshi instead of as a Guardian, but… I think this is why." The Golden Senshi took a breath. "I think I have been trained as Galaxia to fight Chaos."

Sere blinked, a little surprised by the news. "Akalon wanted this?" she asked.

Serenity, it seemed was just as surprised. "If that were the case, why not have you trained as a Guardian? Chaos is not something you can simply fight as a Senshi. You need every ounce of power, and every ounce of cunning to defeat it."

"I don't know. I just feel that I was trained for this… for this purpose."

For a moment, silence reigned. Neither one of them spoke for what seemed like ages.

"If that is your destiny, then you shall not do it alone." The Alpha Senshi stood up, standing tall and regal, as a Senshi should. "I will be right there by your side, fighting the darkness, my friend."

Rini grinned, eyes shining with pride. It seemed that her mother, regardless of what life she was living, was still the same loyal person. The Senshi were lucky to have her among their ranks.

Galaxia smiled, eyes watering. "Thank you, Serenity," she whispered. "You don't know how much that means to me." Impulsively she stepped forward, giving the older woman a hug. "I'm so glad to have a friend like you"

Serenity reciprocated the hug, rubbing Galaxia's back in support. "We are going to fight Chaos, Galia… and we are going to win."

Serena wiped a tear from her eye, moved by the touching scene. "That's so sweet," she said.

"And very informative," Sere replied, latching on to the more serious aspect of the situation. "Alpha Serenity was there that day, when Galaxia… was defeated."

"We're going to find out if that's true, Grandma," Rini stated firmly. "That means we have to keep watching."

And, out of the corner of her eye, Serenity smiled.

**

* * *

Realm 3, Hogwarts**

Galia watched as J'onn probed the mind of Sere, ensuring that her defenses were secure. "Is there anything to worry about?" she asked.

"Not at this time," the Martian replied. "Her defenses are secure from any mental incursion." He stood up. "At the same time, we should remain on our guard in case Phoenix tries again."

The Golden Senshi nodded, before turning to Harry. "I don't know what else we can do. We can't pull them out of the trance now without tipping our hand. At the same time, it's becoming much more dangerous for us to keep her there."

"There's also the fact that Rini is under a similar threat," Ginny replied. "If they find out that her mind is more vulnerable, they will use it to their advantage."

That was something that they all knew to be true.

Raven cleared her throat, getting their attention. "I have a question, and don't shoot me for being curious in this terrible time, but what are you all going on about? Is there something about a kid's defenses that are different from that of a more mature person?"

Shayera suddenly remembered that Raven didn't have the full wealth of knowledge that a Trainee was supposed to have. Unlike her fellow Chosen Ones, she and Robin were still using Twenty First Century technology, and the limitations of that Earth's information. "When they are born, Senshi children have no mental defenses of their own," she explained. "To protect the child from mental rape of any kind, the mother usually performs a complex spell, creating an artificial barrier. Now, seeing as Rini's mother is Sailor Moon herself, and Sailor Mars is a psychic, there are at least three kinds of barriers surrounding her mind. Now, when a Senshi hits an age when they go from a cadet to a Level One Senshi, they begin to create their own shields, using the artificial ones as a template."  
"And, as a Senshi grows more powerful, the shields become more powerful," Galia finished. "In the case of Serenity here, who reached Level Three, and Sailor Moon, who will grow stronger due to the Silver Crystal's influence, have shields that are stronger than most. Sailor Mars has her Senshi shields as well as several defenses that come with her Priestess training. And I have both Senshi and Guardian defenses."

"But Rini has only the artificial ones," Harry finished.

"Looks that way."

The Gryffindor Trainee turned to Qui-Gon. "Master Qui-Gon, is it humanly possible to create a mental barrier using the Force?" he asked.

Qui-Gin nodded. "The problem with such a technique is that it's only used on the weak-minded… to shore up their defenses against a Dark Jedi or a Sith Lord. From what I can determine, aside from her emotional turmoil, Miss Endyimon's mind is exceptionally strong."

"Okay, scratch that idea. What about… tracing the source of Phoenix's power, and try and cut it off there?"

Shayera shook her head. "She's an Empowered, Harry," she replied. "I'd be forced to fight her on her terms, and I really don't want to fight a Class Five mutant again."

"Ditto on that," Wendy grumbled. "The only thing we can hope for… is that they complete the journey before Rini's defenses collapse. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess what will happen."

Harry groaned, smacking his head against a nearby wall. This was just not going their way. Then again, nothing really went their way these days.

Raven suddenly snapped her fingers. "What about utilizing someone's soul-self to meet Phoenix head on?" she asked, her mind working furiously.

_That_ was a new angle, one that none of them would have thought of. "That sounds interesting," Dumbledore commented. "Now what do you propose?"

Raven grinned. "Azarathean monks are taught to separate their souls from their bodies, to create an incredibly powerful magical field. With this power, we can stack enemy warriors, teleport great distances, and avoid being hit by any kind of projectiles. If I can enter Serenity's mind, though only to the point where her shields are, I can try to halt Phoenix's entry…"

"And Sailor Mars will be able to follow," Hermione added, suddenly speaking up. "Shinto Priests possess the ability to circumvent the mental defenses, if it is absolutely necessary."

"So there will be two people ready for her."

Ginny nodded. "And if the journey ends, Serena will be able to wake up. Then everyone follows suit. The bad guys lose."

"And our friends live." Harry frowned thoughtfully. "I'm going to get into contact with _Prometheus_. Sailor Mars needs to be prepared for what we're planning."

Galia nodded, before turning to Sere's prone form. "I just hope we can do this. I've already failed one Serenity. I won't do it again."

**

* * *

Realm 13000, _Prometheus_**

The door chime broke Rei out of her meditative state, and she turned around. "Yeah?" she asked.

The door opened, admitting Anakin. "We just received word from Hogwarts," he said. "It looks like Sere's mind was probed by the same thing that tried on Sailor Moon."

Rei nodded, understanding. "I've been preparing myself for this very reason." She stood up. "The meditation I was in helps me to focus all of my psychic power into entering one's mind, especially those with superior defenses. That way, I can fight on the psychic plain, and protect them."

Anakin nodded. The Jedi could only read surface intentions and nothing more. So he was understandably intrigued about true telepaths and their abilities. He was also well aware of the dangers inherited with such powers, when a mind could be lost on this mental plain for all eternity, or locked away. He understood, and was ever more impressed with the Sailor Soldier before him. "Well, I hope it's enough."

Rei grinned. "It will."

She didn't voice out that the power she would soon be facing was also one who could probably overpower within the first few minutes of battle. The ability she was going to use was one she had never used before. What was more, the last time she had gone into someone's mind, she had almost killed Amy almost four months ago. So her confidence was not something she had full abundance of at this time.

Standing up, the Fire Senshi took a deep breath. "Well, let's do this."

----

Amy shook her head as she scanned Rini's brain, noting the increased neural activity. This in turn brought some additional activity to the rest of her body, as her nervous system began to bring her back to the land of the living. "Blast it!" she snarled, getting ready to chuck her computer. If Rini was brought back, the connection would be shattered. Serena would be stuck in limbo forever, and there was nothing that she could do. Outside of her brains, she didn't even have rudimentary understanding of the psychic arts. Rei was on her way, but from the speed with which Rini's body was responding to internal stimuli, it would be too late.

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she almost kicked herself. Sailor Mercury didn't know anything, but _Ami_ would. The Guardian would have had access to everything her husband Ryo had, which meant telepathic powers. She quickly looked inwardly, trying to see if she could cause a vision to spontaneously appear…

_Ami looked at the traumatized Lunarian before her, her eyes crimping. "How long does his mind have before it shuts down?" she asked._

_Ghaleon looked at the bio bed's medical screen, shaking his head. "Only a few hours," he replied. "I do not think there is anything anyone can do to stop it. In fact, we would need someone whose specialty is mind repair."_

"_My husband."_

"_I'm afraid so. And he is presently in action at the border."_

_Feeling defeated, the Planetary Guardian looked at her patient, tears welling up. Mental rape was one of the most heinous crimes in Existence, and the only one that Alania still had the Death Penalty attached to. And yet, it still happened far too frequently._

_Shaking her head, Ami refused to concede defeat. While nowhere near the master that Ryo or Alania were, she did possess some capabilities that she practiced daily. Maybe she could perform some basic repairs, which would help the man retain his sanity, and give him some more time. At best, his damaged psyche would begin to heal itself. At worse, he would be conscious, and aware of the pain to the rest of his body._

_Taking a breath, she leaned in. "If I do not return within the next hour, slap my face," she instructed the Elf. "I am going to attempt a Mind Meld."_

"_Mind Meld?_ _Vulcan Mind Meld?"  
"Yes." Ami brought her hands up..._

Amy almost jumped for joy. '_Yes!'_ she thought, the information coming to her in a rush. Ami had been far more successful than even she would have thought, restoring the man's personality, and giving him a chance at a normal life. She had received the Medal of Courage, for acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty to save a life. What was more, she saw the person's memories, using them to bring him back.

Looking at Rini, she noted the slightly accelerated breathing, and moved swiftly. Going over to Sailor Moon, to whom two lives were connected, she put her hands on her friend's face, spreading out over the _katra_ points. "My mind to your mind," she intoned, sinking into a meditative trance. "My thoughts to your thoughts…"

Sailor Moon had saved her on various occasions, both in battle and in life. It was now her turn to do the same.

Rei entered Sickbay, took one look at Mercury's hunched form, and knew immediately what was going on. "Amy!" she shouted, starting forward.

Jane quickly intercepted her, holding her back with effortless. "Don't!" she cried out. "She's entered a Mind Meld with the Moon Princess. If you separate them forcibly, with Serena in the condition she's in, you'll do irreparable damage to both of them, and whoever else is connected to them!"

Anakin nodded. "The only thing you can do is enter via Rini. I think Sailor Mercury knows what she's doing."

Calming down, Rei looked at Amy's hunched form for a second. "I sure hope so," she replied, before heading over to Rini.

**

* * *

Negaverse**

"I am breaking through," Phoenix reported. "I shall soon be inside Sailor Moon's mind."

Beryl grinned, her eyes becoming bright with joy. "Excellent!"

"However, I seem to be encountering some sort of psychic resistance. It appears that there are two powerful and several mid range telepaths preparing to engage me in battle."

"A minor problem."

"Except…" The mutant frowned a bit as a different kind of energy appeared on the psychic plane, putting itself right in front of her. "There's another force there now. It looks like… the working of a Vulcan Mind Meld!"  
Beryl quickly realized who it was. "Mercury!" she snarled, remembering fully well that she possessed the abilities of the Planetary Guardian Ami. And that Guardian was the only one who could perform the Vulcan Mind Meld.

Perhaps though… this could be used to their advantage. "Can you combat her?"

"I believe so, though I know nothing of her strength. It's entirely possible that she can hold me off long enough for the Moon Princess to regain consciousness."

"You leave that part to me. By now, that Guardian warship will be in range of the Supergate. I will have the fleet begin an active scan of the entire area. All you have to do is keep them busy."

Phoenix nodded. "Of course, my Queen." A feral grin emerged on her face. "I've always wonder what it would be like to fight on the psychic plain," she murmured, before going back to work.

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

"We're approaching the edge of the Galaxy Cauldron," Helm stated.

Shayera nodded. "Take us out of transwarp," she ordered. "Galaxia, scan the area for any intense Nega particles. Shields up, Yellow Alert."

"Aye, Sir." Galaxia's hands slipped across control board, beginning her sensor sweep.

Serenity nodded from her position on the bridge. The Transwarp held up a lot better than she had thought it would, getting them here without too much damage. Hopefully, it would hold long enough for them to get to the nearest planet with a Stargate, and effect repairs. "If the main body is here, then we should be able to detect it without any difficulty."

"Of course, if it knows that we're here, it could easily retreat back into the Cauldron," Proxima replied. "The energy inside would be enough to hide it from sensors."

"Don't remind me," Shayera said. "I remember trying to track Queen Beryl through that. It was like trying to see through lead."

Rini blinked at the statement. "I'm guessing that she and Beryl don't like each other."

Serenity smirked. "You think they were bad? You should've seen Mercury after she was forced to destroy Baboo. She went ballistic." She became thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, Ames has got the distinction of being the only one to beat Beryl in hand to hand combat. And I mean the real Beryl."

Sere chuckled as the memory surfaced. "I remember that day." Of course, she was also the only to know the reason why, but she wouldn't break her promise to Hikari.

"So what happens now?" Serena asked.

"Well, Galaxia scanned the area for some time longer, but couldn't find anything. For a moment, it looked like Chaos had fled into the Cauldron, but we soon learned that that wasn't the case."

As if to bear weight to her statement, Galaxia looked up. "I've got nothing!" she growled. "It's like Chaos just vanished into thin air!"

Shayera turned in her seat. "No lingering particles?"

"Nothing! That either means that it pulled everything back…"

"Or it's holed up somewhere," Serenity murmured, making her way over to the tactical station. "Relax, Galia. Not finding the target is not a determent to your skills."

"I know. I just don't like not knowing when the enemy will attack."

"Just remember to trust your instincts. They will not fail you."

Rini stepped over to the rail, her mind suddenly telling her something. "Is this when the fight begins?" she asked.

Serenity made her way over to where the others stood, nodding. "It is," she replied. "Shayera had to leave the bridge due to an emergency in Engineering. Chaos knew that a Guardian possessed the power and will to put her back into the Cauldron, or transfer to a dead universe, so it usually focused its attention on the warp core. In fact… it's right about now."

Suddenly, as if to bear weight to her statement, the bridge suddenly shifted drastically to starboard, as if hit by a massive hand. Half the personnel found themselves on the floor before they could even think of bracing themselves. Before they could even hope to scramble to their feet, another shudder slammed into them, letting them know that it would be better for them to remain on the ground for the moment.

_Bridge to Engineering! Chaos is attempting to override our security protocols. It's trying to initiate the warp core ejection sequence!"_

"Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!" Shayera was out of her chair in an instant. "Galia, take the Conn!" she shouted. "Commander, get down to Torpedo control! You're our best manual launcher!"  
The XO nodded. "Yes, Sir!"

Galaxia quickly left her post, making for the command deck. "Report!" she shouted.

Operations did a quick check. "Shield's buckling on Deck Fourteen!" she reported. "I am rerouting emergency power to that generator to compensate!"

"Phasers are at full power! Torpedoes loaded and ready to fire!" Tactical added.

Serenity leaned in. "We learned that Chaos is weak to weapons blasts set on the higher EM band! If we can hit its exact center with a concentrated phaser blast, we might be able to take it out before we suffer too much damage!"

"Agreed! Tactical, ready phasers! Locate the exact center of the Chaos fragment, and hit with everything we got!"  
Tactical followed her orders without complaint. "Ready, Sir!" she reported, just as a power conduit suddenly blew, bathing the area with gas.

Serenity was already on it, making her way over to one of the unmanned stations. "Computer, seal that conduit!" she shouted. "Redirect power through the secondary!"

"_Affirmative._"

"Fire Phasers!" Galaxia ordered. "Torpedo Room, are you ready?"

"_We're as ready as we'll ever be!"_ the First Officer replied.

"Prepare to fire immediately after the phaser blast. You'll get only one shout at this!"

"_Acknowledged!"_

-

It didn't take any of the three warriors who were witnessing this memory to figure out what happened next.

The _Dynas_ fired a series of direct phaser blast from their main array, aimed at the exact center of the Chaos fragment. The resultant blast caused it to turn an eerie blood red, but not much effect elsewhere.

However, Torpedo Control had already locked on to the new energy flow. Two Quantum Torpedoes were launched a mere second later.

The Fragment was suddenly pummeled by energy from zero space, as the two torpedoes detonated on target. The energy that emerged from it swept across the mass, destroying it utterly. Just like that, the battle was over.

Galaxia let out a sigh of relief at that. "Thank the Gods for small favors," she said. "Take us out to a safe distance, and keep scanning for any more fragments. I don't want us to be caught off guard again."

"Aye, Sir," Tactical replied, getting to work.

Rini grinned at that. "Not bad."

Serenity grinned as well. "I thought it was pretty good, too. Galaxia had just had her first trial through fire, and passed it with flying colors." Her expression became sadder. "Unfortunately, it would also be one of her last days as a free woman."

Sere caught note of the shift in her daughter's expression, and realized what that meant. "We're approaching the final battle, aren't we?"

She nodded. "Yes, Mother… we are."

**

* * *

Psychic Plane**

She could get used to be in a state of psychic limbo, if it weren't so immaterial!

Mars looked around, taking note of the other presences nearby, all of them floating in the same murky darkness, mere outlines of their true selves. She knew that she looked very much the same way, and chose not to comment.

But slowly, they all consolidated, their forms taking color, mass, and texture. A sort of floor appeared underneath their feet, and they settled down on it, as if there was gravity in this place.

J'onn quickly looked around, as if sensing the plain around them. "She is near," he said, eye glowing. "Her power… her power is considerable."

Mars nodded, calling her powers to her. "Everybody, get ready to attack!" she shouted, waiting.

The wait didn't last long, as Phoenix suddenly emerged into the area of engagement, her power forming an orange red shield around her. She had sensed them, and was ready for battle. And it would be a drawn out battle.

Unlike any other time they had come across an enemy, there was no discussion, no threats, and no ultimatums. Instead, there was a brief moment of preparation, as every combatant readied themselves for the coming battle…

… And, like a sun going supernova, they all struck as one.

**

* * *

Hogwarts**

"The battle has been joined," Raven stated, stepping back. She was the only psychic that wasn't participating in the battle. "Hopefully, they'll survive long enough for the journey to be completed."

"That's all we can hope for," Harry replied, while Wendy watched on.

**

* * *

Prometheus**

"Everything ready?" Tonks asked.

Anakin nodded, powering up the Stargate Dialing Control. "We're ready to try."

"Good." The Auror sat back, watching the screen. So far, she had made all of the right choices. Would this choice be the wrong one, the one that got them all killed? There was only one way to find out; take the plunge. "Dial the Gate."

Outside, the Sunak's sensors suddenly picked the Gate beginning its activation sequence. As one, they all turned towards the free floating structure, thinking that it was someone dialing in. And they were already there, so it wasn't any of their reinforcements. So far, so good.

The second the Supergate activated, Tonks nodded to Peter, who was at the helm.

Immediately, _Prometheus _surged forward at full impulse, the cloaking device giving them the cover they needed to delay the inevitable barrage.

They were within ten miles of the Sunak Fleet when one vessel suddenly detected their neutrino signature coming at them full power. The information was transferred to all vessels, alerting them to the fact that they had been tricked. Tactical officers all across the board brought their weapons to bear.

Too slow.

_Prometheus_ blew past the rear guard, their shields coming up almost immediately. Peter bobbed and weaved around the ships, sometimes whirling around one to make it more difficult to target them.

When they passed the middle wave, Engineering shut off the cloaking device, shunting auxiliary power into the shields and STF. Stealth had done its part getting them past the first lines of defense. Now they would have to tough it out.

The Sunak gave them their due by opening fire, the final line having had the time to lock on to their impulse drives. Pure white energy strikes battered the _Raptor _class warship, making the shields light up like a Christmas tree. _Prometheus_ returned the favor, silver phaser blasts pummeling the vessels closest to them.

For no matter how advanced the Sunak had advanced since _Prometheus's_ construction, the warship was still superior to them in every way.

Tonks took a bit of delight at watching the two vessels they were engaging break off, surgical strikes to their weapons and impulse engines taking their toll. Sixteen ships was a definite difference than facing off against fifty.

Then the ship convulsed underneath her, reminding her of the fact that those other ships were, in fact, behind them.

"Diverting reserves to aft and dorsal shields!" Kingsley reported, launching several torpedoes at their pursuers.

"Evasive maneuvers, Peter!" Tonks ordered. "Skywalker, keep your eyes on those shields! If they fluctuate, taking power from nonessential systems!"  
"Aye, Sir!" Anakin focused on his console. "They're launching torpedoes!"  
"Don't worry, they won't hit us!" Peter stated confidently. "Claire, how are we doing with those countermeasures?"  
"_We're ready down here!"_ Claire replied from Engineering. "_Set course bearing 154 mark 710!"_

"Already on it! Just get ready!" The young Gryffindor set the course in, and readied himself. "Now!"

With that, _Prometheus_ wrenched herself to port, flares launching from its aft in a spread. The torpedoes immediately changed direction, as if attracted to its energy signature. The vessel plowed on, unharmed.

"Shields are down to fifty percent!" Kingsley shouted. "I'm unable to boost them any further!"

Tonks gritted her teeth. If those shields fell, their hull plating would only last forty seconds before it failed as well. Then they would be sitting ducks.

But there was their objective. They had just passed the last ship, and the Supergate loomed before them, a rippling oasis of safety.

"Shields are gone!"

"Twenty seconds from the event horizon!" Peter stated at the same time. They had enough time.

The fleet stepped up the intensity of its attack, the _Vigilant_ leading the charge. Disruptor blasts battered the warship as they approached the Supergate's maw. The Hull looked like it was beginning to buckle.

But beginning to and actually buckling were two entirely different things.

Twenty seconds before the last line of her defense was to fall, _Prometheus_ entered the rippling pool, and making it to safety.

In the span of thirty minutes, one battle was over.

Now two more battles had to be won.

**

* * *

Memory of the Past**

"We almost lost our anti matter containment grid, and the hull is eroded on Deck Eleven," Galaxia reported. "So far, we have no clue on how to combat it, but we did get some interesting intelligence on the battle."

"There were no casualties reported," the doctor stated. "Crew morale is pretty good."

Shayera nodded in understanding. "We got lucky," she said, acquiring everyone's attention. "Chaos was obviously preparing for a full scale assault, which means it was ready to make a final push. What we don't is when."

"And we cannot take the chance." Serenity leaned forward. "My Lady, it is obvious that Chaos can detect any capital-sized ship that approaches the Cauldron. Perhaps a small shuttle will have better luck penetrating the defense perimeter."

The Chief Engineer nodded. "It's possible. The shuttle's mass reads equal to that of a meteorite. Those go into the Cauldron all the time without a problem."

"The problem, is that shuttlecraft have no weapons," Proxima stated. "The only way such a vessel will be able to go in there, and come back is for two powerful beings were to go in."

Rini looked at Sere. "What does that mean?" she asked.

Sere looked down at her granddaughter, while Serena kept her attention focused on the meeting. "This must be where Galaxia volunteered to fight Chaos."

Indeed, Galaxia immediately raised her hand. "I'll take the mission, Sir," she said.

Shayera looked at her little girl, feeling a swell of pride go through her. "There's no need to volunteer, Galia. I'll do it."

"You're the captain of this ship," Serenity reminded her gently. "Galaxia also has the right idea. This is still a Senshi affair, and the last thing we need is for Alania to revoke your active status. Besides, she will not be alone. I will be with her, fighting alongside her."

Sere could see that the Guardian didn't like the idea, but that she could also see the logic behind it. "Very well, Serenity." She turned her attention to her Chief Engineer. "How long will it take to modify the shuttle to mask their life signs?"

"About two hours. I'll need to make extensive modifications to the plasma manifold while I'm at it, so they can slip in at the same speed as a meteorite."

"Get started. In the meantime, we'll hold position here for about five hours. You have that long to get in, get the information, and get out. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good then. Dismissed. Galaxia, Serenity, stay for a few minutes." She waited until everyone else had left, before saying, "I don't like it when people tell me what I can and cannot do on my ship. Almost as much as I don't like people keeping something from me. You two are keeping something from me."

Serenity sighed, sitting up. "Shayera, we wanted to talk to you after the meeting for this very reason."

"Timelord Akalon visited us last night," Galaxia blurted out. "He said that it was imperative that we take the mission."

"What?!" Shayera stood up. "That freaking asshole wants you to do this?!"  
Rini turned to Serena. "You know, the more I learn about the Timelord, the less I like him."

Serena shrugged. "He's got a very important job. I think he's under a lot of pressure to do it right."

Galaxia sighed, looking rather exhausted. "Look, I doubt that he would tell me this if he didn't think I could do it, Mother," she said. "He's not someone who will put a person's life in danger, unless it will save lives."

"The Senshi Wars have been going on as long as Senshi have existed," Serenity added. "And now we have been given our first golden chance to end them. With Chaos's defeat, we can focus more on Metellus and Beryl's forces, and not divide ourselves."

"And what is more, Chaos _is_ a Senshi problem. If the Guardian's become involved, that will be like saying that they don't think we can handle this. We have to be able to handle this, without any outside interference."

For a moment, Shayera was silent. Then, a small humorless grin emerged on her face. "Damn it Serenity, Galia," she said. "Why couldn't you have been _bad_ Senshi?"

Galaxia smiled. "Because we know what we're doing is right."

The Guardian stood up, a smile breaking out on her face. "You two have made your point. I won't hinder you in any way. Just… make sure you come back."

"No problem."

* * *

Well, here is Part Five. Part Six will probably be the last one… ha! I said it about this one too! Please review.

Well, this weekend has been pretty hectic. We've been hit by our yearly blizzard, which means snow has high as my knee, or higher. And I'm hoping against hope that it ends soon.


	95. Seventy, Part Six

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy, Part Six**

**Psychic Plain**

The explosive fury of Phoenix's attack knocked the entire group of warriors out of Phoenix's way. The stumbled back to their feet, trying to regain their bearings.

But the shockwave also forced the mutant to break off her attack.

Mars quickly recovered her equilibrium, and charged forward, launching an attack at Phoenix. Her opponent ducked, grabbing the Fire Senshi's outstretched arm. With an evil grin, she quickly stood up, twirling around for a few seconds until she acquired sufficient velocity.

Then, with a bellow of effort, she 'threw' Mars across the plain.

J'onn quickly caught her before she got too far, bringing her down to 'solid ground.' When she was centered, he and Jean started forward, Mars and Xavier following suite.

Phoenix chuckled as she watched them approach. "Foolish," she said, her powers coming to the fore again. "You actually think you can _beat_ me?" She lashed out with a series of psychic balls, aiming at their legs, for lack of a better term.

The four of them were forced to break off their attack, making in different directions. At the same time, they launched attacks of their own.

Phoenix blocked their attacks, laughing at the sheer futility of it all. "You can't hope to beat me!" she crowed. "My powers have no limits here!" With that, she lashed out again.

Rei quickly jumped over to Jean, grabbing hold of her and leaping away. "If we're not careful, we're going to get creamed by her! Any ideas?"

"Not really!" Jean replied. "Phoenix has a three hundred sixty degree sense, from the looks of it! And with that power…!"

The Fire Senshi understood, and made her way forward again. They had to keep her away from Rini's mind any way they could.

----

The impact was akin to a blast of psychic fire.

Amy had managed to reach the outer wall of Serena's mental defenses, crashing into it really. Righting herself, she whirled around, already knowing who was coming.

Every one of her memories of the Moon Kingdom, which were easily more accessible than Ami's, showed her what had happened all those centuries ago. How at the end of the battle, she had stood alone against the real Queen Beryl, and somehow managed to beat her. How she had, in her final moments of life, managed to give Serenity the time needed to utilize the Silver Imperium Crystal, trapping the enemy within its confines. If there was anyone who would hold a grudge, it was Beryl.

Sure enough, as if she had been waiting for her to realize this, the Negaverse Queen appeared before her, her eyes smoldering. "Sailor Mercury," she growled.

Mercury dipped her head mockingly. "So good to see you again, your Highness," she replied, tone matching movement. "Tell me, how is your leg?"

"Perfect."

"Darn. I was hoping that they would have had to amputate it."

The two enemies glared at each other, as ground appeared beneath them. The surround seemed to flux with power. Two titans readied themselves for battle one more time.

"I guess we need to see who the best fighter is," Mercury said at long last, fists cracking audibly.

"Yes." Beryl raised her own fists, beckoning her to come at her. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

There was no climatic pause, no calm before the storm. There were no witnesses, no spells. There wasn't even a small bow of acknowledgement… of respect. No quarter would be asked for, and none would be given.

They simply went at each other, hatred coursing through one's veins, love for a friend coursing through the other.

And their battle was even greater than the Phoenix's.

Memory of the Past

Galaxia looked up as Serenity entered the shuttlecraft, holding a power pack in her hands. "What's that for?" she asked.

Serenity looked up as she put it into the auxiliary socket. "We may need an additional power source if we run into trouble," she replied, bringing the pack online. "Also, if we do not, then we can use the energy inside to augment our own strength."

Nodding, the Golden Senshi went back to her calibrations, unaware of the slight crimping in her fellow Senshi's eyes. Of course, it wouldn't have registered anyway, as the three extra passengers onboard hadn't either. "Well, either way, I've finished putting our course in, as well as possible course changes that we'll need make. With a little luck, we'll get past Chaos's defenses without being detected."

"Good."

"Somehow, I don't think being able to get past Chaos's defenses is a good thing," Rini muttered.

Serena nodded. "I second that."

Sere shook her head, amazed at how much the two of them were the same. It was frankly very disturbing. "When one is hoping to end a war against an immaterial menace, one tends to think outside the box," she explained patiently. "In this instance, they were going after the main mass of Chaos within the Cauldron. If they don't, then the war would have lasted a whole lot longer."

Serenity nodded. "And the Moon Kingdom would never have been created. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good." She turned around, shutting the door behind her. "We are all set."

"All systems go." The Golden Senshi toggled the communication relay. "Bridge, this is Shuttlecraft _Kahless_. Requesting permission to depart."

"_Permission granted, _Kahless." Even over the circuit, Shayera's voice was less than enthused. "_Good hunting you two, and come back in one piece."_

"_Kahless_ confirms." As Galaxia said this, the dock master opened the bay doors, revealing the aft of the _Dynas_, and space itself.

The shuttle smoothly rose into the air, and flew forward, passing through the atmospheric shield easily, before angling off. Its course changed, she flew towards the Galaxy Cauldron.

Sere looked up, seeing the time on the clock. "Four hours from Galaxia's fall," she said. "Serena, is that where your doubt lies?"  
Serenity turned around, looking at her mother. "Yes," she replied. "That is where I failed."

Prometheus, Realm 2 Hogwarts

"We are approaching Hogwarts," Helm reported, sending the access code to the school.

"Proceed on established docking procedures," Tonks ordered, turning to Peter. "Inform the Medical Wing that they'll be receiving several new patients. Have Sailors Moon and Mercury beamed there immediately."

"Aye, Sir."

----

Harry and Pomfrey watched as Sailor Moon and Mercury appeared, the later still in the intimate linking of a Vulcan Mind Meld. Her eyes were closed tightly in concentration, which meant she had met with some resistance from within.

Galia took one look at the Mercury Senshi, her red eyes widening in shock. "Ami," she whispered.

Harry grinned, though surprised by what he was seeing. "Close enough." He turned around. "Rini's coming the old fashioned way, I take it."

"As is Sailor Mars," McGonagall replied. "It's too dangerous to pull her out of her meditative trance at this point."

Nodding to himself, the Trainee turned to Hermione and Raven, who were busy observing J'onn and Xavier. "Any change?"

"No. So far, they're holding their own." Raven looked up, the torment in her eyes clear. "But they can only hold out for so long. "I can augment their powers, but I can't do indefinitely. It takes a whole lot of power to stay on the psychic plain, which is why only the strongest go there."

"Is there anything you can do, Shayera?" Darling asked.

The Guardian shook her head. "I can't do anything," she replied. "Even if I go in there, that just means another target for Phoenix to take apart."

"And no time gain."

"Exactly."

Dumbledore turned towards the beds, his gaze contemplative. "What about adding mystical telepathy to their powers?" he asked.

Everyone turned to him, Shayera looking at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm a fully qualified Legimens, which is slightly below a true mind reader," the Headmaster explained. "Which means I send my power into another person when I wish to acquire information. Now, if the person in question knows Occlumency, then my power is blocked. But since they are already there fighting…"

"It might give them the energy boost they need to survive."

Raven nodded. "It's a sound plan. Pretty devious, too. I never would have expected that from you."

Harry nodded in agreement with Raven, looking at Dumbledore. It was as if he was seeing someone he had never seen before. If Legilimency was a power that could access people's minds, what could the Headmaster know of all the students? Could he have actually known about Harry's and Hermione's plans concerning the Philosopher's Stone? The Chamber of Secrets?

What did he know about Harry… that Harry didn't?

Memory of the Past

"So Moon Momma was here during this life," Rini summarized. "And she couldn't do anything to stop Galaxia from sealing Chaos within her."

Sere nodded, once again humbled at how much her daughter cared about others. "It's definitely not surprising," she replied. "Caring about people seems to be a hereditary trait. Our bloodline has always put the concerns and welfare of others before our own."  
"We gathered." Serena turned around to gaze at the cockpit, looking at the person she used to be, feeling a swell of sympathy go through her. "It's too bad she… we have held this in our souls for so long. We shouldn't have to do that."

Rini smiled slightly. "That's true, Serena. But then again, if you didn't, you wouldn't be Sailor Moon. You wouldn't want to try harder… to make sure that it never happened again."

The two older females looked at this young girl, touched and surprised by the wisdom emanating from her. She was definitely her Mother's daughter, for sure.

Serenity looked at the display before, well aware of the conversation going on behind her. She heard what Rini had said, and was glad someone had said that. But that didn't change the fact that she had failed to save her friend. She had damned her to five thousand years of captivity, just because she hadn't been fast enough.

She hadn't made a difference.

"We have passed through the first line," she reported. Her eyes kept track of their progress. "Now the second line… the third line… we are approaching the final line."

"Which means we've gotten past the worst of it." Galaxia sounded hopeful. "Now all we have to worry about is Chaos itself…"

The words were barely out of her mouth when the shuttle suddenly keeled to starboard, almost taking the two of them from their seats. Another barrage hit after the first one, even more violent than the last.

"Did I say that we were out of the worst of it?"

"You did." Serenity checked her equipment. "We're being pounded by what looks like high gamma radiation! Looks like the Cauldron acts as a quantum singularity too! Gravity is increasing exponentionally! Even the back generator won't be enough!"

"Then we go on foot!" Galaxia was up in an instant, heading for the hatch. "Form a protective field around yourself! We're going for a little space walk!"  
The other Senshi quickly did so, while she opened the aft hatch. With no more trouble than they would have walking on a sidewalk, they quickly vacated the shuttle, continuing on to their target.

Serena watched the shuttle disintegrate around them. "So this must be what submarine crews feel like when they see the sea coming through their hull," she said.

"Lucky that we don't have to worry about suffocation," Sere added.

Rini gestured towards the forms of Galaxia and Serenity. "Shall we follow them? Because I don't have anything else better to do."

The other two couldn't think of anything else either, so they quickly followed, only vaguely surprised that they were running in space.

Psychic Plain

Mars grunted as she maintained her shield, protecting J'onn and Xavier from Phoenix's onslaught. She was very surprised by how long she had held out already.

But the Class Five mutant was relentless, and significantly more powerful. With each blow she dealt, Mars' shields faltered a bit more. Eventually, it would crumble, exposing the three of them to Phoenix's fury.

Suddenly, as if by a stroke of luck, the Fire Senshi felt a surge of power go through. Using this newfound power, she pushed back against her opponent.

Phoenix suddenly found herself thrown backwards, having not anticipated such a powerful counterattack. And, to add to her woes, Jean surged into action as well, hitting with a 'right hook' that sent her flying backwards. She hit the 'ground' hard, nursing a sore jaw.

Xavier and J'onn got up as well, having felt the same surge of power. "The balance of power has just been evened out some," the mutant noted.

"Hopefully, it will be enough." J'onn turned his gaze to their enemy, his eyes starting to glow gold. "Now let's take care of this woman."

"Let's." Mars brought her hands up. "_Mars Firebird Strike!_"

Phoenix erected a force field of her own, blocking the attack before it could hit. "You've managed to get your second wind," she growled, "however that is possible. But I can continue forever! How much longer can you?"

Jean joined the other three, her powers roaring to the surface. "We'll soon find out, won't we?"

----

Standing toe to toe once again, blows slamming into nearly impenetrable defenses, Sailor Mercury and Queen Beryl fought. These were two warriors who had literally almost fought to the death.

Beryl gritted her teeth, her hands like vipers as she tried to gain the upper hand against her opponent. Twice she had fought the blue haired princess in battle; once in the Silver Millennium, then again in Tokyo. The two beatings were nothing short of aggravating to her. Both times, Mercury had unknowingly tapped in the Planetary Guardian's power, giving her the edge she needed to beat Beryl.

This time, she had accessed a considerable amount of Ami's power and ability, and she was now using it to her full advantage.

Mercury grunted as one powerful fist slammed into her elbow, causing a shock to go up and down the limb. Ignoring the pain, she countered with a high kick, forcing the Negaverse ruler back a few feet. Her mind was whirling with how she was able to last against this behemoth for a third time. But she was, and that was all that mattered.

Beryl rubbed where the kick had landed, nodding once to Mercury. "Well done, Amy," she said in honest respect. "Your innate skill continues to impress me, despite my deep abiding hatred for you. Tell me, why do you protect the Moon Princess so? Why do you fight alongside her?"  
"Why does it matter to you?" Amy retorted, rubbing her arm fretfully as she readied for the next round. "You seem to hate us just for the hell of it! You're jealous of Serena's love for Prince Darien! And you hate me even more for taking away your most powerful Shadow Warrior!"

"My hatred's are well known, Princess! I had always wondered why Serenity took a shine to you! But then our battle came, and I figured it out." The all powerful queen leered at her. "You had Ami's power flowing through you even then. And, more importantly, I know why you fought so hard!" Her leer grew more pronounced as the Senshi readied herself. "I know your secret, Amy Mizuno. The secret that you keep locked away from Princess Serena and Prince Darien. A secret that you don't want your precious Moon Princess finding out."

Mercury took a step back, her heart hammering in her chest as her mind registered what she said. How could she _know_? Had she been that transparent?

Her split second hesitation cost her. Beryl suddenly surged forward, catching the Mercury Senshi across the jaw with a right hook. She flew back almost twenty 'feet,' landing in a crumpled heap. Sensing triumph at long last, Beryl came in, her fist raised high.

Mercury suddenly moved into action, both feet coming in to connect directly into Beryl's chest. The Queen staggered back, trying to reclaim her air.

Mercury stood up, her eyes shimmering with barely suppressed rage. "You corrupted Greg," she snarled, her twin blades appearing in her hands. "You turned him against his own people. And then you killed Serena. How did you think I was going to react!"

"Not as furiously as you did. You fought like a woman possessed. That was how I knew." Her air, so to speak restored, Beryl created energy blades for her use. "Not that Serena will ever know. You always did put friendship over anything else. Well, you'll get your wish." The blades came up. "She'll never know… because you will be dead!"  
With that, the two combatants charged one another again.

Memory of the Past

"Gravimetric pressure is climbing," Serenity reported, having no problem keeping the tremble from her voice. Behind her, she knew that Sere and the others were floating right behind her, still watching the events as they unfolded. "We're reaching the end of our journey."

"And the beginning of the final battle," Galaxia smiled. "You know, we're making scientific history here."

"Huh? What do you mean?"  
"We're the first Senshi to get this close to the Cauldron ever. We should take biometric samples, take preliminary scans of the surround… that sort of thing."

Rini's eyes widened at the explosion of curiosity coming from the Spartan. "Wow," she said. "I never knew Aunt Galaxia had an interest in science."

"I think it was astronomy." Serena grinned. "I never told the others, but I have that same interest."

"A noble hobby to have, Serena." Sere grinned. "But why haven't you told the others?"

Serenity turned her head. "Amy already knows, and so does Molly," she replied. "I think she and I didn't want Rei getting on our case. Mina would be having a cow about learning that Serena Tsukino has an interest besides beyond shoes, Darien, and food. Lita would probably have a heart attack." The two sides giggled a bit. "Now that I think about it, their reactions would be pretty funny."

"Big time. Hey Rini, did Neo Queen Serenity tell them when she got older?" Serena asked.

Rini nodded, laughing. "And they reacted exactly as you've described, from what I've been told. Amy was laughing at the three of them for almost two days."

"Well, that's saying something."

Serenity was about to reenter the conversation, when she suddenly stopped. "Galaxia!" she shouted. "Do not take another step!"

Galaxia quickly stopped, her red eyes going wide. "Thanks, but I didn't really need the warning," she replied. And no wonder.

The two Senshi were now staring at the main body of Chaos itself. And it was rising out of the cauldron like Lazarus.

Serenity looked up, staring at the closest thing to the abyss that her universe had. "I think we should have taken your mother up on her offer," she said at long last.

"Too late to turn back now," Galaxia replied, Spartan eagerness reigning its mighty head. "So let's kick this thing's ass!" Her broadsword was already out, and ready.

Serenity shrugged, calling her scepter from the ether. "Let's."

As one, the two Senshi charged.

Hogwarts

Dumbledore opened his eyes, swaying slightly. "That's all I can do for them," he said, sitting down on an empty bed. "The rest is up to them."

McGonagall turned to the Headmaster, worried about his health. He was by no means a young man, being well over a hundred years old. "Are you going to be alright, Albus?" she asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll be fine, Minerva. Mister Ishida, Alliance, everyone is in play."

"_Thanks, Professor,"_ Sailor Venus's voice sounded off, sounding truly terrified for her friend's safety. "_I just hope it's enough."_

Galia turned to the Moon Princess, her eyes sad. "I wish I could do more, though," she whispered.

Hermione put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing. "Don't worry," she said. "We've done everything we can do. The Sailor Scouts will prevail, because they will allow for no other outcome. You'll see."

"And besides," Raven added, monitoring Serena's progress, "all of us knew the risks when the Deadly Alliance began its assault. If they die today, then they die in battle, which is the best way for a soldier to go out. They won't give up, and for their sake, we can't either."

Galia thought about it, nodded. "It doesn't make it any easier to watch."

Shayera stepped up next to her daughter, putting a motherly hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Galia. Sailor Mercury just happens to be one of the finest Senshi in the modern age. And she protects Serena with even more ferocity than their friends. If anyone can do the impossible, and bring the reincarnated Alpha Serenity back, it's her and Serena's family. Just have faith that they can do it."

The young warrior thought about it, before turning back to the beds. Here, she saw three generations of one bloodline; the past, the present, and the future. All hopes lay with this Sailor Moon surviving, to do what her future as Eternal Moon couldn't do; defeat the undefeatable, and live to tell the tale.

In that one moment, Galia prayed. And so did the rest of them. It was all they could do.

And then McGonagall's communicator beeped.

Psychic Plain

It felt like they had battled for hours, when it reality it had been only twenty minutes. The mental battle field they were on was slowly beginning to show signs of damage, as Mars led the charge against the Phoenix.

Phoenix was battered. Her shields, though stronger than anything encountered before, were still with limits. They could only stand so much pounding before they fell, and fall they did.

But they had suffered considerably as well. Even with the augmenting energy of Dumbledore to bolster them, the four of them were reaching the end of their rope. Mars was barely standing as is, while Xavier was fading in and out. Jean was little better off, and J'onn was holding back to rest.

Phoenix took a deep breath, her own exhaustion showing through. "You… put up a… valiant effort," she gasped out, eyes locking with Rei's. "But… shortly… I will have more power to call upon. I have no… limits!"

Mars was well aware of that. While Phoenix had an endless reserve of power at her disposal, the four of them were almost out. They would eventually be forced out of the plain, and forced back into their own heads… or their weakened psychic energies would begin to drift, never to return. And as she realized this, Mars saw the mutant before them stand up straighter, as her next surge of power arrived, bringing her to full strength. Sighing heavily, the Shinto Priestess prepared herself for the worst.

_Do not fear, my friends. Retreat, and regain your strength. I will take it from here._

The sudden psychic wave that followed this startling message was so sudden that Phoenix couldn't mount a shield in time. She was thrown back at least fifty 'feet,' her expression one of unmitigated surprise.

Mars sensed that whoever was helping them was truly on their side, and decided to trust her. "Pull back, all of you!" she shouted. "We need time to recover!" And, sending a mental _She's_ _all yours_ to their new ally, she let her consciousness vanish back to the real world.

Phoenix quickly rose, seeing her counterpart and Xavier vanish into the ether. Her surprise grew even more as a _new_ warrior entered the field afterwards, dark eyes glinting with determination.

Adria Mal Doran smiled humorlessly as she took in her opponent. "You're not welcome here," she said blandly, fire forming in her eyes. "I think you should leave… before I make you." The fire formed in her hand, ready for use.

Phoenix let loose a snarl. "You're certainly welcome to try, half breed!"

And, as one, the two combatants let their attacks loose.

Memory of the Past

Chaos surged forward, all the darkness in its essence coming out in an explosive array of power. As the ultimate force in Realm 4, it commanded the energies of the cosmos itself.

But none of that awe inspiring power touched either Senshi.

Alpha Serenity and Galaxia, both powerful individuals in their own right, evaded the attacks sent at them, their weapons coming up. When Tendrils of Chaos came forward, they destroyed them quickly.

Galaxia was the first to reach the target. With a Spartan war cry that would have done her mother and the Klingon's proud, she brought her broadsword down upon the entity, slicing through its starboard side like a hot knife through butter. She quickly flew backwards, avoiding the counter attack easily.

Serenity brought her weapon up, the energy within reaching its peak. "_Moon Honeymoon Power Kiss!"_ she intoned, the words carrying through the abyss despite the lack of air. Her attack slammed into the injury, cutting through the particles.

Rini blinked in shock. "Whoa!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know that she could do that with a healing attack!"

"Because Chaos is death and destruction, it has the same basic weakness as any creature of darkness!" Serenity replied. "Healing energy can weaken or even destroy Chaos fragments! That was proven in this battle, though she never said that!"

Serena suddenly realized the crucial factor. "That's why Chaos wanted a Senshi!" she exclaimed. "That way, it would have soldiers that wouldn't be affected by this weakness!"

"She catches on!"

In the meantime, Serenity quickly moved out of the way as several dozen tendrils suddenly shot out for her. As she avoided them, she saw Galaxia come in, her broadsword coming up to slice through them. At the same time, an energy string, her Inflation attack, emerged from her free hand, slamming into Chaos again.

Chaos responded with an all out attack. This time, neither one of them had time to evade the blast, as it encompassed the whole area, and both were blown back hard.

Serenity shook the attack off, thankful for the shield she had erected protected, and turned to Galaxia. She saw the smoking golden armor, and thanked the Gods that her friend had both Senshi power and Trainee durability all rolled into one.

This was shown as Galaxia shook off the attack like it was a bug bite, before starting forward again. The Alpha Senshi took off as well, hoping for a two pronged assault.

The malevolent entity was ready for them this time.

As they approached, it suddenly lashed out with hundreds of tendrils; far too many for them to destroy or evade. They caught both Senshi in their grip, and began dragging them forward, towards the Cauldron's edge. Once there, they would be powerless to fight both it and the sheer gravitational force of the black hole itself.

"You know, I think this thing likes us!" Serenity called out to Galaxia, her broach opening to reveal her Silver Crystal.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not into that kind of thing!" Galaxia replied, her Sapphire Crystal already powering up. "So let's get out of this forced wedding!"

Their crystals at full power, the two Senshi let loose a blast that could be seen from the _Dynas'_ bridge. Their collective energy quickly destroyed the majority of the tendrils, freeing them. They put that to good use, collecting enough power to let loose a concentrated energy beam at their target.

"_You think you can defeat me with that!"_ a voice suddenly boomed out, as the attacks slammed into Chaos head on. "_I am one of the two balancing acts in the cosmos! You two are nothing more than irritants!"_

"If that's the case…" Serenity struck again, "why are we still breathing? Galaxia!"

The Golden Senshi had snuck in as their attack dissipated, her blade coming up. With a powerful cry of victory, she sank it deep into Chaos's flank.

Chaos's scream shook the fabric of reality as the blade penetrated deep within her. Emboldened, Galaxia pulled it out, and struck again.

Serenity launched another healing attack as the new wound, causing the entity to convulse in supreme agony. Slowly, but surely, they were making headway.

But then Chaos changed the rules once again. Its power blasted outwards in all directions, knocking them both back. Neither had had any time to prepare for it, and spiraled backwards.

Galaxia quickly grabbed her friend before she could fly back any further, helping her stabilize herself. "This is getting us nowhere. That monster will simply force us away, and heal itself. We need to draw it out of the Cauldron, and follow us to the planetoid!"

Serenity looked at her. "What do you propose?" she asked.

"Drive it in that direction. Once it's there, we perform the sealing spell on it, forcing its essence to separate. But the timing has to be precise."

"Then prepare yourself. I will lead it to us. Go!" Serenity turned around as Galaxia teleported, launching another attack. "Come on, Chaos!" she shouted. "You want to crush me like a bug, but first you must catch me!" Attacking again, she quickly flew off in the direction of the Planetoid. With a bellow, Chaos followed.

Serena saw how Serenity was moving, avoiding the energy blast, understanding dawning. "She won't be able to perform the sealing spell," she said, not even needing an explanation.

Sere shook her head. "No… no she won't. Something that happens that forces her to abort. I just don't know what."

Rini stared at the form of Serenity as she avoided attack after attack. "I think we're going to find out," she said.

Psychic Plain

Mercury and Beryl broke apart a second time, leaping away from each other. Because of where they were, they weren't sweating, but if it had been an actual physical encounter, they'd be sweating buckets. Mercury was panting, a blade acting like a staff keeping her upright. Beryl was breathing hard, chest heaving with the effort.

"Looks like… we're still even in combat ability," Mercury gasped.

"Looks that way. Even after all of this time… you still… defend her so ferociously." Beryl stood up fully, her eyes boring into her opponent's soul. "I think… that is why you were able to beat me."

"Surprise, surprise." Amy felt new power flow through her veins, and her exhaustion dropped away. "You obviously know a great deal about me. You know that I don't protect Serena because she's the Moon Princess. If it were just that, then I would simply be doing my duty. I protect her because she's my friend, and the closest thing I have to a sister. And I won't let you or anyone else harm her… ever again!" This time, she was the one to initiate the attack, sweeping in with such power and conviction, that Beryl couldn't even hope to block.

It wasn't a physical attack, if there was such a thing in that realm of thought.

It wasn't a mental attack.

Rather, Mercury brought her hands up, power collecting in her palms. It massed into a single sphere, waiting to be unleashed. And unleash it, she did.

"_Planetary… Laser!"_

The energy shot out in a single beam of pure white light. It slammed into Beryl's hastily erected shield, shattering it like an egg shell before it could reach full strength. Beryl screamed in agony…

… and was hurled back from her meditation zone, slamming into the far wall.

Metellus, who had observed the whole thing, waited until Beryl had stood up, before finally asking, "_She beat you again, Beryl?"_

Beryl nodded, rubbing her head. "She is a stubborn one, I'll give her that. I don't even underestimate her, and she beats me."

"_Still, this was telling. Kilrah was right in his observations. One day, we'll be able to use that to our advantage."_

"Until that day… I'm going to assign Malachite to Lunar, and prepare Kilrah for the day when he can finally take care of Mizuno once and for all."

----

Adria leaped out of the way as another blast shot past her, her own shields holding. She was eternally grateful that the Ori had given her greater powers than the Priors. Otherwise, she would have probably been defeated already.

Phoenix advanced upon her, psychic blasts forming around her again. "I have to admit, you've put up a hell of a fight," she said. "But you can't keep this up forever, _Orici_. Eventually, even you will tire."

Adria shrugged, not letting her guard down one bit. "Perhaps. But I don't have to defeat you. I just have to hold you back until reinforcements get here."

"Reinforcements? There _are_ no reinforcements to call! The only people who can help you are gone!"

"Not really, bitch!"  
Suddenly, catching her completely by surprise, four different psychic forces slammed into her at roughly half the speed of light. Her scream was more than enough to let them know that they had hurt her. Adria added her power to the attack, increasing the pain tenfold.

Mars, J'onn, Xavier, and Jean had retreated only far enough so they couldn't be detected, and quickly allowed their power to flow through them again. It wasn't enough to completely wipe away the exhaustion they all felt, but they weren't going to stop until Serena was free again. So, they had snuck in from behind, while Phoenix and the decidedly powerful newcomer traded blows, and launched a sneak attack. Phoenix didn't even sense them coming.

The Class Five mutant dropped to her knees while the five psychics came together, readying themselves for one more attack. Put together, their power was considerable enough for even her to worry about.

"You've had enough, Phoenix?" Rei challenged. "Are you ready to surrender?"

Struggling to her feet, the mutant glared at her enemies, knowing that she could still defeat them. "Not quite yet, Sailor Mars!" she spat. "I may be hurt, but I am not out of this fight yet!" She gathered all of her power, and unleashed in one single blast.

As one, the five psychics retaliated in kind, a similar blast of energy rushing out to meet it.

The collision of their powers could be felt by telepathically gifted people across Existence. Betazoids hastily brought the full force of their training to the fore, blocking the tremendous amount of pain they were feeling from their minds. Vulcans and other touch telepaths sought peace through Surak's teachings, using it as a focal point to keep their sanity. The Jedi realized what it was, and silently voiced their support to the few brave warriors who would take on a mortal god.

And, on the _Valkyrie,_ one Occampan turned to her Ready Room window, using her own unique abilities to bolster them even further.

Memory of the Past

Serenity beat her wings faster, evading another attack from Chaos by the barest of margins. She was almost to the planetoid, and so far, she hadn't been hit with a killing blow. All she had to do was make sure that it stayed that way. The bruises, broken leg, and blood from a cut to her hip showed that she hadn't emerged unscathed.

Chaos continued following her, its mass growing as more of it poured out of the Cauldron. Obviously, these two Senshi had caused it a great deal of aggravation. Now it was ready to return the favor.

The Alpha Senshi reached the planetoid… and suddenly swerved right, just as Chaos' full form finished emerging. Its front, on the other hand, slammed into a complex shield. Enraged at how it was being played, it tried to pull back.

Only to learn that it couldn't move.

The shield was in fact a trap, designed to capture and hold extremely dangerous creatures. Under normal circumstances, it would snap shut like a Venus Fly Trap, and hold on indefinitely. But, considering that the force they had captured was nothing _but_ power, it wouldn't hold for more than a few minutes.

But for their plan to work, all they needed as a few minutes.

"_Galaxy Guardian Strike!_" Galaxia suddenly roared, unleashing the most powerful attack in her mystical arsenal.

Sere gasped as an intense beam of energy slammed into Chaos, causing it to jerk and convulse within the barrier. "Incredible! She was able to combine her Senshi and Trainee magic to form an extremely powerful attack! They don't write these things into the history books!"  
Rini grinned. "Big time!" she replied. Serena was struck dumb by this spectacle of power.

Serenity, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening, and what would happen next. Still, despite the pain she was feeling, her voice shook with barely contained excitement. "Let's do it!" she shouted, hovering across from her friend. Both positioned themselves above the evil entity for the next phase of their plan.

"Agreed!" Galaxia replied, bringing her blade up.

"_Senshi… Sealing… STRIKER!"_

As one, the two Senshi brought their weapons down, slamming them deep into Chaos' mass. Power flowed out form them, encircling the being like a lasso.

Chaos screamed in agony and defiance as it fought against their spell. It thrashed within the barrier, trying to find any weakness with which to break free. Its molecular cohesion slowly began to dissipate, starting at the rear, and working its way forward.

Serenity grunted in pain as she felt the darkness reach for her Starseed. She fought it down, gritting herself. The moment the spell was completed, Chaos would be split between the two of them. They would have the time necessary to get back to the ship, where Shayera would put them into stasis. Then they would head for the nearest Supergate, go to Zion, and have an immediate exorcism. Afterwards, the Guardians would make sure that Chaos was sent into every single being across their galaxy.

But, she already knew that that wasn't how it would play out in the end.

As Chaos dissipated into almost a third of its former size, one tendril suddenly found a weak point… and broke through. It went through space, slamming into her with the force of a nuclear explosion. Letting out a scream of agony, she found herself almost torn in half by the attack. But an even greater pain assaulted her shortly.

As she was literally pushed out of alignment, and into space.

"_Serenity!_" Galaxia shouted, unable to leave her position.

Through her fading vision, Serenity looked up, seeing the Golden Senshi clearly. She could also see Chaos' form growing in size. "No," she murmured, trying to right herself, to go back and finish the spell. But her head was fuzzy, and her body felt like it had been almost rent apart by a ferocious beast. There was no way she would return in time.

Serena gasped as she saw the expression in Galaxia's face change. It went from grief, fear, to torn, before finally settling on determined. "Oh no," she whispered, understanding dawning in an explosion. "This is where…"

Rini nodded, her eyes tearing up. "This is where Galaxia loses her soul."

There was a sudden burst of energy, a burst that would outshine every star in the Milky Way Galaxy, as Sailor Galaxia poured all of her power into sealing Chaos once and for all. The four witnesses could hear her agonized scream, one that equaled her quarry.

And then… silence.

Serenity reappeared next to them, once again in Princess garb. Her eyes spoke of new knowledge, and shimmered with tears. "I lost consciousness at that point," she said, her voice older and wiser than it should have been. The scene before them stood frozen. "When I awoke, I found myself on Kinmoku, the Princess and Shayera standing over me. I told them what happened, and asked if they had found Galaxia."

"They didn't, did they?" Sere asked quietly.

"No. Shayera had taken me to Kinmoku herself, while the _Dynas _scanned the Cauldron, looking for her energy signature. But, three days before Shayera returned, they lost contact. No one knew why. When Shayera got to its last known location, she could find them. It was as if it had simply… vanished."

"Galaxia must have turned the crew."  
"That was what happened." Serenity sat down, the tears flowing. "Almost four months later, I told Kakyuu that I was leaving, and heading into parts unknown. I flew away from my home, and looking for a place that I could live out the rest of my life."  
Serena could guess where she found herself. "It wasn't your fault. Chaos caught you by surprise. Both of you knew the risks when you went out there to fight it. You both knew that you may not come back."

"We _both_ would have been alive and free if I hadn't been hit! I failed her at the most critical point! I was too weak to make it back before she made that choice!"

It was too much for the Moon Princess. With a tear sliding down her cheek, she rose again, and hugged Sere tightly. Sere quickly held her close as well, feeling nothing by sympathy and quiet understanding for this young woman.

Rini just stood there, before walking over to them, joining in the hug. The three of them cried for everything that had been lost. There were no words for this tragedy.

"Then stop crying about it, and get over it."

Those words, tossed so off handedly by Serena Tsukino, broke the hug rather effectively. Serenity turned around, meeting her twin's gaze with a fire that had long been dormant. "What did you say?" she asked, while Rini and Sere looked at Serena in shock.

Serena, for the first time in her life not intimidated, walked right up to her until they were nose and nose. "You heard me. So the mission didn't go off as planned. That's life, Princess. People lose their freedom, die in battle, or worse. She made a judgment call, when there were no other options. It is _you_ who thinks that you failed her. You didn't! You were never given a chance _to_ fail! If anything, she _saved_ you, sacrificing herself so that you could live!" Eyes, usually so open and friendly, were now as hard and flinty as ice. "I understand now why we never want others to sacrifice themselves for us. I get that now! But that is no excuse to keep this pain bottled up. And the sooner you can do that, the sooner you will forgive yourself!"

Sere stared at the teenager for a moment. This was Serena? This was the _wimp_?

Serenity stared at her in shock. She had never been talked to like by anyone. It was as if, by watching this, her future had found the backbone needed to grow. And more importantly, she was _right_.

She hadn't learned from the past. She had run away from it, tried to block it from her mind. Even when she was reincarnated, she had kept her distance from her court, not forming any close friendships.

As she looked at the brutally honest girl before, she realized that she had to accept it, to not lock her heart away a second time. So, she matched Serena's fire with her own. "Can you help me?" she asked with difficulty.

The ice melted, revealing the friendliness within. "If you'll let me," she replied, holding her hand out.

Serenity took it without hesitation.

And, where Moon Princess Serenity and Serena Tsukino once stood, Sailor Moon arose from the ashes, her soul reunited.

Sere looked at her daughter, seeing all of the pieces of her show in her face. "Are you all right, Serena?" she asked.

Serena shook her head. "Not yet," she replied. "But I won't run away. Not again."

"A good idea. Because we won't let you make that mistake again."

The Serenity bloodline turned as one is surprise. "Mercury!" three voices exclaimed.

Amy smiled softly as she looked at her friend. "You won't have to past your past alone, Serena," she said, walking up to her. "I'll be right by your side… and so will everyone else. On that, you can count on." Her smile grew. "No one can face such pain alone, and I don't intend to let you do that."

Words couldn't even begin to describe what either one was feeling. With a cry of joy, the two Scouts hugged each other, the bonds of friendship and sisterhood they felt for one another out there for all to see.

Rini grinned at this display of affection… before wincing in pain. "I think we may have a problem," she said, worried.

Slowly, but surely, the tide began to turn.

Not surprisingly, Phoenix's energy was proving too much for the five telepaths that faced her. Her energy blast was slowly overtaking them, pushing their power back.

"We can't keep this up!" Adria shouted. "If that hits, our minds will be obliterated!"

"We have to! Otherwise, Serena, Rini, and Serenity are dead!" Mars replied, her powers faltering as they reached their limit.

"You're all dead!" Phoenix screeched in victory, a cackle emerging as victory came within her grasp. "Nothing can save you now!"  
"Wanna bet, bitch!"

Suddenly, a massive blast of power slammed into the connecting point between the two beams, causing a mass detonation. Phoenix staggered back, while Mars and the others weathered the storm. When all had settled, all six of them looked up.

There, with Mercury, Sere, and Rini, was Sailor Moon, scepter up and ready.

Mars couldn't believe it. "We… we actually did it!"

Serena looked at her, her smile the brightest she had ever had. "That you did, Rei. That you did. Thank you, all of you." Her smile faded, and shifted to her enemy. "You know, this is where I say something cheesy, like attacking helpless people when they can't fight is completely wrong, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you." Her scepter began glowing with power. "But in your case, attacking my little girl's mind… I'll just skip that part and dust you now!"

With those words, the most powerful blast she had ever created before in her life was unleashed. Its power, focused by Rini's belief that they would win, was more than even a Class Five mutant could take.

Phoenix screamed as the attack crushed her shield as easily as if it were tissue paper, her body jerking about in agony…

…before being forced out of the plain, and back into her body. Her body, in turn, was hurtled back twenty feet, slamming into the far wall. She slid to the ground, unconscious.

Within the space of a mere moment, the battle was over. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the good guys had won.

Hogwarts

Mars, J'onn, Jean, and Xavier suddenly emerged from their trances, all gasping as they took stock of their surroundings. Adria, who was no more used to that very thing, entered the Hospital Wing, McGonagall supporting her.

Amy pulled back out of the Mind Meld, her eyes remaining focused on Serena's form as it began to stir.

Moaning lightly, Sere and Rini both sat up, rubbing their necks as one. "Talk about an adventure and a half," the Moon Queen stated. "I don't think I ever want to do that again."

"Ditto," the Crystal Tokyo Princess replied.

Slowly, Serena's eyes opened, focus returning to them quickly. She sat up, rubbing her neck as well, before looking around. "Where are we?" she asked in confusion. "I know for a fact that this isn't Lunar."

Harry laughed in relief. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Sailor Moon," he said. "And welcome back to the land of the living."

Her question satisfied, she turned to her family, both who were looking at her. "So, Rini… have I done it? Have I earned the right?"

Rini got out of her bed, only to climb into her future mother's, hugging her. "You have… Mommy," she whispered, tears of joy running down her face. For the first time since coming to the Twentieth Century, she had her mother back.

Sere stood up as well, walking over to her daughter. "We're just glad that you're safe."

"Not quite." She turned to Amy, her eyes moist. "You came for me, even when you could have died," she whispered. "Why? Why defend me even more than Rei or the others?" 

Amy smiled. "As our Princess, you're worth dying for. As our friend, you're worth dying for." She leaned in. "As the closest thing I have for a sister, in my opinion, you're worth dying with."

"… Thanks, Ames." She looked around again, focusing on quite literally the last two people she had expected to see there. "Been a while Galia, Shayera," she said mischievously. "By the way… Galia, you still owe me a round of _Secar Triad_."

Galia's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets as she put two and two together. "Serenity?" she squeaked, blushing bright red. That woman was the only one she knew who could make her blush like that.

"And we _still _need to work on your people skills, if your blush is of any indication."

Shayera looked at her in exasperation, while the others started laughing. "Five thousand years, and three reincarnations," she grumbled. "You just got your ass saved by all of us, and you want to get on my kid's case about her _people's skills?_"

"Well… yes."

"It's her. No one else is that helpful or persistent."

Ginny grinned. "All part of her charm."

Amy laughed. "Big time."

Wendy watched all of this, her own smile grateful. "And this," she told Obi-Wan, is the perfect to start the Christmas holiday."

Obi-Wan nodded, watching as Mars and Galia joined Amy in surrounding Sailor Moon's bed. "Yes, that's true," he replied. "And I think a family has been reunited at long last."

On that, no one could object. And no one would.

Lunar

In a hotel, slowly being surrounded by an ocean of water, the sounds of celebration could be heard, as the Alliance received the news of their friend's survival.

In the Vile Tribe, Xenobia's roar of rage and disbelief upon receiving the news caused even Racc and his Uruk-Hai to quiver in terror.

The ultimate victory had been snatched from evil's hand.

But the war still raged on.

* * *

At last… it's done! I have completed this, the largest episode of all! Now I can go to a one shot episode… with the Firebolt and everything! Then it's to Redemption, where I will focus on the _Valkyrie_ crew… again, as well as Batman and his encounter with his greatest enemy, the Joker. Also, Yami and Tea once again. Now they enter Death Valley, and their fateful meeting with Ironroot and Chris, so please stay tuned.

Thank you everyone who reviewed this story and CP:A. Thank you for reading them, even if you didn't leave a review. It means a lot to know that you like it. Hopefully, I will continue to hold your interest with this story, at least.


	96. Episode Seventy One

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**Harry Potter: Stargate**

**Episode Seventy One: Christmas and the Firebolt**

**Dreamscape**

The first thing that first told Matt that it was time was the feel of a pair of very familiar lips press down upon his. His eyes opened, grinning at the sight of Ginny above him, her customary mischievous expression present. "I'm going to assume that it's Christmas time," he said in understatement.

Ginny giggled as she stepped back, letting him stand as well. "You guessed right, Matt," she replied. "And, as you well know, I have a present for you."

"What a fascinating coincidence. So do I." He fingered the small pouch that he brought with him nervously. It had been a spur of the moment decision, but it was one he was glad to have made.

Ginny pulled out a small package, her shaking fingers betraying how nervous she was feeling. "Let's exchange them at the same time. That way, we can avoid the awkwardness that comes in a young couple." She leaned in slightly, kissing him slowly on the lips.

At the same time, she switched their presents quickly, before pulling back.

Matt blinked as he looked down, seeing a small parcel instead of the pouch. "Can we do that every Christmas?" he asked, dazed.

Ginny giggled, opening the pouch. "If you're like that every time I kiss you like that, I might just use that to my…" Her voice trailed off as she laid eyes on the necklace before her. "Matt, it's… beautiful."

Matt nodded, grateful that she liked it. "I found it in Lann almost three months ago," he said, fidgeting slightly. "For some reason, I thought that it would look good on you."

"Thank you, my Love. I just… can't believe you were able to find this. My mum held on to the gift that I wanted to give you for… almost my entire life. Take a look."

Matt quickly tore the wrapping off of the package. His gaze landed on the exact replica of what he had just given her. It was identical all the way down to the diamond in the center. "Wow. Your Mom bought this?"

"Actually, she told me that someone else did, and simply had it sent to her for safekeeping. She wasn't actually open on the details."

"I can imagine." He slipped the necklace on, hiding it under his shirt. "I don't need Tai or Kyle teasing me," he explained, "especially since we've decided to keep our relationship secret for as long as possible."

Ginny smiled, before turning around. "Help me with mine?" she asked sweetly.

Grinning, the young man did just that. The moment he was done, she twirled around, showing it off. "What do you think?" she asked.

"As beautiful as the young woman wearing it," he replied.

"Good." She leaned in, taking his lips again. "Now kiss me, Ishida."

Matt did so gladly.

* * *

Harry was in the process of having a nice dream concerning flying, defeating the Deadly Alliance, and Hermione, when he was rudely awoken by a large, expertly thrown, and exceedingly soft pillow. An "Oy! Presents!" reached him, letting him know that the person responsible was Ron. He would have to thank him for that. Heaven help him if he had a _great_ dream! His life would be over!

Pulling his glasses on, his gaze soon landed on the small heap of colorfully wrapped packages, all with the Weasley's names all over them. He could already see Ron opening his, and chuckled. "Ron, though I wish you a Happy Christmas, you could go a little more slowly. They aren't going anywhere!" he called.

Ron grinned. "Happy Christmas to you too, Harry! And how would you know? Hermione could've jinxed them to do so. That way, we'd have to get out of bed to give chase!" His gaze fell upon seeing the first one. "Another sweater from Mum… _maroon_ again… see if you got one."

"I think you're confusing Hermione with Jane." Harry picked up the first package, a squashy affair. Opening it, he saw that he had indeed gotten one. It was a scarlet affair, with the Gryffindor lion emblazoned on the front. He also found a dozen home made mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. _'Mrs. Weasley has outdone herself this year,'_ he thought, setting it aside. Of course, next year he could probably expect even more.

His gaze promptly landed on a thing parcel that had been lying underneath it all "What the…?" he muttered, picking it up.

Peter, who had been busy looking at the package he had received from Wendy, looked at him in surprise. "What is it?" he asked.

"No idea, though I have a pretty good guess what it's supposed to be." The Boy Who Lived quickly tore the paper from it… and gaped, stunned by the sheer beauty of what he held in his hands. "Incredible…"

Ron abandoned his presents, leaping out of bed in an instant. "I don't believe it," he got out hoarsely.

Within Harry's hands was the very broom that he had seen in Diagon Alley almost four months ago. A Firebolt, the newest broom to enter the public eye. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. Feeling the vibrations go through its form, he released it, letting it hover as he gave it a once over. It was perfect at every angle. "Talk about top of the line," he said.

Ron stood next to him. "Who sent it to you?" he asked.

"Haven't a clue," Harry replied. "Check if there's a card."

Ron and Peter quickly shifted through the wrapping paper, trying to locate a card. "Nothing."

Peter looked at the Firebolt again, his smile faltering only a little. "Well, for whatever reason, I don't think the person wants to be located."

"Blimey. Who'd want to spend this much on you?" Ron asked.

Harry smirked. "Not the Dursleys, I can assure you. They'd get me something that would snap the second I got I into the air."

His best friend got up. "I bet it was Dumbledore. He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously…"

"That belonged to my Father, Ron. He was just returning it to me. And I doubt he'd spend hundreds of galleons on any student, no matter who they are."

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him. In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism." Ron let out a whoop of laughter as something occurred to him. "_Malfoy!_ Wait till he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an _international_ broom, that is!"

Peter leaned in slightly. "He's easily excitable," he murmured quietly.

"Wait until he blows up, and see if excitable is the word you want to describe him with." Harry replied, just as quietly. "Ron, for some reason, I don't think Dumbledore bought this broom." Manipulative he might be, but he wouldn't show favoritism towards a student, even if his name was Harry Potter.

Peter frowned thoughtfully. "What about Lupin?"  
Harry laughed. "Peter, if Professor Lupin had that kind of gold, he would have been able to get himself some better robes. It's not him."

"Yeah, but he likes you," Ron said. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you."

Harry knew very well why that wouldn't hold up, but he couldn't tell Ron that, now could he? "I know he couldn't buy this," he said again, with a final note to it.

Ron took note of it, and stopped.

Hermione chose that moment to enter the room, Crookshanks resting comfortably in her arms. She had tied a bit of tinsel around his neck, which was probably the reason why he looked so grumpy.

"Don't bring him in here!" Ron said hurriedly, quickly hiding Scabbers in his pocket. Hermione ignored him, dropping the cat on Seamus's empty bed as she stared at the broom before her. "A _Firebolt_?" she whispered. "Good god, Harry… who sent this to you?"

"No clue," Harry replied. "There was no acknowledgment of any kind on it."

He noted that her gaze suddenly became more concerned than excited. It matched her feelings perfectly.

Ron caught sight of her expression, and knew that she was thinking. Which was something he wouldn't have done before. "What?"

Her gaze shifted, looking up. "Don't you think it's a little odd?" she asked quietly. "Someone sends a Firebolt, _an international standard broom_ if I recall correctly, to Harry. It's probably going to cost more than all of the Slytherin Brooms put together."

"That's true," Peter replied. "But where are you going with this?"

"And who cares?" Ron turned to Harry. "Can I have a go on it? Can I?"  
"I don't think anyone should be riding that broom yet!"

The shrillness in her voice, and the abrupt, commanding way she said it caught their attention, and they turned to her. "Well, what's Harry going to do with it?" Ron asked. "Sweep the floor?"

Before Hermione could answer, or even begin to formulate an answer, Crookshanks suddenly leaped from Seamus's bed, aiming directly for Ron's chest. Or rather, for the small rat hidden in Ron's breast pocket. Had he reached his target, the conversation would have been over rather effectively, and so would the Christmas spirit.

Harry was a tad faster, though. He nimbly snatched the cat out of thin air, having moved at the same time as the hybrid creature. "Not so fast!" he grunted, nimbly landing on his feet. He hadn't even bumped into his best friend along the way. "No attacking the rat on Christmas!"

Crookshanks struggled, but Harry's grip was unyielding. Soon, he had relaxed, allowing himself to be petted by the young man.

Hermione and Ron both let out a sigh of relief at their friend's quick action. The Christmas spirit was a little strained, but it had survived intact.

Harry, on the other hand, looked at the Firebolt, his warrior instinct coming back to the fore. _'I am fighting enemies that would like nothing better than to send me gifts with traps on them. They don't care about Christmas, so I must be on my guard at all times, even on this day of days.'_ He turned his attention to Hermione, who he saw was looking at him. "For whatever reason, and whoever sent it, it's here," he said, knowing that she had sensed his emotions on the matter. "I'm willing to have it examined, but not at this moment."

Her head dropped slightly in acknowledgment to his decision, grateful that he was at least open to the idea. "That's all I ask. Now come on. Let's get some breakfast."

**--**

Serena slowly woke up from her deep, peaceful slumber, taking the time to enjoy the feel of an actual mattress beneath her. _'Oh, the simple joys one gives up when one does battle against the forces of evil,'_ she thought. Her gaze shifted to her side, where Rini was curled up, still sleeping. With a small smile on her face, she watched her.

It amazed her how much she had changed over the months, and now she knew why. The pain of failing Galaxia almost three lifetimes ago was still there, but so was the joy of knowing that, in some form, she had made peace with that. What was more; Galia or Shayera didn't hold it against her. For all intents and purposes, she was free.

To make her day even better, she had her mother, her daughter, and her two closest friends with her. That counted for something in her book, more so than any power in the multiverse.

As she thought this, her hand stroking her child's head, Rei entered the Medical Wing, grinning widely. She saw Serena sitting up, hand on Rini's head, and approved. "Hey, Meatball Head," she said. "I see you finally forced Amy to let you have some privacy."

"Hey Pyro. Yeah, it took me a few hours last night, but I finally got her to walk around," Serena replied, chortling a bit. "So, am I being allowed outta here?"

"Yep. J'onn and his group have returned to their realm, while this Adria character is waiting for Galia. Any idea what her story is?"

"Probably the same as Nephlyte's. Started out evil, but then had a life changing experience and joined on the side of the angels as a result. Except she managed to survive hers."

"That's always a good point, Serena. Well, Harry has offered to give us a tour of his school, so you'll have to get up."

"Oh fine." Serena looked down, shaking Rini gently. "Hey Rini, Sweetie, it's time to wake up," she said gently.

Moaning, Rini slowly opened her eyes, looking up. "Morning Mommy," she said sleepily.

"Morning, pumpkin. Did you sleep well?"

"On a bed like this? Definitely." She looked over at the other bed, where her Grandmother was still out. "Should we wake her up?"

"But of course." Giggling, the Moon Princess picked up a pillow. Grinning evilly, she took careful aim, and released.

The pillow flew through the air, slamming into Sere's head with unerring accuracy. With a sputter of indignation, the Moon Queen fell out of bed, hitting the ground hard.

Rini burst into laughter, unable to help herself. "At least I know where Serena got her waking habits, and it's not from Grandma or Grandpa Tsukino!" she cracked.

Sere sat up, leering at her daughter and granddaughter. "Nothing changes," she grumbled, getting to her feet. "You used to do that to me every single time I had the day off."

"Yes, and my aim has improved considerably since then," Serena replied, smirking. "Besides, you never let me sleep in when it was _my_ day off, so why should I be made to suffer alone?"

"She's got you there, Grandma!" Rini stated happily.

Rei chuckled. "Ganged up on by your own family. However did you survive them?"  
"Dumb luck, I used to think. Rini wasn't alive, either. Grant you, with Serena around, I don't think that was enough of a blessing."

"Oh, it was. I don't think Mars's parents could've handled me."

"Why not? My parents were responsible, loving people… at least, in the Silver Millennium."

"Fair point, Rei. But I would've eaten them out of castle and home."

"Fair point, Serena."

Standing up, the Moon Princess worked her limbs to regain circulation, noting the lack of stiffness in her movements. "Well, since I've been out of it for quite some time, may I suggest that I fill my belly with food then?"

Sere chuckled. "I hope the school cooking staff had been up to the challenge, because I'm starving."

"Big time." Rini's stomach growled loudly.

--

Wendy looked at her hastily wrapped package, while Daniel and Jane finished unwrapping theirs. She was awaiting the arrival of Obi-Wan, and for the first time in a long time, was nervous. _'I hope he really likes this,'_ she thought, almost fidgeting.

Jane looked up, caught her mother's twitchy movements, and shook her head in amusement. _'They really need to tell each other how they feel, or I'm going to have a field day with them both. Danny's going to have a field day with them both.'_

A knock on the door caught their attention, disrupting Jane's thoughts of teasing her mother.

Smiling, taking a deep breath in the process, Wendy went to receive her visitor. "Happy Christmas, Obi-Wan," she said in greeting. "I am so glad that you could come today."

Obi-Wan smiled, entering the room. "Well, you invited me here, though I'm not sure why." He looked down as a small mass attached itself around his waist, having jumped up on the bed, then onto him. "Hello, Daniel."

"Hi, Obi-Wan!" The little boy's eyes looked up at him, shining with holiday cheer. "Happy Christmas!"  
Chuckling, the Jedi Master picked him up, holding him in one arm. "And a Happy Christmas to you too, Danny." He turned to Jane, who was looking at him. "And to you too, Jane."

Jane smirked. "I'm pretty sure you will be soon. Mum, didn't you have something to give him?"

Wendy blushed slightly, though not enough to be noticeable. "Um, yes Jane. Thank you." Taking Daniel from his hands, she set him down on the bed. "I… ah… made you something for Christmas," she said slowly, holding out the package in question. "I know that the Jedi don't own anything, and shouldn't own anything, but… well, I figured that you would like this."

"Stop babbling and give it to him, already!"

Obi-Wan laughed as Wendy shot her daughter a glare, before turning around, picking up the parcel. "Here."

Obi-Wan noted the shape of the package, noted the squishiness of it, and ruled out books and paintings. Not even bothering to use the Force to find out, he simply opened the package.

Wendy became even more nervous as he unfolded the sweater she had made. "I know that it's not exactly your size, but…"

Obi-Wan smiled at her, letting her know that no explanation was necessary. "It's fine, Wendy," he said, his eyes honest. "I know you put a lot of effort into making it. Besides…" he grinned. "I like the color blue."

Jane smirked. "He likes it. Why didn't I see that coming?"

"Oh, hush you," Wendy retorted quietly, though grateful Jane had been right on the money. Clothing was the one thing Jedi did own, because they couldn't very well walk around naked, now could they? "Well, I am certainly glad that you like it."

"I am glad that you went through all of that trouble." His gaze shifted slightly. "Now I'm feeling guilty."

"… … Guilty? Why?"

"I didn't get you anything."

Wendy nodded, not concerned. "You had no idea, Obi-Wan," she said quietly. "Besides, getting presents isn't why we celebrate Christmas."

"Though it's a nice way to bribe us," Jane added.

"We do it because of family."

"Family? Wendy, I'm…"

"Well, apparently, according to Daniel, you might as well be."

The Jedi Master turned his attention to the young boy, who was busy opening his last present. It amazed him sometimes how young boys could welcome anyone they trusted into their family. "While I am grateful for that, don't you think he may simply be trying to hide his own grief for losing his father?"

Wendy nodded. "The thought did occur to me." She took a breath. "But I think he needs a stabilizing male presence in his life. So please, be there for him… as a friend."

"… … … Very well. I guess I can be that. After all, I am already friends with the mother."

"As Jane is so helpful reminding both of us."

Obi-Wan had to concede that point. Jane had taken to teasing the two of them over the last few days about their friendship. And, despite the fact that she knew of the Jedi's view towards close connections, he had no doubt the young Barrington would soon be trying to play matchmaker.

_'Oh well,' _he thought, watching her and her younger brother start cleaning up. _'That's what makes Jane, Jane. Hope springs eternal.'_

--

Galia looked around furtively, noting the lack of movement along the halls, and breathed out in relief. The last thing she needed was her impromptu fan club getting on her case again.

Adria walked up to her, watching as she gave everything around her a wary glance, shaking her own head. "Galia, all of the Aurors went home after Sailor Moon was saved," she explained patiently. "You can stop being paranoid, now."

Galia looked at her, silently letting her know that she was grateful. "It's just that every single time I thought that I was alone, I've been bombarded by questions about whether or not I'm available. I'm sick and tired of it."

"I know what you mean. At least three people came up to me, asking me if I wanted to go out on a date with them." The raven head shuddered for a moment. "Personally, I think I'll pass on dating at this moment."

"Hear, hear!"

The two women soon made their way to the Great Hall, chatting about nothing. There wasn't really anything for them to talk about, besides the architectural design of the castle, which they had taken the liberty to look at last night. They had been impressed by how long it had stood the test of time.

McGonagall intercepted them as they reached their destination, a small smile on her face. "I was hoping to find you two," she said.

Adria smiled uncertainly. "And you have. So, what can we do for you that won't involve death and destruction?"

"Actually, I was wondering how long you two will be staying. Our school kitchen is making a fabulous lunch for those of us still here, and Professor Dumbledore was wondering if you would like to join us."

Galia turned to her friend, silently inquiring. Adria nodded, letting her know that she had nothing important to take care of. "We plan on staying for the rest of the day," she replied, "so sure. Possibly a few days afterwards to get our bearings in life."

"Good. Now, I'm pretty sure that you would enjoy a tour of the castle itself, so if you'll please follow me."

The two girls fell in line, and followed the Deputy Headmistress down the hall. They had the feeling that the tour was going to be very interesting.

--

Anakin was awake.

He had been awake for the last four minutes, watching his wife's sleeping form as she shifted. Even after the last few months, the fact that she loved him was always a surprise to him. The fact that they were married was even more so. If the Force never lied, he would've been tempted to think it was a dream.

Of course, he was always reminded by his wife's wicked tongue. There was no way any dream could be that good.

As he chuckled lightly to himself, remembering last night's activities, Padme's eyes slowly fluttered open. Moaning lightly as she stretched, she focused on Anakin's face. "Morning," she murmured, smiling.

Anakin leaned down, brushing his lips against hers for a moment. "Morning," he replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. But then, you assured that."

Once again reminded of last night, Anakin rubbed her arm for a moment. "Well, I am pretty sure the rest of the castle is wide awake, and we are probably the last people in bed."

"Yes, but we're married, even if nobody knows, or has definitive proof. We're allowed a bit of a lie in on our day off." She ran her hand through his hair, trailing along his Padawan braid. "I liked my present, by the way," she said quietly. "Thank you for it."

Anakin was grateful for that. He had spent all of Christmas vacation looking for it, and was happy that he had. A simple gold bracelet really, but she wasn't one for intricately designed jewelry. A simple gold bracelet with the words, _Our Love Will Never Die,_ emblazoned on it spoke of their connection perfectly.

The Nubian Ambassador slowly brought his head down, kissing him more thoroughly. "We have some time before lunch is served," she murmured into his lips. "We should…"

"We need to get up, before Obi-Wan starts looking for me," Anakin said, though without much conviction. His body was pretty sure what it wanted, and was on the verge of wiping conscious thought away.

But Padme pulled back, eyes screaming for satisfaction. "Very well, but you will wish we hadn't tonight."

He grinned as she rose to get dressed, her naked body completely exposed to him. "I can hardly wait."

--

Claire wandered the SGC's corridor, her thoughts clouded with being let down again by her father. She didn't even receive a card from the bastard, which still grated on her. But it wasn't surprising, to say the least.

_'So once again, I am alone on Christmas, without even a card to elevate my mood,'_ she thought gloomily. She didn't know why she still hoped for him to see her as more than a nuisance.

"Hey, Claire!"

Claire turned around as Ron jogged up to her, forcing a smile to appear on her face. "Hey, Handsome," she returned, hoping that she sounded cheerful, and knowing that she had failed miserably. "I hope you got what you wanted."

Ron grinned. "I got everything I wanted, though I also got a maroon sweater. I _hate_ maroon!"

Her smile became more genuine as he spoke of the woes of that dark red color, comforted in the fact that there was someone out there that had parents that cared for them. "I'm glad for you, Ron. Really, I am."

Now, Ron could be dense as a doornail when it came to seeing how people were feeling. He was impulsive, hot tempered, and could be jealous when compared to either Harry or Hermione. But he was also a family person, and could tell when someone felt let down by theirs.

Right now, he was seeing that in Claire.

Almost smacking himself in the head for his stupidity, the young wizard turned his full attention to her. "Claire… I'm sorry about how pathetic your father is. I wish I could help you there…"

"No, it's all right, Ron." She brushed away the few tears that had managed to free themselves from her eyes. "I wasn't really expecting him to send any sort of acknowledgement. He barely speaks to me when we're in the same room." She fell into step next to him. "It's just… I would like him to say something to me… anything that let me know that he was proud of me."

He nodded, a thought coming to him. If her own father wasn't going to do anything for her, then Ron was going to do it himself. "Claire, I want you to know that someone did send you a present for Christmas. Come with me."

Confused, Claire did so, heading back into Hogwarts. She followed him all the way back to Gryffindor Tower, which was empty at this time. "Handsome, who got me what?" she asked.

Ron quickly disappeared into the Boys Dorm without answering. She let out a puff of air in annoyance. "If this is something that was put together at the last minute, I am going to…"

"Relax!" he called down, his voice muffled. "You're getting two presents, and a whole bunch of home baked goods. One of the presents and the food is from my Mum!" He quickly came back to the Common Room, clutching a parcel. "She sent this with my packages. I guess she considers you part of the family."

Taking the soft squishy present, Claire quickly tore it open, wondering what Molly would have wanted her to have. Her eyes widened as she took in the light blue sweater, her name proudly emblazoned on it. "This is… this is beautiful," she whispered, staring at it like it was a dream.

Ron looked at her. "Is it okay? Because if you like red more, I'll trade with you."

"No, no, it's not that. It's just…" for a moment, her voice failed. "It's just that… this is the first present that I have gotten in over five years."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he pulled out his present. "I didn't have the time, or the patience to wrap yours, so…" He handed over a small box, stepping back.

Claire noted the shape of it, and surmised that there was jewelry inside. Intrigued at this thoughtful gift, she opened it.

There, glowing in the rays of the sun, was a gold bracelet. She gasped in surprise, seeing the small butterfly decoration on it. She looked up at him, at a loss for words.

Ron shrugged. "Alania said that you have a thing for butterflies, so I asked the jewelry owner in Hogsmeade if he could make something with a butterfly decoration on it. Do you… do you like it?"

Claire surged forward, grabbing him up in a hug that robbed him of his breath. "I love it!" she replied, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes now. "Oh thank you, Ron!" She quickly removed it from its confines, putting it on. "How does it look?"

He grinned, taking it in. "It looks perfect on you," he stated. "I'm glad you like it."

"Did you like my present?"

"Oh yes. I loved _Victory andDefeat: The History of the Chudley Cannons_. I was never able to find anything about that in bookstores anywhere."

"I'm glad. It's very rare, I'm told. In fact, according to rumor, there are only three hundred copies of this book in circulation, which makes them a collector's item."

Ron nodded, understanding how rare of a gift he had been given. "Well, thank you for it. And… Happy Christmas, Claire."

Claire smiled, hugging him again. "Merry Christmas, Ron."

--

Lunch in the Great Hall that day was considerably quieter, and more confined, but no less enthusiastic than before. Most of the tables had been moved to the side, leaving only one set in the middle, with seating for all of them. The Professors were already seated, as were three other students who had stayed at the school, their distinguished guests, the Jedi, the Barringtons, and Peter.

As Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Claire all sat down, Galia and Adria entered the Great Hall, talking and giggling to each other.

"Hey, you two wouldn't be hiding any hunky guys around, now would you?" Serena called out. "I think Rei might want to meet them!"

"Oh, can it Meatball Head!" Rei groused, though she didn't seem too insulted about it. Rini and Sere both just shook their heads in mock despair.

"Merry Christmas to all of you!" Dumbledore said in greeting, as the last stragglers sat down. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables." He picked up a silver noisemaker, holding it out to Professor Snape. The Potion Professor took the other end reluctantly, tugging. It exploded, revealing large witch's hat, complete with a stuffed vulture on top.

Almost two months ago, in DADA class, Neville showed that he feared Professor Snape more than anything. In response to that, Lupin had suggested that he envision Snape in his grandmother's clothes which, ironically enough, included that very hat.

It was obvious that Snape also remembered that story, because he passed it over to Dumbledore. Predictably, the Headmaster swapped it with his own hat at once. "Dig in!" he stated, gesturing over the table.

"With pleasure!" Serena quickly piled her plate full, followed by her family. The four Trainees followed suite, soon followed by those with average appetites.

Galia took a bite of potato, looking surprised. "This is good. Better than some things I've had before."

Adria grinned. "Galia, you look as though you've never had a home cooked meal."

"Well, technically, I haven't in five thousand years. And the SGC's food sucks."

Hermione chuckled. "I think Jack would agree with you there, though I think he likes their cake." She popped a piece Christmas ham into her mouth.

The lunch was well underway when the Great Hall doors opened once again, revealing Professor Trelawney. She quickly made her way over to them, wearing a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion. She looked like a glittering, oversized dragonfly in their eyes.

Amy quickly turned her attention back to her food, so as not to chortle. Rei and Rini did much the same thing, because laughing was bad in this instance. Laughing would get them hurt.

Dumbledore stood up, gesturing. "Sybill, what a pleasant surprise!" he exclaimed.

Trelawney inclined her head. "I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," she said, in quite possibly the mistiest, most faraway voice she had ever done, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary lunch and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg your forgiveness."

Jane looked up. "You're forgiven, if you will cut it with the misty voice and enjoy the lunch."

"Jane!" Wendy exclaimed. "That was rude and uncalled for, young lady."

"Sorry."

"Actually, we're all in agreement there," Amy stated. "Please, keep the act in the classroom, please."

Trelawney sighed, sitting down. "Oh, alright." She waited until Dumbledore had drawn another chair for her, before sitting down. "Personally, this is the first time I have been this close to other students… who actually know what real foresight is like."

"Yes, that is true." McGonagall poked at the nearest tureen. "Tripe, Sybill?"

Sybill nodded, before sweeping the table. "But where is dear Professor Lupin?" she asked.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," Dumbledore replied. Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

Harry and Hermione shared a secretive look. They knew very well what had happened.

"But surely you already knew that, didn't you Sybill?" McGonagall asked.

Trelawney turned in her direction, a rather cold glare in place. "No, I did not, Minerva," she stated firmly. "Perhaps if you turn that rapier wit towards finding some inner calm, and quite possibly a gentler personality…"

Amy giggled. "Involuntary Seers don't have control over their visions, Professor," she explained. "Normally, they either get only exceedingly important visions, or their power runs out of control, and they are haunted by visions day and night." She smirked at Trelawney's expression. "I'm dating a Seer, if you'll recall. I know the signs."

"And your secret is safe with us," Peter added, looking at the other three. "Isn't that right?"

The two First Year's and one Slytherin nodded. Who would believe them, anyway?

"Of course, I doubt that Professor Lupin's life is in any immediate danger." The Headmaster turned to Snape. "Severus, you've made more of the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Good. So he should be up and about again in no time… Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."

Rini giggled as the first year in question took the offered tray from Dumbledore, blushing madly. _'I guess he wasn't expecting the greatest wizard of the time to address him,'_ she thought. _'Thank god I'm not impressed by that.'_

As the meal continued, Rei turned her attention to Ginny, who was just swallowing. "That's a very interesting pendant," she said. "It looks… lunarian."

Ginny grinned. "That's because it is," she replied. "Apparently, Matt got it in Lann after taking care of Harry's dad, and decided that it would be the perfect Christmas present."

Rei and Serena shared a look, both of them grinning at that. "I'm sure that's it," the Moon Princess replied, before going back to her meal.

Everyone had a great time, enjoying the relaxed environment. At dinner, Jane informed them all of the present her mother had made for Obi-Wan, which prompted a blush from the two in question, and Anakin slapping his Master on the back in commiseration.

At the end of it, Harry and Ron stood up, preparing to leave. It had been one interesting day from start to finish, and they were hoping for some peace and quiet now.

Trelawney quickly pointed at them, looking aghast. "My dears! Which one of you left your seat first? "Which!"

Dunno," Ron replied.

"It doesn't matter," Sere replied. "Unless there is some mad axe man waiting for them outside of the Great Hall, with the intent of killing them."

Hermione also stood, shaking her head. "In our line of work, that is a distinct possibility," she reminded Sere quietly.

"Fair point, Miss Granger."

Harry bowed dramatically. "Well, if you lot will excuse us, we shall be on our way. The mad axe man can kiss my buttocks." Getting a laugh for his efforts, he turned to Hermione. "Are you coming?" he asked.

"Not yet. I want to talk to McGonagall about the broom," she replied quietly.

He nodded in understanding, and followed his friends out.

Hermione made her way over to the Deputy Headmistress. "Professor! I need to talk to you about something…"

--

"What did Hermione want to talk to Professor McGonagall about?" Jane asked, as they climbed the stairwell to Gryffindor Tower.

Peter looked behind him, didn't see anybody nearby, and leaned in. "Harry received a Firebolt from an anonymous sender," he replied, hoping that no one else was coming. "Now, considering the fact we're in action against a force that we're eventually going to be at war with, our friends here want to be extra careful in this instance."

"Plus, Hermione would've done it anyway, without our backing," Ron added, shaking his head. "She can be mental sometimes."

"Yeah, but she's only looking out for me." Harry grinned. "Now that I think about it, keeping me safe seems to be her favorite pastime."

Ginny chuckled at that. "Yeah, that's it. Well, let's get inside before someone tries and stop us." She stepped up to the portrait hole, where Cadogen was busy entertaining several other portraits. "Oy, Cadogen! We want in!"

"Merry- hic- Christmas! Password?" Cadogen replied.

"Scurvy cur."

"And the same to you, Sir!" The door slid open smoothly. The small group quickly went in, wanting to get as far from the portrait as they possibly could.

Jane smiled as they entered the exceedingly comfortable common room, breathing in the atmosphere. "Ah, this is great," she said. "No worries, no responsibilities… at least for a while."

"Then it's back to war and school," Ron added. "I remember when we had only school problems to deal with."

"You mean, hidden chambers, three headed dogs, and this Gilderoy Lockhart I keep hearing about?"

"Exactly."

Peter grinned at that. "Normally, I would be with you on that, Ron. But hey, school's really nothing more than another adventure for me."

"You're Peter Pan! Almost everything is an adventure to you!"  
The others laughed as they sat down, and began talking among each other.

They were still talking when Hermione and Professor McGonagall entered the Common Room. Hermione made a beeline for Harry, sitting down while studiously avoiding Ron's eyes.

McGonagall looked at Harry. "Potter, Miss Granger informs me that you received a new broom."

Harry was up immediately. "Ah, yes. Hold on while I get it." He quickly went up the stairs to his dorm. Grabbing the Firebolt, he quickly returned. "Here it is."

McGonagall took a look at it, as if she could see any charms and hexes that were put on it. "And there was no note at all? The sender didn't leave a name?"

"Nothing."

"Well…" she looked as those she didn't want to do this, but she had to. "I am going to have to take this, Potter."

Harry nodded. "I know," he replied. "Look, just… treat it right. That's all I ask."

"We shall endeavor to do that, but Professor Flitwick will have to take a look at it, and we may have to strip it down."

"Strip it down?" Ron asked, as if that were a criminal offense.

"Ron…" Satisfied that it was just simple indignation on his behalf, Harry turned back to the conversation. "If there's nothing wrong with it, then I'll want it back in tip top condition."

McGonagall nodded. "Don't worry. Hopefully, it's safe." She made her way out of the Common Room, and to an unknown fate.

Ron looked at Hermione. "Hermione, why did you go running off to Professor McGonagall?" he asked. "We could've brought the broom to her."

Hermione put her book down, facing him with a hint of defiance. "Because she believes it may have been sent by Sirius Black. And yes I know differently, but we are in a war against both Trigon the Terrible and the Deadly Alliance. Anyone associated with either force will be perfectly willing to try and take him out."

"Okay, okay! Don't go postal on me! I was just asking!"

"It sounded like you were accusing me!"  
"Ron, Hermione!"

Both of them stepped back deliberately took a step back from one of their rows, as Jane suddenly made herself heard. Now was not the time to be at each other's throats.

Harry waited until his friends had settled down, before saying, "Ron, Hermione told me that she was going to talk to Professor McGonagall before we left the Great Hall. So I knew she was coming."

The redhead looked at him for a second. "And you couldn't have thought of telling me this _beforehand_?" he asked.

"And miss your reaction?"

Ginny smirked. "Nice to know you're on our side, Harry. Real nice to know."

"Yeah, isn't it?" Jane cuddled up next to Peter, looking into the fire. "Look, let's just enjoy this peaceful moment. The Firebolt will be just fine, and you'll have it back in no time. And besides, this is Christmas. Let's leave the fight's for tomorrow, okay?"

Hermione sat up, unconsciously scooting closer to Harry. "I like how you think, Jane. So, let's just sit here, and enjoy this evening."

Harry grinned. "Of course."

But in his mind, thoughts churned. Could Sirius have sent the Firebolt to him? And if so, why risk being exposed? He had a better chance of proving his innocence if he stayed in hiding.

Why was he here, at or near Hogwarts?

His mood slightly darker than before, Harry Potter in that moment envied Serena and her family and friends. Their world was far simpler. People were divided into two large groups; Good and Evil. His world was never what it seemed, no matter how long he had been in it. What was to say that his closest friend could one day become his greatest enemy? What was to stop Ron from becoming that enemy? Hermione, or even himself for that matter?

_'Us,'_ he thought firmly. _'And our friends.'_

* * *

And here it is. The Christmas story is ready. There's nothing here really tying to anything, except to PoA of course. So please review.


	97. Episode Seventy Two: The Dark Joke

**

* * *

******

Digimon: Silver Star Story

**YuGiOh: Redemption**

**Episode Seventy Two: The Dark Joke**

Kes sighed, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair to no particular beat. She was bored.

The _Valkyrie _was still at _Deep Space Nine_, waiting for the last of their crew to return to the ship. As they had no missions that required all due haste, that would take some time to complete. Presently, twenty crew members were still not onboard, though they had checked in.

Her First Officer was among them.

Looking behind her, she saw Tasha trying to keep upright, though failing spectacularly, as her head was almost to her shoulders. Boomer was beating her head against her console, though not with enough force to hurt herself. Prue, she had heard, was about five seconds away from heading back onto the station, and dragging each woman back by their hair. Belle would prove a bit of a problem, but that was what telekinesis was for.

_'Of course, she might want to knock first before carrying that out,'_ she thought, knowing full well what Belle was doing.

As she sat there, trying to keep her eyes open, a slight beeping from behind caught her attention. Knowing that it was the sound of a communication relay, she turned her head. "Tasha, please don't tell me that one of the crew is calling to tell us she won three dabo games in a row, and won't be joining us for another few hours."

Tasha checked the message provider, and stood up straighter. "Okay, I won't tell you that. The message is from the Guardian City of Hucksley. Priority One, your eyes only."

Kes stood up, stretching. "Tasha, you have the bridge." She quickly made for her Ready Room as the Security Chief took her place in the chair, wondering what it was that could have a Guardian City send a Priority One alert.

Entering her personal sanctum, activating a level four security lock on the door the second it closed, the Captain was at her desk in an instant, activating her computer terminal. "Authorization Kes Three Nine Delta Indira."

The screen changed to show a wizened face with a crop of white hair. Though most of his body was below the screen, the Admiral's pips on the collar was enough. _"Sorry to do this to you Captain,"_ the Admiral began apologetically. _"Normally, we would have more experienced captains and crews handle this, but there are none in your sector."_

Kes nodded in understanding. She had been hoping to put her new ship through a proper shakedown cruise, just to see what broke and what didn't. It looked like she wasn't going to have that kind of luck. "No apologies necessary, Admiral," she replied. "What seems to be the emergency?"

_"I shall attempt to be as blunt as I can. There have been a series of incursions at the border of Federation space, spatial grid 0283. More than a hundred people have been taken from each planet hit. Federation and local authorities are puzzled as to the reasoning behind this, but they do know that Orion pirates are behind it."_

Kes frowned. From what she had read on the Orions, they were more inclined to attack ships rather than settlements. If they were raiding planets, then they had begun forming larger coalitions among their groups._ Seems like a lot of that happening lately,'_ she thought cynically, remembering the Kazon and the Heartless."If it's Orion pirates, I don't see why you need to send a Guardian vessel. Wouldn't this all fall under Federation jurisdiction?"

_"Normally, yes. We wouldn't need to send anyone, because Federation Starfleet would handle it themselves."_ The admiral seemed to brace himself. _"However Captain, one of the places hit was this planet. Hucksley was attacked without warning, and three of our weapons specialists were taken as a result."_

That explained a great deal. "I see. So, what are my orders?"  
_"Your orders are to locate these pirates, rescue our people, and if possible, find out where they were taking their hostages. Pretty simple, on the outside."_

"Yes, Sir. I shall see what I can find out."

_"Very good, Captain. We have transmitted their course and speed into your database. Now, finish this mission successfully, and prove that Alania was right about you. Admiral Bosley, out."_ The computer feed cut off, revealing the Guardian symbol in its place.

Kes let out a breath, before grinning. Finally, something to do. She was up again in a flash, disengaging the locks and leaving her Ready Room.

Tasha rose to full attention, seeing the shift in her captain's demeanor. "Orders?" she asked.

"I want everyone back on board. When they are, set a course for spatial grid 0283, transwarp factor five, Boomer."

Boomer plotted the course. "Ready, Sir."

"Good."

A minute later, Belle was strolling onto the bridge, the crisp Starfleet officer roaring to the surface. "All crew present and accounted for, Sir," she said.

"Thank God for that, Commander. _Valkyrie_ to Operations; Request permission to depart."

_"Permission granted, _Valkyrie_," _Kira's voice replied. _"Godspeed, Kes."_

"Here's hoping that's true. Boomer, disengage docking umbilical."

Boomer performed the necessary task. "Umbilical is within ship, Captain," she reported a good minute later.

"Get us to a marginal distance of safety from DS9. Once we're clear, set course for the Hucksley City, transwarp factor two."

"Aye, Sir."

Slowly, the mighty Guardian vessel pulled away from the Federation station, angling herself so it had an optimal flight path. Once there, it moved forward, picking up speed.

She vanished in a burst of green light as her transwarp drive kicked in.

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Gotham****City**

The Bat Signal seared the sky over Gotham City.

The City of Sin, they called it. One of the largest crime rates in the entirety of the United States, if not the world. There was a murder almost every night from a bad mugging, corruption climbed all of the way to the top of the local government, and powerful crime bosses held most of the city in a tight grip. The police were outmatched, though making some headway once in a while.

That was better than the situation almost seven years ago. Back then, the police never made any headway, and were in fact once part of the problem. The few good cops, led by a then Sergeant James Gordon, were all that stood in the way of the greatest sea of crime in the world.

Then the Dark Knight appeared in dramatic fashion, facing off against Crime Boss Carmine Falcone and bringing him to justice. He proceeded to clear out every single crime lord within the course of his first two years, sometimes dropping leads for the police to follow, sometimes dealing with the matter himself, leaving the criminals tied up for law enforcement to pick up.

But after most of the crime bosses were safely behind bars, a new wave of crime and terror arrived, in the form of men by the names of Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Bane. Rupert Thorne, the last of old vanguard, had begun consolidating what remained of his power in an effort to destroy the dark figure of justice. Ra's Al Ghul developed an ongoing interest for the Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, and became a constant thorn in the city's side. Two Face, once Gotham's Harvey Dent, became a tortured soul, unable to find peace within himself, and going by the whims of his two headed coin to determine what course of action he took.

And then there was the Joker.

As Commissioner Gordon stood next to the modified search light, waiting patiently for his most important ally in crime, he was forced to remember all of the times that Batman had put that monster away, and how many times he had managed to get out, wreaking more havoc. Even Lex Luthor, Metropolis's most feared business tycoon, didn't possess the amount of blood in his soul that Joker did, though that was because of Superman's presence there. Batman, despite his seemingly supernatural feats, despite his credentials, was still only human. He and his partners could only move so fast.

What was more, the Joker was unlike anyone else they faced. A true sociopath, he thrived on the challenge that Batman brought, and had managed to escape from him as many times as he had been caught. He cheated death numerous times, always coming back deadlier than ever. Sometimes, he wondered if the man could ever be stopped.

"Jim."

Gordon turned around, all too used to his friend's sudden appearances to be startled. "Sorry to drag you away from whatever you were doing up there," he said, pointing towards the sky, "but we've lost twenty more officers last night."

Batman's eyes narrowed into slits. "The Joker," he growled, the bite in his voice all the confirmation he needed.

"You guessed it. We managed to corner him when he suddenly set off a series of explosives. He had led them right into a trap. It's the fourth group he's killed this month. Bullock barely managed to make it out of there with only superficial wounds."

Batman nodded, hearing the anguish in his friend's voice. Though there was no love lost between him and the foul mouthed detective, Bullock was also incorruptible, and dedicated to preservation of justice. Gordon trusted him with his life, and to do his job without fear.

Focusing on the task at hand, the Dark Knight looked at the vanilla folder in Gordon's hand. "All of the facts so far?" he asked.

"Most of them." Gordon handed them to him. "Whatever he's planning, it's big. We'll continue the investigation on our end. But I'm going to want someone who isn't bound by police standards and rules. And you are responsible for stopping almost every single one of his plans."

Batman nodded. "I'll keep you apprised of anything I find. Here's the communication frequency for the Tower. Tell them I gave it to you."

"You got it."

A sudden sound caught Gordon's attention, and he turned his head. Seeing a bird fly by, he turned back to Batman.

Only to discover that he had already vanished into the night.

"I really need to get him a tracking collar," he said to himself, shutting the signal off. "That way, I can just put up lost posters."

About two roof tops away, Batman smirked, before continuing on home.

--

**Nevada**

Yami stared out the window as they drove across state lines. In the backseat, Sakura and Li were taking a nap, while their guardians went over everything they had learned so far. Madison and Eriol were talking quietly as well, having a very personal conversation.

He and Tea had been quiet… very, very quiet over the last seventy miles. They didn't have anything to say, considering the fact that what they had witnessed was beyond words to describe.

Neverland, destroyed. An entire world sacrificed at the altar of power, and the monster responsible had been driven completely mad. The situation was getting out of hand really fast.

Tea looked up, seeing the sign as they passed. "Well, we have reached Death Valley," she said. "Joy."

Kero looked up from the discussion, his teddy bear looking head showing how disgruntled he was. "I still can't believe we had to drive down from Colorado, just so we could avoid Raphael and his Guardian Beasts. What happened to the good old days when we could contain our problems within our respective homes?"

"It died, the day Dartz decided to attack," Yami replied darkly, not really enjoying the reminder. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Eriol turned his attention to the ancient spirit, hearing the bitterness in his voice. "Perhaps it is best that we find something else to discuss," he suggested. "Like how we are going to do battle against this monstrosity that is the Orichalcos."

"Very carefully, Master Eriol," Spinnel stated, "and with all of the facts and information concerning it."

"Which means we have to reach Florida in one piece," Ruby added. "And that's only if Mister Dartz doesn't decide to launch an all out assault on the world before then."

"That is true."

Tea turned her attention to the conversation. "He won't launch an attack before he revives Leviathan," she told them. "Aside from the Chosen Duelist's souls, he has to acquire enough souls to actually power that beast. Something more powerful than the Egyptian Gods will need a considerable amount of energy to cross over to the real world, and remain in it."

"And, more importantly, he needs those who command the Legendary Dragons to unlock the prison that… thing inhabits," Yami finished with. "Which means as long as even one of us is free; his plan will not be successful. He will not be able to do anything about it."

"Still, it would probably do us good to take him out all the same."

"And you will get no argument from me. At the same time, time isn't completely of the essence."

"A fair point," Julian stated.

"Thank you, Julian. I knew someone would be able to understand."

Madison frowned a bit, having remained silent throughout the conversation. "What about those he's already taken?" she asked. "We should try and save them."

"And we will try, Madison," Eriol assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We cannot go in without all the information, though. Otherwise, we will lose, and then who will be left to fight?"

Yami stayed silent, not wanting to interfere with this argument. The Clow Sorcerer could handle his raven hair friend without any input from him. Instead, he turned to Meiling. "What about you? You've been rather quiet for the last hour."

Meiling looked at him. "I don't have any magic to speak of, so I can't give any advice that would help in the end." She thought for a second. "Aside from the fact that the Seal has to have some sort of weakness that can be exploited, there's nothing I can do."

Kero perked up a bit at that. "Meiling, I think you can help us there," he said.

"Huh? How?"

"You're not just a martial artist. You're also a great tactical advisor. Maybe if we replay the match the Pharaoh had with Shiv, we might be able to find that weakness."

It was a feasible idea. Even Madison thought so.

"What about the others, though?" Tea asked. "Obviously, if Dartz regains his telepathic lock on us, we're screwed. According to GL, Dartz has perfected the Seal as an offensive weapon. All he has to do is lock onto us, and fire."

Yami shook his head. "He won't. My guess is the three Chosen One's have to be beaten in duels. We may be impervious to that weapon."

"Yeah. It could also be… what the…?"

His gaze shifted towards her. "What is it?"

She pointed, while Kero went about the business of waking up Li and Sakura on a typical Kero fashion; yelling into the Clow Card Mistress's ear and biting Li's finger. Both woke up in spectacular fashion. They were about to berate him, but then they saw it too.

A series of lights were blinking on and off rapidly in the distance. Normally not something they would pay attention to, except for one thing.

It was blinking in a predetermined pattern.

Madison, who had been running her camcorder the second she saw the message, looked up. "What does that look like to you?" she asked.

"…It looks like Morse Code, but I could be wrong," Li replied in surprise, the pain in his finger forgotten. "Question is; who's using it?"

Yami shook his head. "No idea. Tea, stop here. Let's get the rest of that onto tape, and try to decipher it."

Nodding, the young woman brought the van to a stop, parking it. She didn't agree with the idea, but she wasn't going to complain. Someone obviously knew that they were coming down the road. If it was Dartz, then they were in trouble either way. If it wasn't… Then somebody wanted to talk to them very badly.

Yami was curious as to whom… and if that person could be trusted.

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002

"They have hit every single planet on the Federation Frontier," Jadzia explained, standing at the front of the briefing room. The other department heads observed the screen before them, the mission details in stark relief. "More than seven hundred people have been taken so far, as well as supplies, weapons, and other equipment."

Kes nodded, letting the trill know that she could sit down. "Prue, give us your report on Hucksley's defenses."

Prue leaned forward. "Hucksley's defenses are standard for a Guardian City. Planetary weapons grid, shields that can halt an atmospheric bombardment indefinitely. And there is the cloaking device, which hides it from sight and sensors alike. But they didn't do their job."

"What do you mean, they didn't do their job?" Belle asked.

"At approximately oh-twelve hundred, twenty minutes before the attack began, the city suffered a level four power disruption. A complete blackout for almost thirty minutes. The cloak failed, shields and weapons were taken off line, and sensors shut down."

Aeris covered her eyes. "That means they had only ten minutes to take what they wanted. How bad was it?"

"Three scientists were taken during the attack. More than eighty people were killed due to weapons fire," Kes replied. "What's more, there were almost six hundred people wounded. They never even found out why their entire grid went down at the same time."

"So we're going to go help the survivors?"

"No, we're going after the pirates." She stood up. "Our orders are to locate them, find out where they are taking their hostages, and try to save them, if possible."

Sharon nodded. "It will take us about another forty minutes to reach the spatial coordinates. Sooner if we increase speed to factor seven."

Kes shook her head. "It won't be necessary, Boomer. We're making good as it is, and I want some time to plan our next move. Commander Yar, I want you and Commander Cartier to formulate a battle plan, and I want it on my desk by oh nine hundred. Commander Idaris, I want you and Commander Halliwell to go over everything we have on the Orions. Commander Gainsborough, make sure Sickbay is ready to treat possible casualties." She smiled. "We have our first major mission. Let's make sure it goes as smoothly as missions can be." She stood up. "Dismissed."

The six department heads stood up, exiting via one of the two doors, all heading to finish their respective tasks. Each task would form to become a whole picture.

Kes remained seated for a moment more, before coming to a decision. She got up, and made her way to the ship's lounge.

She wanted to talk to someone down there… someone who could probably give her some insight into what to do.

--

She knew who was coming before she saw her. Hard not to, when the person in question was so powerful, her psychic presence literally lit up the walls. Though she hadn't destroyed anything, thanks to those long range lessons she had with Professor Xavier, Kes still cut an intimidating presence, regardless of where she was.

Her usual smile emerged on her face as the captain of the _Valkyrie _strolled into the lounge, heading straight for her. Setting the glass she had been cleaning down, she observed her newest customer closely.

Kes sat down on one of the barstools, smiling lightly. "Hello," she said. "I'm hoping that you can help me with a problem."

"If it's your powers, I can't help you there. That's for actual psychics to deal with." She slid a glass of juice over to her. "But if it's about your mission, I think I can help you there."

Over the next few minutes, Kes gave her the rundown as to what their mission was, sipping her drink. "Orions tend to lay traps for their victims," she said at long last. "Normally, they use electrically charged nets that sap the energy from a moving vessel, cutting through its hull like a hot knife through butter. And they use stealth technology to sneak up on their prey. Shields can stop most traps, but only if they're set at full military strength. Also, Orions are among the most formidable fighters in the galaxy, and among the most ruthless. Remember all of this, and you shouldn't have any problems dealing with them."

"I will." Kes stood up, finishing the rest of her juice. "I think that this was very useful."

"I sure hope so. Good luck, Captain."

Kes smiled. "Thank you, Guinan." The smile still on her face, she made her way out of the lounge, heading back to the bridge.

Guinan smiled as she watched her go, not surprised to see how much alike she and Picard were. Both of them were charismatic, had many of the same insecurities, and both had the same indomitable spirit. In fact, if she remembered correctly, Kes even defeated a spirit who had tried to use her for its own selfish goals. Picard was able to help stop the Borg before they could assimilate Earth.

_'I guess that's why I asked the Guardians to let me come aboard,'_ she thought to herself. She saw the potential within Kes.

Just like Alania did.

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Death Valley**

Everyone watched patiently as Eriol watched the tape on Madison's camcorder, slowly deciphering the message that had been delivered. On a piece of paper, and a whole lot of fortitude, he was making headway.

"It's simply Morse Code, as we already know," he explained. "I memorized a book on it during my tenure in England. Hopefully, it shall aide us today."

"I hope so, too," Yami replied. "Sakura, what do you think?"

The Clow Mistress shook her head. "I couldn't honestly tell you," she replied. "I usually look toward the good in everybody. I couldn't think someone was an enemy if my life depended on it."

Tea smiled. "Well, good for you, Sakura. Better to think that everyone you meet can be a friend instead of an enemy."

"Just be sure you can tell who the bad guys are," Li added, an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "That way, you won't get hurt."

Kero and Julian looked at each other, then at the two of them. "I still don't like the brat being with Sakura," Kero grumbled.

Julian chuckled. "Cheer up, Kero," he told the small beast. "She could have picked worse. She could have picked someone who was just like her brother."

"Yeah, good point."

Everyone chuckled at his statement, knowing that Touya was really a big softy at heart, who kept an eye on his little sister at all times.

Spinnel suddenly perked up, his ears twitching. His sudden movement brought an end to the light moment. "I sense a great power consolidating in the distance."

"I sense it too." Ruby stood up, her hair fluttering in the slight breeze. "It doesn't seem to be moving in our direction, though."

"Never assume." Yami stood up, pulling a card from his deck. "I call forth Kuriboh."

Kuriboh was the weakest monster in the Pharaoh's deck, but certainly not useless. The little fur ball had helped him win at Duelist Kingdom, and delayed some of his most dangerous opponents so he could create his winning strategies. He owed a great deal to him.

The little creature appeared before them, turning to face Yami. It let out its customary strange sound. To the untrained ear, it never changed in pitch or tone.

To Yami though, the question was clear. _How can I be of assistance?_

"I need you to head in the direction of the power our friends are sensing, and see what it is. Try and keep a low profile, understand?"

Kuriboh hooted in understanding. _Yes._ He began floating in that particular direction, not even making a sound.

Madison watched as their ancient friend sat back down, putting his head against the side of the X-Van, taking a deep breath. He hadn't been able to sleep very well over the last few nights, due to the fact they were always on the move, as well as doing battle against the forces of evil. Obviously, that puzzle of his required a great deal of power to utilize fully, and it obtained it by connecting directly into his life force. "How about you take a nap?" she asked. "It'll be a while before the message is fully translated, and you look beat."

Yami nodded, knowing what she meant. He had been tired, and nightmares plagued him at every turn. "I'll be fine," he said. "Besides, I need to be conscious for my monsters to be out and about."

She didn't press the issue, though she looked at Tea for a second. Tea nodded, letting her know that she would talk to him soon. Satisfied, her attention shifted back to Eli as he put another word down on a sheet of paper.

--

**Bat****Cave****, Wayne Manor**

Wayne Manor.

It was a good ten miles from the outer rim of Gotham City. Here, living with only his butler as company, was one of the wealthiest single men in the area, Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne was the owner of Wayne Enterprises, a conglomerate created by his father almost twenty years ago. He had assumed control of it after a lengthily trip abroad, learning all he could of Europe and Asia. He was playboy, who was known to date a woman for a period of time, and then let them go without a reason. Most of the women were grateful for having a fling with him, so they could say that they slept with him. He was also very generous, helping out at homeless shelters, and leading Gotham's efforts to protect the last of the rainforests.

But all of this, no matter how noble or annoying, was merely a façade. It helped hide his real work, his hidden truth, from the world.

For underneath stately Wayne Manor was the home of the Batman. A series of caves that Wayne had converted into his workshop, his forensics lab, and a place for his villain memorabilia, were home to a colony of bats, as well as the billionaire's alter ego. It was here where the real Bruce Wayne resided at all times.

Presently, the Dark Knight was down there at his great supercomputer, reading over the reports coming from Arkham, trying to figure out how Joker had managed to escape without anyone knowing about it. They had been keeping an extra close watch over him after the massive break out in the asylum, hoping to ensure that he didn't follow their example.

Except Joker had gotten them all in the end. He had escaped in a rather crude fashion that wasn't like him; with a homemade bomb that he had created. No one knew how he had pulled it off, but it didn't matter. The fact of the matter was he was out again, and more dangerous than ever.

Alfred emerged from the elevator as his employer, friend, and surrogate son turned around, standing up. "Master Bruce, though I know of the facts concerning this new case, even Batman must eat. Dinner is waiting for you on the table."

Batman nodded, though somewhat confused by Alfred's statement. "Normally when I'm working late, you just bring it down."

"Miss Diana is waiting for you."

"Ah." He needed no further information. Was it Thursday already? "Tell her I'll be up in a few minutes." He turned around, heading for the changing area. He made it his business not to look like Batman when he was above ground.

"Of course, Sir." Turning around, Alfred returned to the elevator, heading up to the upper levels. Obviously, he had already finished his research.

About five minutes later, Bruce Wayne emerged from behind the clock in casual wear, a steel door sliding into place behind him. The clock also slid back into place, hiding the fact that there was a secret entrance into the Bat Cave. Only a select few knew of it, most notably Batman's many partners and the founding League members.

Diana was sitting at the small table in the living room, looking around. Though she had been there many times, she had never lost her amazement at how large each room was. "Your parents certainly knew how to build a house," she said as he approached.

Bruce chuckled. "Actually, Wayne Manor has been in my family for seven generations, ever since the city was first built. I just rebuilt it after it was burned down… by an accident."

"Bruce talk for; someone wanted to shut me up."

"Exactly."

Smiling in amusement, the Amazon watched as he sat down. "Sorry to drag you away from your work. I heard what Joker did."

"For you, that's not so bad." Bruce looked up thoughtfully. "I still haven't figured out how Joker was able to get a bomb past the inspections at Arkham. There is an answer there, I just haven't found it."

"Well, maybe it'll come to you over the turkey. Let's eat before it gets cold."

The two of them quickly served themselves, and began to eat. The dinner was delicious, as always. Conversation was light, or as light as it could be considering Bruce's stoic nature. But he was making conversation, which was a whole lot better than two years ago.

Diana watched him carefully as he took a sip of wine, observing him as both a fellow warrior and as a woman. He was a man who took very good care of himself. His body, not too massive nor too slim, was a perfect balance. He had a body that sculptors would have died to use as a template, and women would literally swoon over. Not her of course, but she did like it.

Bruce eyed her casually as she swallowed a bite, every ounce of his detective skills coming to the fore. She was perfect in every physical way, all the way down to the last detail. She had muscle, but she wasn't built like a body builder. Rather, it was mildly accentuated under her skin, and the blue casual dress she wore. If he was anyone different, he would have watched her forever.

"Enjoying the show?" Diana asked suddenly, lips still quirked upward.

"Are you?" he countered, smirking out right.

"Touché."

Chuckling a bit, the two of them finished their dinner, before heading out onto the balcony. Here, they stood, watching the ocean as it swept onto the shore. It was here that their conversation shifted back towards the problem with the Joker.

"The police haven't been able to find any leads," Bruce said, mind going over the information he had received. "What's more, he's been going after the police. Almost as if he's taunting me and them to try and stop him."

"That sounds like Joker," Diana replied. "Bruce, you'll take him down again. You always do."

"Not this time. Something just seems… different somehow." He turned to look at her. "I won't put Barbara or Tim in danger, and I doubt Dick will leave Jump City any time soon, considering Slade's reappearance and his and Raven's new position among the Guardians. I'm going to need some help."

She looked at him, placing a hand on top of his. "How about your squad?" she asked. "Most of them are detectives, and I know Huntress would love to get back into Gotham."

Bruce snorted. "Yes, just what I need. A purer vigilante than me running around." He paused. "But maybe that's exactly what I need." He grinned. "Diana, you're a genius!"

Diana grinned at his praise. "You're welcome," she replied. "Are you going back down to the cave?"

"… … Not tonight. I believe that was the promise I made you on Thursday."

"That's true. Tomorrow you'll call them."

"Yes." Bruce grinned. "I'll make a detective out of you yet."

"To my ever present dread."

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Federation Border

The outer border of the United Federation of Planets was very much a turbulent place, where starships were deployed to protect their farthest planets and starbases from the still unknown frontiers. Due to the Borg incursion of 2373 and the recent Dominion War, those numbers had been increased dramatically.

The Thallonian Confederation was a hotbed of pirates and former Imperial forces, all ready to spark a new war or cause as much damage as possible before being taken down.

In this area, they had the Federation Starships _Excalibur _and _Trident_. They were captained by two captains. One; the woman responsible for getting the Federation's anti Borg programs on the right track, and through who the prototype _Defiant_ had been built.

The other was a throwback to Captain Kirk's era, and the finest since the legend himself.

Mackenzie Calhoun of Xenex and his wife Elizabeth Shelby. The Thallonian's newest friend's and allies. The only Federation presences in a hostile area. Their exploits, from Calhoun's freeing of his home world from oppressors, to Shelby's part in stopping the first Borg incursion, had made them among the most impressive officers in the fleet.

And, as the _Valkyrie_ exited transwarp near this area of space, Kes found herself comparing the two of them to Picard. She didn't know why.

"We are approaching the boundary of Thallonian space," Boomer reported.

"Slow to impulse power," Belle ordered.

Kes turned around. "Tasha, send word to starship's _Excalibur _and _Trident_. Let them know who we are, and our reason for entering this area."

Tasha' fingers danced across her console, sending the message out. "Message sent, Sir."

"Good. Now we wait."

The wait wasn't long by any standards. "Receiving return message from _Trident_," Tasha reported. "Orion pirates had been spotted in sector 5391. Had to retreat due to…" Her eyes widened, "superior numbers and weapons."

Belle turned around. Somehow, the Chief Tactical Officer saying that didn't bode well for any of them. "How many?"

"About fifty vessels in all. Twenty eight are Orion. The others are a number of various designs."

Jadzia checked. "According to latest Guardian Intel, the pirates have been amassing into larger fleets as of late. In the aftermath of the Dominion War, they probably want to protect themselves from possible attacks from the allied powers."

Kes nodded. Despite the fact that the war had been over for two years, the Romulan government had decided to remain allied to the Klingons and the Federation, so that they could repel another attack from the Alpha Quadrant before it became too much of a problem. They also discovered that they could work with both governments easily, and had supplied the Federation with a cloaking device for use onboard the new _Defiant_. "Take us in, Boomer. Increase speed to Warp Five. Tasha, engage the cloak, then send our thanks to both Captain Calhoun's."

The _Valkyrie _shot forward, rippling out of view as they went to warp. Now they could sneak past any defense grid that had been put up.

Kes smiled as everything progressed smoothly around her, just like clockwork. _'So, this is how a captain feels with a crew that actually likes her,'_ she thought. _'Maybe I am cut out for this, after all.'_

**

* * *

**

Realm 4, Watchtower

Huntress twiddled her thumbs impatiently as she looked around the room. "Do any of you know why we've been called here by the Bat?" she asked testily. She always acted like that when she had been woken up from a very sweet dream.

Question looked at her. "Could it be that we have a mission?" he asked.

"Could it be that he's been in Gotham?" Arrow retorted. "That's his city, and he doesn't want anyone else in it. So no Huntress, none of us have a clue as to why Batman called us."

Grumbling, the young woman leaned back in her seat, looking out the window on the far side, letting the star field soothe her. The stars had had a calming influence on her for the longest time, especially when she was a child. These days, they let her cool down her murderous thoughts concerning Mandragora, the man responsible for the death of her parents. Membership in the Justice League meant one kept their personal demons and vendettas behind extremely tough walls.

The last member of their squad, Zatanna, twirled her wand around a few times, before turning to the door. _'I wonder what's taking Bruce so long,'_ she thought to herself. It was unlike him to arrange a meeting so hastily.

The doors to the Conference Room slid open, allowing the Dark Knight himself to enter. His customary brusque look on his face, he sat down at the front of the table, putting a number of vanilla folders down in front of him. "I'm not one for large speeches and all that, so let me be brief." He looked at Question. "Joker is back in town."

_That_ got everyone's attention, and they focused on him.

Knowing that they were all going to listen, he dimmed the lights, activating the monitor behind him. "As most of you are aware, Joker has been targeting the police for whatever the reason. The therapists at Arkham believe it to be another one of his erratic notions."

"But of course, you think differently," Question stated, seemingly impervious to Batman's scowl. He probably was, but no one could tell.

"Of course." Pressing a button on the table, he brought the police report onto the screen. "According to the investigation so far, he has hit only high security military bases and corporations, leaving with valuable satellite equipment. For whatever reason, Commissioner Gordon believes that it's linked to the Dakota City theft."

Arrow winced, knowing full well how much money Bruce Wayne had put into designing that satellite, and how much sweat Gear had put into building it. "What's your theory?"

"Right now, I think the two crimes are not connected in any way. Also, the Meta humans had help from Dartz and Para-Diaz. Joker had only his thugs helping him."

Huntress nodded, knowing what he meant by that. She knew how crime bosses were like, her father having been one. In the end, regardless of how influential you were, you could only rely on the resources you had there. Otherwise, you were on your own. "So, he's been getting away with all of these crimes, and you haven't been able to track him down. What do you want us to do?"

Batman stared at them for a second, before sighing. "You're all coming with me to Gotham City," he said at long last. "I need your help trying figure out his plan, and where he plans to strike next."

They all heard the words, but they didn't really hear them. Did Batman, the World's Greatest Detective, the Dark Knight, the single deadliest hero in the Justice League, just say that he needed their _help_? In _his _city? The end of the world was fast approaching, if not already here!

His grimace became more pronounced, correctly interpreting their collective thought. "Yes, I really did say it. Please don't mention this to anyone else." He tossed them each one folder. "Here is a more detailed analysis of what he's done so far, the number of deaths, sightings, and even some personal information from the Asylum. Review it tonight, because I expect you all to report to Gotham at ten o'clock tomorrow night to the top of Gotham police headquarters."

Huntress opened the folder, looking it over. "Seems simple enough. Most of us should be ready by tomorrow night."

"What about Cadmus?" Question asked.

Batman turned to him. "You'll continue your investigation after the mission."

"… Of course."

The Dark Knight stood up, signaling that the briefing was over. "Get a good night's sleep. You're going to need it." With that, he walked out of the room.

Huntress looked at Zatanna. "Who'd have thought that he'd need our help taking down the Joker?" she asked.

Zatanna smiled humorlessly. "I did," she replied.

--

**Death Valley**

Yami leaned back against the side of the Van, looking out over the horizon. He had no interest in the stars above, because they reminded him of what he had lost.

Inside the X-Van, Sakura and the others were asleep, preferring the soft cushions of the vehicle to the hard ground beneath them.

Tea was sitting next to him, looking upward. "I wonder what Yugi sees these nights," she murmured.

Startled out of his reverie, he turned his gaze over to her. "Huh?"

Tea smiled, knowing that she had gotten his attention. "I was just wondering what Yugi is seeing… up there, in that Watchtower. Probably nothing than what we're seeing."

Yami nodded to himself as he thought about it. "He can see the Earth… in all of its celestial beauty. He sees what we can't; a world that will outlive us all, and continue to live long after we have departed from this realm." He smiled slightly. "I sometimes wonder… how it is that drives a person to commit such violent acts as destroying the world, when this world is all we have."

She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "That's the nature of the human spirit, Yami," she reminded him gently. "Some men will do great things, while others will do terrible things. Some men will be good, while others are evil. It's just how it is. The balancing act always in motion, forever trying to find equilibrium."

He didn't need to be reminded of that. Even after five thousand years, the cycle hadn't been broken, and it probably never would be.

Tea saw that her efforts in cheering her up were not working, and moved closer. "Pharaoh," she whispered quietly. "The world is never black and white, nor set in stone. Sometimes… you just have to have faith."

"Faith?"

"That events will unfold as they should."

Yami frowned as he thought about her words. "Perhaps you're right, Tea," he said after a moment. "Maybe the truth will be revealed to me someday." He suddenly smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Tea. I doubt I could have found the strength to carry on."

Tea blushed at his praise. "Ah, it's nothing," she replied, returning his smile. "That's what friends do."

"Friends with benefits?"  
"…I won't even dignify that with a response."

"Probably just as well. I probably wouldn't survive."  
Tea laughed.

And Sakura poked her head out, having had enough. "On behalf of the passengers of the X-Van, I would like you to shut up, and let the rest of us sleep, before we release the powers of the Clow all over your dueling butts. Is this all right with you? Yes? Good. Good night." With that, she ducked back in.

Tea and Yami looked at each other for a few seconds, then up. "I think we need to find more secluded places to talk," Tae whispered at long last.

"Or we need sound proofing for the inside of that car," Yami replied, musing to himself quietly.

Of course, they could be wrong. Maybe their hearing was just that good.

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Thallonian Space

_ Captain's Log, Stardate 52109.5_

_ The _Valkyrie_ continues on its trek to the coordinates that the Federation vessel _Excalibur_ had sent us. We are hoping to catch the pirates that are stationed there by surprise._

Kes looked at the screen as she finished her latest log entry, opting to wait until later to enter her personal log. "Report," she said aloud.

Jadzia didn't even look up from her console. "We are approaching the planet at full impulse. No sign of traps or defensive measures of any kind in the four moons in orbit."

"I am detecting thirty two Orion vessels in orbit," Tasha reported, her fingers dancing over her board like a musician. "There are ten Tellarite ships, five old Klingon battle cruisers, and… fifteen Romulan Warbirds?"

Belle blinked a little in surprise. That was something she hadn't expected to hear. "Onscreen."

Tasha brought the image onto the main viewer, and they stared at the seemingly impossible; Fifteen Warbirds without any damage to them at all, in orbit around the planet. None of the other ships were attacking them, and in fact were flying alongside them.

Aeris looked at the awe inspiring sight before them, shaking her head. "What's wrong with this picture, girls?" she asked rhetorically.

Jadzia shook her head, trying to make sense of all of this. "This isn't right. Even Romulan pirates are too arrogant to work with anyone else outside of others of their race."

"You're the experts on them," Kes replied. "I'll take your word for it. Prue, can any of them detect us?"

Prue turned back to her screen, checking the cloaking field. "I recommend that we drop down to quarter impulse within the next five minutes. That way, we can continue forward while diminishing our power ratio as much as possible."

Kes nodded, leaning forward. "Boomer, drop to quarter impulse on my command."

"Aye, Sir."

"… Now."

The mighty vessel's speed slowed down even further, until it seemed that it was standing still. Of course, quarter impulse power was still sufficient thrust to keep them moving forward.

Belle turned to her commanding officer. "Sir, there is a good chance they have placed mines in orbit. Perhaps we should head for one of the moons."

"They could have done the same thing there, Number One." The Occampan's eyes crimped slightly in thought. "All stop."

Boomer did so, trading a confused glance with Jadzia. "All stop."

Kes stood up, tugging down on her uniform jacket to straighten it out. Tasha caught it, and smiled to herself. _'So like Picard,'_ she thought.

Unaware of how it looked, the captain stepped forward. "Mister Yar, maintain sensor sweep of that fleet. If they move out, I want to know where they are heading. Idaris, start scanning any possible traps that we missed on the initial seep. In the meantime, I want a strategy planned out to rescue them, with possible contingencies." She turned around. "Commander, you have the bridge."

Belle nodded. "Aye, Sir." She watched as Kes went into her Ready Room, probably to continue her education. Only this time, she would probably learn everything she could of the Orions, Klingons, and Romulans.

It was somewhat disturbing as how to she could read and understand Kes so well so quickly. Having only known her for a couple of weeks, she should still be trying to understand her. Already anticipating what she was doing was something that should be reserved for telepaths.

Shaking her head, the Trainee settled back in her seat, looking at the fleet before her. _'Let's pray for a miracle,'_ she thought. _'That's the only way that we're going to be able to pull this off.'_

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Gotham****City**

The Batman stood next to the Bat Signal, so still that he could have been mistaken for a stone statue. It was almost ten, and no one had shown up yet. Of course, Tim and Barbara were on patrol, taking care of the routine work he did alongside them. He had covered all of the angles when it came to the city.

The second the giant clock hit ten, a transporter beam hit the surface, depositing his squadron. He took in each and every single one of them.

Huntress looked ready and eager to do something useful, as opposed to being stuck up in the Watchtower, going over the reports again.

The Question's face was obscured, due to the face mask he had on. But he could see the slight twitch in one of the Question's fingers, and knew that he was ready.

Arrow was looking around, taking in his surroundings. He knew that Oliver, the second wealthiest member of the League, had made sure to have a second plan set up in case Bruce Wayne's connections to League were discovered, so the League could continue to get the funding they needed to operate.

Zatanna, who was no stranger to Gotham or its unique criminals, merely brought her wand up, twirling it for a few seconds.

Batman permitted a small smirk to appear on his face. _'Like clockwork,'_ he thought, stepping forward. "Thank you for showing up on time."

"We would've been early," Huntress replied, chucking a finger at their resident conspiracy theorist, "but Question here wanted to avoid jinxing the whole thing."

Batman shook his head, deciding to have a nice long chat with the man after this mission. He was entirely too paranoid for his own good. Even he, the Dark Knight, tried to keep a lid on his suspicions. But that could wait. "We're going to have to scour the city in pairs," he explained to them. "Question, you and Huntress take the dock yards and canning factories. Arrow, you and Zatanna head for the Narrows, and be careful. Most of the petty thieves and rapists live there."

Arrow nodded. "What about you?"

"I'll be working with Detectives Montonya and Bullock."

Huntress winced, knowing about the slightly obese and exceedingly cranky right hand man of Gordon. "My condolences with Bullock," she said.

"Yes… Keep in contact with your communicators. If you find Joker, do not engage unless forced to. Move out."

The four of them were off in a flash, and not a moment too soon. For the two Detectives exited through the escape, looking around.

Bullock shook his head. "Alright, Bats," he said in that slightly sarcastic tone that was uniquely his, "where's da backup?"

"Already doing their job," Batman replied. "Now let's go do ours."

--

**Death Valley**

"We have the message fully translated," Eriol reported, finally setting his pen down. "It is very simple, and it is addressed to you."

Yami took the piece of paper from the young boy, looking it over. "You are approaching some of the answers you seek, Ancient Pharaoh," he read. "If you wish to learn more about Dartz and the Orichalcos, please come towards the mountains." He looked at Eriol. "Is this a joke?"  
"Not as far as I can tell," Eriol replied. "Whoever it is knows who you are, and knows that you battle the Orichalcos."

"It could be a trap," Li pointed out.

"It could also be true," Sakura shot back. "If that is the case, then we'd be stupid not to take this chance."

Tea turned to the Pharaoh, watching him carefully. "In the end, we're all just along for the ride." She leaned in. "What do you think, Yami?"

Yami looked up, then towards the mountain range. Looking back at the piece of paper, he frowned for a second. "I say… we go to the mountains," he decided at long last. "Kuriboh should still be there in hiding. However, we don't go in there unprepared. Kero, you and the other Sacred Guardians follow us from the air. If there is even a hint of a trap, you'll have to cover our escape. In the meantime, I'll have a series of traps ready, just in case."

Everyone nodded. They were facing off against beings so powerful they could ensnare the minds of the strongest warriors without even trying. There was no sense taking chances now.

The four beasts changed into their true forms, and stood, awaiting further orders.

Yami nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

And here is Episode Seventy One, Part One. Part Two will continue the search for Joker, the _Valkyrie_ crew coming up with a plan to infiltrate the pirate's domain, and Yami meeting Ironhide and Chris. Please stay tuned, and please review.


	98. Seventy Two, Part Two

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**YuGiOh: Redemption**

**Episode Seventy Two, Part Two**

**Realm 9002, Thallonian Space**

"The defensive line they've set up around the planet allows for no vessel to get through without being scanned first," Tasha reported, gesturing to the tactical data on the screen. "Unfortunately, most of the vessels onboard the _Valkyrie_ aren't equipped with personal cloaking devices, which makes it next to impossible for us to go in unnoticed." She looked around. "I was also able to detect a subtle cloaking field surrounding the planet. Once I punched through that, I was able to get these images." Her eyes crimped slightly. "I think you'll recognize the technology, Jadzia."

Jadzia's eyes narrowed into slits as she took in the specifications. She would recognize them in her sleep. "Of course I do. Chief O'Brien and Rom were the ones who developed it." She turned to Kes, who was slightly confused by what she meant with that. "Those are self replicating mines," she explained. "Rom and the Chief developed them as a countermeasure against the Dominion sending any more ships through the wormhole. As a result, for four months, all they had to rely on what was already in the Alpha Quadrant, and giving us a chance to bolster our war effort considerably."

Kes nodded in understanding. "I've read the file, Commander. It was a rather ambitious undertaking, from what I'm told. However, I understand that they were eventually shut down by using the station's main deflector to create an antigraviton beam."

"Yes. It was a flaw that none of us took into account. Of course, it took a great deal of time for Damar to complete, due to the fact there were over five thousand of those things to contend with. Each blast had to be calibrated perfectly so as to not trigger the replication process. So it did its part, and we regained the station."

Kes nodded, turning to Prue. "Could you get any information concerning the mines?" she asked.

Prue nodded. "I discovered that the Romulans have been adding a few minor, but significant improvements. For starters, each mine is linked with five others, forming a complex spider web of sorts. If one goes inactive, it will trigger a proximity alarm to alert the other mines, and the fleet, that there is a possible intruder nearby. It also makes deactivating them a whole lot more difficult. Also, I discovered a small component that acts as a fail safe. If the replication system inside a mine is disengaged, it detonates. And we found out that they have added about forty kilos more matter and antimatter to each one."

"Allowing for a much larger explosion."

"Even the _Valkyrie's_ shields wouldn't be able to withstand that much destructive power coming from eighty of those bad boys for very long."

Kes turned back to Jadzia. "Have you located the hostages?"

"I tracked their transponder signals to a small island in the southern hemisphere. I also detected about two hundred other life signs." The Science Officer shuddered. "It's definitely slave labor."

"As soon as she located them, she transferred her findings to my computer," Aeris added. "Their vitals are stable for now, but I wouldn't expect that to hold in the long run."

"Do we have any strategies on how we can rescue them?"

Tasha sat down, accessing the small controls in front of her. "We assemble a strike team, and try to get them past the mine field in an escape pod," she suggested immediately. "I can have Lieutenant Berenson ready within the hour."

"If they went through all of the trouble to improve upon Rom's replicating mines design, then they'll have made the mines extremely touchy," Jadzia replied. "Anything metallic will be targeted and identified, then assessed for its danger. Our escape pods use a similar transponder signal to Federation, so as to blend in with Starfleet subspace communications."

"We could change it…"

"Which will take about fifty days for us to get permission," Prue interrupted. "It's one of those things Alania has been trying to change, but Guardian Tieranos keeps blocking her at every turn."

Kes shook her head. Bureaucrats were people she hated the most. "I'm going to want to meet this Tieranos when this is over," she said. "Any other takers?"

Belle leaned in. "We find a way around the mine field, and beam in an undercover agent. They locate the hostages, tag them with transporter enhancers, and get them out of there. No mess, no fuss."

"Unfortunately, you have just pointed out the one flaw in that plan. We have to find a way through." Prue turned her gaze to the captain. "Sir, we would have to match our transporters with the mine's own energy matrix, so that the transport wouldn't be detected. Right now, the modulation is swinging so randomly that we wouldn't be able to. Not without some high powered assistance."

_"Maybe I can help there,"_ the computer stated.

Everyone looked to the ceiling, even though there was no one there. "How so?" Kes asked, rather concerned that she was getting used to the computer being able to talk _back_ to her.

_"I can access the sensor grid, and take about an hour's worth of data. After all, a mine's computer system will only have a limited number of modulations to choose from. I might be able to locate a pattern in its rotation, and Commander Halliwell can create a counterbalance for it."_

Boomer grinned. "Belle, your plan is looking better and better already."

Belle returned the grin. "I try sometimes. It helps when the computer is a sentient lifeform herself."

_"Thank you, Sir."_

Kes chuckled. "Computer, begin your scans. Let me know when you've found the pattern. Prue, I want you to begin creating a program that will allow the transporters to beam someone through undetected. Commander Yar, as a backup option, I want your strike force ready to move at a moment's notice. In the meantime, Commander Idaris… who is the best undercover operative we have onboard?"

Jadzia grinned. "That would be me, Sir."

"Well, congratulations. The mission is now officially yours. Get yourself ready for a trip down to a pirate's camp."

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Gotham****City**

Question's eyes, concealed as they were from the rest of the world, remained completely focused on the computer screen in front of him. He had managed to successfully gain access into Arkham Asylum's computer records, and was waiting for the download to be completed.

"How's it going?"

"It's going rather well, actually. Hopefully, with the Joker's psychological record at our disposal, we'll figure out his mad plan." He looked up. "Up on your left."

Huntress quickly pivoted, slamming her foot into another inmate's jaw. Once again, as was customary in Gotham City, they had decided to attempt a mass breakout. Unfortunately for them, two Justice League Members were there to help the guards stop just that. "You really think you can find a pattern in the son of a bitch's psych? That's going to be hard, even for you."

"The warden said that the Joker had been muttering in his sleep for the better part of five months," Question replied, gaze unflinching. "They could never make out what it was, because he spoke so low. However, if it is a new symptom to his growing insanity, then it will only make him more dangerous to deal with in the future."

"Gee… ya think?" Two more fell from well placed blows to the guts. She pulled her small crossbow out, catching a third one in the leg. "Hmm, I hit a little too high," she muttered, listening to his high pitched scream.

The download was now complete. Question pulled the CD out of the CD-Rom, slipping it into a case, then into his pocket. "I have what we need." He quickly lashed out with a right hook, catching an inmate in the jaw.

"Good." One well placed elbow later, and the last of the would-be escapees was down for the count. "I'm all done here, too. Wanna help me tie them up?"

He nodded. "Hand me some rope."

About ten minutes later, Question and Huntress drove out of Arkham Asylum in a blue Cadillac, one of Question's preferred cars. Leaving the secluded road for the bustling streets of Gotham, they made their way to the dock yards.

Huntress looked at Question, then at his pocket. "How do you think Batman's going to take it when he learns we were dilly dallying at Arkham?" she asked.

Question smirked under the mask. "He informed me that there was a mass breakout occurring, and to have us go check it out," he replied. "I just decided to familiarize myself with Joker's psychological evaluation, so I can be better prepared to find the clue we need to uncover his fiendish plot."

"… He's nuts, Vic, and not in a good way."

"Perhaps. But then again, geniuses are only a step away from that dark path. I am living proof of walking that fine rope. And so is Batman, though he is further away than I am."

The Huntress thought about it, nodded in understanding. "Well, when you put it that way…" She smiled. "What else, Vic?"

Question looked at her briefly. "If Joker is at the docks, then the mission is over before it began. If he is not, then I will not be surprised. Besides, the docks are where the military hides their top secret government projects… and where the enemy finds their recruits."

She let out a chuckle at that. "Baby, I can't take you anywhere, you know that?" All the same, she was happy to be working with him. He didn't judge her for how she operated, and she could see past his quirks. And, now that she admitted to herself, she actually did like him.

Probably because she liked strange men.

--

The Narrows, Gotham's slum area, was also the only place in the city where police never went except in force. It's where the majority of the petty criminals made their homes, and where the poor people resided, trying to make a meager living in a world with rising food and gas prices.

It was also where the old Arkham Asylum penitentary resided.

Even now, Arrow felt a chill crawl up his spine as he stared at the aging structure, which had housed a large number of small time crooks on the street at one point or another. Its maximum security wing had been run by Doctor Crane, who would one day become the dreaded Scarecrow. And the horror stories Batman told him were enough to frighten even him.

Zatanna shivered as she stared up at it, knowing how much more dangerous the old building was, now falling apart from misuse. "Are you sure we have to go in?" she asked. "I've heard horror stories from Bruce about this place."

Arrow shrugged. "It's the only place in the Narrows we haven't checked yet, and I think Bruce would want us to be thorough. Even if the place gives us the creeps." Pulling out an arrow, he notched it, and prepared to fire it. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to go in there either."

"It does." Zatanna's wand was out, her free hand on the brim of her top hat. "Well, let's get this over with."

The asylum was just as they thought it would be; dark, dank, and utterly creepy. It was here where Joker and Penguin used to be sent, before the construction of the prison complex near the bay. The smell of death was in the air, among other things.

Arrow, who had been in far worse situations, could breathe rather well without gagging. His grip on his bow didn't weaken, and his gaze continued to sweep the area. The consummate vigilante at his finest.

Zatanna managed to control her gag reflex well enough, though she was a little green in the face. She was used to dealing with supernatural menaces, not sociopaths probably hiding in crumbling mental institutions, and it showed. She couldn't wait to get back to her magic routine after this assignment.

"You okay?" Arrow asked.

"I will be when we get the hell out of here," she replied. "Anyway, how're things between you and Dinah?"

"Oh, things are going great. She's actually thinking about showing me some of her old haunts next week." His attention shifted as he kicked a door open, sweeping the room. "How'd you and Bruce meet?" he asked in return.

Zatanna smirked. "We met at my father's circus, if you can believe it. He was learning the art of escaping from locks and the like, and I was learning the art of illusion. Well, we got pretty close, but he was preparing to head to the Far East for martial arts training, so I didn't see him again until about twelve years later."

"His eighth year as Batman."

"With the Penguin, no less."

"At least he didn't have a penchant for causing mass death."

Zatanna nodded. "Tell me about it. He told me about his run in with the Joker last year, just before…"

She couldn't finish the sentence, due to the bad memories it brought up, but Arrow knew what she meant. Barely half a year since it happened, the Thanagarian Invasion was still a pretty hot topic. It was the direct reason for Superman and most of the founding members constructing a larger Watchtower, and bringing together as many heroes as they could to help protect the planet. He had been the last person they contacted, and very reluctant to join, though he eventually discovered that he enjoyed their approach. More heroes in one area meant that the situation could be contained much faster, and with fewer losses. And Batman requested him specifically to keep the League honest. He knew that a large number of super powered beings needed to be slapped upside their heads every once in a while, to remind them why they were there.

Zatanna sighed, using her powers to peer through a wall. The memories of the Thanagarians entering her home city, holding her prisoner in her own house, had been bad enough. But she had had to defend herself against one of the more lecherous soldiers on the second week of her captivity. What he could have done to her, thanks to his unique weapons and superior strength, had been enough to give her nightmares for several months. She still had them, in fact. And she swore that, if she met the soldier again, she would find a way to break every single bone in his body.

Arrow had had it a great deal easier. Shayera had only told them about Earth's strengths, instead of giving up their identities. So he had simply stayed in his mansion, waiting for the Justice League to make their move, and then distract the troops. He had been joined by Speedy and Titans East in that regard, and they had forced the Thanagarians out of the city. And when he learned that Hawkgirl hadn't known of her own people's plans, he knew that he couldn't blame her for her actions, and the fact that she joined the battle against them in the end told him a great deal.

She would do what she thought was right, not what was easy.

The two Leaguers ascended to the second floor, entering the maximum security wing, their eyes still moving around sporadically. They knew that something was here, but they didn't know what.

"This feels wrong," Zatanna finally stated.

"I know. This is too easy. This building is too empty." Arrow looked around. "I mean, where are the derelicts? Where are the people who can't even afford what's in the Narrows?"

Her gaze shifted right, left, up…before settling on ahead. "Why don't we ask her?" she asked after a moment, shock permeating her system.

Confused, Arrow looked in the same direction… and almost went to one knee. "My God," he whispered.

There, crumpled up in a heap, blood trickling from almost a dozen wounds, was Circes.

--

"Circes?" Batman repeated in surprise. "Why was she there?"

_"Don't know, Batman."_ The frustration in Arrow's voice was enough to tell him that he really didn't have a clue. _"We were able to get her to __Gotham__Hospital__ fast enough, so she's going to make it. She just regained consciousness, so Zatanna's interrogating her right now. How's everything in your department?"_

"Nothing so far. We've managed to eliminate about half of Joker's old hideouts, and get about fifty of his henchmen back behind bars, but none of them have heard from him in months. We still haven't found Harley either, or his two hyenas for that matter. Keep me posted on any other developments."

Bullock turned to Batman as he shut down the comm link. "Guess even the Bats isn't perfect," he drawled.

"No one is, Detective. I go with what leads I have. Sometimes, they turn up to be dead ends." He paused. "However, Circes being left for dead in the old asylum can be very telling, to say the least."

"What? That the cousin of the Sirens ran into something that could hurt her?" Montoya leaned back in her seat. "That'll probably be happening a whole lot more, what with all of these monster sightings."

"Unless you dink dat dese aren't related," Bullock added, turning down one street.

"I don't. If… our most present thorn goes after someone with mystical power, they usually take their souls… from what I'm told. Circes is still with us, which means this is something else entirely."

Montoya nodded. "So, what's our next stop?" she asked.

Batman looked up. "Joker's apartment."

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Thallonian Space

Prue sat back, rubbing her eyes fretfully. An hour of typing in code for a transporter terminal was no walk in the park, and wreaked havoc on her back and eyes.

Even with the entire technical department working on the problem, it was slow going. _'Thank God I put in a whole lot of flexibility into the systems,'_ she thought. _'Otherwise, this probably would be a whole lot harder.'_

The _Valkyrie_, like all starships, had several massive computer cores at its disposal. They use twenty percent of its total processing power to help run her systems, leaving the remaining eighty percent for temporary data storage… or any new programs the crew created for certain situations.

"How's it going, Prue?"

Prue turned around, looking at her captain as she approached. "Slow, Kes," she replied. "I'd probably have better time getting the perfect snapshot than writing this program. We've barely managed to get half the program written, and we won't be able to finish it without those readouts."

Nodding, the Occampan took a moment to look at the massive devices, amazed at how much they looked like the computer core on_ Voyager_. "Did Alania design everything on here to resemble Federation vessels, or were you responsible?" she asked.

Prue stuck her hand up, smiling. "Guilty as charged. Phoebe was a Trekkie, and she got me hooked on the franchise when I was twelve. It wasn't too difficult." She leaned in slightly. "I personally loved the engineering staff, and all of the things they had to build and improve upon. So, aside from photography and antiquity, I also took mechanics courses in college. I actually loved building things, and taking them apart." She smiled, suddenly remembering something. "Grams didn't think it was something I should have to do, but that was before I fixed her cassette player, and it worked a whole lot better than when she bought it. Afterwards, she was all for my learning. Then, when I was eighteen, I helped someone with restoring a Model T to prime condition"

Chuckling, Kes sat down in the seat next to her. "Sounds like you're a combination of B'lanna Torres and Tom Paris. He would've loved to meet another car fanatic."

"I'll bet."

_"Am I interrupting Happy Hour?"_

The two officers sighed as one, looking up to the ceiling. "Hour's up?" Kes asked.

_"Hour's up,"_ the computer replied. _"However, I finished scanning the mine field, and I think I've found the pattern in the machines. I'm transferring the information to your computer console now, Commander."_

Prue looked at the screen, seeing the sensor readings, and grinned. "We've definitely got it, Sir," she said. "I can have the rest of the program written within the next five hours."

"I'll leave you to it." Kes stood up, stretching. "In the meantime, I'm going to head down to Sickbay, and see how our spy is doing."

"Have fun, Kes."

--

Aeris stared at Jadzia's head for a moment. "You know," she commented, "your left eye is about .56903 millimeters lower than your right eye."

Jadzia rolled said eyes to the heavens. "You know Aeris, I really don't care. Are you done tinkering on me, or do I have to sit here for another hour?"

"Relax. I'm almost done here." The doctor brought the camouflage device up, blanking out the rest of the Trill's spots. "There," she said. "Even the bio filters of those ships won't be able to read anything but a Romulan, unless someone runs you through a bio filter."

Feeling the arched eyebrow, then the pointed ears, Jadzia nodded to herself, satisfied. _'The Guardian's espionage techniques make the Federation's look like a cheap imitation.'_

As Aeris put her tools away, the sickbay doors opened, admitting Kes into an environment both similar and unfamiliar to her. She took one look, and put a hand on her chest in mock suspicion. "Alright, who are you, and where is my Science Officer?" she joked.

"Ha, ha, ha," Jadzia retorted. "You're a regular riot, Sir."

"I have to be, considering the whole lot of you would go crazy without me. Are you ready?"

"She is physically, but not genetically." The doctor quickly loaded a hypo spray. "This injection should be enough to change your physiology from Trill to Romulan for about twenty four hours," she explained, pressing it to the Trill's throat and injecting its contents into her bloodstream. "If you're discovered before it wears off completely, then it'll send a signal to the ship, and we'll beam you out."

"Seems simple enough."

Kes nodded, though confused. "Uh, how are you able to disguise her as a Romulan, and have a beacon all at the same time?"  
Aeris smirked. "Haven't a clue."

"You're lying."

"Through my teeth."

"She has such pretty teeth," Jadzia threw in.

"Go get into Romulan garment, Jadzia," Kes ordered, restraining a chuckle at their antics. _'Playing den mother.__ Me, who's younger than everyone else onboard save for Chip, and I'm playing den mother.'_ She shrugged gamely. _'Oh well. I will survive it.'_

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Death Valley**

Curse of Dragon roared through the skies, its exoskeleton gleaming in the morning light.

Yami and Tea held on for dear life as they flew through the air, for the first time realizing that dragons weren't the most comfortable, or safest of rides. For starters, their scaly, bony hides were ill adapted for comfort. There were no harnesses to strap them in. And finally, the air rushing across their forms were strong enough to almost throw them out of their seats.

Therefore, the Pharaoh was holding onto the bony protrusion in front of him tightly. Tea was holding onto something more agreeable; namely, the Pharaoh himself. Not that he was complaining any about her actions.

From behind them, flying in a classic military formation, were the four sacred beasts and Sakura, the latter holding onto the X-Van in her diminutive hands. Ah, the joys of the Power Card.

Yami looked out, seeing the mountains approach, and nodded. "Curse of Dragon, take us down!" he shouted as loudly as he could.

CoD let out a roar, before beginning its descent towards the ground. So far, everything was going pretty good, but there was no sense in taking chances. After all, it wouldn't be the first time they had been led into a trap before. For all any of them knew, they could shot out of the sky right now, and no one would ever really know.

But that particular fate didn't occur. The monster landed with no drama, and rather roughly, in their eyes. Their bums certainly thought it was a rough ride.

Hopping down first, Yami stretched slightly, relieving the kinks in his limbs for a few moments. Then he turned around, catching Tea around the waist as she landed. "That is not what I call the safest way to travel,' he said.

"I know what you mean, but it's fast." Tea shook her head slightly, before turning around. "Thanks, CoD."

The dragon roared softly before vanishing back into the Monster World, while Yami brought his now deactivated Duel Disk to his side, keeping his deck close. Gesturing, he started towards the mountains on foot, everyone else right behind him.

Sakura turned to Yue, who was busy scouting the terrain behind them. "Do you think whoever sent that message can be trusted?" she asked.

Yue shook his head. "I don't know… but we're going to have to risk it, all the same."

"The guy better be," Meiling stated, cracking her knuckles. "Otherwise, we're going to have to teach him, or her, a little lesson in respect."

Madison shook her head, looking towards Eriol. "How did we manage to find these people?" she whispered.

He shrugged in turn, smiling slightly. "I don't know, but I'm glad we did."

Tea's concentration was on Yami as he walked, making note of how focused he was on their destination. She couldn't blame him, really. Even with the fact that Yugi was free, he was still trying to figure out where he stood in the world. He wouldn't have to worry about fighting the Shadow Realm forever, and would have to find another way to make his mark in the world.

And she found herself hoping that she was beside him when he did.

Yami looked at her for a second, smiling slightly. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"… Oh, just wondering what the future will bring. That sort of thing."

"I see. Any insights."

She shook her head. "Not yet, but I hope that we'll all be here when we get to it."

Yami nodded. He understood what she meant by that, and shared it. "I hope so, too. But for now, let's focus on the present. We'll be better prepared for the future that way."

For now, the logic was sound. She was forced to admit that. But, she couldn't help but wonder… why he didn't want to think about the future at all.

--

**Gotham****City**

For a moment, silence reigned.

Then, the door bursts into the room, flooding the darkened place with light. A kick from a powerful being.

Then, a creature of darkness steps into the room, eyes narrowing.

Batman slowly slipped into the last safe house that the Joker controlled, Bullock and Montoya right behind him. His eyes swept the entire place for a moment, taking in everything he could.

Bullock looked around as well, before putting his gun away. "Looks like he hasn't been here in months, Bats," he said, sneezing. "Da dust proves it."

Montoya nodded, slipping her gun in her holster as well. "The furniture's also covered, and those two hyenas of his aren't chained in their spot." Walking to the window, she peered down into the street. "He's avoiding all of his old haunts. Why?"

The Dark Knight didn't know why, could never figure out why Joker did what he did. If he did, maybe he could help him come back from that brink. Maybe he could end their little war before it ended with their deaths. Shaking his head slightly, he focused on the task at hand.

His gaze landed on the desk, where a computer sat. Curiosity gripping him, he pulled up a chair, and turned it on.

Bullock looked at his fellow officer, who shrugged. "Hey, whatcha doin'?" he asked.

"Accessing his email," Batman replied. "Since the League's creation, he's been doing quite a bit of hopping around the U.S., getting into trouble in Metropolis, Vegas, even Washington. Metropolis and Vegas, I can somewhat understand. But in Washington, he was trying to access top secret government files concerning the Justice Lords."

"And then S.T.A.R Labs inter-dimensional gateway was stolen," Montoya added.

"Exactly."

"But why? Joker's a nutcase of the worst caliber."

"He's also a genius. Jack Napier was an assistant lab technician at the Gotham chemical plant. Masters Degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and computer programming." He shrugged at their surprised reactions. It wasn't as if he could tell them where the information came from. "His wife, Jessica Napier, died from a freak accident in her home, on the same day he decided to try and enter his old workplace… dressed as the Red Hood." He swallowed. "He also lost his unborn child."

Both cops could remember the Red Hood well. He had been one of the earliest criminals to migrate to Gotham at the old vanguard fell. He vanished after several encounters with Batman, apparently knowing when to hedge his bets, and moving onto greener pastures.

But then, almost two months later, a man appeared wearing the infamous cape and helmet of the criminal. Batman had shown up to stop him, but he had jumped into the river… right through a chemical spill. The distilled stuff spared him from serious injury, but changed his hair to green, his lips blood red, and his skin to a pasty white.

And thus was born one of the most maniacal beings to ever walk the Earth.

At long last, the Dark Knight and his two allies understood the man behind the monster, even if they couldn't understand the monster. To lose one's significant other, and his unborn child, all in one day, would probably be enough to hurt even the staunchest of men. In Joker's case, it destroyed him.

Batman scrolled down the email list, trying to find something out of the ordinary. So far, all he saw were messages from other criminals, a few Yahoo item proposals, and some personal emails from Harley. He shuddered at the mere thought of what they said.

Then his eye caught something. An email from an unlisted sender. It had been read, so he clicked it, opening the message.

And, as the three of them read it, he felt a sense of growing dread.

--

**Watchtower**

Diana entered the command center of the Watchtower, drinking her iced mocha with a little relish. Despite everything she had learned of Man's World, this particular brand of caffeinated drink was by far her favorite.

Kaiba looked up as she approached, his usual stoic expression on his face. "And so the mighty Amazon arrives to finally relieve me of this lookout crap," he said, rising gracefully. "Have fun."

The Amazon contemplated simply blowing a raspberry at him, but decided not to. She could deal with Bruce, she could deal with Kaiba. So, she kept her silence with him, letting him walk away.

Static chuckled as the woman slid into the seat. "That guy's a piece of work," he said conversationally. "He makes Batman seem like a teddy bear."

"Batman had the fortune of having a loving, gentle upbringing. The Kaiba brothers, if I remember correctly, were in an orphanage for several years, before being adopted by Gorse Bora Kaiba. He wasn't what I'd call the family type."

The young Bang Baby whistled. He wasn't rich, but at least his Dad was a great guy. He always had time for his family, and he had taken his superhero gig pretty well. Now if only his aunt and uncle could be as understanding…

Diana performed a sensor sweep of the planet surface, keeping her ears peeled for problems that local or government authorities were unable to handle alone. Even though they had to deal with other things, they still had a duty to help the people when they needed it.

She also took Monitor Duty because it took her mind off of Bruce. Even now, two years after they first met, she could feel her heartbeat speed up slightly whenever they were within close proximity to each other. She didn't know if he felt the same way, but he was also a better actor than her. He had been at it longer.

He had also been fighting the Joker longer than any of them, having had to stop many of his crimes, be they simple robberies, or planet threatening schemes. And she worried each and every single time he fought the monster. She worried that she would never see him again.

Some of her worry must have shown on her face, because Static said, "Don't worry about Batman. He's got more lives than Catwoman, and he's as resourceful as Ritchie. He'll be fine."

She could hear the confidence in his tone, and managed to smile slightly. "I hope you're right," she replied. "Because I get the feeling none of us are going to be the same again, at least."

And she returned her focus to her duties… so he didn't see a single tear fall from her eye.

--

**Gotham****City****, Dockyard**

_"Batman to Question and Huntress."_

Huntress activated her communicator. "We read you. What's happening, Batman?"

_"Joker has been here, but he cleared out in quite a hurry. A full CSI team is here, going over the entire area, but we haven't found anything yet. What about you?"_

Huntress turned to Question, who shook his head negative. "Nothing yet," she reported. "Is it always this difficult to find him?"  
_"Unfortunately. It's even harder to keep him in Arkham." _Even over the earpiece, his frustration was palpable. _"Keep searching. If there's anything we're missing, it'll be there."_

"Understood. Huntress out." She deactivated the piece, turning back to Question. "He's not in a good mood," she commented after a moment.

"According to Superman and the other founding members, that is his normal state. It seems to work." The faceless man ran his gloved hands over a concrete pillar. "However, where Joker is concerned, time is a factor that he must take into account."

On that, she could understand. People like her and Batman had to deal with the darkest parts of humanity. Murderers, Rapists, Sociopaths were what they saw the most of, making petty theft a very welcome change of pace. Sometimes, she wondered how she stayed sane, after everything she saw.

And then she wondered if she had ever been sane to begin with.

"Helena…"

Turning her head slightly, the masked woman noticed Question's hand staying in one particular spot. "You find something?" she asked quickly.

"Perhaps…" with a jerk of his hands, a piece of concrete slid out, "unless a hidden compartment is not worthy of note."

"… We've got to keep you around, Vic. You sure know how to find things."

Reaching inside, the Question felt within the compartment for a few seconds, before finding something. "There is something in here. Hold on…"

He quickly pulled out a small bag, one that looked like it had been placed there recently. Within its confines, he could feel a small lump, circular in shape. Slowly, so as not to set off any type of explosive, he opened the bag, looking inside.

Huntress looked over his shoulder, bewildered. "What is that?" she asked.

Question shook his head. "I don't know," he replied, "but I think I know who we can ask."

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Thallonian Space

_Captain's Log, Stardate 52109.6_

_It has been almost ten hours since we arrived at planet Omega, and there has been no change in the situation. But at this particular moment, we are preparing to launch a rescue mission for the three missing technicians, having beamed Commander Idaris into the slave compound. With some luck, she will be successful._

--

The camp looked like a refuge camp in the middle of a war zone. The duranium walls were cracked, there was debris along the ground, and remnants of other structures surrounded the place.

And that was the outside. The interior was considerably bleaker.

As Jadzia walked among the corridors, taking in the positions of the various guards throughout the complex, she was forced to admit that this place was more depressing than _Deep Space Nine_ had been under Cardassian rule. And, thanks to Odo, she knew what that was like. The walls were a pale gray, with no change at any point to its tint. Instead of force fields, she could make out steel bars over the prison cells. And each and every single guard was armed with a disruptor rifle.

What was more, finding the technicians was more difficult than they had thought, though. Despite the apparent success of the transport, which had deposited her in the center of the complex, she hadn't had much luck so far. But it was a large building, and she had just started. Also, she had plenty of time before the injection wore off. By then, she should be out of there without any problems.

_'Yeah, right,'_ she thought cynically. _'Like any undercover mission goes without a hitch.'_ Every single one she had gone on had ended up with repercussions that either occurred during the mission, or after the mission. Something was learned that changed the whole parameters of the mission.

Knowing that there was nothing she could do about the unknowns, the disguised Trill made her way towards the center of the compound, marking her target; an older Romulan guard near one of the pillars, looking rather bored. She walked past him, winking at him in a seductive matter. She knew without looking that his attention was focused on her. _'Good,'_ she thought. _'Now come to me, little man.'_ She went down a narrow corridor, where no one else was presently… and waited.

She didn't have to wait long, as the guard entered the corridor as well, smirking. It was obvious that he was either someone with a very healthy libido, or he was sexually frustrated from not getting any. A sad situation to be had, and one of the downsides to being in a prison complex without any sort of relief.

Either way, when he entered that corridor, he was in trouble. The moment he came in range, she wrapped her arms around him… and injected him with an exceedingly powerful sedative. He was out like a light within a few seconds.

Setting him down lightly, Jadzia then pulled her tricorder out, tuning it to a special frequency. Once that was done, she scanned his mind, locating his security clearance.

Twenty seconds later, after injecting him with a compound that would erase the last few moments, Jadzia made her way back into the main halls, heading for the central plexus. From there, she could observe the entirety of the camp via security camera. Hopefully, she could locate the technicians.

With her plan formed, she started down the hall again, keeping a casual air of arrogance about her. No sense in taking chances.

--

"We're receiving a communication from the surface," Tasha reported. "She's entering the security control room."

Kes nodded, breathing out. Up until this moment, she had been unsure if Aeris's work could withstand a complete physiological scan. Thankfully, that seemed to be the case. Now all they could do was watch, wait… and pray.

Kes turned to her First Officer, saw how tense she looked. "Belle, go spend some time with Chip," she suggested. "It's going to be an hour at most before she contacts us again, and you look like you're going to break in half."

Belle nodded. "Of course, Sir." She stood up, paused, then turned to Kes. "Why don't you join us for dinner? I know Chip will be happy to see you in an unofficial capacity."

"… I would like that. In the meantime… Commander Yar, you have the bridge."

Tasha nodded. "Aye, Sir."

Getting up, the captain took a moment to survey the bridge. _Her _bridge. She was still a little surprised that she could say that, being in command of the flagship, as well as the only one of its kind. She was surprised by the level of trust Alania in her to handle this kind of responsibility.

She had to make sure that her trust was not misplaced. Which meant she had to make sure this mission went without any kind of complications. She had to prove herself worthy of this crew's loyalty.

But how do you prepare for the unexpected, when it has a tendency to be… unexpected? The answer is… you can't.

**

* * *

**

Realm 4, Joker's Apartment

Bullock grunted as two Crime Scene Investigators dusted the desktop, unable to believe that they were even doing this. "His fingerprints aren't gonna be here," he said. "Da man wears frickin' gloves all the time. And did I mention dat dere was dust in here."

Montoya rolled her eyes heavenward, sharing a look of commiseration with Batman. Surprisingly, he hadn't disappeared once in the entire five hours they had been working. "Harvey, you know this is protocol. We have to follow protocol when dealing with the Joker, because he always leaves a clue, even when he doesn't mean to."

Batman nodded, looking around again. Normally, he would do this himself, but he didn't have the technology that the police had, though he had considerably more patience than most. Also, it always helped to stay on the good side of the law.

"Hey, I've got something!"

All three of them turned towards the somewhat strident tone of the investigator. "What is it?" Batman asked.

The man grinned. "Officer Montoya was right on the money. Joker has left something here." Stepping away, he let them see what he found. A simple vault with a combination lock, which they had apparently cracked open. "Apparently, he has his hand in more than simple crime and homicide," he said. "We've managed to break the combination on the vault, and found a few things. The usual jewels, six thousand dollars, and several magazines for a Tommy Gun… so far."

Batman looked in, taking in everything in a glance. "There's something else here," he noted, reaching in.

Bullock watched as the costumed man removed a computer disk from the vault, his eyes widening. "What the hell? What's on dat?"

Batman smirked. Joker had gotten sloppy. "I think we need to find out just that, especially if it's the same as the email. I need his computer."

--

"I caught him in the amphitheater, going through my vials and spells," Circes explained. "Stuff that shouldn't interest a mere mortal like him."

"He's the Joker," Zatanna told her bluntly. "There's nothing 'mere' about him."

"Yes, well… I noticed that he was looking at the spells for dimensional travel with an intensity that was… abnormal. But before I could do anything, he turned around." The immortal shuddered. "He was mad… but I'll bet you already knew that."

"Oh, yes."

"I'll bet you didn't know that he could hit as hard as Hercules, and shoot fire from his hands."

Arrow blinked. "Okay, that's new."

"But probably not surprising," Zatanna replied, leaning in. "Circes, I have to ask you… Did he have something shaped like the letter S on his forehead?"

Circes frowned for a moment, before paling. "He did," she replied. "Is it… what I think it is?"

Arrow nodded. "Green Arrow to Batman. Request permission to contact Titan Tower. We've got a problem Raven is uniquely suited to guide us through."

_"I was about to do the same thing myself. We found something concerning the cop killings, as well as his more recent activities. Also, Question and Huntress have…"_

_"Question here.__ Green Arrow, could you and Zatanna come to the docks? Huntress and I have found something that was stolen from STAR Labs."_

Arrow smirked, sharing an amused look with the sorceress. "Let me guess. It concerns magic and dimensional jumping."

_"… Yes, it does."_

"We're on our way."

_"So am __I.__ Batman out."_

--

**Titan****Tower**

Raven leaned back in her seat, sighing. Once again, Trigon had pulled off quite a coup by bringing the Joker into his ranks. The sociopath would have no problem killing anyone who got in his way.

Robin watched as his counterpart rubbed her eyes, knowing what she was thinking. Where the Joker was concerned, you couldn't help but wonder what you were getting yourself into. "You okay, Rae?" he asked.

She turned her head, smiling wearily. "Give me a few moments, and I will be," she replied. "What I want to know is; why would my father go to a psychopath when he has Slade, and Azar only knows what else to call upon?"  
"… He probably needs people that he can call upon, who are already here. His forces are probably restricted from entering our realm in massive numbers."

"So he has to go on a recruitment drive."

"Exactly. And Joker's a pretty powerful card to have in your camp." Robin rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "I take it you're heading up to the Watchtower?"

Raven nodded. "You assume correctly, Dick. I think we're going to have to put the Titans on standby… just in case we are called upon to help."

His brow furrowed under the mask. "Bruce suspects something more is going on?" he asked.

Her mouth was one thin line. "Let's put it this way. I doubt Bajor was the last battlefield my Father is going to fight on."

"… Oh my God."

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Thallonian Space

Kes watched the interaction between Chip and Belle with a degree of amusement as they spoke. It was hard to tell which one of them was more mature, but they brought a smile to her face. Due to her people's accelerated aging, childhood was but a blink in creation's eye. And she hadn't stayed on _Voyager_ to watch Naomi grow up. _'Something that I'm beginning to regret considerably.'_

Putting her regrets aside for a second, Kes took another bite of her dinner. "So Chip," she began, "how have your studies been?"

Chip turned his smile to her. "Oh, they're going great. Today, I learned about the internal combustion engine." He frowned. "I never knew that Nicolas Joseph Cugnot built the first one… and that it was built almost a century after I was born."

"Yeah, that was something I didn't know until I looked it up." Kes grinned. "It's amazing what one can learn when one actually reads."

Belle laughed lightly. "Why is it that you haven't gone through the chair, Kes?" she asked at long last. "It would make your life a whole lot easier."

"I thought about it, all the way to the point when Aeris told me that it isn't compatible with the Occampan neural network. If I go through it, it's going to scramble my brain."

"Well… maybe I'll get the baby sister I always wanted."

Kes tossed a roll at her First Officer's head, amused despite herself. "I'm going to look for a new First Officer," she said jokingly. "Someone more sensitive and… heart warming."

Belle grinned. "Thank you for that warning, Sir. I will certainly keep that in mind. By the way, how's the dinner?"

"It's very good. You're an excellent chef."

"Actually, it was the replicator's. I'm sure the computer will love your compliment. So, who's up for some dessert? I did make the Apple Crumb Cake myself."

"Yay!" Chip cheered.

Kes smiled again. "I concur with Chip here. I love Apple Crumb Cake."

_"Bridge to Captain Kes."_

Sighing, the captain hit her comm badge. "Kes here. What is it, Tasha?"

_"Sorry to interrupt your dinner, Sir… but we just received a Priority One message from Starfleet Command." _Even over the intercom, the Security Chief sounded apologetic. _"The Justice League has learned that the Joker is not in Realm 4. They think… they think he's here, in Realm 9002."_

The captain frowned a bit. She knew nothing about Earth criminals in the Justice League's universe, but from how Tasha was acting, it was safe to assume that this Joker wasn't a run of the mill crook. "Well, we're in the middle of a mission, so we can't go looking for him. Acknowledge that we have received message."

_"Acknowledged, Sir."_

"Kes out." Kes turned around, rubbing her head fretfully. "Well, that's something I did not need to hear right now," she muttered.

"Something wrong?" Belle asked, coming back into the living room, the dessert tray in hand.

"… Yes… yes, I think there is."

--

Jadzia walked around the security area, observing everyone else as they worked. She located where each and every single console, made note of what they did, and moved on. She nodded to several of the guards, smiling slightly as she walked on. She could feel their eyes on her, obviously checking her out, and managed to keep her slight smile from turning into a triumphant smirk. _'This is too easy,'_ she thought as she approached the other end of the room.

Her patience paid off. She quickly located the console that kept track of the prison barracks, manned by a bored looking Andorian. She observed the screens casually, making sure not to stay there long. No sense of getting caught so close to her objective.

She decided to take a risk, and walked over to one of the guards. "This place keeping you busy?" she asked lightly.

The guard grinned. "Busy enough as is. Especially when the man in charge right now is here." He leaned in slightly. "He's something of a nutcase, I'm told."

"Oh, really?" She leaned in slightly. "How much of a nutcase?"

"Well… I believe the humans say it best. Mad as a Hatter, I believe is the term. He's been bringing in a large number of new workers, though, so we don't say anything. Not bad for a human."

That last statement caught her by surprise. A human was in charge of the whole thing? And _Romulans_ were taking orders from him? How could a human acquire their services?

As she nodded in understanding, though in reality she didn't understand at all, the doors slid open. At first, no one paid attention. After all, people came and went there every moment of the day.

But slowly, everyone grew quiet. Even the sound of buttons being pressed was absent.

Jadzia quickly watched as everyone stood up, and looking in the direction of the doors. She followed their example, keeping her face expressionless.

And, for the first time, she gazed into the face of the Overseer of the prison camp.

His skin was pasty white, almost as white as paint. His lips were a bright ruby red, and curled up in a smile that sent chills down her spine. His hair, an emerald green, completed the face of a mad clown.

The face of a monster.

"Is everything good in here?" the monster asked, looking all around.

The guard next to Jadzia nodded. "Yes Sir… Mister Joker, Sir."

* * *

And here is Part Two. Part Three will only continue what is going on here, and probably expand it. So please, stay tuned, and review.

Okay, onto the tidbits of information. The name of Jack Napier is actually from the Tim Burton 1989 movie, _Batman._ Some of the back information, on the other hand, is from _The Killing Joke_, a Batman graphic novel that came out in 1988. I figured that I would add that, considering that it did explain a great deal about Batman's arch nemesis. Finally, that little fact considering the man who first built the first car engine.


	99. Seventy Two, Part Three

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**YuGiOh: Redemption**

**Episode Seventy Two, Part Three**

**Realm 9002, Thallonian Space**

Jadzia could scarcely breathe as she beheld the form of the Clown Prince of Crime himself for the first time. Of all of the people she had expected to see, Batman's greatest nemesis was not it. How was he even here? How was this even possible?

All around her, Romulans, Orions, and Andorians stood at attention as the Joker, looking out of place in his trademark custom made suit, started touring the facility, his mad filled eyes roaming around. Behind him, making sure that no one got the idea of trying to hurt him, were five guards, all wielding Klingon disruptor rifles.

She stood very quietly, making sure not to blink as he passed her, barely giving her a single glance. She watched as he made his way over to the security station, giving it some attention, before turning to face them. "Okay, kiddies!" he exclaimed, his maniacal grin in full force. "How are the accommodations for our guests holding up?"

One of the guards promptly brought up the desired screen. "The prisoners have been separated by species, gender, and weight, as you ordered," he reported. "So far, we've lost about thirty slaves."

"That leaves about six hundred and seventy to go."

"Yes, Mister Joker."

Straightening up, the mad man made his way back the way he came, giving Jadzia a more overt look. She gave him a slight smile, all the while making sure that her eyes were lowered. He moved away, and she breathed again. "Well, I'm heading back to my room!" she heard him say. "If you need to, leave a message at the sound of the shriek. And remember… have a nice big smile for me…" He walked off, a series of chuckles following behind him.

As soon as he was out of sight, everyone sighed in relief. Obviously, whenever he left, it was a very good thing. And, they were right.

The Trill realized that she needed to contact the _Valkyrie_ quickly. Things had become decidedly more complicated.

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Death Valley**

Meiling shook her head as she looked around. To say that she was confused was an understatement. "Are you sure it came from around here?" she asked.

Madison nodded, using the zoom function of her camcorder to see a bit in the distance. She was also confused, but that was understandable. "Positive. We took a direct route this way."

"Well, there's no one here. Where is… whoever sent that message?"

"Do I look like I know?"

Yukito sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Can you two stop snipping at each other?" he asked. "And maybe we can find the person who sent the message."

"He's here." Yami stepped forward, his Puzzle glowing faintly. "I can sense his power. It's very ancient… perhaps more so than my own."

Tea turned to look at him, surprised that he would say that. "Is it… the Orichalcos?" she asked. After all, it was the only power she knew that was older than the Millennium Items.

He shook his head. "No. This power… it isn't malevolent, or dangerous to us. Other than that, I can't tell you where it's originating from."

Sakura nodded. "Maybe I can." She began shifting through her Sakura Deck, pulling one card out in particular. She hadn't thought that she would ever need this card for anything, but it had never hurt to be prepared. "I made this one myself before this whole mess started. I never had the chance to test it out, so I don't know if it'll work."

The others realized that this was an experiment that could go awry, and quickly backed up, just in case it backfired.

The Clow Mistress summoned her wand, throwing the card into the air. _"Search Card!__ I call upon you to seek out the one who called upon us! Release!"_

The card let loose in a burst of power, which seemed to indicate a successful creation. It began to take shape, becoming a humanoid form.

Kero blinked. "Okay…" he began.

The Search Card, as they all quickly discovered, was about as tall as Kero in his smaller form, and looked like a cross between a fairy and a camera. Where its chest was, there was a photographic lens. Its eyes had the same eye structure as the majority of the cards, but its eyes were glowing slightly, like dim flashlights.

However, it also seemed to be working perfectly, as it twirled once in understanding, and shot off in one direction, possibly in the direction they wanted to go.

"Do we follow?" Madison asked.

"We follow," Sakura replied, starting after her card.

Tea looked at Yami. "Is it right to trust in a card that hasn't been tested before?" she asked him quietly.

Yami shrugged. "It's not like we have a whole lot of options," he replied quietly. "So, we might as well follow it… to wherever it may lead." He turned back to the X-Van, getting in.

Tea turned to the others, sighing. "Well, here we go. Everyone, back into the van."

--

**Watchtower**

"Are we absolutely certain that Joker has joined Trigon?" Diana asked, her eyes begging, pleading for a positive answer, though the rest of her body was businesslike.

Raven nodded, squashing her hope. "Circes described the Mark of Skath very well, as well as the powers he used. No technological power could have given him that precise control over fire." She looked around. "Joker has become more dangerous than he ever was."

The Amazon leaned back in your seat, real worry worming its way into her system. Even though she knew that Batman was a very capable warrior, it didn't stop her from feeling fear. And she never felt fear.

No, that wasn't entirely correct. Where Bruce Wayne and his alter ego were concerned, she was always filled with fear. Despite all of his skills, his gadgets, and his methods of transportation, at the end of any day, he was still only an ordinary person. He was the most vulnerable of the Founding Members. Every time he went out, she was afraid that he wouldn't come back. Every time he did so, she was forever amazed… and relieved.

But now, his greatest enemy had been given power, and was loose in Kes's home universe. It made her fear for him even more.

She was about to head down to the gym for some much needed combat training, when J'onn suddenly looked up, his red eyes becoming even more focused. "We're receiving a message from Zion High Command," he said, surprise in his tone. "It's addressed to Batman."

Her gaze widened in surprise as well. "For Bruce?" she asked without thinking, then remembering that Raven already knew about the Dark Knight's alter ego. "What is it about?"

"… It's about the Joker."

**--**

**Gotham ****City**

"We still have nothing else?" Arrow questioned.

Batman shook his head. "Nothing else, and unless we find Harley Quinn, we won't get anything else."

Zatanna nodded in understanding. "Well, I think I can locate her, if I can have something of hers to use as a focal point. Otherwise, we're in the dark."

"Arkham has some of Harley's clothes in storage. I'm pretty sure that they'll be happy to give you them. Now, Question, what do you have?"

"We were able to find some information as to where he is presently located, including a gate address." Question frowned. "But there was nothing else there. I'd say that Joker has covered his tracks almost perfectly."

"But…"

"But… there is a small chance that we can get some information from one of his men. The information also included a rendezvous in the Narrows."

"Arkham," Arrow supplied.

"Which explains why we weren't able to locate them," Huntress stated. "How many times in a month do we go to the Narrows, Batman?"

Batman frowned as he thought about it. Though he didn't particularly care for Huntress's more uncompromising form of justice, she also dealt with rapists a great deal more than him. Her methods were more absolute than his, but effective nonetheless. More importantly, she let the police know that she wasn't affiliated with him, so his reputation was safe. "I can still count on one hand the number of times I've been there," he admitted.

"So can I. The Narrows is the perfect staging ground. Neither of us or the police enter there unless it's in force. The apartment buildings are all cropped closely together, so we'd have to search each area. In fact, if Zatanna and Arrow hadn't come across Circes, we probably wouldn't even have known about Trigon's involvement until it was too late."

"So, the only question we have left is; where in Realm 9002 is he?" Zatanna grinned. "And we know how much you _love_ leaving Earth."

The Dark Knight let that little bit slide, as he was thinking hard. If Joker was in 9002, then the Federation was facing a foe they were simply not trained to deal with. "I think, considering the circumstances, I can ignore my own rule for the day." He turned around. "Question, get on the horn with the Watchtower. Tell them to contact Zion. See if you can get any information that can help us."

Question nodded, pressing his ear piece as he walked over to the side a little bit.

"In the meantime, I want to talk to Circes before they let her out of the hospital. Maybe she'll remember something else now."

Arrow sighed, rubbing his head for a moment. "Batman, she is still a Greek sorceress who's been in Tartarus for the last two thousand years. I don't think a man dressed up as a bat is going to get her to talk."

"… Oh, I think she will, especially since I can help her take down the man responsible for her being put under the care of mortals."

"… You play dirty, boss."

"And don't call me boss."

--

**Death Valley**

They had been driving for what seemed like hours, and the sun was setting in the sky. The trail didn't grow cold, as trails were wont to do. Instead, it seemed to grow hotter, as if someone wanted them to find them.

Yami had the feeling that that was the intention.

The Clow Mistress watched her card as it stopped, looking around. "I think we're here," was all she said, as the card returned to her deck.

"So where is everybody?" Li asked.

Yami looked around, feeling the mystical energies around them. According to his senses, this was where they were supposed to be. "They're here. There is just a great deal of power in this area, hiding them from our sight." The golden eye of Egypt flared up on his forehead. "Let's see if I can't make them visible."

At his command, a powerful burst of energy shot out from the Puzzle, encompassing the area in its magic. He had never used that energy in such a manner, but there was always a first time for everything.

However, nothing happened. The Shadow Magic cut through the air like it was nothing. It didn't even hit an Orichalcos barrier.

Sighing, the Pharaoh dropped the field, rubbing his face. "Anyone else want to try?" he asked.

Tea thought about it for a second, going over the variables. After their sojourn into Neverland, and its complete destruction, she had become aware that there was more than just the Orichalcos and the Shadow Realm in this conflict. "Maybe it's a power that isn't affected by the Millennium Items," she suggested. "It can be tracked by the Clow Cards, but that's about it."

Mei Ling leaned back, shaking her head. In any magical conversation, she felt like the fifth wheel. So she and Madison usually talked about other things, or simply stayed quiet. This was one of the silent times.

"So, how about I use Kissinian to see if we can pick up the trail from here?" Tea looked up. "I mean, if we managed to learn of this Deadly Alliance, then it's possible that… whoever contacted us set this all up as an elaborate test."

"So only us can find them?"

"Well, Meiling… yeah."

Madison grinned. "Sneaky. Sounds like something Kero does when he wants pudding."

"Hey! I don't go invisible!" Kero snapped.

Yami sighed, gesturing. "Tea, call Kissinian before Kero goes mad. I would like to find this man before the end of the world, if you don't mind."

Tea grinned, bringing her Duel Disk up.

Almost twenty minutes later, Kissinian was running across the valley, leading the small group even farther in as they chased a new trail, one that the Clow or the Puzzle didn't detect. Whoever it was that wanted to find them, had done a pretty good job making sure that they were the only one's to find him.

They just wanted to know _who_ it was.

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002

Jadzia finally managed to remove herself from the command center, and made her way across the compound again, remembering her Romulan swagger. She had learned more in the last few hours than she had thought possible, and it was not exactly what she had been expecting.

More than six hundred slaves, treated like animals in this faculty. The Joker, in charge of the whole operation. There was no chance of it being a coincidence here, and no question as to how this was possible.

There was a Stargate here, or an inter-dimensional gateway of some sort on the base. It didn't strike her as a good thing.

Taking a right turn down one corridor, Jadzia had to admit that this mission was no longer a simple rescue operation. There was the considerable task taking that madman in… and making sure that he didn't get out this time. Now, for that to happen, she needed reinforcements.

Hence, this little detour.

She had gone over to this particular area due to a blind spot in the sensor grid. Here, there was no way to track a person, except from line of sight. So anyone in that spot was effectively invisible.

Now safely ensconced within this blind spot, keeping her eyes open, Jadzia quickly tapped her communicator. "Idaris to _Valkyrie._"

--

Kes slowly covered Chip's sleeping form with a blanket, watching him for a moment, before leaving the living room, heading into the garden. She was in awe of the young boy, and his apparent ability to bounce back. Alania did one heck of a job in helping him.

Belle turned around as she entered, grinning. She had been looking at a rose, taking in its unique scent. Roses had always been her favorite flower for as long as she could remember. "It must be great, having your own park situated right in your quarters," she said.

Kes smiled as she reached her, agreeing wholeheartedly. "I was surprised as well, but I like it. And all I have to do is some pruning, and the system takes care of the rest." She accepted a glass of wine from Belle, taking a sip. "Chip is so lucky. He gets to enjoy several years of having fun, and not worrying about his life. I was fully grown by the time I hit ten months, which makes it very difficult to be a kid."

Belle sighed, sitting down. Despite the fact that she was only twenty one, she felt older. Much, much older. "I wish I had even five days of your childhood. I wasn't your run of the mill child growing up. Always reading when the others were playing. Very responsible when I should have been carefree. I spent more time lost in the stories of swordfights, dragons, and magic than I did getting to know others." She looked up. "Then I went to the castle, met the Beast, and got involved in an inter-dimensional conspiracy to destroy Existence. Now I'm on a Guardian starship, living out a dream… and I can't help but wonder if the price is worth it."

The Occampan turned her head slightly, looking at her friend with a speculative eye. It was the first time in over three weeks that Belle had spoken about the Beast. And her tone and expression matched perfectly… filled with grief. At the same time, she was speaking about him. That was progress, at least. "Belle… I wish that I could turn back time, and give you back everything that you lost."

"Oh, I wish the same thing, but that's all it is. And wishes will only lead us to harm." Belle tossed the last of her drink down her throat, setting the wine glass down. "I really don't know what to do emotionally."

"Thank God that Chip is still alive and healthy?"

"… … I do that every day, Kes."

"I know. So do I." Kes smiled, changing the topic from somber matters. "It's a shame that Prue couldn't join us, but she had a night shift on the bridge. I want my Senior Staff with some experience with command."

"I see. Is that why I have had the last two weeks on a day shift with you?"

"In your case, I figured that I would give you a few weeks… considering your recent loss, and the fact that you're the only familiar face Chip really knows… and trusts." No, she wouldn't think about the future that never would be!

Belle nodded, understanding the reasoning behind that decision. Kes, it seemed, knew what it was like to lose a family. "Kes… thank you. But at the same time, I really need to keep busy. If I don't…"

Kes nodded in understanding. She knew what that was like. "I'll have you scheduled for a night in a couple of days," she promised.

"Thank you."

"_Bridge to Captain Kes."_

Sighing, the captain looked up. "This is what I get for accepting the mantle of command. Kes here."

_"Sorry to disturb you, but we're receiving a message from Commander Idaris. Apparently something has come up. Something bad."_

Her attention sharpened. "Put her through."

_"Aye, Sir."_

Belle stood up as well, unconsciously straightening her uniform jacket. "I wonder what has got Jadzia spooked so much that she needs to risk communication now," she murmured.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out soon. Jadzia, this is the captain."

_"I've only got a few minutes before I'm spotted, so I'll be blunt. The Joker is here. He is in charge of the whole facility."_ Jadzia's voice was so full of fear, Kes could feel it perfectly, even from orbit. _"We are out of our element, and league. We need Batman, and we need him now!"_

The two women looked at each other, then up at the ceiling. "We'll contact the Watchtower," the XO assured Jadzia. "Just stay calm, and don't get caught."

_"Thanks. Idaris out."_

Kes sighed, rubbing her eyes for a second. "Have Stargate Control dial up Realm Four," she said, shifting back into captain mode. "Tell them that I need some information delivered to Batman immediately."

Belle nodded. "Aye, Sir."

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Gotham ****City**

Batman stared at Circes for a second, keeping his stance non-confrontational. "Circes, I have a few questions for you."

The Sorceress leaned back, putting her Jell-O cup down on the tray. "You got the basic throw down from your arrow carrying friend. Joker has joined Trigon. What more do you want?"

"How about some more details?" Arrow replied. "For instance, was Harlequin with him?"

"No… in fact, it looked like the two of them hadn't been together for a long time. He seemed almost… obsessed since that little stunt he pulled in Las Vegas."

Zatanna sighed. "He's always obsessed. He's the _Joker_. What we want to know is; was anyone with him, period?"

Circes frowned for a second, rubbing the side of her head fretfully. She had had a serious concussion there half a day before, and not for the first time was grateful for being immortal and a fast healer. "There were a couple of beings with him, I think. About two meters tall, had pointy ears… they almost looked like elves."

The squadron looked at each other in surprise. That meant one of two things in their books. One; they had just located a rogue group of elves who had a penchant for crime.

Two; they were extraterrestrial.

Considering the penchant of damage caused, not to mention the precision of the blows, Batman decided that it was extraterrestrial. No elf would go through all of this trouble to go after a mythological Greek being.

"Romulans?" Arrow was, needless to say, surprised. "You were beaten to an inch of your life by _Romulans_?"

Circes was now surprised as well. "That's what they're called? Wow, and I thought _Star Trek_ was just a television series."

"And of course, you would be a _Trekkie_," Huntress muttered. "But how could Joker manage to find them? Unless…"

"Unless they're from Realm 9002," Question finished, chancing a glance at the Dark Knight. It was a well known fact that he didn't particularly care for leaving Earth, having only done it once in his entire crime fighting career. Now they were talking about parallel realities. "Most likely mercenaries."

Batman's face didn't budge one bit, though it was difficult to know if it was moving. He knew about Realm 9002 due to Kes's own report, and the one thing he knew was that there were so many worlds. Even if they knew which sector of space to look, there would be little chance of them finding him. So the question became; what did they do next?

_"Watchtower to Knight Squadron."_

Zatanna nodded to her old flame, tapping her communicator. "Knight Squadron. Do you have something for us, J'onn?"

_"We just received word from the _Valkyrie._ Apparently, they located the Joker's hideout in 9002. It's in Thallonian space."_

Six pairs of eyes widened in shock. "How?" Batman demanded.

_ "They were there looking for three weapon specialists that had been taken from the __Guardian__City__ located there. One of their crewmen is undercover there, and saw him. He's in charge of a slave compound. Kes believes that they may be constructing some sort of weapon down there."_ There was a pause, as J'onn apparently accessed some more information. _"Unfortunately, we tried to dial in the Stargate there, but it isn't working, and the_ Valkyrie_ can't utilize theirs while under cloak."_

Batman nodded, feeling a sense of frustration grip him. "Which means we need to find his dimensional gateway, and we need to find it fast. Kes is going to need our help to take Joker out, and halt whatever plan he has concocted."

"But how?" Circes asked.

_"… Raven may have a way on doing that."_

--

**Watchtower**

Within the quarters of Wonder Woman, one figure tossed and turned in her bed, trying to sleep.

Grunting in frustration, Diana sat up, forced to admit defeat to insomnia. Wrapping the sheet around her, she got up, making her way over to the port window. There, the Earth spun peacefully, never altering from its eternal waltz. At this point of time, the North American continent was visible, as that side of Earth was facing the sun. Down there, somewhere in Kansas, lay Gotham City.

And, within it, with no contact with the Watchtower for the better part of the night and day, was Batman.

The Amazon had to admit that she was impressed with his work ethic. No Amazonian could have kept up the pace he went at for any longer than most, and still be alert. Even she had her limits.

Deciding that she wouldn't be getting any sleep until he came back safely, Diana swiftly discarded the sheet, and reached for her uniform. Other League members, if they wanted to just get a late night snack, usually walked around in their sleepwear with a robe included. She didn't have either luxury. She didn't own a robe, and she slept in the nude. So, unless she wanted to take out every male member of the Justice League, her uniform would have to do.

Ten minutes later, Wonder Woman was sitting in the Mess Hall, going over the latest reports from her squadron. It was nothing life threatening or anything, just their normal patrol routes and what they came across. A kitten stuck up a tree here, a man saved from a burning building there. Just average, everyday stuff.

Engrossed as she was in the reading of those reports, Diana understandably was unaware of anything else, until a voice said, "You know, you stare at that any harder, you'll burn a hole right through the pad."

Startled, Diana's eyes snapped up to stare into Raven's violet colored orbs. Even after all of this time, the fact that this little girl could sneak up behind her was enough to freak her out. "Hello, Raven," she said, recovering quickly.

Raven smirked, knowing that she had caught Wonder Woman by surprise. Apparently, she still had it. "Sorry to disturb you, but you look like you could use some company. Mind if I sit with you?"

"No, not at all. I _would _like some company." Setting the last report down, she waited for the Titan to seat herself. "I guess I'm not the only one worried, huh?"

"You got that right. I want Batman to survive, so he and Robin can finally bury the hatchet." Raven shrugged. "They are two of the most stubborn men I have ever met… and Azarathian monks are extremely stubborn."

"They make us Amazons look like pacifists, and that's saying something."

"Too true." The younger woman leaned in slightly, her eyes penetrating. "Diana, does he know?" she asked. "About how you feel about him?"

Diana blinked, surprised by the question, as well as the change in the conversation's tone. It had gone from exasperating to downright serious within a moment. "We… discussed it once," she said. "I think we both know how we feel… but he doesn't want any kind of romantic liaison. Such a union could be used against him, either as Batman or… his alter ego."

"…Weird. That's something Robin isn't very worried about."

"With Starfire?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. He isn't the most open man in the world, even for an Empath. Kind of like his old man, when you think about it."

"That's true." Diana observed her for a minute, taking in how she had changed in just a few months. "Raven, what is your interest in Dick's life?" she asked. "It can't just be simple concern for a friend."

At that moment, the Trainee suddenly found a small spot on the table very interesting. "I'm his counterpart, and his friend. His comrade in arms," she said after a moment, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. "I'm not entirely sure what else we can be, due to… my unfortunate circumstances."

"… I had almost forgotten about Trigon there. I've seen you only as a hero and a person. I keep forgetting that you have a dark future ahead of you."

"I try to forget. But the dreams I have force me to remember it. And if he wins…" a shudder went through the younger woman's spine as she recalled her birthday vision. "Nothing will be able to stop him."

At that moment, Diana, forged of clay by her mother and blessed by the Gods themselves, suddenly felt a kinship, a sort of sisterly bond with Raven. Both of them were different from every other hero, and yet, had done everything in their power to challenge the doctrines they had been raised by, and forge their own paths. Despite the difference in their circumstances of birth, they were almost the same.

She now had a fairly good idea as to why Bruce had wanted her to join the Justice League when it was first formed.

Finishing off her tea, Raven stood up, stretching. "Well, this was a fairly informative conversation. We must do this again sometime." She pulled her hood over her head, covering most of her features. "But now, I must find us an inter-dimensional doorway before Joker gets smart."

Diana nodded, standing up as well. That meant that she would head for the control center, and hope for the best. "Good luck, my friend. I'll be with J'onn, monitoring you."

"Thanks."

--

**Death Valley**

"I think we are closing in on the stranger!" Kissinian shouted, coming to a halt. "The trail ends here."

Yami stopped the X-Van at long last, breathing in relief. Not for the first time, he was grateful that they had refueled and had an inspection three days ago. This trek was beginning to take its toll on the vehicle. It was rugged, but even it couldn't take the punishment it was being subjected to forever.

Now he and his small crew observed the small settlement before them, somewhat surprised by the size of it. Nothing more than a series of tents and makeshift huts, people milled around, looking at the vehicle in surprise. Obviously, they had not been expecting visitors. Either that, or they had never seen a van like the X-Van before.

Eriol got out, bringing his hand up. "We mean none of you any harm!" he stated soothingly. "We are looking for the one who recently sent us a message. Is he or she here?"

No one said anything, just looked at him. It was obvious that none of them even knew what he was talking about.

"They're very helpful," Madison murmured to Mei Ling.

"Very," Mei Ling replied, crossing her arms.

Tea looked around, taking in everyone, as well as their living establishment, and had a revelation. "They're just a group of vagabonds, traveling across Death Valley," she said. "I doubt they're even aware of why we're here."

That was a logical conclusion that they all came up with at the same time. Yami was forced to admit that. But that almost meant that they had to try and figure out their next move without any new clues.

Sakura sighed, sitting down on the ground. The day had taken its toll on her, and it was only going to get hotter. "How about we wait here?" she suggested, pleaded really. "If there is another trail, none of us are going to find it. We don't have the type of magic to do that."

Another fine point Yami was forced to concede. If they stayed out in the sun any longer, their brains would most likely melt out of their ears by day's end. "Very well. We'll wait until nightfall to look around. Until then… let's have some lunch, and go over what we know so far. Maybe there is a clue that we missed somehow."

**

* * *

**

Realm 9002, Prison Complex

The Joker watched the screens in his room, observing everything that was his temporary domain. He saw how the slaves kept moving, having no doubt that they were hoping for someone to rescue them, or were plotting to lead a revolt. He saw how the guards twitched, some of them caressing their weapons with obvious restraint. It was better than back home.

Of course, being in this universe also had an advantage. No Batman to ruin his fun. And, if he had his way, Batman would never do it again, especially when he finished his pet project.

His eyes focused on one screen, watching the young Romulan woman as she came out of hiding, and continue on her way, acting natural. Of course, she thought she was home free, but she wasn't. Not by a long shot. Of course, taking her down would be difficult. Starfleet spies were also highly trained fighters. They had to be, if they were to survive.

_'Oh, but think of the fun I'll be having with her,'_ he thought, a series of maniacal chuckles erupting from his throat. He did so enjoy this, playing with people's lives. He loved stringing them along, before finally delivering the punch line. It made the game much more enjoyable.

Of course, it would be much better if the Dark Knight weren't involved.

Since the two of them tangoed for the first time, all those years ago, Joker had known that there was a fundamental difference between them, but also similarities. They both refused to compromise. Both of them were extremely intelligent, both dressed rather snappily in his opinion, and they were both considered outcasts to normal society. But that was where the similarities ended.

Batman had made it clear, time and time again, that he would not kill a man, no matter how heinous they were. He, Joker, would kill you just as soon as look at you, and he would do it with relish. Batman still fought to protect the people. Joker would use people for no reason at all, if only to make them suffer.

But, perhaps most importantly of all, Batman had that pesky little thing called ethics. Joker didn't see any need for it. He was a madman, after all.

Thinking for a second, he decided to let the woman look around first, finish her unsupervised tour of the facility… before he wasted her. It felt right.

Besides, he always did like mouse hunts.

--

Jadzia was beginning to think that this was too easy. None of the guards were asking for her identification, which was more or less what she was expecting. She basically had free run of the place.

Still, it seemed almost too convenient. Joker was obviously too intelligent not to make use of the advanced technology around him. So why wasn't he?

All of these thoughts plagued her as she entered the prison barracks at long last… and stared, appalled at what she was seeing.

The prisoners were kept in rather unsanitary, somewhat small accommodations. They had very room to move about, and guards ringed the entire complex. It looked like a pirate's version of a maximum security penitentiary. The security cameras didn't do the place justice.

_'How did Joker, a mere human from the Twenty First Century, manage to get so much man power?'_ she asked herself. _'How could he get some of the most dangerous pirates, and not have a scratch on him?'_

Her questions weren't giving her answers, so she walked around the outer rim, keeping her weapon gripped tightly in hand. Her eyes roamed across the entire place, trying to locate the three she was sent to locate.

A shout caught her attention, and she quickly turned in the general direction. Two of the slaves were busy trying to catch a third. The third slave was apparently good at navigation, as he was worming his way through the not unsubstantial crowd.

"Look at him go!" the guard next to her stated, grinning broadly. "I've never a man move like a serpent before! And this is the fourth time they have tried to catch him!"

Jadzia nodded, grinning as well. "Well, if he gets caught, then we'd have to settle for simple fights, wouldn't we?"

"Yes, and torturing the occasional mongrel!" The guard, an Andorian with scars over his surprisingly bald head, grinned at the thought. "Grant you, it is far more entertaining when they run."

Her brow furrowed slightly, and she turned away from him, returning her attention to the chase going on below her. If she looked hard enough, she would have seen a symbol on the tatter sleeve of the man, would have known what it stood for.

But she didn't, because that would have blown her cover. Andorians would feel the change in her temperament, and become suspicious as a result.

No, she would wait until they were all asleep. Then she would begin her search.

--

Prue shifted slightly, looking around the bridge. The night shift was running smoothly, with the usual banter among the easygoing crew. She had no reason to be nervous. And it wasn't even about being in command. She had been in command of the _Valkyrie_ project since its inception. Command was something she could do, and do well.

She was nervous because she was in the center chair. The Captain's chair. She had never liked that chair. She preferred the Engineering console, or the left side chair more. They allowed her to be in the action, but also out of the way.

Kes, she suspected, felt much the same way, though she kept her expression carefully schooled. Possibly, a gift from her Vulcan training.

"Report."

Prue turned to see Kes coming down the ramp. She got ready to get up. "It's been quiet," she reported. "So far, there has been no change in their perimeter defense. And Jadzia has maintained communications silence. I'll run a diagnostic of the transporter relays…"

"Which you can do from the center seat," Kes interrupted. "Why should I be the only one to suffer from command jitters? Stay put."

Reluctantly, the Charmed One relaxed again in the seat, cursing her fate. "Why do I even need to sit in your seat? I can command a shift from my usual spot."

"Like I said; why should I be the only one to suffer? I'm going to be heading for Stellar Cartography, and check it out. Rachel, you make sure she doesn't move."

Rachel grinned from Tactical. "Aye aye, Captain."

Kes smirked. "Have fun, Prue." She made her way back to the turbolift, entering it. "Deck Twelve," she said, as the doors closed behind her.

Prue sank in the seat. "I hate my life," she grumbled sulkily.

"We know, Prue," Rachel replied, chuckling. "We know."

"Shut up, Rachel."

"Yes, Sir."

**

* * *

**

Realm 4,

**Gotham ****City**

"This is going to take a great deal of effort," Raven informed them. "If any of you, and I mean Detective Bullock specifically, interrupt me, you will learn first hand what it is like to be in free fall without a parachute. The energy required must be carefully controlled. Understood?"

Batman nodded, knowing very well what Raven was capable of doing. It made him respect her more than he did.

Bullock nodded as well, looking rather afraid. When a petite woman of barely eighteen years told you what she was capable of, one tended to err on the side of caution.

The young Titan sat down in the middle of a spiritual circle she had set up. An old Azarathian trick, it was also one that only the most knowledgeable and powerful of monks could use. And, since her telepathic abilities were given to her from her father's side, she was extremely powerful.

Zatanna watched as Raven began chanting underneath her breath, turning to Batman. "I have every reason not to trust her," she said quietly. "What do you think?"

"Robin trusts her with his life," he replied just as quietly. "Now, you need to do the same."

"Shh!" Questions eyes were focused on the young woman. "It's starting."

Energy was forming within the now-glowing circle, consolidating around her form. Her eyes glowed white as she focused the power for a specific purpose; to locate Harley Quinn. In a city of millions, it wouldn't be an easy challenge.

The energy field spread out in all directions in an invisible wave, passing through buildings, sewers, and people in the process. Nothing was disturbed, and no one's minds were violated.

Then, in a spot within the center of the city, Raven detected her. What surprised her was that she was in _that_ building.

Montoya watched the energy dissipate, the circle's light fading. "I take it you found her," she said at long last.

Raven nodded, standing up. "She's in Wayne Enterprises," she replied. "Applied Sciences."

Batman's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She was in his family's company building? That was nothing akin to a full blown insult. "Thank you, Raven," he said. "We'll take it from here." He turned around. "Have the police surround the building, Bullock. We're probably going to need a hell of a lot of backup."

"No, problem, Bats. We'll see you there." Bullock was on his radio in an instant, sending out the word.

The Dark Knight turned to his squadron. "Let's go!" Without waiting for a confirmation that his orders were understood, he jumped off the roof, a grapple gun launching into the distance.

The others weren't very far behind him, as the two officers started down the stairwell, making for their car. They had to be there by the time reinforcements arrived.

After all, where the Joker and his minions were concerned, there was no way to prepare for them.

--

**Death Valley**

Meiling stood watch over the camp, watching the surround. Part of her training was how to turn boredom into patient awareness. At the time, she had found the subject extremely boring, but quickly discovered that it had its uses. It allowed her to remain aware in situations such as these, but also allowed her to relax, let her mind wander in other directions.

Madison walked over to her, her camera off as it always was at night. "Guess we're okay, for now?" she asked.

Meiling nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not going to let my guard down yet. Not until morning."

"And maybe not even then."

"Probably a good idea."

Meiling turned to her, deciding to ask her something important. "So, what're you gonna do with all of that stuff you're recording?" she asked. "Put it on your internet account, or turn it into a film documentary?"  
Madison smiled, patting her camcorder affectionately. "I'll probably turn it into a documentary for future generations. That way, people will know about you and our friends, and what we did here." Her smile faded slightly. "But then, you'll probably never be left alone. Everyone will probably want to meet you."

"Didn't Li tell you? I _love_ attention. Can't get enough of it. I'm just a little drama queen back home."

Laughing, the two girls sat there for some time, chatting about anything they could think of. After all, nothing was going to happen within the next couple of minutes, was it?

Unfortunately, something was going to happen, though not a terrible thing. Instead, it was exactly what they had been waiting for. It just came at the wrong time.

Sakura, Yami, and Eriol all rose at the same time, their mystical senses suddenly going haywire. It was as if someone had just blanketed the entire area with a cloud of power. They just needed to find the source of it.

Tea sat up, rubbing the grit from her eyes. "What is it?" she asked.

Yami shook his head. "We don't know. Be on your guard." He brought his Duel Disk up. If it was an enemy, then he wanted to be ready.

Madison was about to get up and resume recording, when she felt a presence behind her. It was close enough to actually touch her, and that was freaky. She braced herself.

"There will be no need for that, young lady. I'm not going to hurt any of you."

The voice, deep, powerful, also held a somewhat regal air to him. Turning around, she looked up.

The man, a muscularly built man, stood towering over her. He wore clothing that was a cross between several distinct cultures, giving him the feel of an explorer. He had a great gray beard covering his face, and equally gray hair flowing over his shoulders.

But the most telling feature was how he held himself. His posture was straight, almost military like, and his presence seemed to catch everyone's attention.

He held himself like a king.

Yami's own posture was equally rigid, though that was because he _was_ a king of ancient times. And, as any king would do, he strode forward, keeping his body stiff, ready to spring. "Are you the one who sent us that message?" he asked.

The man inclined his head in confirmation. "I was, Pharaoh," he replied. "My apologies for the method of communication, but I am unfamiliar with cell phones." He smiled. "I am grateful that you all came, though. I have much to tell you about your enemy."

Information… the very thing that would help them most. They could actually develop a plan of attack now. Madison actually felt herself squirm in anticipation.

Sakura, it seemed, was nowhere near as excited. Her stance remained unaltered as she took this man in. "Okay, let us say that, for the sake of argument, we can trust. Can we have your name?"

He nodded, eyes twinkling. "Of course, Clow Mistress. Names are a very important part of lives, aren't they? They can give someone incredible power, or destroy the forevermore." He bowed to them. "My name is Ironheart… and I was the former king of Atlantis before Dartz himself."

* * *

And here is Part Three, at long last. Part Four will hopefully finish this story, and then we'll get back to the crossover event, which will again have people from all four parts coming together to stop the Deadly Alliance on Lunar. Please stay tuned.

It has been an interesting month. I won't get to specific, but I doubt I'll have another like it. Also, I have several stories cooking up that will connect to this story, but will feature characters from other shows and books.


	100. Seventy Two, Part Four

**Digimon: Silver Star Story**

**YuGiOh: Redemption**

**Episode Seventy Two, Part Four**

**Realm 4, Death Valley**

For a moment, silence reigned.

Yami and Ironheart stared at each other, obviously trying to gain the measure of one another. No one else spoke, not wanting to disturb them.

Yami observed the powerfully built man, his mind already formulating an opinion. He was obviously akin to royalty, despite the somewhat threadbare garments he was currently wearing. His back was straight and tall, meeting a fellow ruler. Confident, calm, and determined.

By contrast, Yami knew that his form was built along more slender lines, though he knew he was quite strong. He had been a Pharaoh of Egypt, the most powerful nation in the upper portions of Africa, with connections to small nations in the Middle East. He had been able to summon the Egyptian Gods themselves, and was the being who had defeated the Dark One himself. And yet, he felt no pride, and no joy at that. All he felt right now, was a sense of awe, though he kept it contained.

Tea finally broke the silence, her curiosity piqued beyond restraint. "You… said that you were the King of Atlantis before Dartz," she began, stepping forward to stand next to her friend. "So I'm going to assume that you know what's going on."

Ironheart smiled, turning his attention to her. "Yes, I do. I have been aware of this very problem for years." He looked around. "So, let us make ourselves comfortable. I have much to tell you, and time enough to tell it."

Everyone sat down around the fire, looking at the strange newcomer as he settled onto the ground, Indian style. They were all curious about him, and what he wanted to tell them that was so important.

Ironheart took a moment to compose himself, his eyes trailing along each one of them. "I am aware of the Shadow Games that occurred in Egypt," he began, a distant expression on his face. "They were destructive, filled with bloodshed, sorrow, hatred and greed. Much of the kingdom was laid to waste, the grand armies almost decimated, and the people almost wiped out. It was the most destructive conflict in ancient history… but it wasn't the first.

"The first major war involving the use of monsters occurred at the end of Atlantis's time in this world, fifty years before great Icthultu began his rampage across the planet. Before that time, Atlantis was no different than any other civilization at the time; a single city with villages surrounding it. The people were farmers, using primitive stone tools to tend to their gardens. We had barely begun to cultivate horses as a means of transportation. We were a peaceful race, and none of the neighboring villages disturbed.

"Our descent into darkness began one night, on the day when my son, Dartz, ascended to leadership of our little slice of the world. He was different from what is he is now. He used to smile without malice, play a reed flute after dinner for his family, and helped the people whenever hard times fell upon them."

Yami nodded, knowing what he meant by that. Only in conflict was a person's inner self truly revealed. "When did the war start?" he asked.

Ironheart grinned in amusement. "The war wasn't what changed Dartz. You see, his transformation occurred in an entirely different, and completely nonviolent manner." He looked into the fire, eyes going distant. "About four years into his rule, the volcano we were situated around erupted. Lava engulfed the southern section, though our spells protected the city from destruction. Unfortunately, that wasn't all that was released. A glowing green rock was also unleashed into the world. A green rock that would spell the beginning of the end for our civilization.

"Dartz ordered that the rock be observed by our greatest sorcerers, to try and understand what it was. They concluded that it exuded a considerable amount of power, both magical and otherwise. They also discovered that it could be used as a source of energy, like oil or coal. In short, we had just discovered one of the greatest… and most destructive forces ever.

"Within the course of ten years, Atlantis evolved from a primitive collection of huts, with horses and wooden tools to the most advanced civilization in the world. We had access to hover cars, tanks more advanced than anything in the modern world, and energy weapons capable of punching a hole through the side of a concrete slab. In short, we had achieved within a decade what we should have acquired through the slow advancement of centuries."

Sakura started in surprise at this. She was no science guru, but she had watched enough _Star Trek_ to know what that meant. "Your people became arrogant," she said. "They started to cry out for conquest."

"Exactly. Dartz refused, surprisingly, instead attempting to retain the good graces of the surrounding villages, even offering to share the newfound advances with them. If one possessed the ability to help others, to elevate them to another level, then they should do so. That was his motto in life." The old man sighed, looking to the skies. "I tried to reason with him since the advancements began to consider the consequences of his actions. But, I suppose, his helping nature, his very personality, couldn't see that. He was no politician, and he certainly wasn't a military leader. He was a simple, honest man. And, had the green rock been anything different, things may have turned out differently. But, as you have probably guessed, that was not the case.

"About fifteen years into Dartz's rule, strange things began to occur. People had begun to disappear both within and outside the city. Strange beasts began appearing everywhere, attacking those that had not been taken. For the longest time, none of us knew what was happening. I ordered a full scale investigation, but no leads turned up.

"Suddenly, a year later, Dartz's wife was stricken with some sort of illness. It seemed like the common cold, with all of the right symptoms, and no one thought anything of it… until it became worse. She began to exhibit signs of abnormal behavior, like changes in her dietary habits, wandering the castle in a daze, even showing significant lapses in etiquette. At long last, she began to grow suspicious of this, but by then, it was too late.

"Dartz relinquished the throne to his successor, and began to study the problem himself. Unfortunately, he discovered from his findings that the green rock had begun transforming those who had been exposed to it, seemingly bringing out their beastly impulses. He went to his wife to try and warn her, only to see her in a state of transformation. It turned out that the beasts that ravaged the countryside were in fact _the_ people who had disappeared. The queen was in the middle of such a transformation, but retained enough of her humanity to escape, so as not to harm the man she had loved all of her life. She was never heard from again.

"But it wasn't enough," Eli stated, sensing where the story was heading.

"No, it wasn't." Even in the firelight, Ironheart looked very tired. "Dartz, in a shocked state, stumbled out into the courtyard. There, he stayed for the night, almost in a trance… at least, I hope it was a trance. Then he locked himself in his bedroom.

"The next thing I know for certain… is when I confronted him three days later. I had learned that he had left the city, having the green rocks delivered to a fortress on an island. Myself and a young child named Chris gave chase. We caught up with him at the fortress… only to discover the terrible truth.

"Dartz was no longer the kind, sweet man that had brought a kingdom up to wealth beyond imagining. Instead, he had become distorted version of himself. He called the great magic he had been imbued with the Orichalcos, and had discovered the resting place of a creature known only as the Great Beast. At the same time, he had forged an army of warriors, utilizing both magic and the technological upgrades he had helped design to make them unstoppable. In short, he was going to try and wipe out all life on the planet.

"Chris and I managed to escape, and return to Atlantis, where we warned the new King, by now known as the first Aquaman, about the new threat. He had already suspected, of course, and knew that his army would be no match. However, he was also a scholar, and had heard of a force that could. In the time before memory, there had been instances of monsters emerging into our world, and either destroying or saving kingdoms from destruction. Our only chance, he said, would be for us to summon them again.

Yami looked up. Something about that struck him as strangely familiar, almost as if he had heard a similar story himself. "Is that when you summoned Tiamus and the other Sacred Dragons?" he asked.

The other King nodded. "In a sense, they had always been there. However, we had located the stone tablets left from our barbaric and evil ancestors, great magicians from Acheron, the dark empire of Akivasha, the vampire Queen. These beasts were slaves, unable to break free, but by blood magic… or Atlantean magic.

"I was able to free the monsters, alerting them to the Orichalcos's coming, and they agreed to help me save Dartz from his own mystical captor, the Great Leviathan. Tiamua, Kriddius, and Heramos also arrived, as did the Atlantean army.

"I won't bore you with how the conversation between Dartz and I went, but it didn't have the effect I wanted. The battle that erupted was one that would change the mystical boundaries of the world forever. Men and beast died on that battlefield that day, as both sides fought with unrivaled ferocity. In the midst of the battle, the Great Beast arose, its unmatched strength giving it a decisive edge against even the might of the Forbidden One himself."  
Yami and Tea traded shocked looks. A beast, powerful enough to challenge even the power of Exodia, actually existed? What kind of monster were they dealing with? What kind of _magic_ were they dealing with?

Ironheart knew what they were thinking, and could understand why they were thinking it. Exodia, he knew, was the trump card in any duelist's deck. If one could get their hands on all five cards, even the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon would be unable to stop him. The only monsters they knew of that could stop such a being were the Egyptian Gods themselves. "Yes, Exodia was unable to destroy Leviathan, but he was able to fight it to a draw. By that time, the three Dragons had entered the fray, as had Dartz himself. In that moment, the battle shifted more dramatically.

"Kriddius and Heramos joined the Forbidden One in doing battle with Leviathan, while Tiamus and myself attacked Dartz, the source of the Orichalcos's power on Earth. Unfortunately, before I could reach him, three of his super soldiers took me down. Before Tiamus could reach me, Dartz plunged his weapon right into the Dragon's right eye. All hope seemed lost.

"But there was one final card to play, if you'll pardon the expression. Exodia, remembering how he and his fellows were trapped, immediately concocted a new plan. Though Leviathan could never be contained within a stone tablet, the darkest depths of what we call the Pacific Ocean, the Laurentian Abyss, was deep enough to entomb him. The Three Dragons and the Forbidden One launched the full force of their powers at the Great Beast. Their combined energies were enough to exhaust its own power completely, and they were able to overpower it. Exodia then used his incredible strength to throw it right into the heart of Pacific Ocean, where Leviathan sank into the Abyss."

"But Dartz managed to escape," Mei-Ling stated.

"Indeed. He went into hiding, refining his tactics, and looking over his mistakes. Leviathan, for all of its power, still had limits, and those limits were overwhelmed by the combined power of the four monsters. But it hadn't been destroyed, and its power would be restored to it in due time. So he began to take steps to increase that power." Ironheart sighed. "I didn't know what those steps were, until now. He had been taking souls for centuries, preserving the bodies to make into new soldiers when the time came. However, he went strangely silent a few years ago. I think you both know what happened on that day."

Yami smirked at that. It had been the day that Yugi had finished putting together the Millennium Puzzle, releasing both his soul and the Shadow Realm from imprisonment. Dartz probably sensed a powerful force arising, and decided to observe the events before he started up again. "He must have sensed the awakening of the Millennium Items, the rebirth of the Shadow Games, and realized what that meant. Which means there is a power out there that can battle him."

"Exactly. And that is why I sought you all out. Unfortunately, I was unable to pry you out of the train due to an attack from someone else, so I was forced to watch as you stumbled towards Dakota City. Since then, I have followed you as you began your trek across the United States, dealing with many of the obstacles our enemies have put in front of you. And, when you reached this area of mystical protection, I sent you that message."

"Because of what you know," Kero stated. It was the first thing he had said since the conversation started.

"More than that, Guardian of the Cards. It is because of what I can do to help you prepare for Dartz."

"How?"

Ironheart stood up, stretching. "When you returned from your brief sojourn to… wherever you went, I sensed a new power returning with you, as strong as the Egyptian Gods themselves. But you don't know how to properly utilize that power yet."  
Tea nodded, surprised that he had felt the Azarathian Gods from the distance they had been at a mere week ago. "We acquired several new monsters from… that other place," she explained, not wanting to talk about Neverland just yet. "Three of them were the Gods of Azarath. The other two were monsters that had grown stronger over the course of five thousand years. The first Dark Magician and… Kissinian are the other two."  
"Ah, I see." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And you possess these Gods, young lady?"

"Well… yes, actually."

Ironheart nodded again, not giving any more information. "You shall definitely need to grow accustomed to the power they possess," he said. "The fact that you were chosen to wield them tells me that they believe you worthy of their power."

"Can it be done quickly?" Yami asked. "Every day brings our enemies closer to us, and we can't afford to stay in one place for very long."

He nodded. "It will take a great deal of time, but I only need to show you how to harness them. Afterwards, it will simply be a test of patience and discipline. Two items that you can work on along your way." He smiled. "Are you interested?"

Tea looked at Yami, who nodded to her. She smiled. "Sure," she replied. "Anything that you can do to help us will be greatly appreciated. When do we begin?"

"Tomorrow, at dawn. Don't be late. Death waits for no one."

**Gotham** **City**

Harley Quinn, better known as Harlequin by the police and the Justice League, stayed stooped over the mop she was holding, trying to keep a low profile. She had yet to be caught, but the way her life was these days, it was only a matter of time. And being a janitor was about as far from being a crook one could get, even if she had the job under an alias.

Besides, she had just finished wiping down Lucius Fox's old desk, and was almost done mopping, so she could get out of here, and head back to her decent apartment for the rest of the night.

"Harley."

The woman let out a shriek that would have done the Banshee proud, whirling around. The mop also flew from her hands, though it didn't hit any of the sensitive equipment that was still on. Needless to say, she shouldn't have been surprised. This was something he would do.

Batman was completely unfazed by her little song and dance, though he was mystified. While Raven was right on target, as she usually was concerning locating people, this couldn't be her. Since when did Harley Quinn mop floors? And why the hell was she even employed at Wayne Enterprises anyway? He was really going to have to look over his personnel files later.

Harley let out a weak chuckle, looking around. "At least the big guy won't fire my ass for not doing a good job," she said, getting her breathing down.

"I'm sure. Now, I'm going to assume that you applied under a false name so as not to arouse suspicion to your activities. That way, you could fly under the radar until the manhunt for you finally ended." If anything, Batman's scowl became more pronounced with each passing moment, which could freak out anyone.

"Actually, it's because I'm pretty pissed off with Mister J, and decided to take a break from him." Harley picked the mop up, and went back to what she was doing. "Haven't spoken to him since they took him back to Arkham. Why? What'd he do this time?"

The scowl lessened in surprise. "You're… not in contact with him?" Every once in a while, life just seemed to throw even him a curve ball. This was one of those times, it seemed.

"No. Why? You think I'm gonna forgive him that easily, after he slugged me in Las Vegas?"

The Dark Knight mentally added 'Understanding the mind of a psycho' to his list of things to do after this case was over. Sometimes, he felt like he would never understand how they thought. And it was probably best if he never did. "Well…" he started, "my apologies for that. I am going to have a word with Mister Wayne about this, but I think you'll find him more understanding than I am. Sorry for bothering you." He turned to leave, somewhat surprised that he hadn't had to talk with more than a light growl. If Harley had had no contact with Joker, then she wouldn't know anything about his plans. It would be worse than useless to interrogate her.

"Mister J does have a safe house in the old Asylum," Harley suddenly stated, as if the memory had just come back to her. "I don't know what room it was in, but I do know that he used it to store some of the high tech equipment he stole from Wayne Enterprises about four years back. If he thought it would be a good place to serve as a hideout again, he could go there."

Batman turned back to her, surprised by her sudden desire to help. '_Maybe there's something therapeutic about mopping floors,'_ he thought. He'd have to bring it up with Doctor Tompkins when he had his yearly check up. "Thank you," he replied, before vanishing into the shadows. As he did so, he sent word to Bullock outside to stand down, and that Harley Quinn was not in contact with the Joker.

He was definitely going to keep her on as a janitor, if this level of mental healing was apparent in her.

Harley finished mopping the floor, dragged the bucket down to the closet, and dumped it. Making sure to set the mop in the hook, and keeping the bucket tilted so it would finish draining, she started down the hall to the R&D wing. All she needed to do was make sure that all of the doors were locked, and she could call it a night.

That was her thought before she came across something she had hoped she would never see.

-  
"Arkham?" Arrow asked, almost smacking himself in the head. "We only went down one hallway. It's large enough that it would take a whole lot of police to search from top to bottom, and they'd still probably miss a few floors."

Bullock slugged the last of his coffee, giving it the same grimace he always gave it. After Batman's little chat with Harley, they had rendezvoused at Police HQ to go over everything once again. They had to recheck everything, from the clues the Joker left intentionally, to the corpses of the street cops he had sent to an early grave. Nothing could be left to chance.

Huntress entered the room, holding a vanilla folder. "We've got the results of the autopsies," she said, opening it. "The ME found burn marks on most of the bodies, some larger than others. I'd say that there were several different designs of weapons in use each time. Four the bodies were killed using twenty caliber rounds, while the last one… had his rib cage crushed by a bear hug."

"Romulans are capable of doing that," Question stated. "And before any of you say anything, I do actually like _Star Trek_. It's… sunnier than my life."

"Batman's life is sunnier than yours," Zatanna retorted, Bullock and Gordon saluting her in agreement. "He doesn't check out conspiracy theories."

"No, he goes out in a bat costume every night. Who is the bigger freak?"

Batman turned his incredible glare towards his squad mate, knowing that it would have no effect in the Man with No Face. "If you have to ask, it isn't the man in the Bat Costume," he replied. "At least the man in the Bat Costume has the right mind to use Nomex, Kevlar, and a number of high tech equipment so as to survive on the streets every night."

"Yes… and yet, I do the same thing in only a custom made business suit and trench coat. And the only vehicle I have is a throwback to the 1980's."

Montoya sighed, shaking her head. "Will both freaks not argue? Though why Batman is arguing with the ultimate conspiracy theorist is beyond me." She would never understand costumed men. "We do have a mad clown prince to find, and apparently, in another universe. How do we go about that?"

Gordon turned to the massive city map, looking at the Narrows. "We go in force. I want every available police officer and detective _not_ working on a major case in full gear in half an hour. We're heading for Arkham."

Batman nodded, bringing his hand to his earpiece. They were going to need another squadron to help out with this."

**Watchtower**

Diana rubbed her eyes wearily as she walked down the corridors, almost asleep on her feet. There was no way even an Amazonian could remain on their feet without rest forever. This all-nighter could not happen again. She simply was not Batman. She had greater stamina, but she didn't have the experience he possessed.

But her mind was now just as tired. Hopefully, it would allow her to get at least two hours of sleep tonight.

"_Control Tower to Wonder Woman."_

'_Then again, I could also not get that much respect,'_ she thought, bringing her hand up. "Go ahead, CT."

"_J'onn needs you up here. We have Batman on the line, and he wants to talk to you."_

Her fatigue vanished, just like that. She was airborne in the blink of an eye, flying in the direction of the elevator. Bruce and his alter ego always seemed to do that to her, regardless of her present state of conscious thought.

She was at the main board within five minutes of the contact, looking to J'onn. J'onn looked at her. "Line four," was all he said.

Nodding in understanding, the Amazon quickly toggled the switch in question. "I'm receiving you, Batman," she said, all business.

"_Diana, we're getting ready to search the old Asylum building. We have a clue as to where his portal is. But we're going to need more help. Is your squadron ready?"_

Diana nodded. "I've assembled a group. Hopefully, it'll be enough."

"_Get down here. We're going to need all the help we can get. Batman out."_

Stepping away from the comm panel for a second, she took a deep breath. It was about time for her to get something to do, and to see what her team was capable of doing in the thick of battle. After letting the emotions going through her subside, she toggled the channel again. "Steel, Hawk and Dove, and Ice, report to the teleport pad. We are heading to the surface." She turned around. "I don't know what we're going to find down there, but keep an eye on us at all times."

"Understood. Diana, be careful."

"I'll try."

**Realm 9002**

Jadzia had had to make her way back to the security center, taking control of one of the security stations. That way, she could keep her eyes on the prison population without looking suspicious.

What she saw was not to her liking at all. The prisoners were with very little, if any personal space, thereby allowing disease to flourish with little difficulty. From what she could learn, the medical personnel didn't have access to them if something happened. And finally, with the Joker here, there was a good chance that they would die when whatever he wanted built was completed. She would have to move quickly if they were going to survive.

The problem was the security in the place. She couldn't actually knock them all out, because some species were immune to Anthezine gas. Trill, or Romulans weren't among them. Also, considering who she was dealing with, she had to assume that the suppression system was nothing more than his patented laughing gas. Finally, she would still have to contend with whoever was outside the compound, not to mention finding a way in getting them all to the _Valkyrie_ without alerting the defense force in orbit. An insurmountable task, and she didn't have the Dax symbiont to help her. She was, for all intents and purposes, on her own.

Hopefully, she would be up to the task at hand.

She noticed that several of the guards were getting up, and surmised that the shift was changing. Noting that the chronometer, set to Earth time, was fourteen hundred hours. Getting up, she turned the console over to another guard. "Enjoy the view," she said, grinning.

The guard nodded, returning the grin with more sincerity. "Oh, I intend to. Count on it."

She managed to keep her grimace from forming as she left the security area, making her way down the corridor. If this was a simple, extensive undercover assignment, she would simply take her time, use every advantage at her disposal Unfortunately, time was not a luxury that one took into consideration where the Joker was concerned. One could never understand what his plan was until it was too late. And, if she was right, then whatever it was, it was going to be big.

She had made half of the journey when she saw what looked like a procession of workers. Curious as to where they were going, she waited until they had gone around the corridor. Then she followed them, remembering to keep out of sight as much as she could. At the same time, she tapped her comm badge twice.

-  
Belle couldn't believe how calm, how… still, Kes was in the center seat. She was almost like a statue, with the exception of her chest moving in regular intervals. As opposed to the rest of them, who were either nervously tapping their feet, or were quivering so much, they were almost still themselves.

She, on the other hand, was busy pacing the back of the bridge, passing Tasha at least five times every minute. She had to keep moving, or she'd go crazy from the waiting. And that was something the whole lot of them didn't need right now

"Belle, please stop pacing," Tasha finally requested for the thirty fifth time, successfully marking off another hour of waiting. "Otherwise, I'm going to turn around, and stun you."

"Yes, Belle," Boomer stated from Helm, where she was busy pinching herself, "please do stop that. If she stuns you, we'll be short one officer, and I don't think the Captain's looking at resumes just yet."

Grumbling, the Trainee stopped her pacing. When the conn officer told you to stop, you've managed to get on everyone's nerves. How Kes had managed to remain quiet all of this time was simply beyond her.

"Have a seat, Number One," Kes suggested soothingly, opening her eyes. "See this as a test of patience. One day, when you're in command of your own ship, you'll have to do the same thing."

"Which reminds me… how the hell can you sit like that?" Belle asked, coming down to the command area.

"I was trained by a Vulcan, remember? Sitting for hours on end is something they've turned into an art form."

"Oh."

Prue, on the other hand, was dealing with her boredom in another manner… namely, by taking a nap. At that particular moment, her head was slouched on one hand, eyes closed, and lightly snoring. If any of them gave a thought about it, it could be considered cute.

Tasha suddenly looked up. "Sir, we're receiving a message. Prerecorded only."

Everyone turned as one, Prue waking up immediately. A prerecorded message meant only one thing; the mission was becoming far more complicated.

"Let's hear it." Kes stood up, turning to face Tactical fully.

Tasha made a few minor adjustments, and activated the transmission. Immediately, Jadzia's voice rang throughout the bridge. "_I have located the prisoners, and am preparing to implement a rescue. May have discovered what it is they're working on, and am going to investigate. Recommend that Commander Yar prepare her strike force immediately. We don't have a whole lot of time."_

"That's it, Sir."

Nodding, the Occampan mulled over the implications of the message for a bit. "Commander, ready four security teams. We transport at 1600 hours."

"Aye, Sir."

Belle got up as well. "I'm assuming that I will be leading one of the teams," she said.

Kes nodded. "Yes. I'll lead one, and I want you to lead one as well, Prue. We're going to bring them all back if possible. We leave no one behind."

"Understood, Sir."

"Aye, Captain."

"Let's get suited up, then."

**Realm 4, Gotham** **City**

The first thing Diana noticed upon re-materialization was the sheer number of Gotham PD amassing near Arkham's main entrance. The Squad leaders were conversing with Batman and Gordon, laying out a search plan. If they were planning to find Joker's hidden storage facility, they'd then be able to go after him.

Batman turned around as the Amazon approached, feeling an illogical swell of happiness go through his system. But then again, emotions were something no logical being could ever comprehend. The fact was her presence made his heart a little lighter. And her power would be needed to contend with whatever they found in there.

And what was more, her squadron was there as well, already looking around the premise. He approved of their actions. Never leave a stone unturned was something both he and the police followed religiously.

Diana reached them, no smile on her face now. She was in Warrior Mode, which meant that she was ready to break whatever came her way. "So, what's the plan of attack?" she asked.

Batman gestured to the decrepit building, as if it was obvious. "We'll have to search every floor, every square inch of land until we locate a discrepancy that shouldn't be there. A hollow wall, a cell that won't open like all of the rest. Any clue that might lead us to Joker's lair, and the method of inter-dimensional travel that he's using. Take the fifth floor, East Wing."

She nodded. "Alright, Warrior Squad!" she called out. "We're going to be Fifth Floor, East Wing. The task is simple; to search every aspect of it until we find a discrepancy that isn't the result of malfunction or construction. You find something like that, contact the rest of us immediately. Move out!"

Every League member and Police Officer there started into the building, preparing for quite possibly the most extensive search that Gotham City had ever seen. And there was a distinct possibility that they wouldn't even find anything in there.

But then again, they had to follow every lead until it led them to their goal… or nowhere at all.

Arrow kicked a door open, quickly sweeping the interior for anything that didn't belong. Finding nothing, he shook his head. "So much for that," he grumbled. "We're looking for a needle in a particularly large haystack. How are we going to accomplish that?"

"Very carefully, Ollie," Zatanna replied, her magic sweeping the hallway. "The cells are very close together, so there's no way for any hidden room to be constructed without magical assistance."

"That's always good to know." He opened another door, checking it over thoroughly. "I doubt Joker's going to return to this place. I mean, he's gotta know we would be searching it for him."

"Except we stopped when we came across Circes," she reminded him. "Obviously, she was left there to distract us, and it worked. We didn't come back until many hours later, by which time he would have already been gone."

"Yeah, you're probably right." He looked inside another room. "Damn it!" he growled, seeing another dead end. "I hope someone's having better luck than we are, because Joker's kicking our asses right now."

Bullock slammed his foot into one of the doors, almost breaking it off of its hinges. He looked inside, taking a cautious step forward.

Montoya followed in close behind him, her pistol sweeping the area. "Clear," she said, rather redundantly.

Bullock nodded, keeping a loose grip on his own gun as he looked around. He was nowhere near the laser sharp precision of the vigilantes, but he knew enough to have a partner with him at all times. And he was a pretty good cop. Very questionable in some of his tactics, but very few cops were squeaky clean. And he had done well enough to become a Detective in the first place.

"Clear, all right," he grumbled, taking in the empty room. "Bats probably gone bats himself now. He actually trusts Harley Quinn's information?"

"Considering the fact that she was mopping floors at Wayne Enterprises, I'd say that it's pretty possible," she replied. "He did hit her, after all."

"And that made her sane as a bird."

"Somehow, I don't think she'd agree with the assessment. But being away from the Joker for an extended period of time might be having a positive effect on her psyche. … Of course, she could also be drinking a lot."

"Let's go with that theory. It's more plausible." Out of frustration of their current situation, Bullock kicked a side wall in frustration.

It produced a hollow, vibrating sound.

The two detectives looked at each other, and grinned. "Commissioner, this is Detective Montoya," Montoya reported. "Tell Batman we found something."

"The device was definitely used recently," the technician stated, stepping away from the control panel. "Within the last few hours, in fact."

Within three hours of Montoya and Bullock locating the hidden room, Gotham CSI technicians were trying to access the computer equipment, hoping to figure out how the hell the Joker had managed to perfect the gateway technology. Question was offering his considerable talents on that regard.

Batman glared at the device that had given Lois Lane some trouble, unable to believe it. How could Joker have even gotten his hands on the specs for this device, and successfully construct another one without anyone ever knowing it? And how did he know enough to program it to become a portal to another Realm?

Diana stood next to him, keeping her arms folded. The last thing they needed was for her to start breaking things, as they needed to take everything there into account. What was more, she was curious, just like Bruce. How did the Joker manage to construct a working gateway, and advance it to becoming a feasible device? How could he, with the level of technology they had right now?

"It looks like this entire complex was reverse engineered," Question stated, looking up. "Kryptonian technology, most likely."

The Dark Knight and Gordon were there in an instant, looking at the computer screen. "How can you tell?" the latter asked.

"These components look like some of the components that can access the Phantom Zone, but modified. Also, this programming looks like something you'd find in S.T.A.R. Labs."

Batman nodded, not really surprised. It was Hamilton's program language, after all. It was most likely copied from the original, and modified to accept new programming. But that only brought out more questions. Where did the Kryptonian tech come from?

Suddenly, his ear communicator buzzed. Knowing what it meant, he turned to the Commissioner. "Excuse me, Jim. I've got a private call coming through."

"Sure." If Gordon was confused, he hid it well. Even Batman had a life outside of protecting the innocent, even if mere mortals didn't know what it was. Everyone kept their peace.

Batman stepped outside, making sure to walk a ways down the corridor, before pressing the communicator. "What is it, Alfred?" he asked.

"_My apologies for the abruptness Sir, but I believe that you would want to know this." _His butler's voice was in control as always, but with a line of worry through it. "_Miss Quinn just called. She said that she was walking by the technological wing, when she noticed one of the doors opened. She claimed that nothing was missing, but that none of the guards were present there, and called for security and Mister Fox."_

He was beginning to have a very bad feeling about the line that this conversation was heading, but bit anyway. "What did they find out, Alfred?" he asked quietly.

"_Master Bruce, several of the devices were nothing more than cheap plastic imitations. What is more, they also did not find the bodies of the WE technicians that disappeared almost twenty days ago."_

Now he felt like cursing. Wayne Enterprises had lost five of their most gifted engineering staff members during what appeared to be a run of the mill break in. At first, they thought that those five were responsible for the break in, but later investigation revealed that their access codes hadn't been in use, and there was no damage to any of the equipment. But why was the door to their classified equipment open, without any security nearby. "What about Harley?" he asked.

"_She says that she has no idea why the door was open, and that she only entered when it became apparent that it happened recently. She alerted the Police mere moments ago concerning this, but felt that Bruce Wayne should also know."_

Which meant she thought Bruce Wayne could alert Batman to a possible connection in his investigation. Well, she was right. That one little phone call had just opened the door, and answered a few questions. "Transmit the list of items stolen to the Watchtower, Alfred. Have J'onn and Superman go through it, and get back to me on their results." He vowed silently not only to keep Harley on the staff, but to also up her pay.

"_I shall, Sir. Good day."_ The communication cut off.

Abruptly, Batman turned around, reentering the room. "Commissioner, I just received some new information. Wayne Enterprises was broken into, and some of its equipment stolen. Harley Quinn is talking to security right now."

Gordon held up his cell, expression grim. "I know. I just got off the horn with HQ. Quinn did call it in herself. Said that she has no idea what was taken, due to the fact she remained outside the room, but figured that it was probably stuff that could be used to create a new weapon of sorts."

"But what?" Diana asked, mystified. "And since when does Harley help the Police, as opposed to helping Joker paint the town red?"

Batman shrugged. "Perhaps there's something to be said about mopping floors," he replied casually. "And, considering that she isn't hiding her identity from anyone, I suspect Mister Wayne will keep her onboard."

"… Interesting."

Huntress looked up from the computer. "On the other hand… this thing doesn't have enough juice to open a gateway on its own," she said. "If we want to open one, we're going to need a nuclear power plant to power it. Not only that, we found out what he's building. Harley Quinn's right." She stepped aside as Diana joined them at the console, Gordon and Batman right behind her.

The second she saw what was on that screen, a twinge of mortal terror gripped her. "Great Hera," she whispered.

"You said it," Gordon replied just as quietly. "You said it."

**Realm 9002**

Jadzia slipped through the doors before they completely closed, thanking whatever Gods could hear her for the accomplishment. If she had been just a second to late, she would have been caught in the door itself, and that would have been awkward, if she hadn't been crushed first.

Of course, now she was worried. She had no idea where she was, but it wasn't the normal work places. In fact, she had the strange suspicion that very few of the Joker's crew were aware of this place.

And those who did probably live long, considering their boss's erratic behavior.

This workplace was full of different noise. There was welding, antigrav units moving along the floor, and people moving along with tools, talking quietly. Something was being built here, and it wasn't a ship.

She had a rather funny feeling that it was a weapon of some kind.

Looking around, the Trill caught sight of various guards looking at the workers, as well as the structure to her right. She made her way up the stairs, so as to give herself a better vantage point.

The moment she had, she wished she hadn't… for two reasons.

For starters, what she saw was more than a weapon. It was a number of weapons. Weapons that looked like that they could do plenty of damage in a short period of time. They almost looked like the long lost Krypton Nova Javelins, weapons so powerful that even one of them could destroy a continent.

From what she could see in her brief observation, they were being upgraded with matter/ antimatter pods to double their destructive capabilities. She should probably be thankful that he didn't know about project Genesis, because he would have probably corrupted its purpose for his own mad desires.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the biggest problem. For there was another reason that she had froze.

Joker was standing right there in front of her, grinning wider than usual. And he was looking at her.

_Captain's Log, Supplemental_

_Commander Idaris's report has forced us to make a few modifications to our plans. I have therefore ordered five security teams to prepare for combat, each commanded by a senior officer, to beam down and take control of the facility. Preparations should be almost complete._

Kes tightened her weapons belt, somewhat surprised that the _Valkyrie_ didn't possess full body protection armor. Instead, it carried something she thought had gone out of style.

She had seen the Guardian battle uniforms that Harry and his friends used, the black ensemble that looked much like Earth military fatigues. They were tough, and were capable of taking anything that was thrown at them. Even Federation phasers at full power couldn't penetrate the incredibly dense fibers.

It was apparently something from Alania's own considerable past, as it was also a fashion that had dominated for thousand of years, despite the increasing toughness of the fabric's used. And, judging by how everyone agreed with it, and liked the style, it didn't look like it was going away anytime soon.

The only thing she didn't agree with were the sheer number of weapons that came with the garment. Federation Starfleet used fewer weapons than the Guardians did. Of course, the Guardians still equipped their people with swords and throwing daggers, among many things. "Why are assault teams armed _this_ heavily?" she asked Prue quietly.

Prue smiled. "A little something Alania learned when she was only eighteen," she explained. "Her instructors informed her that certain situations require certain kinds of weapons, especially if there is a dampening field in place. Sometimes, subterfuge is required. Also, if we're going into a situation that is at a level of technology below industrial, it's usually a good idea to know how to use a sword."

"Ah."

"Don't worry. You're talking to someone who had to make potions to defeat demons. I was used to these kinds of weapons before I even learned to use a phaser."

"Good point." Kes patted her phaser. "But if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stick to the stun setting."

"Fair enough."

"_Bridge to Transporter Room Five."_

"Kes here."

"_Sir, I've moved us within minimum safety for transport. But, I'm going to have to get out of here after the final team is down."_

"Understood, Boomer. Deal with the fleet, then enter high orbit of the planet. Understood?"

"_Understood, Sir… and be careful. We just got you and Belle. I really don't want Alania to have to break in a new captain and first officer."_

Kes and Belle shared amused smirks. "We plan on coming back, so don't get comfortable in my chair, young lady. Send word to Jadzia that we're coming down. Kes out." She turned around, observing everyone gathered. "Okay, ladies. Let's get this over with before Alania puts her in command permanently. First team, prepare to beam down."

**Realm 4, Watchtower**

"The pieces in question that were stolen were a Kryptonian phase accelerator, seventy pounds of weapons grade plutonium, and the specifications to the Krypton Nova Javelins," J'onn stated, looking over the files. "Alone, each device possesses the energy necessary to decimate a city. Together, that capability can be refined to strike several suburban areas all at once, without any radiation downfall."

Superman nodded, appalled all the same. It was one of those things that he had read in his Father's archives, on how an old Kryptonian warlord called Jax-Ur utilized Nova Javelins to destroy a moon. As a result, due to their destructive nature, the Kryptonian Council decided to put a ban on all space travel development, thereby isolating their world from the rest of the cosmos. Sadly, that isolationist policy, with no development whatsoever towards space travel, had come back to bite them in the ass. First, Brainiac, a renegade Coluan machine who was looking to expand his knowledge of the known universe, took Kandor City, and shrunk it. Later, his consciousness returned as part of Brain Interactive Construct his father had invented, to continue observing their race.

The second major problem concerned Zod, a small Kryptonian official who rose to rule Krypton. He quickly proved himself to be a monster, destroying one city for defying him, and was ready to use the Nova Javelins to destroy Argo city. If it weren't for Jor-El, who managed to modify their trajectory to strike at a comet, one that was threatening them with death, Argo City would have been obliterated.

Of course, Joker would probably be crazy enough to actually attempt something like that. He had always reveled in destruction, for no reason other than he could. He was the greatest criminal mind in the world, and the only one who could give Batman a run for his money.

And now he had Kryptonian technology, in a universe that had conquered faster than light travel, and most likely finding a way to make the components work together. His day just kept getting better and better.

Flash looked at the screen in front of them, a bit of confusion gripping him. "What's with him and trying to construct this thing?" he asked. "He's more of a hands on kind of guy, last time I checked."

"Joker may not be building this just for himself, and it may not be intended for use on Earth." Shayera leaned forward, green eyes speculative. "Trigon may have requested that he construct this doomsday device, and to deliver it to a predetermined spot. He knows that the Clown Prince is a loose cannon, intent on madness and mayhem. That's why he has him."

"Which makes our job more difficult than before." The Kryptonian turned to GL, who was busy staring at the screen. "What do you think, John?"

"All I know is that Trigon has played his wild card. Captain Kes and the _Valkyrie_ team are probably about ready to storm the fort, and we've got Batman and Gotham's finest ready to do the same. I'd say this has the makings of a genuine mess."

"What choice do we have, though?" Superman turned to J'onn. "What do they need to power that thing?"

Batman looked up as a bright light appeared briefly, before disappearing. In its place, there was now a Javelin power generator, with all the energy they were going to need for this endeavor, along with two Watchtower technicians. One of them carried a Martian power adaptor, on the off chance it was needed.

Huntress checked the casing and power gauge, nodding. "Looks like we've got a fully functional one here," she said. "Let's get this thing hooked up to that thing." She and two technicians moved it over to the Gateway, locating the power couplings rather easily.

Diana walked up to him, watching as they began connecting the generator into the power system. She knew that Question was busy looking through all of the information in its computer system, and so wouldn't be concentrating on his teammates for once. "Are we absolutely sure that this will work?" she whispered. "Joker could have just used some sort of exotic energy to power this."

"That's why we have the adaptor," Batman replied just as quietly. "I have no doubt he's constructed this to utilize something other than conventional energy. I'm not taking any chances where he's concerned. I did that once before, and a number of people lost their lives because of it." And, despite all of the years since that fateful first meeting, and even knowing about his tragic past, he was still one step behind the mad clown.

Diana leaned in slightly. "Bruce, no one can figure out the Joker, no matter what they do," she said. "He goes to parts of the human mind that sane beings dare not look at. There is no thought other than mayhem for him. He is simply erratic, a powder keg. And, as you know better than anyone, he simply has to explode every once in a while."

"Fair point. It still doesn't make it easy to accept." He turned his attention to the work on the Gateway, eyes narrowing. He moved over to Gordon and Bullock, both who were watching this with great interest. "Once we activate it, we'll go in one team at a time. That way, we can give some leeway."

Gordon nodded. "I've got three SWAT teams standing by to help if it's required. Myself, Montoya, and Bullock are leading them."

While Batman didn't want his friend involved, he could see the logic in that statement. Gordon inspired his officers to perform above and beyond the call of duty. Bullock had a take no prisoners approach that was effective most of the time. And Montoya was the only one besides Batman to take down Poison Ivy and Harlequin. She had the same instincts as him, which made her a valuable member of the Gotham PD. All of them were wearing full riot gear, which was about as protected as they were going to get.

One of the technicians gave thumbs up, letting him know that they were ready to try and open the portal. He returned their nod, before backing up. He didn't need to be directly at ground zero when it activated. Besides, something didn't feel right. This was too convenient, even for the Joker. What trick did he have up his sleeve?

Diana noticed the frown, and understood why he had it. Joker usually wasn't this easy to locate, unless he had set a trap. But where was the trap? They had checked every piece of technology in the room, had search the room. They checked the walls, the floor, even the immediate area outside of the room. And, just in case it was a tank of Joker venom, they were all with gas masks. They had taken as many precautions as they could think of.

So why was she feeling a knot in her stomach tighten in trepidation?

The two technicians brought the systems online, checking to make sure that everything was working perfectly. "I'm activating the Gateway," one of them said, manipulating the controls. "There will be a brief flash of light, so you may all want to shield your eyes." He pressed one final control.

Everyone shielded their eyes as the device activated, bathing them in that bright light. After a few second, it died down. They all looked.

There, crackling with power to break through the barriers between realms, was a yellow doorway. It was their means to go after the Joker.

The second technician checked the power ratio. "Gateway is stable," he reported. "What's more, it is linking directly to Realm 9002." He grinned. "I think we did it!"

And then there was a shudder, akin to an explosion.

Gordon's radio suddenly came to life." _Commissioner,_ _explosions are starting from both sides of the asylum! It's all going under!"_

Gordon grabbed his radio, thumbing it on. "Pull back!" he ordered quickly. "Don't wait for us! Just save yourselves!" He shut it off, cursing himself for not seeing it sooner. Of course Joker would want the maximum amount of damage to be done. He would kill almost half of Gotham's police force, and a number of Justice League members in the process. "There's no time for us to get out the way we came!"

"No, there isn't, and the transporters can't handle more than six at a time!" Batman looked at the Gateway, a desperate plan forming. It would allow them to finish this investigation, but they wouldn't have the element of strategy. "Everyone, get through that the portal!" he shouted. "We'll have to deal with whatever is on the other side, once we're out of this death trap!" The search parties were already moving out of harm's way, having formed a defensive perimeter around the building. They would be able to get out without too much trouble.

Immediately, everyone started through the doorway, mentally preparing themselves for whatever they came across on the other side. Wonder Woman and her squadron led the charge through, while Batman's team brought up the rear.

Huntress looked at Question, who was busy downloading the information down onto another CD. Finishing rather quickly, he stuffed the disc into a pocket. "If it doesn't break, we're going to need this information!" he stated. "I would rather not lose it at this moment!"

"Good point! We're cutting it close, though! Now, let's get moving!" The two of them jumped through the gateway, just before the floor caved in underneath it.

Within moments, Arkham Asylum crashed down to the subterranean levels, going from a derelict though sturdy building to a pile of rubble. It was an organized level of chaos that they had all come to expect, if not anticipate, from their pasty faced nemesis.

Once again, the Joker had trumped them. He had planted seismic charges along the foundation of the asylum, knowing that Batman would be searching for bombs within the hidden room. So, instead of Joker venom, he had simply opted to take the whole building down, should the Gateway ever be activated. It made sure that everything was dealt with decisively, and would force anyone within to either use the dimensional door, or to simply die as the building collapsed.

And it meant that the Joker would have the advantage over his arch enemy, regardless.

**Realm 9002**

Joker chuckled madly, brushing his jacket off. "Well, well," he said quietly. "I was wondering when Starfleet was going to send one of their spies in. I have to say, it took you idiots longer than I thought to find out about me."

Jadzia stared, barely breathing, berating herself for being such a fool. She should have realized that the Joker would have been waiting for someone to show up. This was a man who could match Batman, for pities sake! The Federation stood no chance against him.

The Clown Prince of Crime moved forward daintily, wrapping an arm around her, enjoying the sharp intake of fear filled oxygen. "Well, since you're going to die in a few moments, I figured you'd like to see what we're all about. Teamwork, coordination, madness, mayhem… everything that makes life great!" He led her down the ramp, past three of the guards, before bringing her down to the bottom level again. "But you officers, with your desire for order and peace, make it very hard for a psycho to have any fun!"

She didn't respond, already mentally preparing herself, assessing her options. She no longer had the Dax symbiont to help her, so she was forced to rely on her natural abilities and intellect to survive. And the one thing she knew was that Joker was as crazy as they come. The best way to deal with him was to either be quiet, or simply say yes or no.

A disruptor prodded against her back, forcing her forward. She decided to go with it, if for no other reason than to buy time for a rescue attempt to come. Getting the prisoners out was their top priority. She had to keep him distracted for Kes.

Joker led the way, whistling some aimless tune that was out of place in the heavy construction area. "As you can see, we've given them jobs," he said. "Building something like these takes a whole lot of time, and a whole lot of manpower that you can't simply find easily, even in the twenty fourth century. So, we had a little recruitment drive." He turned around, his eyes focusing on her. She shuddered under their mad stare. "I have to say, I would've expected a little more cooperation with construction, especially from those technicians we… employed."

Jadzia almost retched as he said that, realizing what he could have meant by that. Anyone who refused to help him in his mad quest usually ended up dead, or wishing they were dead. She had a feeling that at least one of the technicians captured had suffered that fate. The prisoners had certainly suffered from that.

"You'd be surprised by how much work it takes to prevent an uprising of some kind. The kinds of gas you have to buy. The kind of guards you have to hire. I mean, taking control of a major crime syndicate in Gotham City is one thing. Doing the same thing with one like the Orion Syndicate… hey, it's pretty much the same way, except with faster getaway vehicles and flashier weapons."

Her eyes widened to oval shapes as this little bombshell was delivered. Joker had taken control of the Orion Syndicate, one of the most powerful space cartels in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, and the Guardians weren't even aware of it?! How the hell had he managed that?

And what else didn't they know about his activities?

His gaze focused on her, watching her. "I'll bet you're asking yourself; how'd he do it? How did a humble, simple crook manage to accomplish such a lofty dream?" He grinned again. "It's simple… I had to give them some incentive. A bribe here, a murder there. I even managed to frame the old head honcho with the death of some guy on… Centauri B II. A high profile guy. Can't remember his name."

That certainly cinched it for her. The Federation wasn't ready to take on a psycho of his caliber. They treated everyone humanely, sending them to a rehabilitation center to earn their freedom again, while helping the massive confederation of worlds grow stronger. Murderers who _enjoyed_ what they did, madmen and sociopaths who had no desire to change their ways, were something they could never really understand. And the Joker, who had somehow managed to adapt quite nicely to the Twenty Fourth Century, would enjoy using this kind of technology. But _how_?

"Come on," Joker suddenly exclaimed. "Say something to me, already! It's no fun if you just stay quiet, waiting for help to arrive. I mean, come on! Batsy's way more fun than that!"

Jadzia shook herself out of her thoughts, though she had really hoped that he would have just kept talking. "All right," she replied, making sure not to reveal more than she knew. "How did you manage to get all of this done in such a short period of time? I know that constructing all of this has to take a great deal of time to do, especially if you want to do it unnoticed."

His eyes widened with glee. "Well, I'm glad you asked! I always like an educated audience. They know what I'm talking about before I kill them!" If it were at all possible, the madness in his eyes grew. "I've got a nifty piece of equipment that I built. Using state of the art technology, that I acquired from a… privately owned science company, I built myself my very own inter-dimensional gateway. I then went and pinched some alien technology from my good buddy Bruce Wayne, including the design specs for a weapon known as a Nova Javelin. I needed it, along with your time's technology, to build a new kind of weapon. Something that can give anyone that comes across it a galaxy class hotfoot."

"That's why you needed to slave labor. You needed people to _build _this… whatever it is you're building."

"You guessed it! Oh, I needed the technicians from that Guardian City to make it all work. Did you know that Federation and Kryptonian technology aren't fully compatible? So I needed people who could make them work smoothly together. And I did it. Oh, that weapon is already gone, too. I had it shipped out days ago. These are for my own personal enjoyment."

He was aware of the _Guardians_?! The puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place, but the picture remained blurry as ever. "What are you planning, Joker?" she snarled, deciding to hell with keeping them secret. He knew about them already. "What the hell did you make them build?"

Joker blinked, somewhat surprised. It was obvious that he hadn't expected that. Then the pieces began falling into place. "You're not Federation Starfleet… you're Guardian Starfleet!" He started laughing loudly, as if she had just told him the world's greatest joke. Behind her, her two guards began laughing as well, though not as exuberantly. She couldn't say she was surprised.

Abruptly though, his smile fled his face, and a far more sinister, colder look took its place. "So, Alania decided to send one of you punks into my domicile, did she? Have to admit, I thought she'd know better than to try that. I was aware of you the second you beamed down, trying to hide. I was just wondering what you were looking for. Now I know. You came looking for those technicians." He grinned again, but it only heightened the look in his eyes. "I hate to break it to you, toots… but two of them are dead. Once they had given us everything we needed, well… they went out with a smile, at least. Come see." He stepped aside, pointing down to the bottom level. Jadzia looked down… and almost keeled over the other side of the scaffolding.

There, crumpled on the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut, were two of the three technicians. She could tell that they were dead because of one thing… their faces were stretched taut into a ghastly, red lipped grin. The mark of a Joker victim.

Which meant that part one of their mission had been a failure before it even began.

She turned around, catching sight of the madman grinning. "You bastard," she growled. "Batman should've killed you the day you two met!"

Joker shrugged gamely. "I've given him the chance, but he's not interested. Something about not wanting to. Guess he doesn't want blood on his hands. Still thinks that there's such a thing as justice." He shook his head. "The fact that random injustice exists, means there's no justice… period. The fact that innocence can be taken, means there's no innocence. Life's a joke. Why am I the only one who gets that?!" His focus shifted back to her. "Of course, I don't expect a little schmuck like you to understand, and I'm really bored with talking. So… look on the bright side. You get to go out knowing that you're a failure… and with a smile free of trouble." He brought his hand up, reaching for his flower.

And Jadzia, who was trained in the Klingon arts, abruptly charged forward, slamming into him with the force of a rampaging boar.

The two guards opened fire, blue and green disruptor bolts flying overhead as she rolled, avoiding the Joker's counterattack. She went right at them, a small pocket in her fake uniform opening.

For although she no longer had a disruptor on her person, a member of Guardian Starfleet never went in unprepared.

The Klingon never saw the gun come up until it was too late. As such, he didn't have a chance to dodge as several old fashioned bullets ripped through him, tearing through bone and muscle as easily as his armor. He went down bellowing in pain, which was quickly silenced when she hit a specific point on his head, knocking him out. She instantly turned and fired on the second guard, who took a bullet in the leg. He went down hard.

Then she was immediately hiding herself as Joker retaliated with a gun of his own…

The moment Kes emerged from the transporter, she immediately took stock of the situation.

All three teams had managed to beam down, without any complications from space. Belle and Tasha were already scouting the perimeter, while Prue was busy shutting down the security alert systems. The security teams had their weapons up, ready for anything.

The Chief Engineer turned to Kes, nodding once. The alarms were deactivated. All they needed to do was make their way towards the prison complex, deal with the guards that were there, and set the transport enhancers on for mass transit. After that, they went after the Joker.

The plan had already been agreed on by all department heads, while Kes memorized the scan they had taken of the facility. "Commander Yar, take your team to their security station," she ordered. "Get control of their systems, and shut down all the force fields and automatic systems."

"Aye, Sir."

"Halliwell, find Jadzia and see if you can disable that mine field. I want to be able to leave when we finish."

Prue saluted. "I'll see what I can do, Captain," she said.

"Number One, head for the prison cells, and take out their guards. We're taking everyone here."

Belle nodded. "What about you?" she asked. "Are you going after Joker?"

Kes grinned. "You better believe it, Belle." She set her phaser to stun, before eyeing everyone for a second. "No one dies here, understand? I'm not losing any member of my crew to this whacko."

Everyone nodded, their hands gripping phaser rifles a little tighter.

"Good. Let's go."

Boomer gripped the armrests tightly as _Valkyrie _shuddered. "Report," she said calmly.

Rachael checked over everything. "Shields are holding," she reported. "No power drain."

The Lieutenant nodded, satisfied. The _Valkyrie_ had the newest shield grid, which Prue's own engineering staff had personally developed. It was seven layers of multi-nutation fields overlapping. Obviously, they had now proven that it could withstand the power of twenty ships, all using every weapon bank they possessed to try and take them out. She would have to have it put in her report.

Right now though, she needed to disable them, and make her way back to a high orbit around the planet. "Lieutenant, target the nearest vessels. Disable their weapons and engines. Prepare to fire the phaser array on my next command."

Rachael did as commanded, finger poised on the trigger. "Ready, Sir."

"… Fire!"

Instantly, silver laced beams shot out from the upper phaser strips. Those beams punched through enemy shields like they were tissue paper. They abruptly stopped firing, as their disruptors were destroyed. Their capability involving voluntary forward momentum was also taken from them as their engines were shredded.

In the space of twenty seconds, ten ships were disabled, becoming little more than almost lifeless hulks in space. The remaining ten ships fell back immediately, jumping to warp when it became apparent they couldn't match the sheer power of the larger vessel.

Boomer nodded in satisfaction. It wasn't much of a test, but they did prove that everything was working properly. "Bring us back to our previous position," she said, leaning back in the center seat. "Nice shooting, Rachael. Where you learn to do that with such precision?"

Rachael grinned. "The same place I learned to morph into a grizzly bear, Boomer."

The three Romulan guards didn't even see the attack until it was too late. Before they could even think about turning around, three phaser blasts struck them down. A telekinetic force set them down gently, so no noise occurred.

Prue stepped inside, gesturing for her team to set up a defensive perimeter at the door, while she set up a force field at the door. She added her own magical field around it, so as to give herself some additional time. "Ten minutes. Time me." She quickly looked around, trying to locate a specific control panel.

With five minutes to spare, she finally located it. Scanning it with her tricorder, she learned everything she could about its functions. "Okay then…" she mumbled as she knelt, working the metal panel underneath it off. "Let's see if I can cross these wires properly." Slipping a finger in, she began to manipulate the circuitry, twisting them every which way. After she was done, she started punching in a new prefix code, feeding it into the mainframe, where it would be beamed into the computer systems of the mine field.

With one minute to spare, she finished her modifications, and tapped her communicator. "Halliwell to _Valkyrie._ I've managed to send the signal into the mine field. Within the next minute, their replication systems will be deactivated. You may begin your attack."

There was no reply on the other side, not that she expected there to be. The fact was that her part of the job was done. Now all she needed to do was make sure that no one could get in to alter the programming again.

The weapons fire coming from the other side of the door told her that their enemy had had the same thought, but didn't particularly care for it. They wanted in, and they wanted in badly.

She wasn't going to oblige them.

Belle led her team down the corridors, following the map in her head. If she remembered it correctly, they were finally reaching their destination. Once they reached the intersection, they were to turn right. It would take them directly into the prisoner's present living establishments.

What they would find there was the only problem she could think about.

She quickly got her answer as they entered the prison barracks, and quickly dodged as a hailstorm of disruptor fire suddenly slammed into the ground, missing her by the barest of margins. She ducked back into the corridor, pulling her phaser out. "Thirty guards about twenty feet up!" she said. "Maybe more!" She pointed at two of them. "You two, cover the rest of us! Today, no officer of Starfleet dies! Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" six voices shouted as one.

On her next signal, they moved into action.

Belle had chosen her snipers well. Ensign Lebowski and Lieutenant Kodon were both expert markswomen, with the highest ratings for their respective classes. So when they started picking off guards, they did so with the utmost confidence. More importantly, they did so without fear of having their weapons suppressed.

The First Officer led the team into the open, firing shots upward, forcing the guards to take cover. Those that did get a shot off, she made sure to take on the arm, or another spot covered by her jacket.

They reached the other side without incident, their uniforms smoking but intact. All of them were unharmed, and unbowed. And, they began to retaliate.

All the guards realized was that even with their advantage in elevation, they were facing a professionally trained team of soldiers who weren't going to go down with their heads down… if at all. By the time they figured that out, the rescue party had cut loose with their phaser rifles, hitting every target they targeted. Bodies hit the floor, unconscious.

Belle finally gave the order to halt, though it was unnecessary. They had taken every guard out, without any casualties of their own. "Okay, ladies," she said cheerfully. "What say we get these people out of here?"

Lebowski grinned. "Yes, Ma'am!"

It didn't take long for Kes and her team to locate Jadzia.

Two things gave it away, really. The first one was the fact that people were running down the hall, many of them being some of the prison population.

The second one was the fact that she could sense Jadzia's worry.

As a result of these two things, her team rushed into the area in question, weapons out… and realizing that something was amiss.

Jadzia finished climbing down the ladder, making her way over to them. "He ran off!" she reported, gasping for breath. "Apparently, he had some kind of alert system to warn him of intruders! He knew we were here the entire time!"

Kes cursed silently. "What about the technicians?"

"Two of them are dead. Their bodies are propped up over there. I don't know about the third one." The Trill took a deep breath. "From the looks of it, they've been dead for two days."

Another curse, this one verbal, issued from the captain. Joker, it seemed, was trying to make the Guardians very angry. The frightening thing was that he was probably going to succeed in that. "What about you?" she asked. "Are you all right?"

"… Yes, Sir. I'm not hurt in any way."

"That's good." Happy that her Operations Officer was well, she looked around. "Which way did he go?" she asked.

Jadzia pointed behind her. "That way," she replied. "My guess is that the rest of the guards are that way, and so is the Inter-dimensional Gateway. He may be trying to escape."

"Well then, what say we go after him?""

"Aye, Sir."

A silver beam of energy lashed out from the underbelly of the _Valkyrie_, widening as it streaked towards its target. It swept across the mine field, detonating each one in turn.

The mines, created from the brilliant minds of Miles O'Brien and Rom, were designed to replicate should any of them be destroyed under any reason. If their efficiency were to drop below eighty five percent, it would gather particles from the surround to help replenish the system. The improvements that were made to them by the Romulans also made it impossible to disable each mine individually, as the disabling of one would cause the entire net to explode. The _Valkyrie_, at best, would be severely damaged. At worst, it would be destroyed.

Thus, a new strategy had to be developed.

Prue had requested a more thorough scan be done of the minefield, and of every component. Unlike the mines used in the Dominion War, they had to be receiving new codes from the surface, or one of the ships. If they could locate this, then they could send new orders to their computer centers, ordering them to stand down.

Her instincts were true. While the modulations were preprogrammed, the replication protocol wasn't. What was more, they discovered that it was coming from the prison compound itself, thus necessitating a fourth team being formed.

The disabling of the replication units within the entire field effectively rendered it a one shot deal. And, from the distance the starship was firing from, that was worse than useless.

Every mine detonated as the beam swept across them, unable to replicate, or do much of anything else for that matter. The three ships that remained in orbit hastily moved out of range of the wave of fire enveloping the globe. If anyone was watching from the surface, they would see a wave of bright dots in the sky, and know what it meant.

Two teams had managed to complete their assignments. Now the other two were making their way to do just that.

Tasha slammed the butt of her rifle into the last Andorian, watching him slump into a heap on the floor. "I never did like pirates," she muttered, entering the control center. "Lieutenant Buren, take that console over there. Access their security protocols and disable them. Ensign Burchis, I want you to locate the Joker, and patch me through the inter communications grid."

The two officers obeyed without question, and for that she was grateful. She had personally trained both women in the Academy, and was proud when they graduated. When she had been asked to assemble the security division for the _Valkyrie_, she had immediately asked for them. She had yet to regret it.

Buren finished accessing the compound's systems, locating the emergency commands within the space of two minutes. With a few practiced taps, she disabled each one. "Insurgent protocols disabled, as is the self destruct sequence," she reported.

"I wish I was having as much luck," Burchis groused. "So far, I haven't located Joker, but I don't think that's unusual."

Tasha nodded, motioning for the other three to guard the door. "Try their motion sensors grid. He will probably be alone, heading for wherever he has the gateway."

The ensign did so, switching to motion sensors. "I have someone running down Corridor C," she immediately said. "I can't be sure, but I think that's our clown."

"Damn it, he's fast."

"I'm also detecting a large number of people about fifty feet from his current position. It might be his last cadre of guards."

"Or the guards from all over the complex." The Tactical Officer shook her head in annoyance. No one could ever really double guess a psycho, especially not one of the Joker's intelligence. It was all guesswork, dumb luck, and a whole lot of prayer.

Oh, what she wouldn't give for Batman right now!

At almost the exact moment Tasha was making that silent statement, the man in question was busy coming through the gateway, stumbling a bit in the process. He was quickly caught by Huntress, who helped steady him. "We're all through," she said in relief. "How about you?"

"Give me a moment." Checking himself over, he found that nothing was missing from his form. Satisfied that all was well, he focused on their new immediate problem. "Where are the guards?"

"Dealt with," Bullock replied. "Your Amazon girlfriend knocked dem out the second she came through."

He let a smirk cross his face. That was Diana, alright. More warrior than strategist, she was also remarkably adaptive. She was probably preparing herself for an ambush right from the start.

Arrow made his way over to them, smirking. "Looks like we've got some back up here," he said. "I heard what sounded like weapons fire down the hall. Maybe a sting operation."

"Against the Joker?" Diana's voice conveyed her skepticism very well. "I don't think they've got enough to stop him, then. He'll have this entire area prepped for detonation."

"It's the _Valkyrie_," Question stated quite simply. "They're here for the very same reason, and maybe more. If I were to take a guess, I would say that they are also here for the prisoners."

"Good to know." Gordon turned to everyone who came through with him. "We're going to operate as if we were still in Gotham. You find him, but you do not engage him unless he is threatening you. You contact a member of the Justice League, and you simply keep an eye on him. You all know the drill concerning him. Understood?"

There was no need for any affirmative. Everyone knew what the madman was capable of. It was a rare moment when a simple street cop was able to arrest him. In fact, only Montoya held that singular honor.

Batman observed them for a moment. "If it is Kes and her crew, then anyone wearing black, and looking like they're armed to the teeth is an ally. But be careful. We don't know who is after the Joker, and who is helping him." His tone was simple, but commanding. "Let's go."

With their marching orders set, they all started for the one doorway, muscles tense.

Belle watched as the prisoners were beamed out seven at a time, sweeping the area with her rifle. Despite the relative clearness of the complex, they couldn't afford to be lax.

Noting that the area remained clear, she quickly tapped her comm badge. "Cartier to Kes."

"_Kes here. How goes the evacuation, Number One?"_

"Pretty good, actually. We've managed to get two hundred and forty six so far, and no one has tried to stop us. I'd say we've got him on the run."

"_Unfortunately, I may have an answer for that. It looks like he's ordered the last of the guards to amass somewhere. Maybe he has an escape route planned, and needs them to hold us off."_

"Do you want me to assist, Sir?"

"_Negative, Commander. Continue with the evacuation, then transport up to the ship. If we manage to get the Joker into custody, we'll join you."_

"Aye, Sir. Cartier out." She sighed, rubbing the back of her head fretfully. "This is getting seriously scary," she muttered to herself.

"Sir!"

Her attention immediately shifted to Lebowski, who was busy holding up one of the prisoners. "What is it?" she asked.

Lebowski pointed. "This man is one of the technicians. It looks like he's alive, but barely."

Belle almost let out a slight whoop, but refrained from doing so. At least they would be able to save one of them. "Make sure he gets back to the ship and treated. Have Doctor Gainsborough check him for exposure to the Joker's laughing gas or venom."

"Aye, Commander."

Satisfied, she turned around, looking around again. So far, things were going smoothly, but that could change.

She was going to be ready for when that happened.

Kes led her team down the darkened corridors, every sense of hers stretched to the fullest. They were closing in on their target, but hadn't spotted him yet.

Not that he was making it difficult for them to locate him. His maniacal laughter was still echoing in the hallway, giving them all shivers. It was the laugh of someone who was completely out of touch with reality, with no hope of coming back.

She had the sad feeling that no one in her crew, save Jadzia, Prue, and Belle, had had to deal with such madness. Many of them were fresh faced, she had the thought they were still children. '_They probably are,'_ she thought, knowing that that was about to change. Nevertheless, she was felt a swell of pride when each one of them stayed on target, never faltering in the slightest. Alania had definitely chosen well when she put this crew together.

Jadzia held her tricorder up, scanning up ahead. "Joker has entered a large room about forty meters in front of us," she said quietly. "According the map, we're in the direct center of the compound."

"Are there any other ways in?" Kes asked.

"Negative, Sir, unless we want to go around the structure. It looks like it was built this to foil prisoners from getting the jump on their captors."

The Captain sighed, shaking her head. Of course the Joker would have known the entire layout of this facility. He could very well be setting a trap, and they wouldn't be able to do much of anything without him escaping. "Okay, here's a command decision. We'll continue onward, but I want to know if there is some kind of explosive within its confines. In the meantime, set your weapons to full stun. Shoot first, ask questions later. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Let's go."

Immediately, she started off at a brisk jog, her team following right behind her as they cleared the last forty meters. If anyone in Zion had had any doubt of her ability to command a crew, they would have revised their opinion of her upon seeing this display of trust.

The second they passed the threshold was when things started going horribly wrong.

Disruptor fire suddenly lit up the air, missing Kes and Jadzia by almost an inch. Firing wildly, the two alien officers dodged to the side to avoid the barrage, while those behind them opened fire as well. Their shots were more accurate, forcing those firing to take cover.

The central room was apparently the cargo area. Here and there, crates were stacked up in groups of two and three, leaving a maze for the enemy to try and navigate. It also gave the defenders ample cover so as to blow the living hell out of intruders.

Jadzia checked the contents of one such crate as she took cover. "Sir, I think this is concentrated Joker Venom!" she shouted over the din. "Joker must have been stock piling this for months!"

"We'll worry about how much he's got later!" Kes replied, knowing that she had been right in informing her captain immediately. The Venom brought a new and even more dangerous aspect to this gunfight. If even one canister were to break, the concentrated gas would kill them all in mere seconds.

And they would be smiling that same ghastly smile as those two technicians were.

Rapidly tapping her comm badge, Kes sent orders to the rest of the team to be careful, and not known any of the crates off for any reason. Six affirmatives were all she needed to hear before she rose up, firing a shot into the din.

And being forced to duck when several blasts whizzed overhead. '_This isn't working!'_ she thought angrily, realizing that Joker had stationed the rest of his prison staff in here, and then somehow managed to hide their bio signatures from Guardian detection equipment. '_Eventually, one of these canisters is going to crack, and we'll all be dead! And unfortunately, Belle and Tasha are on this side of the compound too! I really wish that Batman was here!'_

As she thought this, a few new sounds reached her ears. For a second, she thought it was bellows of inevitable triumph. But then she listened more carefully.

The first sound was that of a pistol firing off a round.

The second was an ironclad fist slamming into unprotected flesh.

The third was an Andorian cry of terror.

"SWAT, you're up!" Gordon shouted, taking cover.

Batman and Diana both slipped gas masks on, knowing exactly what was going to happen. Everyone else followed suit, as one of them came forward with a grenade launcher.

Among the tactics used by any police force to break up massive numbers of unruly people was the use of tear gas, a non-lethal gas that was nonetheless aggravating to the extreme. They were also used as a form of cover for police officers to enter, making it far more difficult for an armed man to successfully hit them, while leaving himself open to an assault.

Such was the hope here, on this alien world, with only what they were able to bring with them… and two teams of Justice League heroes backing them up.

They had found themselves in a small room with no other equipment to speak of. After a few moments of speculation, Question surmised that they had arrived within the interior of Joker's alien hideout, possibly at the far end of the complex. The chance finding of a computer terminal had confirmed this. So they were in for a long walk.

But surprisingly enough, they had encountered very little resistance on their way through. In fact, the few they had run into were quickly dealt with, cuffed and left behind with a few cops watching them.

Now they had reached the center of the compound, and quickly learned where all of the guards were. They were all firing in one direction, obviously trying to hit someone in front of them.

Huntress had caught sight of one of the crates within though, and guessed that whatever it was, it was something that they didn't want to be released.

The man aimed very carefully, so as to avoid the crates, and fired, shooting a canister of tear gas into the room. It hit the side of a crate and fell to the floor. As soon as it came to a complete stop, a mechanism within the device loosened the top, allowing it spew out with a hiss.

Alien tongues suddenly spoke up as this happened, realizing that their backs were exposed. The sound of coughing and wheezing could be heard within as the gas began to affect them. Apparently, tear gas had the same effect on aliens as it did on humans.

By the time they realized that there were even more intruders behind them, it was too late.

The only thing a few of them saw was something akin to a supernatural being swooping at them, white eyes glaring with suppressed fury. Others would see a man with no face coming at them, or a man made entirely of steel with a massive hammer. Needless to say, they would make a decision never to deal with unsavory types ever again.

The rest of them entered the room, shouts of "Freeze!" and "Put your hands up!" emerged as they waded into the battle. Diana led the way, blocking any shots that came her way, as both teams cleaned house.

Surprisingly, in the firefight, not one of the storage crates was disturbed. Whether blind luck, or police training at its finest, none of them would ever know… and they didn't care, either.

Batman noted that the last of the compound's defenders were systematically taken out by energy weapons fire from the other side, and guessed that the _Valkyrie_ had mounted a raid. "We're friends, Starfleet! We're here to help!" he called out, so they didn't turn their attention to him and his team.

"Batman?"  
He smirked at the familiar tone, realizing that he needn't have bothered. "Captain Kes."

Kes stood up, waving for her team to stand down. "They're okay." She walked up to him, as the security team began looking around. "Any sign of the Joker?" she asked.

He shook his head. "None yet, but we came straight here. Arrow, Zatanna and Huntress are busy searching every room." His gaze swept the area. "Joker Venom?"

"Joker Venom. Jadzia, start tagging this for transport. I only want a small vial of the stuff for analysis. The rest I want dispersed in space or incinerated. Coordinate with the Gotham Police Commissioner."

"No problem, Sir."

"In the meantime," Kes hefted her rifle, eyes hardening, "Batman and I need to go find a clown." Her powers went out, sweeping the entire area. Within seconds, she located her quarry. "Follow me."

Batman nodded, not even bothering to activate his communicator. Without the Watchtower satellite system in orbit, they were next to useless.

Besides, Arrow, Zatanna and Huntress were all grown people, and accomplished detectives themselves. They could handle the responsibility.

Arrow and Question slowly slipped into what they decided was the Joker's inner sanctum, with nothing but a healthy dose of paranoia to warn them of potential traps. Where Joker was concerned, that was always a distinct possibility.

It definitely looked like the Joker's room. There were giant playing cards set in all four corners, and many toys that, at first glance, seemed harmless enough. But a doll could still be harboring an explosive device within, and the small deck of playing cards could be both sharp and covered with poison. The rest of the room seemed to be more of a laboratory than anything, with all of the usual equipment one would find there.

"You'd think Joker could change his gig around a bit," Huntress finally said, her small crossbow sweeping the entire area.

"He is a mad clown, Huntress." Arrow spotted a computer terminal. "What he does is scary enough. I don't want to see what happens if he changes his arsenal."

"Me neither," Zatanna asserted, shuddering. The last thing she wanted was for Bruce to have to fight something even more irrational than before. Of course, the last thing she wanted was to have to try and explain to Alfred why his employer and friend was dead.

Moving over to the computer, she noticed that the power was off. "Computer, restore power to this station," she ordered, and blinked when it obeyed. "Wow. Show information concerning Gotham City police murders, the copy it."  
At her simple command, and with the advantage of computer processing beyond her wildest dreams, the information appeared on the view screen. At the same time, the information was downloaded onto an isolinear chip. A backup file for if the original system crashed.

Satisfied, the young woman moved to the next piece of business. "Now display all files regarding the Justice League." She needed to make sure that this information didn't fall into the wrong hands once Joker was dealt with.

Her eyes widened as the complete dossier appeared on the screen, separated by each individual hero. She even saw one on herself, and she had never met the madman.

Looking behind her to make sure no one was looking over her shoulder, she quickly located Batman's file, and opened it.

And felt horror fill her heart. How did he find out about _that_?

The mocking, mad laughter had stopped at long last, but Kes didn't feel any better about it. Even with Batman by her side, she felt like something was going to happen. Something terrible, which none of them could anticipate.

Batman looked at her, saw her concern, and sympathized. Most of the heroes out there usually had some sort of reaction upon an inevitable meeting with the Joker, which he couldn't really blame them for. He could strike fear into the heart of the most fearless man.

This Captain, who had stared into the soulless faces of the most destructive race ever seen, and race that could easily match them, was not afraid for herself. She was afraid for her crew, and the people that they were trying to save. More importantly, it seemed as though she had experience contending with mad men.

Nevertheless, he decided to give her some advice. "Joker is a criminal mastermind," he said, keeping his gaze in front of him. "He will have planned for as many contingencies as I have, and he'll always have an ace up his sleeve. He likes to talk. He will try to distract you, so don't listen."

Kes nodded. "While I've never met someone with the Joker's intelligence, this isn't my first rodeo with psychosis," she replied. "I'll be careful when we catch up with him. … He's stopped running for some reason. His signature is about forty feet in front of us. I…"

"He's waiting for us." That was the only logical answer he could think of. His eyes narrowed. "Let's not keep him waiting."

Belle stepped out of the turbolift, making her way to the center seat. "Report," she ordered.

Boomer was back in her seat in an instant, fingers already pressing controls. "We've managed to clear the fleet out of orbit, and we've gotten half of the armaments down there, including half of the Joker's supply of gas," she reported. "Commissioner Gordon and Commander Yar are tagging the guards, and we're sending them to the brig. Commander Halliwell's team has managed to disable the self destruct mechanism. Joker won't be able to destroy any of the evidence."

The Trainee nodded, satisfied with how the operation was moving. With the unexpected, but completely welcome arrival of the Gotham Police Department, and Batman himself, the situation had been defused without any problem. What was more, the prisoners were finally rescued, and being treated by Doctor Gainsborough and her medical staff.

The technician was as well as could be expected, as opposed to his two fellows. Both of them had died while trying to sabotage their efforts on whatever they had been forced to build, and in the most despicable way. Their families would be wanting the Joker's blood when they found out.

Shaking her head slightly, Belle sat down, eyeing the screen for a few seconds. "Any word from the Captain or the Justice League?"

"Negative, Sir" Rachel replied. "Of course, none of the league have communicators that work here, and the Captain is maintaining radio silence. I think she's getting close to his location."

"All the same, keep a transporter lock on her comm badge. If you have to, beam everything within a forty meter radius up."

"Understood, Sir."

Belle sat back, fidgeting impatiently. The mission was starting to become more complicated by the second. She was ready to stand up, and begin pacing again, when a beep caught her attention. "Lieutenant?" she began.

Rachel looked up. "We're receiving a text message from the Guardian City Hucksley. They say it's coming directly from Zion. It's for the Captain."

"_Sacre_ _Merde_, I wonder what they want. Transmit it directly to her Ready Room. She'll read it when she returns from the planet surface."

Now she had a reason to be worried.

"Hey, Batsy! I was wondering when you were going to show up!"

Batman kept his face perfectly schooled as he and Kes slowly made their way into the last room in the entire building. It was the landing bay, judging by the number of shuttlecraft and cargo transports that were in it. If he had to take a guess, none of them transported anything legal.

"You know, I always wondered what it would take to finally get you off Earth," he continued from wherever he was hiding. "It had to be either me or that galactic tyrant Darkseid, huh? I've got to do that more often!"

"Joker, you really need to stay in Arkham more often," Batman replied. "Why be humiliated every single time we face off?"

"Oh, please! You seriously think I'm humiliated by you? Besides, it doesn't matter if you take me back to Arkham, or kill me! You're too late. I've already sent the weapon through the gateway about three weeks ago."

"Joker, there is two of us, and only one of you," Kes finally stated. "I mean, haven't you learned that you will never win? Didn't you change a little bit from your showdown in Vegas with the Justice League?"

As if to answer her question, three fireballs suddenly shot out of nowhere, aimed right at them. They both moved quickly, avoiding them by a bare margin.

And Joker appeared, floating in midair. "Oh, but I have changed, Captain," he said maliciously, the Mark of Skath appearing on his head. "More than you know."

And, laughing, he slammed his hands together, launching another full scale attack.

Kes managed to put a shield up, blocking the attack. She could feel the heat of it through her mental block, but that was all. With another thought, she began to force it back.

Batman, on the other hand, had leaped up to the roof of one of the ships, two batarangs out. Leaping again to avoid another fire blast, he threw them at his nemesis.

Joker laughed at this, casually blasting them… and was thrown back by the detonation. Sometimes, it was amazing how contact explosives could be used for more than just blowing things up. Sometimes, they made excellent distractions.

Kes made use of that distraction by bringing her phaser rifle up, squeezing a shot at him. Her aim was accurate, catching him right in the face. The weapon was at full stun, and should have been enough to knock a full grown rhino out.

Joker slammed into the ground, a somewhat dazed look on his face… before he stood up, flame licking off of his hands. "That wasn't nice," he growled, mad eyes narrowing. "Burn, alien babe, burn!"  
"Okay, Plan B!" She focused her incredible mental powers again, this time for offense. "Burn this!"

The Clown Prince of Crime was suddenly hit with unfettered, unchecked telekinetic energy, from a still largely undisciplined mind. It was enough power to toss him to the far side of the room. Three ships buckled, collapsing in on themselves as their structural supports were weakened.

Batman felt the energy pass over him, and was for the first time ever, relieved that he wasn't an enemy of hers. Even Superman would be no match for her if she ever cut loose.

The massive effort proved to be just as costly to Kes as it was to the Joker. She leaned against one of the shuttles, breathing hard as she struggled to reclaim her control. "Okay, not what I had in mind," she got out. "Still… it probably knocked the wind out of his sails."

The Dark Knight started forward, another batarang out and ready. Despite the power of Kes's assault, he wasn't taking any chances. Joker had made that kind of effort and preparation necessary.

And then it became moot, as Joker's foot slammed into his jaw. He lost his grip on his weapon as he went down.

Joker wasn't done with him, of course. Kicking the Batman to a vertical position, he suddenly exploded with a haymaker, laughing. "Remember our first meeting, Batsy? I damn near killed you by kicking you into the river! This time, I'll finish the job!"

Batman blocked the next attack, slamming both fists into Joker's form. They were blows powerful enough to break several ribs. He completed the maneuver with a flying roundhouse kick, snapping his head to the side.

Joker recovered faster than he had anticipated, lashing out with a lightning fast left hook. The Dark Knight's vision exploded into stars as he fell back several feet. When had the Joker become so strong?

Joker brought both hands up, fire collecting in between the outstretched palms. "You know, I hate to do this. I mean, we've been doing this song and dance or a very long time, Batman, and it's been a load of laughs. But the sad fact is, it's gotta end some day. I guess today's that day." A few maniacal chuckles emerged as he took careful aim. "You and the babe are gonna fry, KFC style."

Batman moved.

Kes brought a shield up.

A gun shot echoed throughout the launch bay.

And Prue Halliwell entered the room with Tasha and both of their security teams, phasers firing at full strength.

Joker took the bullet in the arm, barely avoiding the sudden barrage from Kes's crew. He launched the fire sphere he had formed at them, forcing them to scattered, immediately gesturing towards one shuttle.

The bulky object suddenly rose up, and went right at them. If it hit, the results would be less than favorable for them.

Gordon, who had figured that his friend needed help contending with their mutual pain in the neck, quickly started running, narrowly avoiding the shuttle as it blew on past. He turned around, catching sight of a raven haired woman as she stood her ground, hand outstretched… and seemed to effortlessly catch the piece of equipment as it came at her in midair. Now, being the exceptional cop that he was, he noticed that she hadn't even touched the thing, meaning that she was a psychic of some kind. Telekinetic by the looks of it.

Prue gently set the shuttle down, shaking her head. "Are you two all right?" she asked, as if she done nothing more strenuous than yawning. Then again, she had become that strong.

Kes nodded, looking around. "Where is that damn clown?" she asked in return.

Batman whirled around, understanding the relevance of the question. They had all been busy trying to avoid his massive projectile, that he had managed to pull off his usual vanishing act. So where was he?  
"You're too late, Batman!"  
Their heads snapped towards the far end of the room. Joker, it seemed, had somehow managed to find his way into one of the still intact shuttles, without any of them noticing.

Joker, for his part, was grinning widely. "There are twenty mile tunnels set under this place, and they're all filled with high explosives! In about one minute, everything goes up, and this planet becomes the Alpha Quadrant's newest hot spot! And, guess what… I've activated a transport inhibitor to this place! There's no way for you to get out of here!" Laughter erupted once again, as he suddenly vanished in a flurry of flame.

Kes immediately tapped her comm badge. "Commander, emergency beam out! Get everyone out of the compound now!"

There was a pause on the other side, as Belle followed instructions. Then… "_Captain, we were able to get the GPD, and Batman's and Diana's teams, but we can't get a transporter lock on anyone in the hanger bay! You're going to have to vacate that sector immediately!"_

"Of course we are," she muttered, mentally calculating the time they had left. They didn't have a chance of getting out. Unless… "Prue! Can your powers locate and destroy the inhibitor?"

Prue shook her head. "It has to be right in front of me, and it's not here!"

Kes cursed, before closing her eyes. Stretching out with her powers, she became one with the compound for a second, quickly locating the inhibitor. To her relief, it was merely a larger version of the Federation version used by their security personnel. It even followed the same design specifications. Therefore, it would be a simple matter for her to locate the mechanism responsible… and destroy it outright. She had to do it fast, otherwise they were all dead.

Underneath the facility, were indeed miles of tunnels. And in fact, they were filled to the brim with high yield plasma explosives. More than enough power to turn the compound, and everything in it, into so much fine powder.

And the explosion that occurred was massive, that it could be seen from orbit.

Belle stared, terrified, as she saw the massive fireball on the surface. Fearing for her friend's life, she looked up. "Transporter room, do you have them?" she demanded.

There was a pause on the line, which did nothing to elevate her fear. Diana stood next to her, as did Jadzia and Tasha, fearful.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, there was a sigh. "_We got them all. All accounted for, save for the Joker."_

Diana breathed out in relief. Bruce was safe, even though Joker was still out there. "Is the clown dead?"

"_No, Diana,"_ Batman suddenly replied. "_If anything, he's more dangerous than we thought. Circes was right. Trigon has him."_

"Well, that's not good to hear."

On that, everyone there had to agree.

"_Number One, assemble the Senior Staff,"_ Kes suddenly said over the intercom. "_We're going to have to plan our next move very carefully where he's concerned."_

"For some reason, Sir… I don't think we're going to have that much of a choice. You received a Priority One message from Alania herself."

"… _I'll take it in my quarters then. In the meantime, debrief the surviving technician when he is able. I have no doubt that his report will be… very enlightening."_

Belle nodded, smiling slightly. "No doubt, Sir."

**Realm 4, Death Valley**

Nightfall came upon the state of Nevada.

Yami sat near the X-Van, watching as Tea guided the others in setting up tents for the night. Of course, if he was being honest with himself, he was admiring her more than her ability to pitch a tent. She always did seem to exude a presence that always managed to get everyone else's attention. And the fact that she was breathtakingly beautiful certainly did hurt either. That one night in Neverland came back to him for a second, bringing a smile to his lips.

However, the conversation they had with Iron Heart was more prevalent in his mind. Everything they had thought they knew about their enemy, turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Even the explanation hadn't answered all of their questions.

But then again, when was the last time they had all of the answers, and they still fought on?

Perhaps he would find the answer to his own inner torment, and conquer the Orichalcos that still flowed within his veins, corrupting even the limitless power of the Millennium Puzzle. Iron Heart seemed to think that he could. Tea, even though she hadn't said anything, thought he could, too.

Convincing himself of that was an entirely different matter. He wasn't even sure he could defeat this enemy. How did one defeat their own personal demons?  
He watched Tea as she stood up, stretching out in triumph, and smiled. Having friends that never left you alone was a good start.

And, hoping that no one was stupid enough to try and attack would be even better.

Not the most auspicious chapter ending, but that's because this arc isn't over yet. After a while to recuperate, and focus on my original book, I'll be back to begin Chapter Seventy Three, which will feature characters from all four parts of the saga. Hopefully, I will be able to pull it off. So please review, and let me know what you think.

Thirty four pages. This is probably the longest chapter I have ever written, period. But, as you have noticed, each part was actually longer than any since Belle and Kes entered the story. And, I'm hoping to make it the norm once again. I've also begun consolidating many of my earlier chapters, and going through them again. Hopefully, this time I'll actually get it done properly.


	101. Episode Seventy Three

**Digimon: Silver Star Story (Season Two, Deadly Alliance)**

**Episode Seventy Three: Vigilant Aggression**

**Lunar, Stadius Zone**

The rain continued to pound the land of Lunar, fifteen years of liquid fury being expended in an almost month long deluge that was now closing in on its halfway point. Monsters and animals alike took refuge wherever they could, in holes underground, in the trees, or within already existing bodies of water to escape the assault.

The villages had all prepared well ahead of schedule, mystic statues set up to ensure their survival. Though the flooding would not be life threatening in an immediate sense, the water would kill almost all of the crops that were located there. Not to mention the fact that the Stadius Zone was simply too large to evacuate, and the villages too dispersed. But, with the shields now up, they could survive the two months it would take for the water to completely recede. They wouldn't be able to leave their settlements, but they also wouldn't have soaked feet 24/7.

In short, it was a temporary setback for those who lived there, and for the armies located there. For two months, the war was at a standstill, as man and demon remained in their camps and shields, waiting the deluge out.

For the Alliance, trapped in an abandoned inn with no way out, it meant two months of boredom and worry. And, when people are confined within a small building, the worry could easily transform into frustration... unless properly focused.

"First floor is flooding, and the basement is submerged, according to Gomamon," Kyle reported, yawning. "By the time tomorrow comes around, it'll be submerged."

Alex nodded, stretching out a bit before going through his exercises. Due to the sheer amount of water falling, not to mention the amount of lightning strikes hitting the building's surprisingly durable lightning rod, none of them had dared to venture to the roof for some privacy. It had made keeping clean a little more difficult, as they no longer had access to the Inland Sea, and freshening charms could only work for so long before the smell simply overpowered them.

Mimi, who was a think-on-her-feet kind of person, was the one who thought of the solution. She located a decent number of buckets on the second floor. Enlisting the aide of her sister, Tai, and Darien, she had developed a pulley system that would allow them to draw water from the rapidly forming pond around the inn, and use it for cleaning, drinking water, and for any small injuries that occurred during their involuntary stay. The water, despite being magically induced, or perhaps because of it, was the clean. Palmon had located a stash of soap and something that worked like shampoo, so they could clean themselves properly.

And Izzy, who had been thinking ahead, had asked for Kyle's and Greg's help in locating what surprisingly looked like several antique tubs, and having them set them up in several of the rooms on the fourth floor, so as to give privacy to those who bathed. The inn was simply that large. And, to make things even better for them, they had been able to locate yet another restroom, with toilets that actually flushed. Where, they weren't exactly sure, but they weren't going to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.

Sailor Venus, the present leader of the Senshi, had taken the sixth floor, and was in the process of transforming it into a makeshift combination medical center/ conference room/ mess hall. Despite their present circumstances, there was no reason why they had to stop being vigilant in protecting themselves from possible attacks, and they needed a place to come together at meal time.

Finishing his stretches, the young warrior turned to Kyle. "There's nothing we can do about that right now, so we're going to have to make the most of it. I want you and Jessica on patrol for the second floor until it starts flooding. See if you can't find any more supplies here that we can use. And, for Althena's sake, be careful. J'onro may no longer be here, but that doesn't mean that we're out of woods where the Vile Tribe is concerned."

Kyle nodded. "I'm already on it, Alex." He made for the door, before pausing. "Pal, you need to relax a bit. When's the last time you took a day off?"

"Before this war started… with Luna."

"And do you think she'd want you burning yourself out, trying to find her?"

Alex looked at him in exasperation. "Just go, Kyle. I'll be fine."

The Nanza Warrior shrugged, letting it go for now. "Whatever you say," he said. "Just remember; Jessica misses her almost as much as you do. So do most of the Alliance. You don't have to do this alone." With that, he walked out the door, praying that someone would talk to him, and help him through this. Their time on the road had helped him hold it in. But here, confined in such a limited space, those doubts and feelings were most likely going to bubble up again.

Alex stood there for a second, watching the door as it closed, before sitting down on his bed, shuddering. He could feel it pounding through his veins; the sense of failure… of failing to protect Luna. How could Kyle, or any of the others for that matter, truly understand how that feels?

Every single time he thought of her, he inevitably found himself thinking about that night. Every sweet touch of her lips, every single tender caress of her fingers on his skin as they made love on that warm night in Burg, reminded him of her capture almost a week later. Some nights, when everyone else was asleep, he would lay awake, tears streaming down his cheeks as he remembered the good times he had with her, the private moments they shared when there was no one else around. It was almost too much to bear.

And, every single night, he would make the same vow; to rescue her from Ghaleon, and let her know how much he loved her.

Calming himself, Alex stood up again, hands stiff as boards. He wouldn't be able to save Luna if he didn't stay in prime fighting condition.

And, with a swift thrust of both hands out at near lethal velocity, he began training.

-  
"You know, when I said we should all get closer, this was not what I had in mind," Biyomon stated, helping Gomamon put the last of the chairs around the large dining table. They had been furnishing this room for about half an hour, and managed to get it perfect, despite the lack of hands.

Agumon shrugged, testing the wall for structural weaknesses. "I don't think this is what anyone was thinking," he replied. "But then again, we weren't expecting to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, during the annual Decade and a Half super storm." He nodded, satisfied. "Mina, you definitely know how to put together a place to conduct meetings."

Venus shrugged. "Well, it's easy, when you know what you're doing. Artemis, how ya doing with lighting?"

"Almost… got them… yes!" A grunt of triumph emerged, as the small white cat managed to pull out a bag of candles. "There's enough here to light this place up, not to mention the fireplaces on both sides of this room. And, unless I'm mistaken, the candles are charmed so as not melt."

"Good." Tentomon came down from the ceiling. "Looks like there's some sort of water proofing on the roof. I wasn't able to find any leaks that could prove irritating towards you guys."

"Thank you for small favors." Mina winced as her sides suddenly gave a twinge of pain. "Damn it, the serum is starting to wear off again," she grumbled.

"At least it doesn't look like you're developing a resistance to it," Gabumon stated. "Otherwise, it would most likely be worse."

"No, I would be dead. Never mind the pain getting worse." She still had an hour before the pain became too unbearable, so she decided to head back to her chambers, while she still could. "I'll be back to check up on you guys in about an hour or so. Finish setting everything up, then go help Lita with inventory. I would like to know if we have enough food for two months."

"No problem." Agumon turned around as Venus walked out, his eyes narrowing. "Tento, are you getting anything else besides that water proofing?"

The insect Digimon shook his head as well as he could. "The only other thing I could 'see' was what we already know about this place," he replied. "The structural integrity has been upgraded by magic. Why do you ask?"

"… I don't know. I just get the feeling that there's something we're missing here. Something that we can't see."

Gomamon looked up. "Oh, don't go paranoid on us, Agumon!" he exclaimed. "Sometimes, the shadows are just that; shadows. Nothing terrifying about them at all. We'll be okay."

Biyomon landed. "Besides, we're about as secure as we can be, Agumon. We'll be patrolling each floor that isn't covered in water, and we'll be alternating between day and night shifts. If there's anything here that doesn't belong, we will deal with it." She smiled slightly. "And we could use the advantage of not heading out immediately. We can actually get a good night's sleep in nice, warm beds."

Agumon finally held up his hand, staving off the rest of her statement. "I get it, I get it. All right, I'll stop jumping at shadows, if you lot will stop trying to get me and Tai to relax. You know that we have to remain ever vigilant as leaders."

Gabumon nodded, grinning. "You got it, buddy."

-  
Sora finished the inventory count and nodded, satisfied with what they had found within the building. They could definitely hold out for a very long time from this place, and that was a good thing. "Tai'll be happy to hear this," she said to absolutely no one. Whistling a happy tune, she made her way out of the supply area, tapping her D-Terminal in the process. "Locate Taichi Kamiya."

The terminal did a check of all the operational terminals, finally locating it. _Taichi Kamiya is located in bathing area._

Sora put her terminal away, making her way down the hallway. On one level, it was completely immoral of her to head down there, when she knew very well that he could be taking a bath, and it would be bad form to walk in on him, especially if Sailor Pluto was in there with him, as she suggested.

On the other hand, Mimi and the other girls had rubbed off on her a bit, again. She wouldn't be too worried if she did.

So it was without even the slightest bit of surprise that, as she approached the door in question, that it opened, revealing Tai coming out, still toweling out his hair. He had had the sense to put his pants on, but he was still barefoot and bare chest.

She had the distinct feeling that those pants were all he had on, if the bulge at the waistband was of any indication.

Tai, for his part, was oblivious of her presence until he turned in her direction. "Sora!" he exclaimed, surprised by how silently she had been standing there. He quickly noticed how resolutely she was staring at his eyes, and guessed why. "Uh… it's not…"

"Save it," she cut off, eyes twinkling as her cheeks turned pink. "I was just on my way to tell you that we have sufficient supplies in here to survive the two months we're going to be stuck here." She shrugged helplessly. "I can't help it if I find you… on your way to a secret rendezvous with one of the sexually matured ladies." She didn't say _who_ it was, though they both knew who she was talking about.

He relaxed slightly, giving her a good view of his chest and shoulders moving as he stretched. The scar on his chest flexed as muscles moved, reminding her of the danger they still faced.

His eyes shifted to hers, watching her slightly. "Anything else, Sora?" he asked casually, catching her just looking at him.

Sora snapped out of it, the pink tint turning to red. "Oh… just enjoying the view," she replied shakily. "It's about all I can do until I grow older."

He grinned, though he was also blushing. Her innocence was the most incredible thing about her, and the primary reason why he was drawn to her. But every once in a while, she said something that made him question that innocence. "Don't worry about it. If anything, I think you will be grateful for the long wait. It'll make the first time all the better." Impulsively, he leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "See you at dinner?"

She maintained enough presence of mind to nod, albeit a bit rapidly. "Dinner… yes… See you!" She turned around, and walked back the way she came, her face resembling a tomato.

Tai grinned, before making his way towards his chambers. He had a few things to take care of before lunch, let alone dinner.

That was his thought until he entered his room, and saw Pluto waiting there on his bed, nude and proud of it. "Let's continue your lesson," she purred, beckoning him towards her.

Funny, he forgot all about what else he had been planning to do.

-  
Angemon finally grunted in frustration, pulling his helmet off. "No change in the mystical charge of the storm," he said, almost dashing the nearly useless armor onto the floor.

"Meaning that you still can't see anything," T.K. supplied. "Which means if the Sunak attack, we're screwed."

"Basically."

Sighing, the young boy decided that he wasn't going to worry about something out of his control, and opted to see if he could do anything to give some added strength to this place. If anything, they could improve the integrity of the structure so it could withstand repeated blasts from the air. "Well, try and relax, Angemon," he said. "If you conk out, then we're all in trouble."

The Angelic nodded, chuckling wearily. "Yes, Sir."

However, deep down, he knew that wouldn't be possible. The inn was one of those places that seemed to bring out the superstitious side of everyone, especially if you were alone. For someone like Angemon, it wasn't so bad. In fact, he wasn't worried in the slightest about himself.

It was Angewomon he was afraid for, and for very good reason. She had a problem with being alone now that she was with them, despite all of the time she had spent without company during her formative years. Myotismon hadn't helped any with his ideas of 'discipline.' It was for those reasons that she was always with someone else, regardless of who it was. And the dreams had been bothering her more than anything in the real world, so it wasn't uncommon to see her taking a nap, or sleeping later than usual these days. Confined as they were, she finally had a chance to.

Angemon turned his attention to the bed they shared, watching as Angewomon slept, peaceful. If there was one time where she did look like the angel she was physically, it was when she was asleep.

Unfortunately, it looked as if she was waking up, due to the slight furrowing of her brow. Apparently, her body had had enough, and was raring to move. Determined to make it at least a decent morning for her, Angemon walked over to the bed, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

Angewomon let out a little moan, before returning the kiss. "Good morning," she whispered, smiling slightly.

Angemon returned her smile. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"A lot better than I usually do, I'll tell you that right now." She sat up, stretching her arms. "Has the storm let up yet?"

"Sadly, no it hasn't. I just tried to perform a scan. Not even a split second blip."

Taking a deep breath, the female Angelic stood up, testing her legs. "Well, I'm guessing that we're not going to worry about that, and instead focus on making sure that this place can withstand an attack from the Sunak, when that attack actually happens," she guessed.

"You guessed correctly," he replied, setting his helmet on his bags. "For now, that is all we can do… aside from not killing each other during these next few months."

On that, she was forced to agree. Fortunately, they had already taken steps to ensure that. There were the patrols, the training, their Secar Triad decks, which meant they could try to settle their differences in a game rather than swords. Matt had Dreamscape to retreat into every night, and a friend in Ginny Weasley to confide in. The couples and the Lunarians had their own way of stress relief. Hopefully, all of that would be enough.

If not, they were all in deep trouble.

-  
"You would think finding a Digi-Destine would be easy," Lilika muttered irritably, making her way to Joe's current sleeping arrangements. "Maybe Joe knows where my sister could be hiding." She paused. "Grant you, it is possible that they do not want to be found." It wouldn't be surprising if that was the case. Mimi probably wanted her boyfriend all to herself for a while, before being besieged with questions from everyone else.

She had been searching every floor they were presently occupying, hoping to ask Mimi a few questions about their parents. As she had never met them before, she had no memories of them. And as there was little chance of her meeting them in the near future, she wanted to know everything about them.

She reached her destination, knocking on Joe's door. A muffled "Come in," told her that he was awake, and proper. Smiling slightly as a rather interesting thought surfaced briefly in her mind, she entered.

Joe looked up from the Lunarian medical journal he had been reading as Lilika entered his room, smiling slightly. He had acquired the book back at the Holy Shrine, but had never really had a chance to actually read it. So, with nothing but two months of being cooped up in a rapidly flooding building meant plenty if enforced leisure, he figured that now was as good a time as any to read up on it.

Now he was glad that he did. It was just as complex as the medical journals back home, though set more on the lines of how to effectively use healing magic, and in what manner. Perhaps he could ask Jessica a few questions about that later. He knew that it still required a great deal of knowledge of the human body to be fully effective.

Setting the book down, he watched as his friend walked around a bit, shaking her head. "Let me guess. You're trying to find Mimi, and you can't find her," he guessed.

Lilika nodded, somewhat surprised at how perceptive he was. Then again, he knew Mimi a whole lot better than she did. He probably understood some of her habits. "I have been searching for quite some time, but I have not been very successful." She looked at him. "Do you know where she might have disappeared to?"

Joe frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember everything he could about the Digi-Destine of Sincerity. "Well, I think I saw her and Izzy heading down to the third floor on patrol."

"Likely." It would also be a while before they finished checking out every room, and whatever else they were doing. "Well, I guess my questions can wait, then." She sat down, looking around. "I see you have managed to get comfortable," she added.

Joe grinned. "It was difficult, but I was able to make this place my own. What about you? Have you settled into your room?"

Lilika nodded. "I have. I wish I could get some flowers in there, but it will do. Unfortunately, I am unable to practice with my Earth magic for any reason, due to the fact we are in a rapidly rising pool of water."

"And any use of your magic could cause the entire structure to collapse."

"Exactly. So this will become a very annoying two months for me."

"Despite the fact that you have alternative methods of relaxation?"

Her eyes widened slightly, almost in surprise. "Joe, it sounds like you are a little jealous."

His eyes did widen in surprise. "Jealous? Me? Lilika, I'm just… concerned about you, is all. I mean…"

Lilika finally started giggling. She found his concern endearing, and his attempt to tell her equally so. "Joe, sex is just a part of our culture. It doesn't mean that we form intimate attachments with that person. I will not be crushed, for instance, if I have sex with Tai one day, and then find out he is courting Sora. In fact, I will most likely help him in successfully wooing her."

"Oh … Well, okay." He sighed. "Just my Earthly notions in an alien environment. I really shouldn't try and judge your culture by those standards."

"I'm glad that you see that. Just remember… you don't have to embrace our way of life. You just have to accept that it is our culture. And some our friends have embraced it." She smiled, sitting down next to him. "They might even merge certain aspects of both ways of life to create something new."

Her logic was impeccable. Joe was forced to admit that. "You know, you could be a philosopher after this war is over," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You seem to have a particular flair for the subject."

Lilika blushed, pleased with the praise. "I'm not that good, but thank you all the same."

-  
"Please tell me that you didn't cheat," Matt grumbled, gathering his deck back to him. "'Cause if you did, I'm going to remove a hand. Preferably, the one you use to hold your sword"

Kyle smirked at the not so subtle double meaning in her threat, straightening his cards out. "Well, I can assure you, I don't need to cheat," he replied. "You just suck at the game."

"Excuse me for not playing as much and as long as you!"

"Well, we can't all be gifted."

"Or conceited," Gabumon grumbled. "Kyle, why don't you go and piss someone else off, like Jessica? She's the only one who seems to be able knock some sense into you… literally."

"Here, here!" Biyomon chirped, entering the room. "And while you're at it, could you find Mia and Nash? Alex wants them to patrol the third floor. Angewomon thought she heard noises down there."

"And the last thing we need is a gaping hole in the side of the building. Understood." Kyle stood up, stretching his arms out. "I'll be back… Matt, see if you can get our fearless leader Alex to relax a bit. I really don't care how it's done, but he needs to loosen up before he cracks under the pressure."

"Will do," Matt replied. "Oh, and Kyle… do something about your superiority complex. Otherwise, the rest of us are going to strangle you." He walked out of the room, shaking his head. Really, that guy needed to develop some humility, or they were going to beat it into him.

-  
Nash opened one door, looked inside, before shaking his head. "Nothing in here," he said, closing it. "You know, no one is going to try and get in here, now that the storm's reached peak, and the fact that we travel in pairs. Nobody's that stupid."

Mia shrugged slightly, checking another room. "The bosses have spoken. Patrols and guard duty are to be undertaken until we finally get out of this building. J'onro got into here without too much trouble, which means that demon magic isn't as badly affected. Alex doesn't want a repeat performance."

They had finished their patrol of the third floor, which had been evacuated, and after calling to let the others know of their intentions, had made their way down to the second floor to run an additional check.

"Well, with most of the land surrounding us flooding rather quickly, I don't think we've got anything to worry about. Most demons can't teleport more than a few miles in any direction. There's almost twenty in either direction to a safe zone, according to Izzy."

"There are more than the demons to deal with now, Nash," she reminded him gently. "If you'll recall, there's also youma, Sith, and the Goddess knows what else. Some of them may be impervious to this kind of power. We need to keep on our toes with all of this, regardless of what we think."

He was forced to concede the point. Since the majority of the soldiers they had fought so far had been Vile Tribe, he had forgotten that evil took many shapes. If they were going to win this war, he was going to have to start remembering that little point.

With a sigh of relief, he checked the last room, shaking his head. "The second floor is clear."

Mia nodded, frowning. "Maybe Angewomon was just being paranoid," she mused.

"As you yourself had stated, we can't be too careful while being trapped here." He chuckled. "Besides, it gets us out of the little snits that are going on upstairs."

On that, she had to agree. Because they had been moving, many of their minor disagreements could be settled without too much trouble by simply taking some time to relax alone during the night, and watch the stars. Here, in such an enclosed space, the stress of confinement could make that much more difficult. Insecurity could creep in on the surest of them without them even knowing.

She shook her head. Worrying about something that she had no control over would serve no purpose. They were simply going to have to cope as well as humanly possible. And there were a few effective stress relief tactics that could be used. In fact, she had the feeling that one such tactic was required right now, considering how tense her boyfriend was looking at that moment.

Smiling as an idea came to her on to do just that, Mia leaned her staff against the wall. "You know Nash, we don't have to worry about reporting in for at least another hour."

Nash nodded, looking down the stairwell. Nodding, he turned around to look at her. "That's true. I think that the second floor will begin to flood sooner, so if anyone's down there, they'll be…"

His ability of speech died rather quickly as Mia let her robes and shift drop to the floor and stood before him, smiling and naked. It quickly became obvious why she had said that, and what she wanted to do.

Her smile grew as he put the pieces together, and a grin appeared on his face. "Well, Nash?" she asked. "Ever make love when people are two floors above you in an otherwise abandoned building, and could come down at any time, while water is coming up from below?"

Funny, but if you had asked either magician before, they would have told you that neither would have taken being caught with their pants down, and in such a compromising situation. Neither one of them would have ever done this back in Vane, where there was a certain degree of propriety required when walking the halls of the Magic Guild, for starters. And her mind set was one of caution. And in a battlefield, caution could either win or lose a battle.

But, in her sex life, Mia had discovered that she loved that element of risk, the thrill of nearly getting caught. It made everything more satisfying.

Nash, it seemed, also enjoyed that element of risk, as he started over to her, removing his clothes as well…

-  
Mimi stretched out, trying to get some blood flow to her body. She had been sitting in one place for the better part of four hours, having been given guard duty over their food supplies for the morning. And, as a result, she was pretty much alone, without a great deal of company. Even Izzy, who had been trying his best to keep her company, had been forced to deal with something or other. Hopefully, he'd return later, but for now, she was all alone.

Palmon walked over to her, smirking as her partner rolled her head. "Bored, Mimi?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yes, I am," Mimi replied, finally standing up. "I'm irritated, feel like I'm in a prison, and want to hurt some very bad people. Other than that, I'm fine. How about you?"

"It's a shift change. Gabumon and I are taking over for you."

That was enough to propel the young woman out of her seat, hugging Palmon furiously. "There is a deity out there watching!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She stopped for a second. "Where is Gabumon?"

Palmon shook her head for a moment, trying to get the blood flow back into her brain. Demon strength wasn't something to sneeze at. "He went to get some lunch for the two of us. Lita made something like beef stew… only I don't think she used beef."

"Maybe she used deer meat. Doesn't matter, since I'm too hungry to care. Well, I hope I see Izzy there." Setting the little plant Digimon down, she started down the hall. If nothing else, she was actually moving again.

Gabumon grinned as she approached, two bowls balanced carefully in his hands. "I guess Palmon gave you the good news," he said, stepping aside.

Mimi nodded, her own smile widening. "If there's one thing I love, it's not sitting in one place for too long," she replied. "That stew smells so good. What kind of meat's in it?"

"Venison. Izzy and Lilika got you some, in response to your massive appetite. They're in the room you two are sharing."

"Thought so. Well, enjoy your four hours of sheer boredom. Thanks for the directions."

"No problem."

Chuckling, the Warrior of Sincerity made her way down the hallway, feeling a swell of gratitude go through her for her generous lover and her twin sister. They seemed to know what she needed, before she knew she needed it. Just as she knew what they needed before they needed it. _'Probably from knowing your significant other so well, as being able to read someone who looks almost exactly like you,'_ she thought. If nothing else, they could enjoy two months worth of peace and quiet, without any problems from their enemies.

Then again, their abilities weren't hampered by the storm raging outside. J'onro teleporting in and out of the inn was proof enough of that. Tai, Alex, and Venus were right to keep them alert. To do otherwise would be stupid, and potentially suicidal.

She reached hers and Izzy's temporary residence, wondering what was going on behind closed doors when she wasn't around… and decided not to worry about it. After all, if there was something of an intimate nature going on there, she'd simply have to join in. She had already shared the man with Lilika and the other girls, after all. So, making sure no one was coming with a question or what have you for her, she opened the door, stepping inside.

To her disappointment, Izzy and Lilika were not having a tussle in between the sheets... or on top of them Instead, they were apparently nearing the end of a game of _Secar Triad_… with Lilika losing, if the expression on her face was of indication. Grinning, she went over to the dresser, where her food was located, grabbed the spoon, and started eating.

She had just finished her first bowl when Lilika sighed. "You win," she grumbled, getting up. "I have been playing this game for years, and yet, you seem to be better than I."

"That's because I have a great deal of experience with card games," Izzy replied. "I've been involved with tournaments since I was eight, and always came out among the highest ranked of them. Second place, in fact. The only person better than me was some girl who simply called herself Princess."

Mimi almost choked on a piece of venison, before turning around. "Ah, Izzy…" she began guiltily, looking down "that was me."

"… I gathered as much. Your styles are so very similar, not to mention the lovely looks."

Lilika laughed at the blush of embarrassment that colored her twin's face. "For someone who is usually so confident with yourself, you seem remarkably humble about your dueling skills. Anything else I should know about?"

Mimi shot a glare at her, wondering _why_ she had a sister in the first place. "Lilika, I'm by nature a very private person. The only reason I'm open with Izzy and the others is because I've been with them for a very long time. There's no way I'm going to give you anything that could be used to humiliate me in front of everyone else."

Lilika shrugged. "Okay. I will simply to have to ask the rest of the Digi-Destined and Digimon, then. Like I have been doing since I found out that you were my sister."

"She's right," Izzy replied, smiling apologetically. "She's been acquiring an incredible amount of data concerning you. Exploits, things you like, mistakes that were extremely funny. The usual."

Mimi turned her glare at him. "And you told her… everything?" she growled.

"I did not ask him anything like that," Lilika replied, coming to the endangered Keeper of Knowledge's aid. If she didn't, he was going to find at least _one_ aspect of his relationship with her dry up real fast. "I asked him other questions… like how you performed in bed alone, without other women distracting him or you. After incredible poking and prodding… and threatening him with castration, he finally gave nothing but glowing reviews."

Mimi blinked, her ire disappearing at that. She quickly finished her meal, walked across the room, and plopped herself on her boyfriend's lap. "Did he now?" she asked sultrily. "Well, he deserves a reward."

"He does, doesn't he?" Lilika stood up, gathering her deck up. "And on that note, I had best go and talk to Kyle about something." She smiled. "I will come around later."

"Please do. Come early, in fact."

-  
Angewomon looked out the window into the storm, counting the number of lightning strikes that hit the ground, and the number that hit the water. It was a little game she had decided to play, considering that there were few other things she could do while here. Presently, the number hitting the ground were being trumped by the water.

T.K. walked up to her, looking at her curiously, out the window, and back to her. "So, what's so interesting out there?" he asked.

Angewomon shrugged. "I've got sixty lightning bolts that have hit the water, and forty so far that seem to prefer more solid land," she replied, not even blinking. "Something very interesting to do with my time between patrols."

"Ah." Now that, he could understand, though he was a little worried. "Uh, Angewomon… how about we have a go at _Secar Triad_? I mean, we could do a tag team effort on Kyle. He won't mind."

She shook her head. "I already played about five rounds with Sora today," she said. "I wanted to keep my eyesight sharp, so I came up here. Kari didn't sound too happy when I asked for some privacy."

"Well, she wanted to talk to you about something. She had another vision about Angelica's life while she was asleep. I think it was about Angelica, for some reason."

"… If that's the case, why didn't I have it, too?"

T.K. shrugged. "I think while it concerns Angelica, she isn't in it. You should talk to Kari, because that's all she said to me and Angemon. She's in her room."

Shrugging, the Angelic Digimon was nevertheless curious as to why that was. So, she set off for Kari's present location, intending to find out.

She found Kari just where T.K. said she would be; in her room. She was busy staring at a book from Vane's library. The lack of movement told her that the little girl hadn't gotten very far in her reading.

Kari looked up, a little surprised that Angewomon was standing there, eyeing her. She had no idea how long she had been staring at the same page, trying to make sense of everything she had seen in her latest vision, but it must have been a while. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

Angewomon shrugged, leaning against the door frame. "Not long," she replied, her wings shifting on her back slightly. "I just spoke to T.K.. He told me that you had another vision about Hikari… and it apparently concerned Angelica. Now, I didn't want to get any funny ideas until I talked to you first, but I'm guessing it concerns the aftermath of her little stay at Gallitep."

Kari nodded, setting the book down. "You got it. I haven't fully figured out what the significance of it means, so I didn't want to bother you with it. For all I know, it could be a bad dream, caused by the fact that we're stuck indoors until further notice."

"… Perhaps you can tell me what you saw. I might be able to help you understand. If anything, it might even be useful to our current situation."

"… … Alright. If you think it will help…"

_Hikari exited Angelica's room, closing the door behind her. A lone tear slid down her cheek, which was the sum total of her emotional breakdown that she was going to let loose for now. Once she was back in hers and Takeru's chambers, she let it all go. But right now, she needed to be stoic._

_ The other Guardians of Althena were waiting for her outside, milling about fretfully. None of looked like they had left there in hours, if the number of empty cups and plates were of any indication. Not that Hikari could blame them. Angelica was one of them._

_Angelus was up and moving towards her almost immediately. "How is she?" he asked._

_Hikari smiled, allaying his concerns. "Away from the Quadricite deposits, her Guardian healing powers are repairing the damage done to her organs," she replied. "It may be a few hundred years before she can have babies again, but it's not permanent. She'll have scars for the rest of her life, but most of us have those." Her smile faded. "Her emotional scars, on the other hand, are far more prevalent, and won't be so easily healed. I've taken her off active duty, and am going to recommend that she be sent to the Guardian City for therapy."_

_Judging by the slump in Angelus's shoulders, the news wasn't all he had wanted to hear, but he nodded in understanding. No Guardian wanted to be separated from their counterpart for too long, as it could screw up their emotional state in the initial months. It was the primary reason why they were always given the same assignment._

_Takeru nodded as well. "Althena already had her removed from the roster, so that won't be a problem," he assured his wife. "I've also taken the liberty of placing you on leave for the next few months so you can help her, Angelus."_

"_And she will need your help, Angelus. Your emotional stability will prove only beneficial in the healing process." Hikari handed him a datapad, smiling. "Once at the City, you will need to stay with her every second for at least one week, so her mind can build the initial framework. After that, gradually leave her alone so her natural independence can reassert itself without interference." Her hand came up to stave off his protest. "I have already told Angelica the same thing, so she will understand. Under no circumstances are you to distance yourself emotionally from her. Just give her space after the first week. And keep me updated on her condition. I don't care if it's the merest microscopic detail, I want to know it all. Understood?"_

_Angelus deflated at that, before nodding again. Satisfied, she sat down. "Once she comes back, she will need our friendship and support," she informed them all. "She needs to know that, even if we have no clue what it feels like to be raped, that we will still stand by her side through thick and thin. Just... don't overdo it. She's delicate right now, but she won't be forever."_

_Ryo sat back down, his relief palpable. "I can tell you right now, she'll be back, and better than ever," he told them all, letting them know that he had accessed her Seer ability. "And she'll help free Gallitep from the Vile Tribe."_

_She smiled, glad that Angelica would get justice for what she gone through. She deserved it. She just hoped they didn't lose her to it..._

Angewomon smiled a little. Now she understood why Angelica wasn't in the memory. It was because it had just been after she had been rescued from Gallitep. She would have been unconscious by then. "The beginning of the end for Gallitep," she murmured.

"I thought so... but I think there was more to it. It felt like the memory had been cut off right there... like there was something else."

"...Perhaps. Or maybe you're reading too much into it. I mean, we really _don't_ need to know every single nuance of their lives, Kari."

"I know... but what if there's some minor detail that could help us?"

"We make do with what we do get, and remember every little detail." Angewomon sighed. "What I remember of her life seems to run parallel to mine. Abuse, pain, nearly killed on several occasions, and hadn't really gotten over it." Her gaze dropped to her helmet. "I doubt I can ever get over it completely."

Kari decided that this was one particular thing that she wasn't qualified to deal with for three reasons. One; she hadn't gone through anything similar, so she couldn't sympathize. Both a blessing and a curse in this situation.

Two; she wasn't a psychiatrist. She had no training on how to talk to her. And, considering how much psychiatry was dependent on not only the patient wanting to talk, but the doctor's own methods.

Three; She was a kid. This was something she simply wasn't mature enough to deal with.

Thinking for a moment, she decided she needed to talk to someone who did understand what abuse was. She just didn't know who she could talk to. After all, none of the other members of the Alliance had ever gone through something so horrendous.

Or... maybe she did.

* * *

And here is the redone Episode Seventy Three. As I've stated, I have removed the other pieces of stories, and have even added a little bit more to this in an effort to actually get back to the one of the original ideas of this story arc; what would happen when a group that has been on the move for so long, is forced to remain in one place for a period of time. Hopefully, I can actually get it right. Give me your viewpoint on this, please.


End file.
